She Cleared Hydrogen SIBO in Six Weeks
When Angela experienced new symptoms of bloating and brain fog, she was disheartened. The digestive health coach had spent years bringing her gut back into balance, and now, symptoms were suddenly back.
When she ran a test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), she was surprised to learn it was positive for hydrogen-dominant SIBO. SIBO, caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, is believed to be the cause of 60-70 percent of irritable bowel syndrome cases.
“It was very, very high for hydrogen,” Angela says.
When she considered why SIBO had developed, she recognized that a few things had been different recently. With a busy client load, she was more stressed than normal. And she had eaten more sugar and gluten on a recent trip – foods known to exacerbate SIBO.
A Mind-Body Protocol for Hydrogen SIBO
Given her high hydrogen levels – at 101 parts per million – Angela expected healing to take several months. She approached SIBO as she would with her clients, with SIBO-targeted supplements and lifestyle changes.
To heal, she took herbs specifically for hydrogen-dominant SIBO, including berberine, oregano, olive leaf extract, cinnamon, digestive enzymes, a prokinetic called MotilPro, and a supplement called Biocidin. She also added the spore-based probiotic, MegaSporeBiotic.
Angela followed a low FODMAP diet, which consists of low fermentable foods, and reduced her carbohydrate intake.
Just as important, Angela feels, are the self-care aspects of her healing. The in-demand health coach reduced her workload significantly to bring down her stress levels.
And she focused on staying positive – mentally and emotionally. That included setting aside worry about her healing, which can affect the outcome.
“When we start worrying about the healing process, we can completely jeopardize and slow down our healing process,” she says.
She also did sauna sweats to detox, plus acupuncture, chi gong, and massage.
A Negative SIBO Test
When Angela began the protocol, her symptoms stopped immediately. She attributes that to the low FODMAP diet, which can provide symptom relief as the rest of the protocol works to kill bacterial overgrowth.
She continued SIBO treatment for six weeks and then retested.
“I was kind of shocked because I was SIBO clear. My test results were normal,” she says.
Angela was surprised that she could bring her levels down in that short amount of time. She credits the dual mind-body approach that replaces what doesn’t serve you, from foods to thoughts, with what does.
“It shows that if you are really dedicated that you really can make a lot of progress with SIBO,” she adds.
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Listen to Angela’s full IBS story on the podcast.
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