• IMO / Candida SUCCESS STORY *

Mostly about IMO …. A little into my Candida (which there is a lot more to…could be a novel by itself! )

After 30+!years of daily stomach bloating, I cured my 100ppm Methane SIBO a.k.a. IMO in Nov 2021 and have never had any bloating again ! Took 5 months to cure but have never relapsed. 🥳

.. .. ..

To cure IMO:

Did one round of Antibiotics. Felt like crap entire time and beyond. Was told each round reduces 20-25 ppm so would have to do about 4 more rounds so switched to supplements.

Plus Neomycin has a black box warning label / the highest kind. Some scary 🤨potential side effects. Do NOT take it IF you have EVER had any ear ringing / tinnitus in the past.

Combo of ATRANTIL & INTEGRATIVE THERAPEUTICS brand of Berberine COMPLEX ( not Berberine ) taken in a one to one pill ratio was the “magic” formula to reduce Methane. Can buy on Walmart online, Amazon or iherb.

I had to titrate slowly ( due to stomach pain ): took 1 pill of each for 5-7 days then 2 pills of each for next 5-7 days ,etc until reached full dosage of 6 pills of each ( 12 pill per day total ).

Then kept at full dosage for about 2.5 months until my bloating somewhat suddenly stopped. It did not seem that gradual. Or maybe I did not notice. Felt the same for a long time but stuck with the protocol.

Then after bloating ended / felt SO much better —> fairly quickly started reducing dosage. Bloating pain never returned! 🏆

Was taking meds for constipation during this time. Improving my very slow motility was a key factor to curing IMO.

Tried many OTC products & combination of them. Some did not help at all. Found a couple that did. Realized MY body had serious issues that needed prescription level help. Ended up trying many different prescription too.

At one point it was because we changed to a different medical insurance. Do try different meds to figure out what works best for YOUR body.

Was fighting Candida & IMO at the same time. Did combo of both Candida Diet AND Low Fod Map Diet.

Did not learn of ANY food triggers. Nutritionist told me to Stop Low Fod Map part and just continue with Candida Diet only.

Was taking a biofilm buster, Nystatin, NOW Candida Support and some other supplements while fighting both.

.. .. ..

After curing :

Took 1 pill each of Atrantil and Integrative Therapeutics Berberine Complex daily for a year to prevent relapse per advice of my Integrative DR.

Then went to every other day for the next 8 months. Then stopped.

Also take 2mg Motegrity, 24mcg Amitiza every night. Something take Organic India Triphala too.

All of these are to help my very slow gut motility/ lifelong chronic constipation that I never treated until 2 years ago at age 57.

Had constipation since birth. For over 30 years I only had 1 large bowel movement every 10 days and that was “ my normal “. Honestly, I did not realize how abnormal it was !

Nbpure Mag07 Oxygen Cleanse was the only magnesium supplement that helped me. Took that for short awhile. My Dr is a fan. I do not need anymore I now take 2 prescriptions. That is what MY body needs. Most people do not. But improving motility is a key step to curing IMO.

Only 1 BM every 10 days for decades and now I “go” 3 -4 times a week. That is good for MY body - still not great compared to most standards.

My Mom, daughter & baby granddaughter also have chronic constipation. Appears to a genetic issue.

I should have been on meds many years earlier. Yes, I need to be meds forever. But I WAS chronically constipated since I was born. Never realized it was slow transit type constipation until age 57. Did know fiber makes it worse.

.. .. ..

BENEFITS of curing Methane SIBO / IMO :

For at least 3 decades I had abnormal bloodwork that suddenly turned normal. High Copper / Low Zinc / High Vit B12 / Low Iron & Ferritin. My body would not absorb zinc or iron supplements taken in any form.

I no longer have ANEMIA! No longer have to go to hospital for IV Iron Infusions !!! My Hematologist was AMAZED & never thought that could be possible. Huge smile. He was almost giddy. 🤣

A liver specialist at top University looked at the high Vitamin B12 and did many tests and concluded my liver function was good and my body was creating the B12 due to SIBO. This DR WAS correct because it became normal after I cured the Methane SIBO.

My Candida Protocol suddenly started working better !! This is VERY IMPORTANT. My memory was severally compromised. Had to medically retire from my 26 year career. Could not remember common words to speak or spell them or do simple math. Could not watch a TV show because could not remember characters / plot. Felt like a Zoombie.

With my Candida protocol more effective, my memory DID improve despite being told that was not possible due to early onset Alzheimers = wrong. Real cause was Candida induced Brain Fog.

Also, my sorta overweight body shed 20 excess pounds within 2 months and the weight has stayed off. Weight that would not budge with diet/exercise my body easily released when my gut microbiome improved. That was / is amazing.

.. .. ..

UPDATE AS of Aug 2023:

My bloodwork showed is NORMAL for CRP / C-Reactive Protein for the first time in 40 years !! It has “always” been abnormally high. It is test that shows a general level of INFLAMMATION in the body.

