You wake up thinking, is this it? Is my bloating finally gone?
Walk straight into the kitchen and take that first sip of water and BOOM, just like that your belly expands to the point that you feel 6 months pregnant.
You have been doing all the right things; low fodmap diet, exercising, adding more and more fiber, and still, like clockwork your belly expands like a balloon with just a drop of water. Your doctors keep telling you, it’s “just IBS” and to maybe try a laxative or anti depressant.
So when is it more than “just IBS?”
I want to start by saying, nothing, I mean nothing that you are feeling should be invalidated with the phrase “just IBS.”
IBS is:
With the physical and emotional toll aside, IBS is almost always a symptom of the bigger picture. Yes, diets and lifestyle changes can work for some but if you start to look into the root cause, you can peel back those layers to reveal and manage what is really causing your issues.
IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. But have they excluded everything?
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is when the bacteria that belongs in your large intestines, overgrows in the small intestines. Now it is important to note that this is not an infection but rather a case of imbalance. In a healthy gut, bacteria resides in your large intestine where it uses the fiber that we eat as fuel to turn it into vitamins, essential fatty acids, and other beneficial byproducts. The small intestine though should be largely sterile. When bacteria builds up, instead of producing beneficial byproducts, gases (hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide) are produced. These gases lead to many symptoms such as bloating, change in bowel habits, reflux, brain fog, and more.
SIBO symptoms often mimic that of IBS. In fact, up to 30% of IBS has been found to actually be SIBO.
Because the symptoms can often overlap, it is good to know what symptoms may set SIBO apart from IBS.
The following that I see most often is
If you suspect you may have SIBO, take the quiz to find out What your bloat is telling you! If you are looking for additional support in how to discover and treat your SIBO, apply to my small group coaching program!
March 29, 2023