Note: Make sure you are taking CanxidaRestore probiotic enzyme to get rid of your SIBO. It is the same supplement I recommend to everyone else.
Initially it would appear that SIBO is relatively easy to treat – after all it seems only to be a problem concerned with digestive issues. However on closer examination, particularly since the cause of this overgrowth of bacteria is unknown, treatment options tend to follow a variable path.
Conventional medicine usually begins with antibiotics in an effort to treat the overgrowth itself, before other prescribed drugs are tried to positively affect both the overgrowth and resulting symptoms. Rarely it would seem do any of these drugs work in the long term.
Many patients, whether suggested by their clinician or otherwise, try exclusion diets. Some with measurable success and others with little at all. However even in cases where symptoms improve once the diet returns to normal symptoms return also. Exclusion diets may however, have health implications long term and those taking this course of action should consult with their clinician if they intend to pursue it for a long period.
Others also incorporate into their treatment regimen the exclusion of risk factors such as antibiotics, alcohol and other possible contributors to bacterial overgrowth.
Finally many people turn to natural treatments in an effort to reverse both the overgrowth and their symptoms. It is not, of course, unusual for many people to apply several or all of the above.
Antibiotics
Conventional medicine usually follows a treatment path which starts with antibiotics and it is highly likely that most patients will at first see at least some improvement. However, due the activity of biofilms, it is also highly likely that the bacterial overgrowth will return.
Antimicrobials
Another aspect of conventional treatment sometimes incorporates the use of antimicrobials. These are usually designed to treat a particular group or species of microbe. Antimicrobials can be provided in the form of prescribed synthetic drugs or as a natural extract.
Prokinetics and Cleaning Waves
This is a confusing aspect of SIBO treatment. It is given in the context of increasing the cleaning waves of the intestinal system. Cleaning waves are ripples which move food, or the remainder of it, through the intestinal tract. Many patients with SIBO are revealed to have a disruption to the cleaning wave activity. Prokinetic drugs are said to act on serotonin receptors and increase intestinal motility. However it would seem that many probiotics depending on the strains involved can produce the same results. See below under Natural Treatments for more information
WIKI page for Prokinetics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prokinetic_agent
It also has to be considered that damage to the intestine could be permanent if the situation has gone unresolved for a considerable period of time. This does not mean however that the majority of symptoms cannot be remedied but it could be a reason why so many people fail to restore their intestinal health to the level prior to their illness developing.
Accepting there could be permanent injury to the intestine.
Dietary controls
Many people undertake as least some dietary controls in an effort to reduce their symptoms. These occur particularly when sufferers have shown to have an intolerance to certain foodstuffs. Primary offenders are gluten and lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. There is a misconception, particularly relating to lactose, that avoiding milk products will mitigate these problems. However since lactose as a sugar is used in many refined foods and manufacturing processes, it is virtually impossible to eliminate it from the diet.
Another issue which may arise when undertaking dietary controls is that it can result in nutritional deficiencies occurring. Professional advice should be sought before embarking on such a course of action for any length of time.
Natural Treatments
When it comes to treating SIBO once and for, I highly recommend a natural approach and below you will find list of some natural treatment options available for you.
Treating low stomach acid
Before you treat low stomach acid you really need to get some idea if you actually need the treatment. As I mention in another article this is not always the easiest of tasks. Despite the issue of low stomach acid now receiving more frequent attention in medical circles, accessing a test to establish if patients actually suffer from the condition is still ridiculously difficult.
After you have established the likelihood of low stomach acid you then have to look at treatment options. Clinicians may offer some alternatives however as far as I am aware patients usually treat themselves. There are several methods of doing this. One is by supplementing with Betaine Hydrochloride capsules which essentially replaces stomach acid. If you are considering this option always purchase a product which includes pepsin. Pepsin is the enzyme released into stomach acid within the stomach itself. It is the mechanism of releasing the stomach acid which triggers the release of pepsin. Therefore simply replacing acid levels will not trigger the mechanism and it also needs to be replaced.
Some people do not respond well to Betaine HCL. The reasons for this are not established but one simple explanation is that it could simply be too strong or too large an amount for a stomach which has already been damaged.
Another option is to try apple-cider vinegar. For generations this has been used to restore digestive upset and many people swear by it. Always buy apple cider vinegar with ‘mother.’ Not that you need to take your mom with you when you buy it but that the mother refers to non-filtered, unpasteurized juice. The amount you use varies from person to person. Personally I recommend taking one teaspoon of ACV in a glass of water. Remember to sip it slowly rather than drinking it quickly.
Lemon juice in water can also restore stomach acid levels and this simple option suits quite a lot of people. Try to use fresh lemons wherever possible and squeeze the juice of half a fruit into a half or cupful of water. Again, sip slowly.
Prokinetics and Cleaning Waves
For several years now there has been much said about the benefits of probiotics in restoring gut health. This has mainly been attributed to topping up certain bacteria in an effort of overwhelm bacteria which have become pathogenic. However recent research suggests that certain bacteria are influential in restoring effective motility of cleaning waves and that this could be a reason why certain probiotic strains are of benefit to those people suffering from SIBO1. The microflora specifically identified, but only in studies on rats, are:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
Other studies looking at the prokinetic effects of probiotics have actually been tested on humans and, depending on the symptom, have been shown to reduce the effects of constipation2. These include:
- Lactobacillus reuteri
- Lactobacillus casei
- Bifidobacterium breve
Natural Supplements
Many sufferers today are turning to supplements to provide them with all the probiotics, antimicrobials, prebiotics and prokinetics in an effort to restore digestive balance by not only eliminating the overgrowth of bacteria but also in providing digestive support in respect of acids, enzymes, and nutrients which, sometimes in conjunction with other dietary changes, are providing relief from symptoms which is somewhat more than temporary. Canxida Restore has been devised to replace many of the deficient ingredients whether and not only to probiotic action. It’s sister product, Canxida Remove has been developed to target an overgrowth of the candida bacteria said to be responsible for many of the symptoms relating to candidiasis.
It is though now becoming clear that although many people are affected by SIBO, there are developments in treating both the condition and the resulting symptoms. Where once patients simply had to suffer in silence, there are now alternatives becoming available which are tackling not only the symptoms and condition itself, but quite possibly, the cause.
References
1- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/expphysiol.2005.031708/full
2- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nmo.12072/abstract