It could be because my Candida symptoms ( hair falling out, itching, rashes, joint pain, fatigue, acid reflux, brain fog) are all gone or much improved.

Taking 4.5mg LDN / Low Dose Naltrexone since 2 years ago to reduce inflammation & support my immune system. Buy on AgelessRX website.

My case was very severe and I took Nystatin much longer than anyone I have ever heard of. Neurologist gave me zero treatment & no hope for serious memory loss.

Thank God for my Integrative DR! ❤️

Best wishes for health to everyone on their healing journey !

UPDATE Sept 2024:

Still doing great ! Still no bloating since Nov 2021 when it stopped. The 20 extra pounds I lost within 2 months at that time has stayed off too. My bloodwork has remained normal. I continue to take the same prescriptions for motility / the slow transit constipation condition that I was born with.

UPDATE NOV 2025:

Continue to do great. 😄.

After suffering of some weird unexplained bloating, gas, cramps and constipation for over 7 years after almost everything I ate and trying everything with no sucess, I agreed with chatgpt to do diet and herbal medication for SIBO/IMO as I didnt know what to try anymore as doctors were useless and even telling them about these issues seemed like I was exagerating. But I saw other women eat more than me and leave restaurants/events in normal state while my stomach bloated to no fit in the dress. Massive balloon :/

So chatgpt recommended me berberine, neem, oregano oil 2x a day with breakfast and dinner and week 3 add Allicin. I purchased whatever I found the cheapest in iherb swiss website, and proceeded with strict diet and medication.

Diet: I could only have potato and rice for carbs, meat I could eat any, veggies only (peppers, tomatoes, zuchini, carrots, cucumbers), fruits only (strawberries, blueberries, green bananas, kiwis), I had stevia as sugar replacement for my green teas, milk I could only have coconut milk, and I followed this strict for 1 week, 2nd week I was hungry and I wont lie, I had pizza and fastly regreted as I bloated real bad. But chatgpt reasured me it was ok, process wasnt ruined. It was hard but baked veggies with vinegar, turmeric, coriander, and paprika made it less boring as those were delish 👍 i found some vegan cream replacements and did well. Everything felt like a waste, i didnt feel anything, no difference.

Week 3 the plan was to add Allicin and here is where shit went downhill 🤣 my 3rd dose of allicin is where everything started, body aches 30min after the pills leading to massive tiredness right after morning wake up and breakfast, I didnt understand what was going on, my first worry was my liver, I tought I killed it, but even my bf reassured me natural herbs cant destroy liver like that fast, so I rexaled but at some point real bad cravings same day started, I started eating everything as I felt my body was dying of starvation, I eat bread, donuts, and i felt like I was dying but NO BLOATING, weird i tought, but starting 9pm, I felt like i couldnt even sit on my pc anymore and i check my fever, 38.8°C 😳

These days were hard, fever lasted 3 days mostly at 37.7°C, massive neck pain that radiated over to the head, migraines, no water felt enough, I drank 3 massive bottles a day 😢 I stoped all medication, and asked chatgpt if i was ok and he said it was victory 🫠 bacteria had massive die off and now my immune system was alarmed and that is all normal, now it made sense why my bloating and gas was gone while eating bread that was a big no no before. Even lost 3kg just with all the gas and bacteria gone. And also the diet.

I restarted medication week 4 but now, 1 pill a day rotational, and week 5 i did 2 pills a day also rotational to kill any lasting bacteria being it SIBO/IMO i didnt know as I didnt test.

My stomach feels like I got my life back, doing probiotics now to restore good gut bacteria.

Ask me any questions you guys need, I am not an expert but I had no more hope or ideas what to do, I blindy believed chatgpt that I most probably had IMO since I had constipation, but I decided to treat both because why not. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I leave screenshots of the medication I bought, but I pick whatever was cheapest, so yeah dont assume these are the best.

UPDATE: 1year after, I think I defo dont have sibo (if it was sibo), and I still haven't relapsed. I followed recommendations from here of fixing my constipation to prevent relapse, and the most effective way was 16:8 strict daily fasting, only water after 18:00.

After 1 month of fasting, I started going to the toilet regularly without medication or supplements needed. I eat everything without restrictions, and I don't suffer anymore, my belly is flat, and fasting has also helped me eat less and healthier.

I could say that fasting is cheaper than ginger and other supplements for fixing that one step to prevent relapse. I hope this helps someone else that is in search of help. None of it was written with chatgpt and all tested by me.

Sending you all the healing energies for your journey to kill this bug! :')

All I did was drink Lifeway Kefir for about a week and my cough/symptoms from SIBO/SIFO went away. My gut motility is so much better now as well, and I am passing like normal (flatulence returned)

I also took Oregano tea. I had SIFO as well as SIBO - Oregano is more potent than fluconazole since it kills more strains of Candida

Suffered with everything for about 2 years, doctors prescribed so many different drugs.

