Gut Health ~ Taking Action Pt. 1 SIBO

Taking Action

Although this was written with the SIBO sufferer in mind, a few of the action steps provided may be used for anyone dealing with chronic health issues.

Taking action steps to attack SIBO is an intimidating, isolating, and life altering process. It requires a lot of time and attention on the body, but with this step by step guide I’ve created, hopefully I can help alleviate a bit of the anxiety and stress, associated with this diagnosis.

The first, most important part you need to know, when approaching SIBO, is understanding that it is a fierce disease. SIBO doesn’t disappear with a quick few pops of antibiotic pills, or a few herbal pills over the course of a few weeks. It takes months, sometimes years, to see a positive impact on the body, when trying to fight it.

SIBO harbors itself in the intestinal tract, and gets triggered very easily, so it requires a lot of patience, time, and nurturing, when getting rid of it.

Whether you choose the Western Medicine, or Naturopathic Medicine way of treating SIBO, it still takes time and requires a major shift in lifestyle and nutrition.

Disclaimer - Keep in mind, SIBO is not a be all, end all diagnosis. SIBO is a symptom of a deeper gut health issue that will need some extra digging. SIBO is linked to more serious conditions including endometriosis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and leaky gut. If you are diagnosed with SIBO, and are seeking further healing, you will most likely need a colonoscopy and/or upper endoscopy to find the route cause of this bacterial overgrowth.

Step 1 - Identifying your approach

Before seeking a doctor who can help you with your healing process, you have to do a little self searching first. Ask yourself what type of treatment you feel would work best for you. Would you like to follow a quicker, Western Medicine approach, with antibiotics and diet change? Or do you want to take a Naturopathic route, with lifestyle and nutrition changes, along with herbal protocols? Research articles and studies on SIBO, and ask yourself which piece of evidence and information feels in line with your body.

Although I can’t speak for others, or define what works best for you, I can share my experiences, to shed a little more light on my battle with SIBO. Due to my level of sickness, Western Medicine didn’t work for me, so I decided to try the Naturopathic route. I started treatment with antibiotics, only to find they made me feel worse, catapulted the development of other infections and diseases, prolonging my healing process by another year. But, while antibiotics didn’t work for me, they may work for others. For those of you who walk away feeling like the antibiotic route may work for you, I encourage you to ask your doctor for a protocol that will promote gut healing and flora balance, to maintain gut health after treating SIBO with antibiotics.

Step 2 - Finding the right doctor

Finding the right doctor, will be a game changer for you, when attacking SIBO. Unfortunately, my Western Medicine doctor didn’t know enough about SIBO, gut health, or nutrition and lifestyle, to help me to the extent I needed him to. This isn’t to say that you can’t find an incredible Western Medicine doctor within your city, who will treat you and your condition properly.

In my personal experience, I believe it’s extremely important to find a doctor who believes in an integrative approach to medicine. An integrative approach involves studies and research that compare the affects of both Western and Eastern medicine on the body, while considering the body itself as the lead in direction, towards what feels right with respect to treatment. For example, although I’ve made the shift to Naturopathic Medicine, I will need my Western Medicine doctor to do more intensive research on my body. As previously mentioned, SIBO is a symptom of the route cause of a more serious illness or condition. Finding a diagnosis of this more serious condition, involves the help of a Western Medicine doctor, through medical procedures, such as colonoscopies, upper endoscopies, and biopsies. These procedures are not performed by Naturopathic doctors, which is why I believe it’s important for doctors to be open minded and integrative.

Luckily, I was referred to my naturopath, by a family member with Celiac Disease and gut health issues, so I didn’t need to stretch myself too thin, trying to find one. If you don’t have any leads on naturopathic or specialized doctors who have the knowledge and expertise in gut health, start with what you are provided with through your health care. Begin by making an appointment with a Gastroenterologist, and feel it out. Ask yourself a few questions as you meet with her/him and evaluate where your gut sits within it.

First, identify the energy you feel when with your doctor.

Do you feel comfortable with she/he? Did she/he shove you out the door quickly? Do you feel rushed or stressed while talking to she/he? What is hers/his energy like? Is she/he warm and understanding? Compassionate and empathetic? Humble and open to learning? Or is she/he cold and assertive? Closed off and egotistical?

Then, evaluate how you feel about their ability to treat your condition, in the way that’s best for you.

Does she/he know what SIBO is? Does she/he have experience within the gut health field? Do your thoughts and preferred treatment styles align?

If this appointment goes awry, and you walk out feeling a little off, maybe you need to take a different approach. Ask your friends and family for referrals, create a post on social media asking for references or information, read Yelp reviews on different Gastroenterologists and/or Naturopaths, research articles and studies.

