Irritable Bowel and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Irritable Bowel and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

This is a wonderful article because it presents many accurate facts about small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. There are too many so called SIBO “experts” who have populated the internet with self serving views that are presented as fact when in reality they are unproven.
Let’s take a look at a few truths:
1. Antibiotics are an effective treatment to eradicate SIBO but the cure is usually not permanent since the underlying cause of SIBO is not being treated.

2. The most common underlying cause of SIBO is decreased motility in the small intestine that promotes an opportunity for bacteria to grow. There is currently no proven remedy to increase small intestinal motility which is why SIBO returns after a successful eradication.

3. SIBO is the cause of IBS in some cases but most doctors remain skeptical about claims from people like Dr. Pimentel that it is the cause of 40 – 80%.

4. The hydrogen breath test should not exceed 60 minutes in duration. Once the liquid sugar dose reaches the large colon you will get a false positive. Health care professionals who practice the 2 and 3 hour hydrogen breath test ignore establish science on oro-cecal transit time and simply get a large number of false positives.

5. SIBO is not as common a problem as made out in the popular media. “SIBO is only there in a modest proportion of patients – a maximum of 20%”

6. It is not possible to test the distal section of the small intestine using the hydrogen breath test. It is impossible to know the transit time of the sugar dose so you can’t be sure whether you are at the distal section or already into the large colon.
So next time you hear something to the contrary of the facts listed above be sure to ask for “the peer reviewed scientific literature to support the claims”. In most cases you will find it is only an opinion.

Ref: Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3290607/How-irritable-bowel-misery-cured-just-taking-antibiotics-helped-Nicola-scientists-think-benefit-too.html