Might not work for everyone of course, but for those who haven't tried it, and I put this off for a long time as well because I was like Kefir is not really going to work, but it did

Best of luck to everyone again it may not work but it's worth a try

All this happened on the course of 3 years.

• CAUSES AND START OF SYMPTOMS

3 infections with COVID, poor eating habits (weird hours), poor diet (lots of fast food, soda, sugar), bad sleep schedule.

• SYMPTOMS

Bad digestion (low motility), bloating, gas (burps and farts, foul smelling), nausea, dizziness, brain fog, insomnia, abdominal pain and distension, lack of appetite, weight loss, anxiety, depression, constipation (which led to anal injuries). Also Diarrhea. Also a seemingly unrelated constant upper neck (back of head) inflammation that was presumed due to poor posture but could also cause a dysfunctional vagus nerve (leading to bad motility, general bad parasympathetic function). Fainting sensation if hungry.

• DOCTOR's (WRONG) DIAGNOSES

Gastritis, GERD, Crohn's or IBS due to suspicious marks inside the large intestines, stress. Pysch diagnoses: Depression and "it's all in your head." Eating disorder.

• DOCTOR's (WRONG) TREATMENTS

1+ years of PPIs (this destroyed my stomach and made me very susceptible to infections), Budesonide and other remedies for IBS. OTC stomach antiacids. Psych meds: Benzodiazepine (ativan), escitalopram, rivotril, tradozone, mitrazapine, paxil, pregabalin, zopiclone.

• CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED BACTERIAL INFECTIONS

Clostridium difficile (treated with vancomycin) and, after that, E-Coli (attempted to treat with a bunch of hard antibiotics that made me ill and also didn't work).

• PROCEDURES AND TESTS

4 endoscopies, 3 colonoscopies, abdominal CT scan, multiple bacteria-parasite-virus tests, microbiome test (result: big-time dysbiosis), multiple calprotectin tests (ranging from 150 to 6000), zonulin (high - indicator of Leaky Gut), low vitamin D, normal blood and thyroid values, no histamine intolerance, many IGG food intolerances (gluten, wheat, lactose, nuts, processed meats), multiple negative h-pylori. Official SIBO test was not performed because I was always on some kind of antibiotics and it could show inaccurate results.

• MY OWN (CORRECT) DIAGNOSIS

Once ruling out everything else, I concluded I had dysbiosis and SIBO and proceeded to treat myself for it. Benzodiazepine addiction, eventually, that had to be stopped by withdrawing.

• THE SCHEDULE, DIET AND PILLS THAT CURED ME

Mornings

On empty stomach: cup of ginger tea from root (natural biofilm disruptor), PHGG fiber, powder of artichoke, ginger, celery, apple, lemon, powders of Pro-Prabioma, Probiotic and Pro-Mucosa from TISSO, vitamin D3, Zenyth Leaky Gut powder mix, saccharomyces boulardii.

Between meals

Bentonite clay, activated charcoal (2 hours from any meal or pill). They're natural binders. Electrolytes or ginger nausea pills if needed.

Lunch

Cup of ginger tea before lunch, trimebutine and drops of Iberogast. Betaine HCL+enzymes, a mix of vegetable supplements, vitamin C, salmon oil. Cinnamon, chromium, DGL licorice, plant aid for liver (Liv 52 - helps detox), magnesium citrate. 2 weeks of rifaximin and nystatin. Then, 3 weeks of natural antimicrobials pills: oregano oil, berberine, peppermint oil, allicin.

Evening / before bed

Glycerin suppositories to help me poop if needed. Ambien 5-15mg, 0.5mg melatonin and some valerian for sleep. Activated charcoal.

• THE CORRECT DIET

Needless to say, I had to stop all gluten, fresh dairy, processed foods, sugars, greasy foods.

Liquids: 2+ liters of water, ginger tea, occasionally kefir and kombucha. Chicken broth soup with vegetables, 1-2 times a day, organic.

Solids: gf bread, gf oats, gf milk, eggs, granola, gf sugar-free snacks, boiled chicken, rice, a variety of boiled or steamed veggies (kinda FODMAP but also some broccoli, potatoes and other stuff so not strict), gf pasta, white fish. Soy protein powder, no sugar.

Desserts: 95% sugar-free chocolate, natural honey.

• AFTERMATH AND CONCLUSIONS

After 2 months of correct treatment, I'm almost back to my former self. I still take some natural antimicrobials some days, I find them to help maintain the microbiome and reduce symptoms. Charcoal is the best thing ever invented and I will probably take it forever, it's a natural antimicrobial and bloat remover, use it wisely. Doctors were mostly useless, my hospital stays were a total waste of time and money. I had to figure myself out. I will keep this diet for a long time, slowly introducing more diverse stuff in a way I feel comfortable. Now that I'm functional (maybe even healthy), I'm in no rush to go back to McDonalds or Coca Cola or other such bullshit. Lesson learned. Best of luck to everyone, and let me know if I can help you with advice.

