Our questions today come from Tami, who recently has completed a first dose of Rifaximin, and is on a limited diet for SIBO prevention and healing. Tami has several questions, so I will dive right in.
How long have you been SIBO free and how many months/years did it take?
I have been SIBO free for one year now.
We think I went undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for 14 years before we had an accurate SIBO diagnosis. My first SIBO symptoms that I can recall began when I was 15 years old.
After we had the correct diagnosis, we treated my SIBO aggressively, and by the book for two full years. After that, when nothing worked for more than a month or a few days, we threw everything out the window and just tried to heal my whole body. We finally determined, that even though I didn’t have a lot of explanations for having adhesions, that I did have them. We also finally determined that my ileocecal valve was so enraged it was constantly open and inflamed. Within three months of focusing on healing my body (including adhesions and closing/calming/supporting my ileocecal valve) my SIBO symptoms went away.
Did you follow the SIBO Specific Food Diet by Dr. Allison Siebecker the whole time?
No. This is because the SIBO Specific Food Guide was not published until AFTER my first year of treating SIBO.
For the first year, I followed a no-carbohydrate diet for two months, followed by the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for the remaining ten months, although I struggled severely with both diets. After published, I followed the SIBO Specific Food Guide for most of the year while we tried additional treatments. (The month before I did the elemental diet I ate a LOT of low carbohydrate, but not SIBO Specific compliant, pumpkin cheesecake in order to gain weight.) I found the SIBO Specific Food Guide to be exceptionally helpful allowing my body to absorb food and calm symptoms.
Are you still following the SIBO Specific Food Guide to stay free of SIBO?
Yes, and no.
I learned that the best diet is the diet that is well tolerated. So, I stick to foods my body loves no matter what “diet” it falls under.
If I make a list of all of the foods and quantities my body likes, I lean towards a traditional low FODMAP diet, combined with the SIBO Specific Food Guide and lots of healing herbs, spices, and foods rich with nutrients.
For the most part, I stay away from sugar, simply because after years of not eating it, it tastes like chemicals and not real food, even though small amounts are allowed on a traditional low FODMAP diet.
I do eat rice (always with a thick bone broth and usually with herbs), and small amounts of other grains like homemade popcorn that are traditional low FODMAP.
Sometimes, I splurge on real pizza, awesome fresh bread, a top notch hamburger, or a super delicious burrito with a real flour tortilla. Those foods are my all time favorites. While I am not willing to make myself sick with them, due to quantity or quality, I am also not willing to give them up for the rest of my life. And, in moderation, I don’t have to, because they do not cause symptoms.
I would love any suggestions.
I have three suggestions for you Tami, as well as all SIBO Friends.
1.) Figure out WHY you got SIBO. Do this fast- you won’t get better until you can target the reason.
If you figure out why you got SIBO and fix the cause, your SIBO infection will never come back.
2.) Add herbs and spices to your diet.
SO many herbs and spices in our homes or in the grocery store actually fight against SIBO. When I first introduced bread to my diet, I actually ate herbed-butter sandwiches. When I did this I did NOT get symptoms, but when I did not eat those awesome herbs with my bread I WOULD get symptoms.
Thyme, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, and clove are great herbs and spices used to fight SIBO. Alternating herbs and spices and small amounts of probiotic rich foods will help to rebalance your gut microbiome. Herbs, spices, and probiotics used to be a big part of the human diet, but with commercialized food, they are becoming less and less. Try adding them back to a regular part of your cuisine.
3.) Be as good to your body as possible so it will heal.
If your body is truly healthy, it should know what to do with your SIBO, and how to get rid of it.
Several brilliant doctors and researches have told me, “Healthy people can get SIBO or a reflux of bacteria from the colon into the small intestine, but their body knows what to do with it right away and push it back to where it belongs.” And, “Healthy people do not get reoccurring SIBO.”
Be good to your body by finding ways to support healing, encourage healing, and increase your overall health.
Thank you Tami, for asking so many great questions!
You will get better and find healing for your body! Keep up the great work of taking care of yourself well!
As always, please remember I am not a doctor. Consult your doctor for medical advice.
3