r/SiboSuccessStories

So I have had SIBO (IMO) for 1 year now. I’ve been heavily bloated, constipated etc. I’ve tried everything antibiotics (neomycin/rifax), herbal berberine and allicin products. You name it. The only thing that worked for me was: l reuteri capsules. Within 1 week I noticed intense die off headache, insomnia, heart palpitations felt like I was going to die. Then 3 weeks later I was fully cured from my SIBO. I’m able to poo properly now, and also another thing I noticed was my semen quality improved. (Become more whiter and thicker) my energy is back to normal. And my mood is perfect. I recommend anyone who’s suffering like I was to please try L reuteri.

Any advice please? Im a man 28yo, i just cant eat as much as i need to get to the surplus.. even if i compensate with protein shakes it still doesn’t seem to help with gaining weight, im 65kg and always bloated.. any lifehacks please?

I promised myself that I would come back to this forum if I ever figured out what could cure the hydrogen SIBO that I’ve probably had for the last 5-6 years, but which was finally diagnosed in July 2025 - im now 6 month SIBO free (kind of).

Symptoms:

I had been struggling with stomach problems for a long time. Bloating, constipation, a couple of episodes of food poisoning, and periods of malnutrition all seemed to make everything worse. Around the same time that I had the “feeling” of having SIBO, I also started having trouble digesting fatty foods. For example, if I ate ice cream, I would get nausea, burping, and a really uncomfortable pressure in my chest. I assumed it had something to do with the fact that I had bulimia when I was younger.

After a COVID-19 infection in 2021, I began developing food intolerances, allergic reactions, asthma, mucus in my throat and nose, and what felt like histamine reactions both after eating and at random times during the day. Suddenly I could only tolerate a very small number of foods, and my life became extremely difficult to live.

Because of my OCD, I decided to try NAC (N-acetylcysteine) for a few weeks. As my gut problems worsened, my mental health also deteriorated. Even though NAC helped my OCD and overthinking tremendously, my histamine symptoms became significantly worse. Fortunately, I quickly found out that NAC can worsen histamine intolerance because it can prompt mast cells to release stored histamine and may inhibit diamine oxidase (DAO), the primary enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine.

Healing:

This was when I first came across the concept of histamine intolerance and quickly got hold of some antihistamines. It wasn’t until I discovered PEPCID (famotidine) that I experienced a level of calm that I hadn’t felt in years, after my body had gradually been feeling worse and worse over time. Histamine issues feel like torture inside your body - I imagine most of you already know exactly what I mean.

It was also around this time that I learned that long-term use of PEPCID/famotidine can potentially worsen SIBO. But it was the only thing that gave me any real relief.

I switched to a low-histamine diet and started taking NaturDAO before every meal. However, there was still something inconsistent about when my histamine reactions would appear in relation to eating.

My gastroenterologist ordered a breath test, which came back positive for hydrogen SIBO. I then completed a 14-day course of rifaximin (I’m from Denmark, where fortunately the medication isn’t very expensive). During those 14 days, I experienced a level of calm throughout my body that I hadn’t felt for several years-very similar to what I had experienced with PEPCID/famotidine.

Unfortunately, about two months later, the histamine sensations slowly started creeping back. I also felt that the rifaximin had been quite hard on my system, so I didn’t really want to do another round. I wanted to understand what was actually causing my SIBO, even though I felt overwhelmed and terrified that it would never go away.

I should also mention that I’ve been incredibly fortunate to not have had to work during these years. Solving this medical puzzle has honestly been a full-time job, as I’m sure many of you can relate to.

I bought some zeolite powder, and I noticed a calming effect almost immediately. Research suggests that zeolite can physically bind histamine molecules in the gut. By binding histamine, it prevents it from being absorbed into the bloodstream and instead allows it to be eliminated in the stool. It also appeared to have some benefits for the gut barrier, so it felt like a win-win. The only downside was that it made me a little constipated, but it was manageable.

I later had a stool test which showed that I wasn’t producing enough bile. Trigger warning for stool descriptions: my stool was often pale and lacked much fiber, even though I ate plenty of vegetables.

My functional medicine practitioner suggested eating bitter foods like arugula, dandelion greens, and chicory to stimulate bile production. Together with turmeric and artichoke, this helped my motility a little, but not enough to eliminate the histamine reactions.

