Hi,
Thanks so much for all of those details. I've done extensive research also regarding probiotics, best prebiotics and which specific strains might help. I'm glad to hear you have recovered from your IBS! That's big news! If you tried the yogurt after you recovered, may I ask what ultimately helped you recover?
I had sibo 3 years ago but kicked that off my list which I'm happy about. But at the end of the day kicking sibo doesn't fix the underlying issue which is what I'm hoping this yogurt test will do.
Hi Lifeguard,
I'm sorry about my late reply, I've been trying to meet some important deadlines. Still have a few left to go, but just decided to check this blog.
Maybe by now you've seen my old posts?
Yeah, so I'd say the biggest part of my IBS was the SIBO which I literally had for at least 3-4 years without anyone telling me (no doctor) that is what I had. Also Xifaxan which some people here say doesn't help them (but did help me) wasn't even in the market till 2015/2016, and I got my IBS in 2013, so there was literally 2-3 years with little- no hope really, and no one uttered the term "SIBO" to me.
But, yes once that was known in a day or two my gas was gone with Xifaxan/Probiotics/Low-no carb or sugar diet. The treatment was 2 weeks long and very effective. I needed a few more shorter treatments months (like 6 months) later about 2 times as the SIBO, dysbiosis or parasites would come back.I would know this because sometimes even on my "safe diet" (which was safe for months or years) I'd have an upset: gas/diarrhea,loose stools or constipation. I didn't know immediately that it was another parasite/dysbiosis, but it would become apparent because i would take these antibiotics/antifungals/antiparasitics, and the uspet would go away, so yes, basically, I'd get reinfected or disbalanced in some 6 months time and treating it with those 3 (anitbiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics) and probiotics would make the upset go away sometimes in a few hours, sometimes in a few days.
NOTE: This was along with a low-carb/low starch/ NO Fodmap diet. I had a really bad combination of intolerances: dairy, grains (wheats/flours, corn, etc), fructose, fructan (onion, garlic, honey, etc),soy, gums).
The underlying IBS I would say is probably not 100% gone.
But I'd say its "effectively gone."
What I mean by that is that I can appear to be normal, and interact with people without digestive upsets for eating small/medium amounts of common/popular food. Also,apparently my digestive wellness is very much linked to my gut microbiome.
Since I had gotten better roughly 3 years ago, and could eat almost anything, I decided not to be so strict the last 2 years mainly because of inflation prices, and frequently visiting/staying with people who wouldn't buy antibiotic-free meat/eggs or pesticide free food.
Although I'm still mostly capable of handling small/medium amounts of all foods (dairy and grains-wheat, gums, fructans, etc.) I now have a lower tolerance than I did 3 years ago. I assume that's from eating so much meat with antibiotics and foods with pesticide. While as before I could eat a a few weeks of these "bad foods" for me without a single digestive repercussion. now, I get a slightly loose stool after 2-3 days of consistently eating these foods in medium amounts.
If I eat excessive amounts (like binge eat) I can cause an upset. For example, I ate 1/3-1/2 of a bag (10 servings?) of dark chocolate chips (which had milk) in one day, and that did cause an upset a few weeks ago (diarrhea/very loose stools and it reduced my tolerance to other foods temporarily).
So, while I can go out and eat and appear like a normal person, I still take precautions to prefer to eat low carb/low sugar and dairy free. I save my intake of "bad for me foods" for a special occasion or when I have to eat out with people. The difference between now and with the IBS/SIBO si that now I can eat these small, medium amounts of these "bad food for me (ex. dairy)" and not have any upset or fear of upset (gas, diarrhea) like I used to. I don't have to look over my shoulder and wonder if I'm passing gas, or if I'm getting a loose stool.
So that's what I mean by "recovered/cured."
I don't believe the IBS is completely 100% gone.
When I get very nervous, sometimes my stomach does turn, and I feel it move, and I hear noises (sometimes loud gurgling).
But this doesn't happen often, and now when it does, I don't get gas or loose stools to follow with the noises, so that's the improvement.
There's a gut-brain connection that goes both ways in terms of mood affective digestive system, as well as the digestive system or microbiome affecting mood/brain chemicals. The research is only now really taking place. They had kind of ignored these effects for years.
Aside from treating SIBO as I mentioned earleir, it looks like I repaired my gut from the "leaky gut."
I did this with taking chicken broth ltierally for years (but you may only need a few months to get it improved). I'd also take some glutamine sometimes.
I improved the gut-brain connection for the better (less sensitive to stress/anxiety causing the digestive upset) by exercising (sweat-producing0 everyday almost 40 mins almost every day. Although i noticed the biggest brain-chemical/mood differences when I did over 1 hr of excercise and at 1h 30 minutes (usually from cycling) I got a huge happy "high."
Here's some of my posts on the specific details of my SIBO and IBS treatments and the details of what meats, my probiotic dosage, etc.
I have IBS but I get both constipated and diarrhoea too one day one thing next Few days another and back and forth ! I have BPD, treatment resistant depression and PTSD I live in the UK and have nothing to show for it the NHS services and gastro clinic are unable to help me and don’t ven get me...
www.ibsgroup.org
Hey fellow sufferers. I have been lurking on and off for about seven years now. I remember Pokerface's posts some years back, it was my first ray of hope in all of this as everything else fell apart. Those posts didn't end up helping either, neither did anything else actually. The doctors don't...
www.ibsgroup.org
There's more, but I think that should cover most of it.
I'm wondering if I answered your question. I assumed what you meant about IBS still being with you even after getting rid of SIBO is the unexpected and "surprise" digestive upsets that happen even when you're following a "safe" diet or after you had previously gained/regained tolerance to that food months/years ago.
If that's not what you meant, please clarify.
Thanks
