100% WORKING TREATMENT for my IBS!

I am glad you have found this forum - these are exactly the same symptoms that I have, from all the same foods, and so I think it's likely that you have SIBO, specifically from methane-producing bacteria, because that is what I have. However, before you try treating yourself I do think it would help you out a LOT if you could get tested for SIBO by your doctor, because then you can be treated with Rifaximin or another appropriate antibiotic. You sound like you have a severe overgrowth, and the VSL and L-Glutamine will probably help, but I would imagine you'd need antibiotics to begin with to really get things under control. The nurse was shocked at my test results, so I can only imagine what yours will be. The test for SIBO is a breath test - I urge you to get it so that doctors know better what they are dealing with.

As for the things you have already tried, peppermint oil, ginger and apple cider vinegar did nothing for me. Neither did cinnamon, garlic, herbal teas or antacids (in fact, stay away from antacids, and ibuprofen). However, things that have brought me significant relief include the VSL#3 probiotics (I take half a sachet per day, with breakfast, so that the bacteria are somewhat protected by food. Make sure your breakfast is not piping hot or acidic if you take them this way), oregano oil and coconut oil. Both oregano and coconut oil are naturally anti-microbial and will kill a significant amount of the bacteria - I take about 1 tbsp of coconut oil a day, but you can increase that if necessary. Beware of die-off reactions - if you begin to feel flu-like, achey, fatigued etc. then you are experiencing a die-off or Herxheimer reaction - you can avoid this by reducing your doses slightly should this happen, but otherwise it is also a good sign that what you are taking is working. I think it might be good to start by taking coconut oil (any time of day is fine) to clear the worst of the overgrowth for a week or so, and then start the VSL, to give it a boost. It's not essential but I think you might benefit from it, plus coconut oil is good for you and can help you with energy/weight issues.

As for diet, I was on an extremely restrictive diet for 3 months to try and solve this problem, excluding all the foods you have mentioned and more. It made me lose weight and did not really help very much - I bloated less, but I could not avoid everything that did make me bloated without being on an all-meat diet which is obviously not healthy. Like you I also cut out sugar and dairy, on the advice of my doctor, but actually it is vegetables and starches that are the worse culprits for me (as with you). This is down to the specific type of bacteria that have overgrown in your gut - methane-producers like feeding off of complex starches and fibre (hence why beans and pulses give you gas in your large intestine normally - it is the methane from this type of bacteria as they digest your food). So, if simple sugars like fructose, and dairy, make no difference and also do not make you bloated, I would say it's okay to eat them. Full-fat dairy products, particularly live yoghurt (for more probiotics) can help you gain some weight. I also find that I'm absolutely fine to eat porridge oats - oatmeal might be okay for you too, which is great because it will help keep you regular without making you bloated.

I also find that out of the starches, rice is the least bloat-inducing, but in small amounts. I also think oily fish will help you a lot as you probably have some deficiencies by this point, as SIBO interferes with vitamin absorption, and oily fish is also high in calories.

I also have similar symptoms and also believe I am a methane producer.  The sibo test is unfortunately not as reliable as believed so if you do not test positive you may still have sibo.  What I discovered with myself was that I was not feeding the bacteria in the colon.  I worked my way up to 4 Tbsp of potato starch and 1 Tbsp psyllium husk a day, taken in a glass of water and dropped my thyroid medicine by half.  I was taking it throughout the day and getting heartburn. So I stopped taking it and became extremely tired, sluggish, etc. so I started again but only took it first thing in the morning.  My energy was back (albeit at a lower level than other people have).  

Read this site on how to feed your microbiome (read it over and over until you get the cause and effect scenario). Our diets are typically not made up of food that feed the bacteria that are able to push out the bad bacteria creating all your misery.

I start my day off with prebiotics and the rest of the day I eat the scd diet, otherwise I have heartburn. I am by no means cured. I am only feeling much better.  The microbiome is tough to shift and I am still toying with the idea of antibiotics to disrupt the microbiome, but I still dont know what the root of the problem is.  I did have my share of antibiotics and no doubt the gut flora passed on from my mother is not the best, but is that at the root of my sibo?  What about gut motility or a number of other possible causes?  

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Hi, if you take the antibiotic treatment to klii off the bacteria, then you will have to take the probiotics 3 hours after until the antibiotic is out of your system. L-Glutamine can be taken at any time of the day, but it works better on a empty stomach. Now if you are not going to take antibiotics, than you can take probiotics at any time of the day, but also take it on an empty stomach for better results. Good Luck

Treatment method options:

>OPTION 1 with antibiotics -> take L-Glutamine and Probiotics at least 3 hours after the antibiotic treatment.

>OPTION 2 with NO antibiotics -> Just take L-Glutamine and probiotics whenever you want but for better results take it on an empty sotmach.