Around this time I came across Yggdrasil Naturopathic on TikTok and started following their videos about SIBO, histamine intolerance, MCAS, and how important gut motility is in managing SIBO.

At the same time, I had a methylation DNA test because I was also desperately trying to understand the OCD, anxiety, and overstimulation that I’ve lived with for years. I discovered that I have an MTHFD1 variant associated with an increased requirement for choline.

As I started reading more about MTHFD1, I learned that choline is required to produce phosphatidylcholine, one of the major components of bile. That led me down the rabbit hole of reading about bile; not only its role in fat digestion, but also its importance as one of the body’s natural defenses against bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, in other words, SIBO. Bile acids have natural antibacterial properties, so impaired bile function can both reduce fat digestion and create a better environment for bacteria to survive and multiply in the small intestine.

I quickly bought some TUDCA, and I experienced a significant improvement in both my SIBO symptoms and my histamine-related symptoms. That was when I realized that my increased need for choline and my reduced bile function had probably been an overlooked contributing factor in my illness.

I also tried ox bile, but unfortunately it caused quite a bit of stomach pain and irritation.

My next purchase was sunflower lecithin powder (5-7 grams per day). Lecithin is a rich source of phosphatidylcholine, the primary dietary form of choline. I chose the powder because I simply couldn’t afford, or fit into my stomach, the number of eggs it would take to meet my choline requirements!

After just a few days, I noticed that my stomach suddenly relaxed (something I honestly don’t think it had ever really done before), and I felt a sense of “clarity” throughout my digestive system. It was an incredible feeling and gave me a very clear sign that increasing my choline intake and supporting my bile production was the right direction for me.

----

And the reason I wrote “kind of” in the title is because yesterday I had a pretty severe histamine flare after being SIBO free for months now. It happened after spending a few days visiting friends and forgetting to bring my TUDCA. So the SIBO must have started becoming active again - but! Today it’s gone again because I’ve taken the TUDCA and eating less fat.

That said, I don’t believe SIBO is caused by choline deficiency alone. SIBO is usually multifactorial. Motility disorders, autonomic dysfunction, anatomy, and many other factors can all contribute.

I am hypermobile, which I know can impair gut motility because the connective tissue in the intestines is more lax. I also have ADHD, OCD, and some form of dysautonomia, which results in an overactive nervous system that affects both gut motility and digestion. Those factors almost certainly play a role as well.

In addition, I’ve been diagnosed with MCAS. I’m hoping that this will gradually improve over the coming months now that I seem to be keeping the SIBO under much better control. It’s also possible that MCAS has been making everything much worse, meaning I have yet another medical puzzle to solve- but time will tell.

I don’t think I’ll ever truly “get rid of” SIBO, but I finally feel like I’ve identified one of the major underlying mechanisms in my own case. That gives me a powerful tool to prevent myself from living with active SIBO all the time.

I hope this can help someone else, because I know firsthand how awful it is to live with SIBO.

Products used:

- PEPCID (Famotidine) – 10–30 mg daily

- Rifaximin – 200 mg with each meal for 14 days (helped temporarily, but wasn’t the best long-term solution for me)

- Zeolith MED Detox Powder (zeolite powder)

- Ginger capsules – 550 mg

- Schönenberger Organic Artichoke Juice

- TUDCA – 500 mg with each meal during the first month (now only with dinner)

- Sunflower lecithin powder – 5–7 g per day

- NaturDAO + low-histamine diet (used together throughout much of my recovery)

- Bitter foods to stimulate bile flow: Arugula (rocket), Dandelion greens, Chicory (endive)

- Turmeric (to support bile flow and motility)

TL;DR

I probably had hydrogen SIBO for 5-6 years, along with severe histamine intolerance, MCAS-like symptoms, food intolerances, and poor fat digestion. Rifaximin helped temporarily, but the symptoms returned. After discovering through a methylation DNA test that I have an MTHFD1 variant associated with an increased need for choline, I learned how essential choline is for producing phosphatidylcholine and healthy bile flow. Since bile acids have natural antibacterial properties and are important for preventing bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, I started supporting bile production with TUDCA and sunflower lecithin (phosphatidylcholine). That has given me the biggest improvement I’ve experienced in years. I don’t think choline deficiency is the sole cause of SIBO. It’s usually multifactorial-but in my case, impaired bile function appears to have been one of the major missing pieces.

