Mysterious Gut symptoms? No solution?

 This migration can be caused by many factors, but the biggest causes are food poisoning, antibiotic use, head trauma (who’d have thunk it?!), and a traditional American diet. It could be SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

I hear over and over, “I’ve had these symptoms for years, but my doctor says my labs are fine, so I can’t be sick.” I understand your worries that you may never be able to enjoy mealtime again without feeling miserable or leave the house without obsessing about where the nearest bathroom is. 

The labs are all normal; it’s all in your head…

Your doctor says your labs are normal, well sure if they’re running the conventional tests. When all else fails we docs must step out of the standards and think outside the box--that’s where a stool test and/or breath test may just reveal the answer.

SIBO?

SIBO, aka small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, is when the normal flora of the large intestine has moved into the small intestine

SIBO can cause so many diverse symptoms that it is often overlooked, or worse yet misdiagnosed, as IBS/IBD. So, if you are suffering from chronic gut symptoms and/or IBS/IBD you MUST get tested for SIBO. Testing is especially important for those diagnosed with “insert disease here” who are still having symptoms.

What are the tests?

The SIBO test is a breath test done at home; it is a bit complicated and involves a few hours of fasting, but when it shows an abnormal result, the outcome is usually tears. Tears of relief that you FINALLY have an answer.

I also mentioned a stool test. The stool test can be helpful, because SIBO can be complicated by other factors, such as H. pylori or candida. The stool test will reveal if the treatment needs to be tweaked to also eradicate the complicating factors.

Should I get tested?

If you want to be symptom free and not bloated, then yes.

If you can honestly answer yes to the following statement, then no…

“If I never find a solution to my gut symptoms, I will still be happy with my future health.”

For those of you that are ready to be gut symptom free, please contact me today to find out if this testing is appropriate for your case.

Here’s to a flatter stomach,

Rachel Oppitz, ND