SIBO & ME! My gut health journey

Huh, SIBO?? Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, also known as IMO – Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth. Yep, that’s what I’ve been hanging out with since last year. 

Here is my story, without the nitty gritty.

2020 found me looking in the mirror more thinking, hmmm, perhaps I have put on weight or could it just be unusual bloating. Types into google… how to improve distension…

Thinks no more of it! 

Every month or bimonthly I’d experience an unpleasent bout of acid reflux, putting it down to overindulgence as I did tend to have times my emotional eating habits got the better of me or eating late which I knew was a no no for me. I blamed these habits and didn’t think there was much I could do but mock my lazy digestive enzymes. Sorry enzymes, you’re doing great!

Around the same time I was experiencing a significant amount of stress in my life and working a lot. Then, we get a couple of months into 2020 and the symptoms just seemed to get worse and worse as my bloating was constant (this bloating is legit; goodbye jeans, hello leggings). I also noticed I was suffering constipation [vowed to be honest in this blog for the support of all gut’s everywhere] and I came to the conclusion I must have IBS.

Boom, shut downs begin! In the meantime I knew from my knowledge of working in health shops that with gut health the sooner I act the better and something I forgot to mention is I was feeling exhausted after almost every meal, needing an iron tonic more and more frequently.

Calls doctor’s office! Ok, so no chance of getting scope for 6 months, very well then! Emails Simon Hammet of Gojiman Nutrition, whose work focuses on people dealing with compromised gut health. I order the tests he recommend to see what is going on in there. That was a pretty intense process as the kits came from the UK to Ireland and had to be posted back. I took the lactulose breath test for SIBO and a comprehensive stool test. Great crack posting that back!

Results are in! *Drum roll*

I have a high count methane dominant SIBO. Getting a diagnoses is a wonderful thing as it is the beginning of the healing journey.

That one successful attempt at being fully in the air for the photo 🙂 at West Cork Model Railway Village, great place!

In the meantime my symptoms were steamrolling and I was constantly burping and reacting to different foods with a stomach filled was gas (methane) that just stayed put, keeping me up all night in pain. A hot water bottle, low fibre food plant foods as well as eating much less brought minor relief. Like most people I’m a total foodie and you bet I was used to huge portions; bigger than needed, I know that now!

So my treatment options were antibiotics or antimicrobials with the microbials proposed as the gentler approach that takes longer. Antimicrobials is what I gravitated towards. I could eat whatever I wanted except sugar and processed food and to stay away from gluten most of the time. Also, no fermented food until I am at the next stage of treatment. I’ve been vegan for the animals over 8 years and no food problems are going to change that as I am committed to figuring this out. I believe diversity in the microbiome is needed for a healthy gut and will be crucial to my healing process so I knew that is what I am working towards.

Somehow along the journey I believe I figured out my root cause. This is important as if you don’t sort your root cause there is an extremely high chance of relapsing. Turns out the painkillers I was taking for my painful periods are a form of opioid and opioids are among the many things that cause dysmotility in the gut. No motility, boom hello sibo! I am working on overcoming needing pain relief, down to just 2 painkillers over 3 periods.. YAY 🙂

With a plan made by Gojiman involving digestive enzymes to aid the food I was eating, hcl for stomach acid, l-glutamine for gut lining repair and the antimicrobials and minor diet changes as well as significant stress management changes and some other lifestyle improvements. I improved 60-80% after 2 rounds. I did 2 other rounds of antimicrobials after that with mild improvements. So far it’s been one expensive journey and there have been tons of ups and downs and lessons learnt.

Here is where I’m at now. I’ve taken the herbs as far as I can take them. I no longer have acid reflux, tiredness after meals, disturbed sleep or pain and pretty much eat everything (still avoiding sugar, processed food & low gluten). I now need antibiotics, a specific one that goes directly to your small intestine but nobody can give them to me. My GP isn’t familiar enough with them, Brexit means that they can’t be sent from UK to Rep. of Ireland, the Irish clinics can’t prescribe and the private specialists have huge waiting lists. There is a chance that I could finally finish off the SIBO and start to repopulate my gut in just a couple of weeks so I admit there were tears. Half of the SIBO tears shed came from the road blocks – the insane amounts of money to pay, the fuck ups of companies not sending me the medicine I paid for, my samples being held in customs, being turned down the medicine I need. Still, I won’t lose hope as there is always a way; this time it might be going to London to get a prescription, insane right!

If you have a compromised gut I can’t recommend getting tested enough and finding one person you trust who will guide you through and never give up! We deserve to feel good.

Also, don’t wait until there are issues to start prioritising your health.

• Get those stress levels down
• Get hydrated with filtered water
• Eat an abundance of diverse and nutrient dense foods
• Move your body
• Get enough sleep

Sounds so basic but they are the building blocks for a happy life and we can easily neglect one or more at any time which leads to sickness, not worth it!

My love for flat peaches will never end!!! 🙂 Amazing box of produce from Green Earth Organics which can be delivered all around Ireland.

Places that I share more about SIBO:

Instagram – @plantbasedsibowarrior

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ie/ethicalevents/healing-sibo/