I've never posted to Reddit, but I relied on it greatly throughout my SIBO journey, and it helped me get diagnosed and treat symptoms. I felt like mainstream doctors weren't helpful, and now that I'm basically back to normal, I want to post my own story in the hopes that it helps someone. In the way so many helped me!

Please ask any questions, I won't be able to address everything here.

I don't know when exactly my symptoms started, but Jan-Feb I was having stomach aches and loss of appetite that I associated with anxiety. I'm still not sure if my body was reacting to SIBO or if that period of eating less and being anxious contributed to getting it. This was following antibiotics for cellulitis. In March, I knew something was wrong in my body and eating "gentle" foods didn't help.

March was when I went to the gastroenterologist and they said blood and stool tests were normal, and to come back in three months. After that, I felt I had to take it into my own hands, in a sense. I had symptoms every day, closely associated with food. I went to a functional nutritionist, who said based on my pain (I was keeping a food and symptom journal) that dysbiosis or SIBO could be to blame. I took the test and got the results early May.

I was hydrogen positive. Which was surprising, because constipation and the pain it created was one of my main symptoms. If you can afford it, GET TESTED!! Seriously, the sooner the better. I was convinced I was methane dominant beforehand.

I was prescribed the regular dose of Rifaximin. I actually felt worse on it. Instead of flares ranging from one to two hours, it would last four or five. And it was a different type of pain. I did try to eat normally, but the pain made me cautious to get too crazy.

After antibiotics was actually the worst of it for me. I ended up taking a three week medical leave. I would have symptoms after breakfast, even when it was plain home cooked eggs and potatoes. They were so painful I'd be doubled over, and couldn't function. My job is pretty physical, standing all day, so it didn't work. I was scared to eat lunch. But I'd also lost 10+ lbs on my very small frame, lost my period, and understood undereating has its own consequences.

The leave was so helpful and I want to share what I did. I wish it was more scientific, but I tried a lot of new things at once so I'm not sure exactly to what I owe my success-

MOTILITY

Kiwi - gentle, natural, really helped with motility. I'd eat two every morning, or one per meal. Strongly recommend

Prune juice- this isn't lowfod and I started it only after I started feeling better, but 2oz every morning

Enxymedica Gut Motility -not sure how much it helps, but it didn't hurt. I read a lot on the forums about the benefits of ginger and artichoke

Magnesium citrate- to be used cautiously. It did the job, but I'd also get bad cramps. Only realized after other things started improving that it was causing some symptoms. At one point I was taking 400mg every morning and night. Got down to 200mg before bed, with help of everything else

Things that didn't work (hurt) and that I abandoned after two days- Linzess and Miralax. Didn't work for my body at the time. Miralax helped before treatment, but irritated me after.

MENTAL

This plays as big a role as anything physical

- Gut directed Hypnotherapy. I did the Nerva program. This aligned with my leave, so that helped my mental a lot, but this is the one thing I would strongly recommend for EVERYONE with SIBO. It's so informative and validating. I did 15-30 minutes every day, and I looked forward to it. I would recall the sessions throughout my day and during flares. SO HELPFUL.

-Yoga

I've always liked yoga to be fair. But I tried a few big name studios and found them too intense- heated yoga, cardio, weights, and the up and down was a trigger for me. But I found a local studio with a emphasis on meditation that really changed my outlook. It's easy to feel like you're at war with your body and your body betrayed you. But really it's you and your body working together, and even all that pain is your body trying to help you, to signal that something is wrong. I learned that through yoga.

-Yoga Nidra

I did the YouTube videos from Ally Boothroyd almost daily. They would help calm my symptoms. My therapist recommended them

-Therapy!! Always!! For everyone! You need someone who believes you. I had a therapist who minimized my illness and had to find a new one.

-Reading! Generally, reading is helpful even in a healthy daily life, but I was particularly fond of Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. Weirdly helpful, to put things in perspective and be grateful for the health I do have. Also, I'm speaking as an American who had finances, a loving family and partner, and food in my fridge. Not to be like other people always have it worse but . . .

WHEN IN PAIN

-Warm bath with Epsom salt

-Peppermint essential oil massaged on stomach, WITH heat pad over it. (It was literally me and my lavender Warmies against the world, for months)

-I low-key became obsessed with Tomodachi life as my distraction. Loved having control over a parallel world.