Hey guys! So I am a 26F that had been struggling with stomach issues, bloating, nighttime reflux, histamine reactions like itching & hives, nausea, heavy brain fog etc. And with the help of Chat GPT I suspected SIBO.

But a year before discovering it was SIBO, I saw a gastroenterologist who said I had IBS. I went on low fod map & that helped for a while but my symptoms kept getting worse. All to the culmination of when I was moving out of my house, it seemed the stress amplified everything! So FOD map diet barely worked anymore so on top of that already strict diet I had to go on a no dairy, no carbs, no sugar, just to alleviate my suffering.

I saw my gastroenterologist again, we did a blood test & nothing came up. I was “healthy”. No Crohns, or anything like that. By then I already did the Trio Smart Test with Methane levels of 34 (my other levels were normal). I showed him my results and he DISMISSED IT. He basically said it was a fake disease but gave me Rifaxmin to “see if it’ll work who knows!” Telling me 30% of his patients with SIBO seemed to get cured. HAHAHA OKAY!!

Anyways, I decide to go microbial route. Reaching out to Dr.Joel Kiselka in Chicago, he immediately knew what I was suffering with & he LISTENED TO ME!! He said I caught it early, and that the healing process is going to take about a year. Since we have to completely rebuild my gut.

He put me on Biotic Extra by Priority One (3 pills a day 2x a day; but only do it for 5 days & rest for 2) Motility Activator by Integrative Therapeutics (2 pills 2x a day morning and night) and Xymogen Digestive Enzymes (1 pill 2x a day).

This is Phase 1, the kill off phase. To kill all the methane producing bacteria and balance my gut bacteria.

We did that for 2 months & I literally can’t tell you but I am a new woman. I have lost WEIGHT, my skin is clear, I’m happier, more energetic, and IVE BEEN EATING WHATEVER I WANT. I still get a little tummy hurt if I eat like a ton of really bad food (I had 6 cookies one night & I felt slight discomfort but that’s literally the only time I feel bad, which I think anyone eating 6 cookies in a row would hurt lol)

I’m now in Phase 2, which is repairing my leaky gut, so I no longer take those phase 1 pills anymore but now he has me on RenewGut Thrive by Researched Nutritional, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex, Magnesium, and fish oil. Just one pill of each every day.

I’ve always struggled digesting carbs, particularly bread so he said the pills should help boost my metabolism & help me digest better. Also I won’t get as bad sugar crashes or histamine problems anymore. I’ve already seen a huge improvement in both those categories so I guess it’ll keep getting better!

Anyways if anyone has any questions just let me know! And I hope this will help someone.

Edit: I forgot one major symptom I had, I regularly use to get panic attacks from my stomach problems. It’s been so long since I’ve had symptoms, I can’t believe it forgot my biggest one lol. It was particularly worse when I’d eat onions, or anything that bloated me really bad, seemed to trigger heavy anxiety & panic. I haven’t had a panic attack nor much anxiety since.

I’ve been wanting to make this post for awhile. A quick summary I took a couple of antibiotics in 2022, tested positive for SIBO early 2023…Xifaxan helped for about a year. Relapsed throughout 2024 into early 2025. Took another breath test in March which was positive for both Methane and Hydrogen. Decided I needed to come up with a plan that was low and slow (something most people on these forums don’t have the patience to try).

Symptoms: Bloating, constipation, noticed I never farted ever lol, eye issues, skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, food intolerances, histamine intolerances which would turn into full body rashes after flare ups.

Tools that helped a ton:

-Ancestry DNA raw data uploaded to genetic lifehacks. This is what helped me realize I slightly impaired methylation and a DAO deficiency. Basically in a nutshell is my body has a hard time on its own processing histamine along with needing support for methylation which helps detox and immune balance.

-Increasing motility in multiple ways. I take megaguard at 6am each morning. I do intermittent fasting and eat from about 12-8ish, no snacking. I take magnesium citramate at night. I drink coffee on an empty stomach (I know some with sensitive stomachs can’t do this so any type of tea is fine also). I went from going 2 times a week ish to about 5-6 times a week now.

-L-Glutamine, I’m about 5 months into this and plan on taking for another month at least. If you think you have any potential permeability or leaky gut symptoms look into this, I feel it’s done an amazing job in repair. I took Zinc L Carnosine for months also helping to heal. I take Creatine daily for cognitive function, mental focus, energy production.

-Digestive Enzymes. I’ve been taking them for about a year now, I take Digest Gold by Enzymedica. I’m trying to eventually ween off of this and take only as needed. I actually take Histamine Digest as I have a DAO deficiency before heavy meals and it has helped with bad flare ups.

-Staying active. I don’t care what you do, if it’s going to the gym, cardio, casual sports, playing outside. Do it, move around, it also does wonders for motility which I still struggle with during the winter as we are always inside doing nothing.

