Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO, is a disease where large amounts of bacteria invade the small intestine. SIBO is often tied to other digestive diseases, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac’s, and Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome.
Below outlines Dr. Brody’s approach to SIBO treatment and prevention.
SIBO Treatment Plan
The goal of Dr. Brody’s treatment plan is to remove the harmful bacteria and create an environment that prevents it from being able to take root again. While the allopathic community typically uses antibiotics, naturopathic physicians follow the four “R’s” of treatment. They Remove bad bacteria, Repopulate the good bacteria, Restore the integrity of intestinal cells and walls, and Replace any digestive enzymes or minerals that may be causing symptoms. This method of restoration allows the digestive tract to both fully heal and function properly.
With SIBO treatment plans, there are often digestive symptoms that appear early in treatment. When removing bad bacteria, the disease enters a “die-off” phase that can cause either an increase in symptoms or a change in symptoms. This can catch patients off-guard, but it is a standard side-effect of beginning treatment.
SIBO is also a chronic disease. Due to the high possibility of relapsing, it is crucial to undergo re-testing to make sure the disease doesn’t return. Multiple rounds of treatment are often necessary to fully cleanse the body of SIBO.
Diagnosing SIBO: In-House Testing
To begin, Dr. Brody will have patients take a Hydrogen Breath test. This is a simple test that looks for certain levels of bacteria throughout the digestive system by measuring the level of hydrogen in someone’s breath over the course of two hours. The bacteria typically found in SIBO and other digestive cases produce hydrogen as a byproduct of breaking down a drink given at the start of the test. By measuring these hydrogen levels over a two hour period, Dr. Brody can track where the bacteria are in the digestive system. Insurance typically covers this test.
Learn more about our in-house SIBO testing:
SIBO Prevention
The best tools we have for natural SIBO prevention are annual lab tests that measure our bacteria levels. In addition to the breath tests mentioned above, Personalized Natural Medicine offers microbiome analysis, which tells you the breakdown of which bacteria you have in your digestive system. The microbiome test creates a detailed picture of which bacteria you have, and how they may need to be altered.
Diet is also important, as the foods we digest can increase or decrease levels of different bacteria. By making strategic dietary changes, we can make sure we’re eating what our body needs to run at maximum capacity and reduce the number of harmful bacteria we consume.