-Headphone and breathing exercises. Hypnotherapy or yoga Nidra, or when it was too hard to focus on anything, just deep breaths. 5 sec in, 5 sec hold, 5 sec out. At first I thought breathing was to calm your mind, and when my mind wouldn't calm I felt frustrated. But then I learned to think of it as an internal massage. I breathe deeply to gently massage my organs and make space, specifically in my digestive tract. This helped. After 10-15minutes there was always an improvement.

MEALS/FOOD

LOWFOD map diet

Reach out if you want recipes or a sample day! Or even a sample week! It was so hard for me at first, finding new recipes, eating stuff that was ass. But I feel like I eventually cracked it.

Eating enough, nutritious meals

Seriously it was so hard to eat, I became fearful of it. But food must be treated as medicine. Carb, protein, veggie, and fruit every meal.

Spaced out meals

I ate 3 meals every 4-5 hours, no snacks, to help my motility, and teach my body a safe routine. I ate around the same time everyday. My body knew what to expect and became more regulated.

WALKING

I always felt at least *slightly* better after a walk outside. Mentally and physically. Especially after meals, to aid didigestion.

ANYWAY

Today I went to my old favorite bakery, and ate chicken pot pie, with garlic, onion, dairy, gluten, and peas . . . And felt fine! Just relaxed and read outside. Which in a lot of ways was monumental for me so I just wanted to share my story and how far I've come!! I was fortunate to have a relatively early diagnosis and treatment. And the finances for it. Thank you to my family for believing me and helping support me financially, on my leave and medical bills, and my partner for standing by my side. SIBO can kiss my ass and suck my balls, it's the worst thing that's ever happened to me but I survived.

The first thing about SIBO is that you need to start with eradicating the bacterial overgrowth first and foremost. If this is not done, then everything else will be a waste.  Rifaximin with neomycin for two weeks is the standard protocol for methane SIBO. 

I also have great success with berberine complex and allicin antimicrobial supplements. I took them for a minimum of 4 weeks, 2-3x daily on an empty stomach. It’s a slower process, but it hasn’t failed me.  I also use NAC supplement on an empty stomach when I first wake up and before bed. This will help get rid of biofilms and make it easier to get rid of the bacteria.

After getting rid of SIBO you can then focus on the healing process. Most people will relapse and must go through the protocol numerous times. I treated myself for SIBO about 10 times over several years. Each time got a little better. Also, keep in mind that a lot of people that have SIBO, have an underlying condition that is allowing them to get bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. The root cause ultimately needs to be found and this is the hardest and most frustrating part, but you don’t have to suffer while you search for it.

What I believe is happening to your body is chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. This eventually destroys your guts cell walls and good bacteria. Food is the culprit and you need to find a diet with easy to digest foods that don’t set off symptoms.  For me I ate scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, green beans, avocados, ground turkey patties. Eat whole food and nothing that is processed or GMO. Drink water only, no caffeine. It’s a tough diet, but it kept me functional even with SIBO.  Avoid as much carbs/sugars and allergen/inflammation triggers like gluten/diary/soy/nuts as well.

If have brain fog and joint pain like me - What I found is that this is a sign of inflammation ( I use my tongue and an indicator of my gut health. When my tongue is heavily coated with white or yellow, that is bacterial/yeast overgrowth. When my tongue has teeth indentions on the sides, my tongue is swollen and my digestive tract is inflamed) You most likely have leaky gut from SIBO and chronic inflammation. Lipopolysaccharides are toxins from bacteria that are escaping out of your digestive tract and into your entire body. My brain fog is caused by inflammation getting up into my brain. It would also make me incredibly irritable for no reason. The inflammation will mess with your brain chemicals overtime, and you will start to lose the personality that you once had. (Some people dont get leaky gut and dont have the mental side effects as bad as others)

You basically want to attack and eradicate the SIBO.  Then focus on ridding your body of toxins and inflammation. Then work on healing your nervous system.

Some tips I have found to work for me:

·       SSRI’s work incredibly well for me for keeping my brain fog and irritability at a minimal. I had pretty good success with Lexapro, but Prozac basically eliminated almost all of my mental side effects.  SSRI’s vary GREATLY from person to person. This may or may not work for you. It was trial and error for me.

·       I was always constipated. I found having a bowel movement daily (ridding toxins) kept side effects in check and I wasn’t as inflamed. I had to go to my doctor to get meds for this. I tried Linzess, but found Trulance to be a better fit for me. Everyone is going to be different.

·       Drink TONS of water. You want to continually get rid of toxins in your body. SIBO would dehydrate me.