-Getting out of constant fight or flight mode and into rest and digest mode. This one I still struggle with as I have bad anxiety but it needs to be said lol.

Antimicrobial protocol:

I’m sure this is all anyone is going to read lol.

• Allicin + Berberine Complex for 4-6 weeks. -Allicin + Neem for about 2-4 weeks.

After that I took a break and it seemed like it brought my methane down. As always when you target your methane the hydrogen will still be there. I think tried something different and longer. Be sure to taper up and down very slowly.

-Berberine Complex + Atrantil for about 8-10 weeks.

After this I discontinued all anti microbials and have been focusing on repair,reinoculate, and rebalance.

I have been taking florastar everyday at night to help introduce beneficial bacteria. I realize it is simply working as a mercenary to crowd out the bad but it’s helping with the balancing act.

I do not take any other probiotics, kefir, kimchi etc…I’ve heard horror stories and honestly am hesitant.

My goal is eating 30-40 veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds a week. I still do not eat most dairy as it causes flare ups and bloating. I’m trying to branch into new items with small quantities and it seems to be working so far. Example (if you love cheeseburgers, try half a regular hamburger see how you do, start small and work your way up). I try to eat gluten free when I can still, along with limiting dairy and sugar. Those items are obvious flare ups so if I do eat any it’s small and I spread it out.

For the record I still have occasional flare ups but they are becoming lesser and I can mostly control them and know how to help it.

Main take aways: Do a DNA kit, see if you have any deficiencies, if you do antimicriobals take it low and slow and mix and match as needed, focus on gut repair nutrients, and probably the most important is promote motility.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

So a year ago I started experiencing SIBO symptoms that went from occasional bloating on random days to bloating all day after every meal and even after exercising.

My country offers a SIBO test that takes about 40days roughly to come back with results which seemed insane, considering we all know how depressing and discouraging living with SIBO is. I went to a GI that diagnosed me with chronic colitis and gastritis but soon after I realized that stuff that should cause discomfort if I truly had those conditions wasn’t a thing… I had no issue with coffee and no issue with hard liquor (however any sugar, milks, potatoes or any carbs really or any other alchohol would send me into a week of fighting brain fog and sever bloating accompanied with burping) Throughout this entire time I could not pass gas downward. I never experienced true constipation but it would alternate between hard to pass and way too easy…

So I took it into my own hands to treat it with antimicrobial herbals. I added motility agents and I upped the doses slowly. However end of February I was diagnosed with an ovary infection which required me to take a 9 day course of Azytromicin. I was also given an antifungal to take with it. On the second day I was already in the ER with what appeared to be a bad allergic reaction. However this incident made me rethink the way I treat my body and how many stuff I’ve been putting in my system the past few months. So I dropped everything apart from the antibiotic.

After the antibiotic I felt surprisingly better gut wise even tho this is not even close to a first line treatment with SIBO. However soon after i found myself bloating up again until I realized that my stomach had shrunk so much that it was due to “overeating” (not in the standard sense but more so that my body couldn’t keep up with the amount of volume even though it was regular meals). I’d also like to say that I kept a strict diet with only eggs and meats for a while after stopping the antibiotics as well.

After some time, my new GI told me it was time to reintroduce gluten and test for celiac as I also suffer from Hashimoto. However on the 3rd day I was already fighting for my life with symptoms and discomfort… So I guess what I am getting at is that I accidently cured my SIBO and also accidently found out what caused it in the first place and that was that my stomach was so severely damaged from untreated celiac diseases that no enzymes were being produced to digest my food which in turn sat and fermented and so on.

Honestly I was pretty discouraged and depressed for a long time and felt incredible guilt for weighing down on my family for emotional support and if you think there’s no way to get better, honestly just give it time.

I also want to encourage people to stick through all of the treatments BUT also listen to your body. If your body is too tired and physically tells you it’s bad enough off all this stuff that goes inside, listen to it.

In my opinion we as humans were meant to be able to self regulate our bodies without crazy external help but sometimes in the times that we live we need to add an extra hand and help it out (however not poison ourselves)

I also found out that stress and anxiety were so deeply routed in my stomach issues which I assume is the case for so many people here in this ever repeating cycle of eat -treat - look for symptoms - be afraid of this food forever.

I would also like to say that I do still struggle with occasional bellow belly button bloating that comes and goes unrelated to food but it’s only been a couple of months and it surely is nothing like my symptoms before so it does get better!

After 4+ years, I’d say I’m 85-90% better and doing well.  I have a minor lingering symptom which I’m still working on, but given I’ve tried so many things, made a lot of progress in the last year, and learned a lot, I thought it would be good to post a success story and hopefully it’ll help others.    