 

Hi

Merry Christmas to you too! L-Glutamine may have a constipating effect because it can absorb the water in your bowels. Try to reduce the amount until you feel ok with the correct amount. If that does not work, than I guess you will have to leave it aside and just stick to the probiotics.

Ah I see, that makes sense. Thanks for your help I will leave it for a few days to get things back to normal and maybe try a smaller dose again after Christmas.

Thanks for beginning this thread, by the way - it has been a ray of hope for me, and following your advice does seem to be helping. I'm two weeks into taking VSL every day, so hopefully things will get better. It now takes about 4 hours for bloating to go down, whereas it used to be 12 hours

Glad to hear you are doing better amymeyer. I haven't been on the forums as much anymore as I seem to be well on my way back to good health. I have reduced the glutamine intake - I mainly take it after working out (in a smoothie) or at night before going to bed. I continue to take probiotics each day, usually twice a day with a meal (breakfast and lunch). I also take the occassional digestive enzyme aid if I'm feeling particularly bloated after eating. For those interested, here is my treatment (I am in the U.S. so not sure how available these products are elsewhere in the world):

 - Probiotics - 85 billion with 30+ different strains. I am now only taking two of the three capsules each day (3 capsules = 85 billion), so I am taking less than the 85 billion each day. You can even break open the capsule and pour them into your smoothies or water.

- L-Glutamine I used to take around 20g per day, but have reduced to 5-10g per day. Usually 5g is one serving, so I take 1-2 servings per day. I take it after exercising and/or at night.

 - Digestive Enzymes. These are very powerful enzymes that help break down fats, carbs, fibers, proteins, dairy, etc. If you eat a meal and start feeling bad afterwards, I highy recommend taking 1-2 capsules - for me, this gives relief within about 15 minutes.

As for diet, just be smart. If certain foods trigger bad symptoms, then avoid them for now. For me it was carbs and sugars, which typically feed bad bacteria. I kept a lower carb/sugar diet for awhile before re-introducing other foods. As maurice has mentioned, this is not an overnight treatment. It will take some time for your intestines to heal. Probiotics help get your gut flora back in balance and tighten up the intestinal wall (no more leaky gut) and L-glutmamine helps soothe and strengthen your intestinal villi. However, your intestines are still damaged, so for me the digestive enzymes help break down the food and reduce inflammation while the body is healing itself.

I have been doing the above for about 3-4 weeks now and it's really beginning to improve. I can tolerate a moderate amount of carbs/sugars without really any issues. I just had a waffle this morning and didn't need to take any enzymes afterwards. I plan on continuing with the probiotics and L-glutamine. I think I am near the tail end of needing enzymes now - I only took a few of them this past week, and I'm needing them less and less. Eventually those will no longer be needed. Probiotics will continue for quite some time and I will keep taking about 5g of glutamine after exercising. Happy holidays to all and good health for the new year.

 

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Glad to help

 

That's really good - as I'm just beginning my third week I'm slightly behind you but I'm hopeful. Glad to hear about your successes too! I really hope more research into SIBO and probiotics makes this a viable treatment for more people - I imagine loads of people don't even know they have an overgrowth. I only found out because I was stubborn and don't trust my GP, and could afford to fork out for probiotics myself (though not indefinitely...but I'm going to worry about that later)

I think I previously said on this forum that a whole VSL sachet isn't necessary. After having taken whole sachets for the past few days I think I might retract that statement - it's been responsible for my first bloat-free meal in nearly 6 months. I must have a pretty bad imbalance to need 450 billion bacteria per day to set it right - so if anyone else with confirmed bacterial overgrowth isn't noticing improvements, it might be worth trying that.

Thanks matey , im into month 3 at the moment of about 50 billion probiotics - although only 2 strains so not sure if thats a best method...

Also glutamine - I have found some glutamines are more constipating than others. Also the cheaper brands that do not say pharmaceutical grade are crap and casue gas and very bad constipation. I found Aji pure glutamine more constipating also.

Are you still using the same probiotics you posted ages ago Maurice? I can't remember what ones.

Merry xmas back you and thanks for sharing this info - will persevere and see what happens.

Hi, now I am using now Be-Life Bifibiol 12 Billion. I take two capsules, so I am taking 24 billion per day. I am ok with this dose, everybody will have to find what brand and how much works fine for them. It can vary from person to person.

 

Hello dear maurice

 I am suffering from ibs from last one year. .. mu endoscopy and ultra l sound is normal ..my doctor advised me to take Rifaxmine and dorolac with unizyme capsule bt not beneficial for me....I already taken from abt one month continue. ....

My question is here can really l glutamine powder and high probiotic help to reduce this symptoms. ..If yes then plz suggest me the name and brand of l glutamine and probiotic

Thanks

...how to take this

Hi, if you read other commitments here, you will read other people with positive results like me. About the brands, l glutamine is a

...l glutamine is all the same when it comes to brands, now about probiotics brands, you will have to see wich is best for you and try until you find the right one because it may vary from one to another. Good luck