Step 3 - Taking the test

So you’ve found your doctor and you’re feeling confident in your approach to healing, now it’s time to take the test. SIBO is tested through a three hour breath test, that measures the bacterial growth within your small intestine, by evaluating the levels of methane and hydrogen gas your body is producing. The SIBO Breath Test can be taken in various ways. If you’ve chosen the Western medicine route, you can request the SIBO Breath Test through your GI. Depending on your insurance, this test should be covered. If you’ve chosen the Naturopathic route, your Naturopath will most likely suggest the test, and order it from her/his preferred lab. And finally, you can actually order the test yourself, through Aerodiagnostics, a lab based in Massachusetts. I personally love this test, because it can be taken at home, where I’m most comfortable, compared to a stuffy clinic, where the seats are uncomfortable and the air is frigid. Although you can order this test yourself, you will want to coordinate this with your doctor, to ensure the proper interpretation of your test results.

Instructions are outlined in the test kits, and should be passed along if you are taking it through your doctor. But, I’ve spoken to many people about this test, and they sometimes feel confused or overwhelmed, so I’ve outlined it here, so you know what to expect when preparing for the test.

This three hour test consists of a baseline sample of your breath, followed by consuming a lactulose solution. After consuming the lactulose solution, nine breath samples are given at 20 minute intervals, for three hours. Prior to taking the SIBO test, be sure to follow the test prep guidelines very carefully. A 12 hour dieting period of boiled chicken or white fish (salt & pepper only), clear chicken or beef broth (salt & pepper only), eggs (salt & pepper only), white bread, white rice, water, and/or black coffee must be followed, before you begin the 12 hour fasting period, prior to the test. If you’re vegan or gluten free, this will limit the diet immensely for you. Because I eat plant based, the last few times I have taken the test, all I have consumed in a day is water, black coffee, and white rice. If you are a Celiac, do NOT eat white bread simply because the instructions tell you to do so. If you are a Celiac, you may not eat gluten free white bread, due to it’s various ingredients and grains that could affect the test.

This diet is meant to starve out the bacteria, before taking the lactulose solution, to allow the lactulose to do all the work, waking up the bacteria in an accurate manor. If this protocol is not followed properly, inaccurate test results may occur, which will simply lead you to having to take the test all over again.

Step 4 - Nutrition and the low fodmap diet

You’ve discovered your approach, you’ve found your doctor, and you’ve been diagnosed with SIBO. Now what? This is where your journey truly begins. This is where I hope to help you along, and provide hope for your healing and future. The first part of your journey, will be a dieting change. SIBO feeds off of the food we eat, and the bacteria in our guts, so in order to promote healing, we have to starve it out. The best form of dieting for SIBO, is following a Low FODMAP diet. FODMAP is short for fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols; a collection of short chain carbohydrates that promote an increased volume of gas and liquid in the small and large intestine. It sounds complicated, but once you get the hang of it, the Low FODMAP diet becomes second nature.

You will need to re-test for SIBO after following your personalized protocol and diet. If your re-test results come back showing progress, you may begin integrating a few High FODMAP foods, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Keep a food journal to track your symptoms, whether they be intestinal, emotional, or topical. After you’ve evaluated how your body reacted to the initial new addition food, you may begin integrating the next new food and/or food group.

Need further help with the Low FODMAP Diet? Schedule your health coaching consultation with me and let’s talk it through!

Disclaimer - As previously mentioned, I have also been diagnosed with Candida, H. Pylori, and C. Diff. Over the course of my naturopathic treatment, and testing different dieting regimes, I’ve come to learn that my body functions at it’s best on a mostly plant based, high fat diet, with properly portioned grains and legumes. The recipes you’ll see on A Bit of Thyme are Gluten Free and Low FODMAP, integrated with plant based and sugar free (Candida friendly) ingredients. While these specific dieting restrictions and recipes may not work for everyone, I encourage you to try them out, and create your own!

Step 5 - Lifestyle

Now, this, is the fun part.

In my, Mental Health - What it’s really doing to our bodies, post, I shared my beliefs and the research of well respected professionals, on the impact mental health and stress have on the human body. It’s all connected - our bodies, our souls, and our minds. And now, it’s time to tie it all together.

The last piece of taking action towards healing, involves the discovering of your new and improved lifestyle. This may require a little soul searching, and possibly a minor identity crisis. That’s ok, we’ve all been there.

Start by asking yourself a few questions, and trying out what feels right for you.

Is your lifestyle setting you off and causing an emotional or mental imbalance? What type of lifestyle would promote healing for you? How can you begin to live a more balanced life, free of stress or emotional triggers?

Is your job causing you unnecessary stress or anxiety? Do you need to re-evaluate your career path? Are you getting enough sleep?

How do you release tension, stress, or anxiety? Do you need frequent massage therapy? Daily walks in your neighborhood park? Is there an exercise routine that feels good to you? Do you need more time with your family or loved ones to re-fill your cup? Do you need to spend your mornings reading your favorite novels, or writing down your thoughts? Do you need to listen to more calming music, incorporate a meditative practice, head to the beach or mountains at sunset?

How do YOU rest and refuel?

If you need help or ideas on how to discover your lifestyle, head on over to my article, Settling my symptoms; a lifestyle approach.

I hope you found this post to be helpful, hopeful, and encouraging. As I leave you to discover your healing journey, my final reminders are; In the depths of your suffering, you are not alone. And, always, listen to your gut.

xx Alandra