Westcoast Integrative Health was the first private clinic in Canada to offer client direct SIBO testing using Quintrons Microlyzer DP and now The SIBO Testing and Treatment Clinic is one of the first private clinics in Canada to offer direct to consumer and physician hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide breath testing using Quintron’s Breath Tracker SC equipment.
SIBO is a condition that can wreak havoc on the gastrointestinal system, leading to localized symptoms but the effects of SIBO can also impact our health in other more systemic ways, such as chronic fatigue, muscle aches, fibromyalgia, “brain fog”, breathing disturbances and bad breath, to name a few.
A current comprehensive list of clinically significant signs and symptoms includes;
Check the research link for studies or study abstracts!
| Bloating Belching Stomach cramps Constipation Diarrhea Heartburn (reflux or GERD) Nausea Flatulence Abdominal pain Food sensitivities/allergies Iron deficiency anemia Vitamin B12 deficiency | Myalgic Encephalopathy Joint pain Fibromylagia Fatigue (chronic fatigue syndrome) Skin rashes Acne/Rosacea Eczema Respiratory symptoms (asthma/COPD) Depression Anxiety Hormonal Imbalances Steatorrhea (fatty stools) | Headaches Learning Disorders (Autism and ADHD Parkinson's Disease and other neurological conditions “Brain fog” Worsening or causes of chronic liver disease (cirrhosis) Autoimmune Hepatitis Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Potential etiology of some autoimmune diseases Interstitial Cystitis Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome or Chronic Prostatitis Coronary Arterial Disease Multiple Sclerosis |
A current list of the prevalence of SIBO in normal populations and disease states
| Reported prevalence of SIBO (references) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Normal populations | ||
| Healthy study controls | 0–20% | [4-12] |
| Dysmotility/gut wall injury | ||
| Coeliac disease | 9–67% | [13-15] |
| Connective tissue diseases, e.g. scleroderma | 43–55% | [16, 17] |
| Crohn’s disease | 25–88% | [18-20] |
| Diabetes mellitus | 8–44% | [10, 21] |
| Hypothyroidism | 54% | [22] |
| Nonspecific dysmotility | 76% | [23] |
| Radiation enteropathy | 26% | [24] |
| Ulcerative colitis | 81% | [25] |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | 81% | [20] |
| Chronic pancreatitis | 34–92% | [26, 27] |
| Drug-induced inhibition of acid secretion | 26–75% | [4, 23, 28] |
| End-stage renal failure | 36% | [29] |
| Fibromyalgia | 93% | [20] |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | 4–78% | [6, 11, 30-33] |
| Immunodeficiency syndromes | 30–50% | [34, 35] |
| Liver cirrhosis | 17–36% | [36, 37] |
| Obesity | 17–41% | [5, 38] |
| Parenteral nutrition | 70% | [39] |
| Rosacea | 46% | [40] |
| Neuromuscular diseases | ||
| Muscular dystrophy | 65% | [41] |
| Parkinson’s disease | 54% | [42] |
| Surgery | ||
| Abdominal surgery | 82% | [43] |
| Bilateral truncal vagotomy | 93% | [44] |
| Gastrectomy | 63–78% | [45, 46] |
| Ileocaecal valve resection | 32% | [19] |
| Roux-en-Y reconstruction | 86% | [47] |
Healthy bacteria, when they overgrow, can affect our bodies by producing hydrogen (H+) and methane (CH4) gases. These gases lead to the localized stomach symptoms people experience with SIBO but also cause the systemic symptoms by creating toxicity for the liver, as well as hyperacidity in the body.
High levels of acidity results in localized and systemic low grade or frank metabolic acidosis. This acidity is hypothesized to be the cause of many symptoms people experience.
Causes of SIBO are thought to result from damage to the migrating motor complex in the small intestine. This slower intestinal movement is what results in the bacteria overgrowth. Damage to intestinal peristalsis may often result from a single food poisoning following infection from a number of pathogenic bacteria. Once the complex is damaged it can be very hard to repair but treatment needs to start with removing the overgrowth of bacteria.
Other causes are related to poor digestion, including lack of stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), poor bile secretion or just plain eating too fast and not chewing food properly.
Testing these bacterial gases is a critical step to the diagnosis and treatment of SIBO. Treatment can typically involve a fairly short course of one of several different antibiotics or herbs followed by supporting the motor complex to restore movement of the intestine so the bacteria do not grow back as quickly. Retesting immediately after antibiotics or herbal treatments is also important to make sure the bacteria are gone.
This is where the SIBO Testing Clinic’s abilities work to increase treatment success by providing low cost testing to our clients right in the office or remotely using state of the art testing equipment.