·       Chew your food really well. Your digestion is already working overdrive.

·       Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Your body is in overdrive and this is the time when the body repairs itself. Inflammation can interfere with sleep.

 

Supplements I took that seem to help

o   THC/CBD at night helps with brain and body inflammation

o   Fish oil at night for inflammation

o   Magnesium Glycinate at night for brain inflammation (Mag. Glyc. crosses the blood brain barrier and provides support directly to the brain)

o   Epsom salt baths – toxin detoxification

o   Antihistamines like Zyrtec once daily

o   ALA – helps cells turn glucose into energy. Also helps with oxidative stress and nerve health

o   DAO Enzyme – helps break down histamine from food (High histamine in the body can cause body wide inflammation and brain fog. Excessive histamine effects gut lining, skin, nervous system, and respiratory tract.

o   Molybdenum – helps break down sulfites into sulfates. If your body isn’t breaking down sulfites correctly, then excess sulfites become toxic to the body. It also helps clear SIBO gas byproducts.  If you have sulfur smelling stool, you probably need this.

o   Zinc-Carnosine – directly heals and rebuilds the mucosal lining of your stomach and small intestine. This helps heal leaky gut.

o   Tributyrin – Synergy with Zinc-Carnosine. Tributyrin helps heal the lower small intestine and colon. Also lowers mass cell activation.

o   Ginger Root at night right before sleep – helps the Migrating Motor Complex send out cleaning waves through the small intestine. This helps prevent bad bacteria from overgrowing in the small intestine

 

I am mostly healed and don’t get SIBO anymore. I still have inflammation sometimes, but I am active in controlling it. I can eat whatever I want now except for gluten and oats. I continue to eat very healthy, because through this journey, I learned just how poisoned our food system is. Our bodies aren’t meant to be eating all these processed foods with chemicals I have never heard of in my life.

 

My prediction on what happened to me:

·       Took antibiotics and my body went crazy with the most bizarre and numerous side effects

·       Developed SIBO that turned into leaky gut and then my whole body was affected daily. This turned my life into a living nightmare.

·       Slowly eradicated the SIBO multiple times and healed my gut to a point where I have a balanced amount of good gut bacteria with leaky gut gone and a much stronger nervous system.

 

The root cause for me

·       I think its at the metabolic level with detoxification pathway dysfunction

·       I no longer have SIBO or gut problems but the rest of my problems are inflammation, mental side effects, joint aches/inflammation, lethargy

·       I can keep all the side effects in check just from a healthy diet alone though. I can eat a lot of junk food but I do have a limit. I can go a few days and be fine, but if I go too many days in a row without giving my body a break, side effects will start to arise. Its like having a bucket, except I don’t exactly know when its going to overflow and cause me side effects. If I keep a decent diet and don’t let it overflow, Im basically functioning back to normal.

·       My guess is that the lack of detoxification is allowing toxins to build up throughout my body and start causing me inflammation and nerve issues that affect my Enteric nervous system, which then starts to effect and slow down my digestive system, allowing things like SIBO and leaky gut to arise.  It seems to be an endless loop if not managed correctly

So back in December I got pretty severe food poisoning, like to the point I was vomiting, had diarrhea and fainted. I started a garden of life probiotic for about two days to soothe my stomach but ever since then I’ve been suffering. I’ve gained 10 pounds, no longer have an appetite, constant burping, gas and bloating from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. I’m constantly having to hide my stuff and wear oversized clothes just to be a little bit comfortable. On top of that this has caused me to have terrible body odor and breathe. Most likely because I have Hydrogen Dominant Sibo

I’ve tried everything on the market: I’ve given myself toasted skin syndrome by constantly using heat to help me upper gut. I have tried the bland food diet, sink diet, low fodmap diet, water fasting, eating small meals every 4 hours, liquid diet Tums, a liquid diet, pepto bismol, gas-x, oregano oil, peppermint oil, ibgard and fbgard, multiple antacids, exercise, antidepressants, massages, warm water and teas, , going to the hospital and having multiple test done, going to a GI doctor and being prescribed Erythromycin, and seeing a urgent care and telehealth provider. DGL licorice root, florastor, I've tried Omeprazole,but nothing is helping with the bloating. I'm bloated from the moment I wake up and it gets worse throughout the day. I’ve been using warm compress and I’ll feel a gurgling sound or water swishing sound but I can’t use warm compress all day and I’m drained.