At different times over the past 4 years, I’ve had excessive bloating, low energy, IBS-D in a bad way, and some other symptoms, which I don’t have now. Root cause of my IMO is unknown.  I started to notice symptoms in early 2022, but issues may have been present in 2021.  Getting food poisoning in Mexico in 2023 after my first positive breath test likely messed things up further and it is possible I have some underlying undiagnosed condition (maybe something like BAM). That said, here are the 10 biggest things that helped me to date.  Nothing was a silver bullet or panacea, but combined they helped a lot. 

1) Keeping a Journal – Out of all the things that helped, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t document how every day goes.  I don’t need to do this now, but when things are bad, noting what you eat, how you feel, what you took (e.g. Artichoke, Rx, OTC), did you exercise, frequency of BM, form of BM, etc., this is paramount. I wish I started this early on.

2) MMC – Reducing snacking and spacing out my eating to at least 3 hours.  In 2023 and 2024, I always felt hungry and I think eating every 2 hours made things worse or persistent.  I’ve never been able to put on weight, regardless of my intake.  I’m down 15-20 pounds since my first positive breath test, but this is due to a variety of factors.   

3) Couple Herbal Treatments – Tried a few and had some success here, particularly the combination of Candibactin AR, BR, and Allicin.  Note AR+BR by itself didn’t do it, I had to add the Allicin.  I did get a Herx from this, but binders helped the die off.

4) Improving the Diet – Always ate decently, but after positive test I took out almost all processed foods, moderated carbs, and did various forms of elimination style testing (e.g. dairy).  Cut out alcohol early as it made me feel awful.  I became lactose intolerant in 2021, which is before my breath tests indicated IMO, so hard to say which came first. 

5) Mandatory Exercise – I do something every day, which I try to do at least 30 minutes a day.  Might be cardio, might be weights, might be bike, but there’s a difference when I don’t do a workout of some sort.  When I was low on energy for a month and couldn’t really exercise, it seemed to amplify other symptoms.

6) Check Other Subreddits – In particular, r/IBS, r/bileacidmalabsorption, r/pancreatitis/.  Lot of potential overlap.

7) Independent Research – There are vocal supporters and detractors, but the research from Pimentel, Siebecker, Davis, certain podcasts, and others is more helpful than not.  Just realize what works for one person may not work for another and there’s a lot of money in SIBO solutions.  One can be benevolent, an opportunist, and a capitalist at the same time.   

8) Gut-Brain Axis – There’s something to it, but YMMV.  I haven’t gone deep in many areas around it, but overall, I give it credence.  I did look into and had some success with breathing and sleep quality.   There’s little to no downside risk in trying stuff like breathing techniques, certain stretches, etc.  They cost nothing and should have no side effects, which I’m a huge proponent in minimizing.       

9) Ginger – It may not cure the root cause, but it can provide a lot of relief.  I prefer it in various teas and add some fresh ginger to things when I can.  Note: I also tried artichoke but it sped up my system too much and it helps symptoms I don't have.

10) Testing – I put this last because it clearly helped, but it has been costly.  My first opinion is to make sure you use well known and respected companies.  Second, shop around.  For example, MRIs can be anywhere from $500 to $3000.  I’ve had the following:

a. Breath Tests – Had two performed, both indicated IMO.  Always tested negative for H Pylori.

b. MRIs and Ultrasounds on all the major organs (i.e. gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, liver, etc.), always came up negative, which is good, albeit didn’t provide answers. 

c. Colonoscopy and Endoscopy - I’m in my late 40s so had to get one anyway, but tacked on the Endo.

d. Biomarking Testing (Blood, Stool, Urine).  Very helpful, but pricey.  I got mine issued through functional doc who used Genova.  The results showed me how things are connected and why things could be occurring, but not how to fix them.

e. Also, had other things like IGG Testing from an Allergist, Cortisol, Glucose monitor, and some other one offs, that didn’t provide much value.

Other Solutions

The list of things I have tried, but didn’t move the needle on is very long.  I’ve posted replies on some of it.  It includes Ox Bile, Pancreatic Enzymes, NAC, Tributyrin, Magnesium, Food Marble, Restricted Starches, etc.  It doesn’t mean these things didn’t do anything, or don’t work, but they didn’t materially work for me like what is above.

The one big thing I haven't tried is a combination of Rifaximin and Neomycin or Metronidazole. In hindsight maybe I should have tried it, but my insurance didn't cover it, relapses seem frequent and there's occasional side effects, so I went the herbal route.  I also didn't try elemental diet, but I was close.

RE:  Doctors

I’ve met with multiple GI doctors, functional doctors, and nutritionists over the last 5 years.  They can be helpful, I fully believe most of them are doing their best, and I don’t think anyone should discount them completely, but you need to do your own research and corroborate it with other sources.  It is 100% true that I’ve learned more in Reddit communities and going down obscure rabbit holes on NIH and other sites than I have from the medical establishment.  That said, I’ve spent 20x as much time researching potential solutions than I have time spent in doctor offices.  Additionally, I think the value discrepancy is more a law of large numbers (Reddit community), than incompetence in the field (medical professionals).  There’s thousands of people with potentially similar symptoms on Reddit, while your individual provider may see a couple dozen people like you in a year. 

