I'm a SIBO Killing Machine!

My latest diet sucks. My colon still isn't working and my new doctor thinks it's SIBO. I'm resistant. Don't get me wrong, I actually think I like this new doctor. First, she speaks my language and uses words like "leaky gut", "genetic mutations", "organic foods" and "coconut oil". Second, she sees patients on Saturday! Third, she's a real doctor who's gone holistic. And fourth, she actually emailed me out of the blue to find out how my colonoscopy went. That's above and beyond what anyone expects of a doctor these days. She seems very knowledgeable, but I'm not convinced about the SIBO idea.

SIBO stands for Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth which means bad bugs are in my small intestine supposedly causing all kinds of havoc. Symptoms are: bloating, gas, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerances, chronic diseases, vitamin B-12 deficiency, heartburn, leaky gut, nausea, fat malabsorption, abdominal pain and cramping, and, wait for it...constipation although not as common as diarrhea.

So...what I don't have are the classic symptoms of bloating, gas and diarrhea. I also don't have irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, heartburn, nutrient malabsorption, or nausea. My vitamin B-12 levels are excellent and I've been on the leaky gut diet several times in the last few years with the most recent in December. I don't have the food intolerances the websites list (gluten, casein, lactose, and fructose), but my latest food allergy test showed some sensitivities to...vegetables. My new doctor didn't seem to care about this because she said those tests are just a reflection of the moment and next week the list would be different. I agree. I think the list is a reflection of the current state of my colon. It doesn't like fiber.

What I do have is what appears to be a non-working colon rather than typical constipation. A year ago I had fat malabsorption, I have had some intermittent abdominal pain, and I do have a chronic disease known for constipation - Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. SIBO bugs are known to cause constipation through the methane they produce. The other bugs commonly associated with SIBO are hydrogen-dominant and those are the bugs that create the diarrhea.

My cynicism is also grounded in the fact five years ago it was as if everyone I knew was all of a sudden diagnosed with SIBO. I found this unrealistic. Is this the latest holistic fad? Now, years later, none of them are "cured". They suffered through all the expensive treatment options and many now have a standing prescription for antibiotics every six months with repeat testing. So if there is no working treatment, what is the point of all this medical expense?

Instead of jumping into spending $180 for the test, I asked my doctor for the SIBO diet and she gave me a copy of Dr. Allison Siebecker's protocol which you can view HERE. Everything I've read states the diet should help make the patient feel better within days. Of course, most are suffering from bloating which I am not. My thought process is if SIBO is what I have and the diet the treatment, I should have some improvement. Doesn't that make sense? Even a tiny indication I'm on the right track would give me hope.

This diet restricts sugars and starches since that is what the SIBO bugs eat. If you can starve them out, they will die and go away. OK! I can live off meat for two weeks! I am allowed a few choice fruits, vegetables, some oils, some nuts. Just to be safe I'll stop eating all my food allergens as well. Who needs vegetables! And on top of that continue with the Paleo Diet with a Hashimoto's Twist. This doesn't leave me with many food options, but after five months of a non-working colon, I really don't care. I just want a sign that SIBO is at fault for all my misery.

The diet was horrid. My intestines screamed in burning discomfort, my stomach cramped, and I started crashing with bouts of exhaustion and fatigue. My thyroid hates the diet. And on top of that, the constipation got worse. No laxatives of any kind would work. At first I thought this was what everyone calls "die-off" or the bugs starving and dying which releases their toxins as they exit your system, but I didn't have the typical die-off symptoms and stayed on the diet for two weeks. I just felt worse and then more worse. And then my hair started falling. Call me vain, but that was the last straw. At two and a half weeks, I ate some rice and everything felt wonderful.

So now what? I'm paralyzed with indecision. Do I listen to my instincts and refuse the test or do I cave, pay for the test, and then get really irate when it comes back negative as I expect? Even if it came back positive, how can I possible treat SIBO? Antibiotics or herbs might cause me far too much misery. Then what? Ponder...ponder.

So I ordered the test. My doctor said two weeks on the diet wouldn't do anything. I'm still not convinced, but I got tired of doing nothing paralyzed with indecision. At least this moves me forward. The test has a preparation plan and diet. I have to be OFF laxatives for four days!? HOW? My colon stops working without laxatives!

Does that deter me? Nope. On to a liquid diet of fruit and vegetable juices and meat broths. I confirmed this plan with the lab as I was afraid too restrictive a diet might produce a false negative. They said as long as one adheres to the 24 hour preparation diet, no problem.

The first, second, and third days of the liquid diet my colon screamed in burning pain and cramps.  Then it gurgled for hours alternating with moments of feeling really good if it wasn't for the excruciating hunger, then the hunger would go away. The sweet fruit juices helped alleviate weakness, but then the pain and cramps would return and the cycle would continue. This feels more like an infection and I was surprised to get the same pain with an empty gut as I did with a fully packed intestinal tract.

The fourth day, however, was a diet of only chicken broth. I thought the feelings of hunger would kill me. Weakness and brain fog took over and by 1pm I was done thinking for the day. By four o'clock I was sick of chicken broth and this is good because one needs to start fasting twelve hours before the start of the test. I tend to get up early and knowing I'd be famished by the next morning, I planned this in advance.

I drug myself out of my weakened state out of bed at 3am, one hour before the test. I could hardly function. Sitting in a chair took a great amount of effort. My joints burned and I was sweating profusely. I began the test. The lactulose solution was fine. It tasted like weak orange-flavored Kool-aid. I was hoping it would give me some energy to survive the next three hours. It ever so slightly took away the some of the weakness without bad side effects. The test involves breathing into a little funnel with a test tube inserted every twenty minutes ten times. I turned up the online jazz station and began. Three hours later done...over. You can get instruction details and watch informative videos for this test from www.sibocenter.com

Waiting, waiting, waiting for the results....still waiting. Waiting longer...

Waiting some more.

NEGATIVE. Duh. What a waste of money! But I am absolutely relieved and overjoyed the results are negative. Maybe the new doctor will start taking me seriously now?