This is making me extremely depressed and mentally I don’t know how much more I can take. I have an appointment with my pcp tomorrow to see if maybe I can try an antibiotic because this is too much. I’m only 27 and it feels like my life is over. Please any advice is helpful I have literally tried everything. I’ve spent thousands on treating and nothing is helping.

I'm the guy who cured his SIBO with kefir and celery juice. My post on r/SIBO is the second most commented on of all time. The mods of that sub nevertheless banned me two years ago. They never identified the policy I violated, because there was no violation. They simply didn't like my opinions.

I'm writing this post for a few reasons.

First: Heartfelt apologies to the hundreds of people whose questions on my posts I've been unable to answer during my ban, and the many more whose own thoughtful posts I wish I could have engaged with.

Second: I saw a post on r/SIBO today with the title "considering ending life." That's what inspired me to make this post. I couldn't make it there, so I'm making it here. Nobody should have to feel that way because their tummy is upset. Yet modern allopathic medicine has allowed simple dysbiosis to become a debilitating condition millions feel powerless to confront.

I've learned a lot in the 2 years since I made my initial post about how I found a cure that worked for me. I remain 100% SIBO-free. And I'm still as confident as ever that the precise guidance I gave in my initial post, which centered around high-potency kefir and cold-pressed celery juice, is likely to provide lasting relief to *many* SIBO-sufferers. Take for example the guy who posted 2 days ago that kefir cured him. I've seen many such cases.

But I'm also increasingly cognizant of the fact it may not work for everyone. Having spent years carefully following this sub, a clear pattern emerges: the path out of the hell that is SIBO almost always involves addressing some combination of common intersecting root causes: acid/bile regulation, gut flora composition (probiotics), excess cortisol (stress), meal timing, motility, and movement (physical activity). Antibiotics alone could not possibly fix any of those problems. Probiotics, by contrast, address multiple of them simultaneously, and are often key to recovery (seek food-based, high-CFU sources, not probiotic pills, which in my experience do nothing). Limited, short-term antimicrobial use may play a supporting role, though rarely if ever does it appear to be the primary factor in a lasting success story. Rarer still are the cases where prescription drugs alone provide relief that lasts more than a few months. Possibly more frequent are the cases where prescription drugs worsen a person's condition, often in serious and even life-threatening ways.

All of this is utterly unexplored by the mainstream medical establishment. The reason is simple and obvious: incentives dictate outcomes, and the medical industry is incentivized to sell prescription drugs and surgeries. Cut and prescribe- there are no other tools available. Google "allopathic medicine" and you'll see what I mean. Cutting and prescribing is definitionally with allopathic medicine is.

The specific incentives that perpetuate this dynamic involve the intersection of patent and tort law and are thus poorly understood by the general public (AKA a snoozefest). In a nutshell: it's patent law 101 that naturally-occurring compounds (e.g. celery, kefir, ginger, natto, red yeast rice, plants of any kind) can't be patented; thus only synthetic drugs can be patented; thus only synthetic drugs can be monopolized (a patent is a legal monopoly); thus all medical R&D funding naturally finds its way to synthetic drugs; thus "science" exists only for synthetic drugs (studies are expensive); thus it becomes the standard of care to treat all conditions with synthetic drugs; thus any doctor who prescribes anything other than a synthetic drug has deviated from the standard of care and committed medical malpractice.

This cycle has resulted in a total blackout on meaningful, well-funded scientific research into natural, plant-based, and otherwise alternative remedies. It has extinguished thousands of years of indigenous knowledge. It handicaps doctors. It keeps patients in the dark. And it keeps sick people in pain.

All of which is to say: we need each other. Keep sharing your stories. Reach out to this community when you are suffering. And if you, like me, find a cure that works for you: pay it forward. Help others by sharing what you've learned. Love is all you need.

Finally, if you've kept reading this long: ask me anything! My time is very limited because I continue to work full-time in a demanding field that has nothing to do with gut health. I have never taken and will never take a cent for anything related to SIBO. I don't have anything to sell. But while I may be slow to reply, I will answer every single comment as soon as I possibly can.

I don't purport to have all the answers. I only know what worked for me and the patterns I've observed following this forum for quite some time. Everyone who's achieved remission - especially those who've remained symptom-free for years - has a crucial role to play. And so do those who've learned what doesn't work. Let's advance our collective understanding to the point where nobody ever "considers ending life" again because of a gut problem. There is a way out for all of you. You will find it if you keep an open mind and don't give up. Together we can get there. The only way out is through. Onward!

