Iwant to try the Pimentel protocol with vivonex but can't really afford it. Does anyone know if there is a cheaper alternative? It seems like juice fasting might serve the same purpose. I would really appreciate any feedback on this subject. I have taken the rifax/neomycin treatment. That did not help at all but I still convinced that SIBO is the proble. Anyway,Thanks.
vivonex alternatives?
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I guess I can't help you with your question, but I have a question or two for you just out of curiousity since I'm going to a doctor in two weeks to discuss the Pimentel protocol. Did you have the hydrogen breath test? Did you have trouble convincing your doctor to do the rifax/neomycin? Did you follow the dietary guidelines in the Pimentel book?BTW: Maybe I do have a partial answer for your question...wouldn't juicing have the potential to aggrevate your symptoms? It's not protein-based like the vivonex and could cause you to take in more of the sugars that you're supposed to avoid so you don't feed the bacteria.
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Juice fasting I don't think would be along the same lines as juices have many carbs in them that we do not digest well, but feed the bacteria you are trying to starve out really well. Vivonex has carbs in it (the juices also won't provide the protein in it) but they look like ones that you should digest completely (made up of all glucose). It doesn't have fructose or sorbitol which would be in a lot of the fruit juices. Some veggies also have fructose, and again you aren't likely to get the balanced protein you need.You really do need to get breath testing if you can. I know at the GI clinic I go to they do breath testing and have found that some people who the doctors are sure must have SIBO based on symptoms really don't. It is hard to diagnose strictly on your symptoms.
I was really surprised that my GI was willing to give me the rifximin and neomycin. I just brought the book with me and showed them. One of her partners was familiar with Pimentel. I was not breath tested. There is not a local machine like the one Pimentel reccomends in the book. I thought they would make do it by mail before they prescribed the medicine. And believe me when I say that I was really dissapointed when my symptoms did not improve. They have actually been a little worse since taking the antibiotics. I did follow the dietay guidelines in the book by the way. Anyway, good luck with your appointment and thanks for your thoughts.
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I didn't find one on a quick google. I can try again.Ok I found this which lists everything close to Vivonex http://www.drugs.com/cons/Sustacal.htmlAlitraq 9 Criticare HN 9 Reabilan 9 Reabilan HN 9 SandoSource Peptide 9 Tolerex 9 Travasorb HN 9 Travasorb STD 9 Vital High Nitrogen 9 Vivonex Pediatric 9 Vivonex Plus 9 Vivonex T.E.N. 9 are all 9. Enteral nutrition formulas, monomeric (elemental) I don't know how they all compare price wise or how available they are but you could run them past an on-line pharmacy to see if the price varies by much. Walgreens which I use seems to only have the Vivonex. Or google each name in quotes with price and see if any comes up cheaper. I suspect any of them will be fairly expensive because of what they are, but you might find one that is somewhat cheaper than the others.
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