SIBO Treatment
Bacteria in the wrong place, causing the wrong symptoms. We test for it, treat it, and stop it from coming back.
You Were Told It's IBS. It Might Be SIBO.
A project manager from Jacksonville spent three years with an IBS diagnosis. Fiber supplements, peppermint capsules, a low-FODMAP diet that helped for a while then stopped. His GI doc told him to "manage stress." He was managing plenty -- the problem was in his gut, not his head.
SIBO -- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth -- means bacteria that belong in your large intestine have migrated up into the small intestine, where they don't belong. When they encounter food there, they ferment it. Gas production goes through the roof. Bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation -- the full IBS picture. Except it's not IBS. It's an overgrowth. And it's treatable.
Research suggests up to 78% of IBS patients actually have SIBO, according to studies published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. If you've been managing "IBS" for years without real improvement, SIBO should be on the table.
The "IBS" That Isn't IBS
SIBO mimics IBS almost perfectly. But it has some telltale patterns that point to bacterial overgrowth specifically.
Bloating Within an Hour of Eating
Your stomach inflates like clockwork after meals. Doesn't matter what you eat -- even 'safe' foods bloat you. That's bacteria in the wrong place, fermenting food before your small intestine can absorb it.
Gas That Doesn't Stop
Excessive, uncomfortable gas -- all day, every day. Belching, flatulence, or both. Embarrassing, exhausting, and a direct sign that something is fermenting where it shouldn't be.
Diarrhea, Constipation, or Both
Your bowels can't pick a lane. Some days it's urgent. Other days nothing moves. That alternating pattern is classic SIBO -- different bacterial strains cause different motility problems.
Brain Fog After Meals
The mental haze that descends 30 to 60 minutes after eating. Trouble focusing, sluggish thinking, feeling 'drunk' without drinking. Bacterial toxins and inflammatory mediators cross into the bloodstream and reach the brain.
Nutrient Deficiencies Despite Eating Well
Low iron, low B12, low vitamin D -- despite eating a good diet. The bacteria are stealing your nutrients before you can absorb them. That's why supplementing alone doesn't fix the levels.
Worsening Symptoms on Probiotics
You tried probiotics because someone said they'd help. Instead, you got worse. More bloating, more gas. That's a red flag for SIBO -- you're adding bacteria to a system that already has too many in the wrong place.
How Bacteria End Up Where They Don't Belong
Your body has built-in defenses to keep bacteria in the colon and out of the small intestine. When those defenses fail, SIBO develops. Understanding why is the key to preventing recurrence.
- Impaired migrating motor complex (MMC) -- the 'cleaning wave' that sweeps bacteria out between meals
- Low stomach acid from PPI use, aging, or chronic stress
- Structural issues -- adhesions from surgery, ileocecal valve dysfunction
- Food poisoning (post-infectious IBS) damaging the nerve cells that control gut motility
- Hypothyroidism slowing down gut transit time
- Chronic stress reducing digestive secretions and gut motility
How We Treat SIBO in Jacksonville
Test, treat, restore motility, prevent recurrence. Four steps, in that order. Skip any one of them and SIBO comes back.
SIBO Breath Testing
We use lactulose or glucose breath testing to measure hydrogen and methane gas production in your small intestine. Different gas patterns point to different bacterial types -- hydrogen-dominant, methane-dominant, or hydrogen sulfide. Each one requires a different treatment strategy.
Targeted Antimicrobial Protocol
Based on your breath test results, we use specific herbal antimicrobials (or pharmaceutical antibiotics when warranted) to reduce the bacterial overgrowth. This isn't a generic probiotic. It's a targeted kill phase -- and research shows herbal protocols can be as effective as rifaximin for many patients.
Motility Restoration
Killing the bacteria isn't enough. If your MMC (the gut's cleaning wave) isn't working, they'll come right back. We use prokinetic agents -- natural or pharmaceutical -- to restore the sweeping motion that keeps bacteria where they belong. This is the step most practitioners skip, and it's why SIBO recurs.
Root Cause Prevention
Why did you get SIBO in the first place? Low stomach acid? Post-food-poisoning damage? Thyroid dysfunction? Adhesions? We identify and address the underlying cause so you're not stuck in a cycle of treat-relapse-treat. One-and-done is the goal.
How Long Does SIBO Treatment Take?
An antimicrobial treatment round typically lasts 4 to 6 weeks. Some patients need a second round. Motility support continues for 3 to 6 months after clearance to prevent relapse. We retest with breath testing to confirm eradication -- not just symptom improvement.
Related Conditions
Think You Might Have SIBO?
A simple breath test can tell us. Get answers, get treatment, get your gut back.