When I was 12 I had viral meningitis and then six months later my appendix burst. After the surgery I had severe trapped gas to the point where my stomach was visibly rising at the stitches on my lower right side. Told the doctor. He said “probably just puberty, go for a walk.”

Looking back now that is exactly when my gut symptoms started. Not gradually. Right after that surgery.

I’m now in my late thirties and got diagnosed with IMO SIBO a few years ago and have spent years dealing with bloating, gas, diahorrea but no more so motility issues, bad itchy dandruff, swollen eyelids, anxiety…the works. Only recently started connecting the dots… the peritonitis, the heavy antibiotics at 12, the MMC disruption, all of it pointing back to that surgery and nobody ever flagging it.

Last year I done a 3 month low fodmap biphasic diet with oregano oil, berberine etc… didn’t work. After 6 months exact same results. I tried rifaxamin before too. I seen that famous video of the guy saying he cured his through artichoke root and ginger root. I bought those and took them religiously for a month but no joy. If I could hear from anyone who has been through something similar. Did a burst appendix trigger your SIBO? Did you resolve it and if so how long did it take and what worked? I think I could have adhesions from the burst appendix surgery… does that mean I’m F%#ked?

Feeling like I’ve been managing the symptoms for 25 years without anyone ever identifying the actual origin until maybe now.

This is a long one but I hope sharing detail will be more helpful for those suffering. It feels miraculous but I'm finally feeling better after 2 years of SIBO suffering and want to share what worked for me over the past 5 months.

For context, I'm a 28 yo male, in good shape, 71kg, active lifestyle with a very healthy diet. I'd had some form of IBS since I was 21 in the form of flatulence (odourless) and inconsistent BMs (including lots of clear mucus). This came to a head 2 years ago, when in a stressful meeting at work my stomach went on a rumbling parade, and I felt humiliated. From that point, I fell into a deep anxiety in all aspects of my daily life, consistently experiencing gas bubbling up inside me and making all sorts of weird and embarassing noises.

I went to one consultant gastroenterologist, who suspected Crohn's and did a colonoscopy which found inflammation in my terminal ileum. I then had an MRI which found thickening of the ileal wall. Finally, I had a capsule endoscopy, by which time my inflammation had faded and I looked fine internally. The consultant dismissed me and said I just have IBS.

The suffering continued so I went to see a different consultant. He suggested a SIBO test, which revealed hydrogen SIBO. He then prescribed rifaximin, which I paid £300 for and it did nothing for me. I thought this was my golden ticket so I was in despair. He suggested other band-aid solutions but nothing to really address the root cause of the SIBO. At this point, my anxiety had become such a problem that I decided to start psychotherapy.

At the same time, I decided to put my history into Gemini and get some ideas - this was the real start of my healing journey.

I promise this is not an ad for Gemini, I'm just so grateful that it provided help where 2 top consultants couldn't. Because I'd had all the above tests, it helped that I could rule out other problems. Gemini helped me analyse the little details about what was happening for me, and my TikTok algorithm was also giving me ideas. For example, it helped me realise I've always had flared ribs (I didn't know this was a thing), suggesting I've never learned to do diaphragmatic breathing and it's led to pelvic tilt. Another example, I asked Gemini about the mucus in my stools and it suspected causes like low stomach acid and fat malabsorption. It also helped me realise that the chronic rhinitis I get in my nose could also be linked to my poor breathing.

What became clear to me is that SIBO is itself a symptom of very complex problems intersecting across the brain, the nervous system, the gastro system, and even breathing organs. Gemini helped me understand the complexity of all these cause-effect relationships. My lifelong anxiety, stress and hypervigilance meant my nervous system is a mess; my breathing is poor and has led to nasal issues; then stressful events at work stressed my gut to the point of SIBO.

5 months later, the gas has 90% gone, my BMs are remarkably consistent and I'm now getting non-wipers most days.

