Could hydrogen sulfide SIBO be the hidden cause of your IBS symptoms? This recent discovery could be the hidden cause for people with all the SIBO symptoms but negative breath test results.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is becoming better known among IBS suffers as the leading cause of symptoms.
Finally figuring out the root cause of digestive symptoms is like winning half the battle to feeling better. The hardest thing about IBS is not understanding what is going on in the gut.
For this reason, I am a huge proponent of gut testing, am I am always learning about the most recent developments. This latest discovery and development could hold an answer for many people.
Going beyond hydrogen and methane
More people with IBS know about the lactulose breath test for SIBO and how to get access to it. Functional medicine practitioners, such as myself, can order this test through the mail to take at home and mail back.
This non invasive and easy home test, uses a lactulose solution to measure the level of gases in the breath. Bacteria eat the lactulose and produce gases as a result. The higher the level of gases, the larger the bacterial overgrowth. And this is one of the most common reason for bloating, gas and bowel dysfunction.
The lactulose breath test is the current gold standard in SIBO testing and measures the two most common gases produced by bacteria and archae in the small intestine. There’s also a glucose test which only measure the top part of the small intestine so will produce false negatives if the overgrowth is in the bottom part of the intestine.
When taking a SIBO test, lactulose is the best substrate and test for both hydrogen and methane.
What are the different gases produced in the gut?
Hydrogen gas is the one most often associated with IBS-D, causing symptoms of diarrhea.
Methane gas is associated with constipation (IBS-C).
A leading SIBO clinician and researcher, Dr. Mark Pimentel, has revealed the discovery of a third gas, hydrogen sulfide. Pimentel is a doctor at Cedars Sinai in New York.
Hydrogen sulfide SIBO is currently not detectable on lactulose breath tests, but can lead to the same type of symptoms as the other gases.
Test for sulfide SIBO is currently in development and will hit the market for commercial use by the fall of 2018.
The missing link to your mysterious symptoms
This new information is particularly promising for people who have all the classic SIBO symptoms but negative SIBO or stool test results.
The most common symptoms of SIBO are bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion/reflux/GERD and flatulence. Other common symptoms are skin issues (rashes, breakouts, eczema, acne, rosacea), joint pain, weight loss/gain, depression, anxiety, nausea and fatigue.
If you are some one who feels better on a low FODMAP diet or when taking typical SIBO antimicrobials or prokinetics, then hydrogen sulfide SIBO may be the reason.
SIBO research and treatment is a relatively new field of medical practice. Dr. Mark Pimentel is one of the biggest research pioneers in this field.
You can learn more about hydrogen sulfide gas and its treatment during a live presentation on the online SIBO symposium. He’ll cover all the latest discovering in SIBO testing and treatment.
If you want to learn about the latest breakthroughs tune into the symposium by registering here. The symposium starts on July 12, 2018. with Dr. Pimentel giving the first presentation. All sessions will be recorded and transcripts will be available to those who are not able to attend live.
What sets this symposium apart from usual info-packed summits is that it will be interactive. You can submit your questions to the top SIBO experts, researchers and practitioners in the field before the summit and also ask questions during.
Get you most nagging questions answered and confusion cleared up by leading experts in the field. Your concerns will be addressed directly and you can learn from the questions posed by others.
Learn more about the symposium here.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.