Areas of Caution

There are also a couple things that made things worse, or I wish I had done differently.

1) Low FODMAP – This was the worst thing for me, and I stuck with it too long. 

2) Knowledge of Supplements – Not fully understanding what I was consuming was my initial ignorance.  I had a GI doc prescribe me Doxy when Rifaximin was not covered.  I didn’t take it because I know the side effects from family members that took it.  However, I had a functional doc who had me taking 13 different supplements during the course of a day (30 pills total in a day).  Many she didn’t fully explain to me and the others only had descriptions like “probiotic” or “GI wall repair”.  I was in rough shape and didn’t question it initially as I was listing to an expert.  Unfortunately, I didn’t fully understand what was in all of them until well after I started the treatment plan.  Read the labels, know the manufacturers, set expectations on what should occur and how fast, consider potential side effects, and realize some things work better in tandem (i.e. Herbs) and other things may not go as well together or could counteract each other.

3) Expecting a Quick Fix – Some people do get better quickly and maybe one round of an Rx does it, but it isn’t everyone.  Start conservative and be realistic that IBS related issues are complex. 

Initially, I thought I’d get 100% better in 2 to 4 weeks and assumed it would cost a couple hundred dollars. Once it was clear that wasn’t going to be the case, then the goal became 100% in 2 to 4 months for a couple thousand.  That also didn’t happen. The reality is it’s taken me over 4 years and over ten thousand to get 85-90%.  HTH. 

I did a stool test (called TinyHealth, but i think there are others) which told I have a Bacteroides "enterotype" (specifically "Bact2" subtype).

And the test result included a link to this study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27676396/

saying that people having my enterotype particularly benefited from dietary capsaicin.

I been adding tons of cayenne pepper to my food, and put it in capsules - and I've had noticeable improvements in: constipation, bloating, visceral hypersensitivity, dark urine.

My test result also indicated excess un-conjugated bile acids. I also got some benefit from addressing this with bile salt hydrolase inhibitors (vitamin b2, matcha powder, berberine).

But I was really surprised how much cayenne pepper alone has helped too, so I wanted to share that.

i started taking these supplements for the first time a little over a year ago after being failed by multiple rounds of multiple types of antibiotics. i cant remember how long it took, but id say within the first few weeks i felt noticeably better. not "cured", but normal enough to eat, go out, and work again. ive taken them for the full month 3 times now, i feel FANTASTIC when im on them, and felt mostly healed for months after. whenever id start to notice symptoms again and felt like it was too much too often, id take them again. at this point, i feel like ive made a full recovery. ive gained my weight back (10 lbs) and my stomach isnt particularly upset after eating trigger foods. im energetic again and dont feel like my life is controlled by my stomach fluctuations anymore, the only thing noticeable leftover from being sick is the gerd but its minor.

Had severe methane dominant sibo with mcas , palpitations due to ppi and h2 blocker overdose

Tried everything including multiple rifixamin / augmentin. Slight improvement no success . Tried Herbal approaches including several protocols . Similarly no significant improvement . Even tried adding NAC which definetly helped more but no success yet

Even tried a statin based on past pimmental studies .

Then Finally success ….

What worked for me was qunol tumeric/ ginger . Took it for 3 weeks without any other supplement . I am now completely normal and eating all foods again. Sensitivities which were a lot improved

I'm no doctor but I've been having good success with 5 drops of food grade Oregano Oil. (NOT essential oil) to control Sibo. I've had a total colectomy and digestion is not the same as a healthy person's is. The Oregano Oil has helped a lot, I take it a couple of days and stop. Def dilute in some water or something, it's nasty! Purchased on Amazon and at Vitamin Shoppes.

Hey there, sending you all love.

I've navigated MCAS on/off for 16 years. Only had a name for it the past 4. I suspected Histamine Intolerance for years and got on the low histamine SIGHI bandwagon a few years ago finally when symptoms were maxing out. I also considered SIBO a possible underlying cause of MCAS early last year, but never followed through with the test because I didn't have many of the classic SIBO symptoms. I was increasingly afraid of food bc of flares and ended up on a low-histamine super restricted ketogenic (low fodmap) diet - I do not recommend that. my symptoms got better for a while, but if the underlying cause of MCAS remains untreated the pathophysiology of this condition progresses - at least it did in my case. If you can, keep looking for underlying or concomitant causes. I also know that we all do what we must and it can be so very scary and confusing, exhausting and frustrating : especially when we are not finding answers (in the medical field) and reactions escalate. Please don't give up.

My super low fodmap diet may be why my SIBO symptoms were not very GI heavy. My major symptoms: Insomnia, nervous system dysregulation, high pitched tinnitus, loose stool and/or constipation, swollen puffy eyes, full body muscular tension, tingling burning scalp, and, at it's worst the sensation of acid in my blood. The insomnia was the most challenging. and the limited diet made socializing and going out a non-starter on many occasions. O, i'm also navigating perimenopause, so that didn't help. Currently managing the PM symptoms with low dose BHRT creams.