Here's a full list of the many things I tried over the past 2 years:

What didn't work (chronological):

• Peppermint capsules - I tried these for years (long before SIBO diagnosis) and didn't make a difference
• Probiotics - I took Bio-kult Everyday probiotics for a while - they didn't seem to make it worse but they didn't help either
• S. Boulaardi (also Bio-kult) - I took this for 30 days and felt no change
• Rifaximin - I paid £300 for this and it did nothing for me

What I'm not sure worked:

• Bitters - I tried A Vogel Digestisan intermittently on Gemini's recommendation and it never made me feel any better
• Low FODMAP diet - I've eaten quite restrictively for the past 2 years and while I definitely did see a correlation between FODMAP consumption and gassiness, avoiding FODMAPs didn't eradicate my symptoms. Likewise, it's not a sustainable solution.
• Lots of sleep - I'm a big sleeper, always get 8 hours a night, but this didn't alleviate my anxiety or prevent symptoms.
• Magnesium glycinate - I take this on Gemini's recommendation 1 hour before bed every night. It seems to help relaxation before bed
• Atrantil - my consultant suggested this and I took 6 pills a day for 6 weeks. Since I was doing so many other things (all below), I couldn't tell if this was helping, but I wasn't massively convinced it helped.
• Ginger tea - I had this semi-regularly during fasting periods between meals, and I think it did help, but I don't think it would heal SIBO on its own.
• Anti-histamines - I took fexofenadine and beclometasone nasal spray for hayfever and chronic rhinitis. While they helped clear up my nose, I don't think the fexofenadine improved the SIBO.

What did work (chronological):

• Pscyhotherapy - to date I've had 9 months of weekly psychotherapy and it has been a huge help, to understand my anxiety, release unprocessed pain from my childhood and learn to know and accept myself. In turn, healing my nervous system has been essential.
• TTFD + B complex - I started this shortly after a study in the Gut journal was released suggesting Thiamine could be key. I didn't feel any improvement for at least 2-3 months, but alongside the other supplements/exercises, it seemed to have an impact after 4 months or so. Gemini was very confident this was essential for fixing my MMC.
• Berberine - I took 1500mg a day for 4 weeks, then dropped to 1000mg for 2 weeks. I really felt I could notice it killing the bloating and gassy sensations in my bowel. Gemini explained that the Rifaximin probably wasn't able to break through the bio-films, whereas berberine could.
• Qigong movements (for vagus nerve) - I came across these on TikTok and they were mindblowing. I started doing them every day, a few minutes here and there in the morning, in the toilet at work, before bed. I noticed as soon as I started swinging my arms, I got tingles down my spine, like my vagus nerve was finally activating after a lifetime of being broken.
• Silicolgel (or enterosgel) - my second consultant recommended this and I was sceptical because it's not addressing the root cause. But I tried it and it made a massive difference in sweeping out the gas and preventing embarassing noises when I had meetings in the office. Gemini explained that it's also important for sweeping out dead bacteria during the berberine kill phase. Having silicolgel sachets in my bag at the office gave me a lot of peace of mind, and reducing anxiety went a long way to healing my nervous system for good.
• Breathing - in the past 1-2 months I decided to address the flared ribs/pelvic tilt issue. Gemini's main recommended exercise was a 90/90 breathing exercise with feet pressed against a wall. I learnt that the pressure of your gut is crucial for the MMC. This seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle for me and I'm already noticing a visual reduction in my flared ribs.

I hope this has can be of help to someone. Feel free to ask anything, I'm happy to answer any questions and provide any further detail.

TL;DR Two different doctors couldn't address the root cause of my SIBO. I used Gemini to investigate the complex causes and tried various treatments. Check out the list above of what worked me.

I'll keep this short and sweet because I feel the need to share with the community. After two years of diarrhea, burning (not stomach related), indigestion, pain, and many more, trying everything under the sun to heal these issues, both the IBS and SIBO, I finally managed to do it. This might not work for everyone, but for me it was B1 deficiency, within two weeks of supplementing everything normalized, it's been a month now and every time I go to the bathroom I still can't believe it. If you plan on trying you should also take a multivitamin, as the B vitamins work synergistically with one another.

All I did was drink Lifeway Kefir for about a week and my cough/symptoms from SIBO/SIFO went away. My gut motility is so much better now as well, and I am passing like normal (flatulence returned)

I also took Oregano tea. I had SIFO as well as SIBO - Oregano is more potent than fluconazole since it kills more strains of Candida

Suffered with everything for about 2 years, doctors prescribed so many different drugs.

Might not work for everyone of course, but for those who haven't tried it, and I put this off for a long time as well because I was like Kefir is not really going to work, but it did

Best of luck to everyone again it may not work but it's worth a try