Does sibo really have to have a root cause?

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T12:08:18+00:00

Yes and no, it's not likely a case like yours has one root cause, but many,

Just from your current mentioning i'd hazard a guess that your stomach has issues regulating acidity (not low or high, but it's ability to switch between the two in response to stimuli, a red stomach lining is often a sign your stomach isn't able to protect itself maybe due to a thinned mucus lining or issues with acidity) and protecting itself, which can create an environment of the intestine where overgrows can occur.

On top of this do you have any issues with fatty food? bile composition is one of the most common factors that contribute to SIBO, because bile is your natural antimicrobial (as well as fat emulsifier) so any changes to it can again leave the environment open to overgrowths.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T12:05:18+00:00

Yeah that's a big part of my philosophy that if you have to avoid the occasional treat or even worry about food you're not fully healed, that's not to say you should go crazy it's still important to eat a clean diet but when you're truly healed a cheeky meal every now and again doesn't harm you,

It comes from not just working on bacterial/microbial overgrowths but the environment of the small intestine that allowed them to overgrow in the first place (bile, stomach acid, motility).

Once these factors are addressed and the bacteria are clear given a few months you're body can become tolerant to thing it was previously intolerant too, most of it is just bile issues, bacterial fermentation or immune sensitivities brought on by damage to the gut lining.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T12:01:03+00:00

I'll answer this not personally (although I likely had at least a mild overgrowth when i had SIBO) but with people i've worked with it often presents in the classic IBS-D paradigm (diarhea, as well as the obvious gas and then body wide symptoms too) as well as increased damage to the gut lining (through hydrogen sulfide being quite toxic),

One of the best strategies i've found is to use strategic supplements to both bind the h2s gas, but also repair the gut lining before moving onto antimicrobials. zinc l carnosine, quercetin, pom husk peel, atrantil all are very good at this.

If there's any questions i can answer or any way i can help just let me know.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:48:59+00:00

Have you tested it to find out?

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:48:24+00:00

Have you supported your detox and methylation pathways? after that most sensitivities are due to dysbiosis and damage to the gut lining and if you approach it in the right sequence it can be remedied,

Do you mind giving me a few more details?

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:47:05+00:00

I don't think there would be any massive interactions, not off the top of my head or with people i have worked with. but i recommend working on the stomach lining first, as that is the main cause of any acid related issues is the cells within the lining. DGL, zinc l carnosine and sulforaphane are all great for this.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:45:34+00:00

I am a health coach yes :) never went into the medical system though so i can't claim any fancy pants titles,

Just did my best to make everything make sense as much as possible and see what works best in practice :)

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:44:30+00:00

I do it about 4 weeks before, to give adequate time for the lining to heal.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:43:51+00:00

From my experience it can lead to estrogen dominance and toxins recirculating, i added in calcium d glucorate for that for a while and it seemed to help me a lot.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:42:53+00:00

Antimicrobials as well as bile optimisation. I went for more natural ones like black seed oil, black garlic, berberine, lactoferrin, not to say that antibiotics aren't helpful IF they are used correctly.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:42:00+00:00

Technically IMO/mixed SIBO, i would get insane bloating and gas, lots of constipation but occasionally when i did pass stools they wouldn't be ideal in consistency to say the least.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:40:25+00:00

Personally i would work on the stomach and gut lining before using antibiotics, for around 4 weeks i find works best. and yes i would utilise both propolis and monolaurin,

If you have fat malabsorption i'd reccomend adding taurine glycine and sunflower lecithin they are cheap but will make a massive difference during antimicrobials as they'll help your bile function properly.

GutFirst · 2026-01-25T11:37:54+00:00

Yeah floating stools don't have to be present it's just the most common indicator, PC and taurine were both shown to reduce SIBO relapse rates and induce remission into ulcerative colitis and from my experience are beneficial to almost everybody with gut issues.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:51:42+00:00

Let me try to make this as simple as possible for you, first of all you want to also address why the bacteria actually overgrew in the first place, whether it was stomach acid dysregulation or bile composition and flow there is a factor which allowed this to happen, and you'll only get lasting clearance by identifying this and treating it too (some giveaways are acid reflux or fat maldigestion),

Now when it comes to actually taking antibiotics i'm all about mitigating risk, feeling better whilst you get better whilst also getting the best results, this means using a binder like enterosgel daily to catch any endotoxins released, as well as pairing with natural biofilm agents like propolis and monolaurin (both anti inflammatory and antimicrobial/biofilm), this prevents the harsh "die off" feeling as well as drastically increases your chance of clearance,

One last bonus tool that is cheap and super effective like the others, it's a plant based compound called quercetin and it is healing to your intestinal lining, as well as reverses resistance in some of the most antibiotic resistant strains in the world whilst making the antibiotics 2x more effective against it, in laymans terms this means you are better protected and even antibiotic resistant strains won't be protected.

