SIBO: test it or treat it by symptoms?
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HI Guys. I'm wondering if Testing is worth doing or going by the symptoms would be just fine.
I found a at home breath test using Glucose that cost $200.
I already tried treating it by the symptoms with my doc with a first round of xifaxan, second round with xifaxan and neomycin, however I dropped the later for ototoxic concern. It helped, but did not resolved it.
As right now main symptoms are bloating, slow transit/constipation. If I eat something wrong I may get to almost diarrhea symptom. Two years ago, I often had some diarrhea after eating fruit, probably because the fiber, now I'm ok for the most part with it.
thanks.
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@GRay Surely the doctor already tested for it?
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@pittybitty I have never tested it. I and the doctor assume I have it by the symptoms.
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@GRay Rule out candida overgrowth, easy to confuse the two.
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Easiest way to distinguish the two:
Bacteria are fast, yeasts are slow.
- SIBO is a acute problem. While you have SIBO you will constantly have symptoms. Any supplements, medication and supplements will have immediate effects making it either better or worse.
- Candida overgrowth is a slow, persistent problem. It has the same symptoms as SIBO, but not all the time. You might feel bad for two days, then are fine the next five days without any symptoms. It's slow and uncertain, you know something is wrong, but it's unclear what. Changes to diet and using supplements have a delayed effect, it might take half a day before you notice a difference at all.
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My symptoms are consistent every day, bloating never really goes away, sometimes is a bit better, sometime a bit worse. I probably have candida overgrowth as well.
My doc has ordered a lactulose breath test at the hospital, but I don’t feel comfortable to fast that long, so I would prefer to pay cash for a at home breath test for SIBO, but wondering if testing is worth or reliable at all to detect SIBO