Listener Questions: Testing, Treating, and Healing SIBO
Written by 
Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on
November 23, 2022
Effective dietary and lifestyle interventions for SIBO and dysbiosis
For optimal healing, a patient needs their symptoms, not their lab test results, to be treated. In this episode, I offer dietary and lifestyle solutions for people looking to improve their gut microbiome and overcome digestive and non-digestive symptoms caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and gut dysbiosis.
Listen in to hear the answers to these specific questions:
- What test do you recommend for gut dysbiosis, even if you’ve already been tested for SIBO and it was negative?
- I have SIBO-related symptoms. Can I do treatments without getting tested for SIBO?
- What are your thoughts on using the Food Marble for monitoring the efficacy of SIBO treatment and food intolerances?
- I have had chronic SIBO for 10 years which was not diagnosed until approximately 4 years ago. I feel like I have to stay on antimicrobials indefinitely. I react to most foods when I add them in, therefore my diet is extremely limited. Why am I so reactive to food?
- I understand that Dr. Ruscio, DC likes to try the triple probiotic therapy first with SIBO before trying antibiotics or antimicrobials. However, from what I learned you want to avoid lactobacillus species since they are hydrogen-producing and like to live in the small intestine. For that reason, should I just try S. boulardii, bifidobacterium, and soil based?
- How long should I take herbal antimicrobials when treating SIBO?
- I have tested positive for SIBO, methane predominant, and I tried Rifaximin and neomycin. These improved my SIBO breath test but had major gas and belching, brain fog, and fatigue after treatment. I then tried antimicrobial herbs, and SIBO test results were much worse. However, since I’ve stopped herbals, my brain fog and fatigue are much better, but I’m having indigestion/belching with really smelly stools. What is going on?
- I’m currently experiencing symptoms of dysbiosis and leaky gut, and I’m not entirely sure if herbal antimicrobials would help my dysbiosis or make it worse. Do antimicrobial herbs kill good bacteria as well? My goal is to rebalance my microbiome in favor of the beneficial bacteria.
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Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, natural health provider, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.
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I care about answering your questions and sharing my knowledge with you. Leave a comment or connect with me on social media asking any health question you may have and I just might incorporate it into our next listener questions podcast episode just for you!