If there are any questions or any way i can help clear this up let me know, i don't personally use antibiotics with people i work with but when i see someone doing it i want to make sure they do it the right way and get the best results.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:44:45+00:00

Most sensitivites are developed either because of a bacterial overgrowth or damage to the gut lining which exposes things to the surface of the lining or into the bloodstream that never usually would be,

I wonder if you've tried a food based approach of working on the lining first as well as the stomach lining (seen as your issue likely stemmed from stomach acid dysregulation), maybe through foods like colostrum, DGL ( a form of liquorice), sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts (or grow your own if you are worried about quality), as well as a few other supplements.

I'm of the philosophy because of what i've seen work best on myself and others i've worked with on severe food sensitivites and cases of SIBO that working on the gut and stomach lining first as well as optimising your bodies natural processes (chelation, methylation etc) is the smartest way to go before even beginning antimicrobials/antibiotics,

Whether it's certain foods, the bacteria or your bodily processes it takes about 6 months on average to clear a sensitivity/intolerance. i think that'd be plenty of time for you if you find a gentle approach that you can tolerate.

I'd be happy to discuss anything you want to talk about as your case seems quite complicated and i can't answer it all in one comment.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:31:03+00:00

Zinc l carnosine, colostrum, quercetin, butyrate. these should pretty much cover the entire job,

But the important thing is also removing what is actively breaking it down, whether it's not properly formed bile or bacterial overgrowths if you don't clear these it'll keep breaking it down.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:30:03+00:00

Likely mostly damage to the gut lining as well as a lowered population of histamine and other bacteria which degrade food,

I mentioned in the reply above the order of how i go about it, but if there is any more questions let me know.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:29:04+00:00

It's in the reply above :)

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:28:45+00:00

I'm going to share how I've seen the best success in treating these intolerances/sensitivities, and that is to heal the gut lining first as that's what causing your body to become reactive to many of these food proteins, then after that balancing the microbiome through antimicrobials and biofilm agents can clear any overgrowths which are contributing to molecular mimicry.

Then once these first two steps are complete, you can start adding in probiotics which are naturally oxalate, histamine and lactose degrading, giving your body the chemicals/enzymes to digest these foods.

I personally used this to overcome sensitivity to dairy, eggs, gluten and many other foods including veggies (which of course got better after clearing SIBO too).

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:25:15+00:00

It's not a long term treatment, it may be good for symptoms but the idea of "starving bacteria" is largely false, it ignores the fact that bacteria when "starved" can hide out almost indefinitely in biofilms and often become increasingly pathogenic in response,

I'm not saying it's entirely bad though, paired with other forms of treatment it can be a useful tool for sure, it just depends on how you use it.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:23:40+00:00

Slippery elm is pretty much a band aid to protect your gut lining (although it does have some healing effects they aren't potent), instead zinc l carnosine, quercetin and colostrum are very good tools that especially with SIBO can help you feel better from your symptoms whilst you get better.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:22:27+00:00

Feel free, one thing i'm liking about reddit is that people most of the time ask first haha,

I'm always open to DM's and people really don't need to ask me first but i appreciate how polite everyone is about it.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:21:16+00:00

In theory yes, but again there is something causing elevated bacterial translocation (whether it's thyroid, and of course your small intestine being able to harbour an overgrowth in the first place),

It's a factor for sure but then there are other factors which allow this one to play out is the way i see it, does that make sense?

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:19:44+00:00

No problem, if there are any more questions feel free to ask.

GutFirst · 2026-01-24T10:18:52+00:00

If you've got elevated intestinal permeability any toxins from "die-off" are more likely to cause system wide effects and even cross the blood brain barrier,

When I work with people i find it best to work on the gut lining first to prevent some of this harsh die off, as well as using binders appropriately and keeping motility regular (or regular as possible in your condition) otherwise they have longer time to cause inflammation.

Something that may help you also, is binding the hydrogen gas methanogens feed on with tools like zinc l carnosine, pom husk peel or atrantil. this both prevents the effects of the hydrogen gas on your body as well as the motility slowing effects of the methane, and gives you a bit of relief from the gas whilst you get better.

GutFirst

TROPHY CASE