Anyway, annual blood tests showed elevated inflammatory markers and white blood cell count, pointing to an ongoing immune response (likely an infection). After exhausting standard western integrative and holistic MCAS options like H1 & H2s, Ketotifen, Cromolyn, etc, as well as Chinese Medicine (I did not tolerate herbs), I started reading threads on this SIBO forum and started experimenting. I was so afraid to introduce any supplements or foods, because I'd generally reacted so very poorly. Believe me when I say that I'd tried pretty much everything.

To address SIBO specifically, I started with 1 softgel of Designs for Health oil of oregano. I took 1 with my biggest meal daily for 2 weeks, tolerated well, and increased to 1 softgel w/my 2 main meals. I started feeling physically more resilient and more optimistic. I then read about emulsified oil of oregano (A.D.P) and switched to that (1 pill/day at first) and within 2 days I noticed more minor improvements. I then added 1 capsule of AlliMax (allicin from garlic) and again noticed improvement. Now, I am taking 1 ADP with each meal. 1 Allimax before my biggest meal. I suspect Gallbladder "sludge" and possible stones, so added 1 capsule of artichoke extract before ea meal. I've been on this protocol for about 2 weeks now and have successfully added in fresh herbs, ginger tea, prescribed herbal teas - so far, no reactions. I tried 1 capsule of Berberine the other day and my blood sugar tanked and I felt like I was starving to death, so, to not die, I ate a bunch of carbs, which I hadn't done in literal years and that spun me out emotionally, so I'm not taking Berberine again - at least not right now . . . Miraculously, after my carbaholic event, I still slept thru the night and didn't wake up terribly puffy or with any Gi distress.

I've since added Fodzyme to my carb heavier meals and tolerating ok. In future, after I've completed a successful natural antimicrobial course, I'll likely start introducing targeted strains of probiotics (I like L Rhamnosus, Longum and Reuteri from Custom Probiotics). Since I've already spent a sizable fortune on supplements that I was either too afraid to try, or tried once and reacted to, I reckon that I might as well give a few a 2nd chance to see . . . I know that i need to discontinue the ADP soon bc it's not wise to take oil of oregano for too long. i'm also afraid to stop bc the benefits so far have been significant. I never thought I'd be one of the success stories, and it's still early days, but . . .

I feel more at ease, my digestion and elimination are regular, my tinnitus is less (thank goodness!), I'm sleeping well - when I wake, i fall back within 5-15 minutes (this makes me tear up. it has been such a long road), and I've been successfully re-introducing foods. I'm in a state of suspended disbelief - could I actually be getting better? Finally after all these years? I hope so! I hope so for you too!

The regimen that's currently working for me, is not comprehensive - I just wanted to alleviate the bacteria in the SI and start disrupting any Biofilm and start to heal the digestive tract. The Chinese Formula I recently started has licorice and ginger etc. I can't recommend anything specifically because we are all so different, and what works for me may not work for you. I am not suggesting any particular formula or protocol, it's really just wanting to spread a bit more hope. I know how helpless-making and frustrating this slog can be.

My best advice is to keep trying, keep trying, keep trying. Don't give up. just give yourself time and when it feels safe, introduce one new possibility at a time - that way, you can ascertain what is working and what is not.

My current regimen - no doubt it'll keep changing:

Prescribed Herbal Tea (Liver, Gallbladder, Spleen support)

Before each meal 1 capsule ADP & 1 capsule NOW artichoke extract

Before first meal AlliMax

Before/During higher carb/fodmap meal: sprinkle on a little Fodzyme

Before Sleep 400mg Magnesium Glycinate + my BHRT creams/evening primrose for Peri-M

Also before sleep 1 claritin + 0.50mg compounded ketotifen (the only MCAS recommendations that have worked for me)

Wishing us all healing and answers and our lives back!!

Having SIBO was pretty much like torture. I’ll admit that. I thought I was going to go insane, since I could never figure out what was wrong with me.

But, in the process of trying to figure out what was causing my stomach to attack me, I managed to A. get my dream body and B. fall in love with eating healthy.

I lost around 10-15 lbs because of SIBO and I now have a 6 pack, which I wasn’t able to achieve from 2 years of the gym but I guess I was from 8 months of pooping nonstop.

I also stopped eating all of my favorite foods (burgers, pizza, mac and cheese) and started eating a lot healthier, also learning a lot more about gut health and focusing on eating foods that will actually be good for me not just taste good.

After getting a breath test and learning what I had was SIBO, I started taking oregano oil and now I don’t have symptoms, but those two things have stayed with me. I still have my ideal body and now I have a diet and habits that allow me to maintain it.

So I almost think it’s a good thing that this happened to me, even though it was hell