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I have now completed my second SIBO breath test. Yesterday I shared all about the adrenal fatigue test, so today I’ll share about how to do the SIBO breath test.

Not sure what SIBO is? It stands for small intestinal bacteria overgrowth. You can learn more about it HERE.

How to Get the SIBO Test

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Just like with the adrenal fatigue test, my doctor ordered the SIBO test for me.

It was shipped directly to me, and I completed it. However, unlike the adrenal fatigue test, I have heard of people who have taken this test without a doctor’s order for it.

Updated to add: Confirmed! You can get a SIBO breath test online. HERE are my best recommendations and options.

My testing kit was from Commonwealth Laboratories in case you want to research more for yourself.

Preparing for the SIBO Test

In case restriction is a trigger for any past eating disorders, you must know that major restriction is a part of this process.

That said, restriction is a part of my past, but doing this test again reminded me how miserable and awful I felt. Never, ever again.

For the 12 hours prior to the 12-hour total fast and actual test, you must avoid all:

• gluten
• grain
• fruits and fruit juices
• vegetables
• sugar (in any form) (p.s. 192 Sugar Sources and Alternate Names to help)
• dairy (p.s. 100 Dairy Sources and Alternate Names to help)
• nuts and seeds
• alcohol
• beans

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Foods to Consume

If you want it even more clearly spelled out, during those 12 hours, these are the only food(s) you should consume:

• baked or broiled seafood, chicken or turkey
• lean beef
• plain quinoa
• crisp bacon
• lean pork
• eggs
• plain steamed white or brown rice
• minimal olive oil, coconut oil
• minimal salt and pepper
• plain coffee or tea

What I Ate

If you want to know what I ate, here you are:

• Breakfast: baked chicken, white rice, salt
• Lunch 1: baked chicken, white rice, salt
• Lunch 2: lean turkey, white rice, salt
• Snack 1: lean turkey, white rice, salt
• Dinner: baked chicken, quinoa, olive oil, salt, pepper
• Note: I may have had a little coffee, but as I was doing the adrenal fatigue test that day I could not.

For the final 12 hours prior to the test, you must completely, 100% fast, except for water. This also applies for the 3 hours during the test. Essentially, you will fast for 15 hours.

Other “rules” for taking the test:

• No probiotics for 4-5 days prior to the test.
• Avoid antimicrobials for at least 5 days prior to the test.
• No antibiotics for 2 weeks prior to the test.
• Avoid smoking for at least 1 hour prior to the test, or at any time during the test.
• No sleeping or exercising for at least 1 hour prior to the test, or at any time during the test.

What is in the SIBO Testing Kit?

The SIBO testing comes with the following:

• 1 wrapped collection straw
• 1 sugar substrate packet for ingestion
• 10 test tube labels
• 10 vacuum-sealed collection tubes
• 2 bubble wrap bags for packaging and mailing of samples
• 1 prepaid UPS return shipping label

How to Do the SIBO Breath Test

Doing the SIBO breath test is super simple, and all it requires is that you stay put without distractions for 3 hours.

This is how I did it:

• 5:25 am: I mixed the full packet of sugar substrate in 4 oz. of water, and I set it aside.
• 5:30 am: Collected my first (baseline) breath sample in a collection tube. To do this, you simply just unscrew a collection tube. Stick the straw in halfway and blow for about 5 seconds. Remove the straw and immediately recap the tube. Place the label (which indicates the time, sample number and date) around collection tube, and insert into the bubble wrap bag.
• Immediately after that, I consumed the drink.
• 20 minutes later I collected breath sample number 2.
• 20 minutes after that I collected breath sample number 3.
• And so on, until all 10 samples were collected.

I kept track of the time with a timer on my phone and when the final countdown was on, I took a screenshot to celebrate the moment!

I completed the test around 8:30 am, and then dug into food (and let’s be honest, coffee).

SIBO Breath Test Collection Completion

Once all samples have been completed, they must ship and must arrive within 48 hours of shipping them.

This means, similar to the adrenal fatigue test, that they need to be shipped on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in order to ensure delivery by Friday, since the lab does not receive or process samples on the weekend.

Once they are shipped, you patiently wait for the results.

In addition to the adrenal fatigue and SIBO breath tests, I have taken many other tests. I have done all the basic blood ones, as well as more complex ones like the colonoscopy and endoscopy. 

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. FoodMarble Breath Test {with Aonghus Shortt}
2. What is Sorbitol
3. Gut Health Test {free and paid}

Xox,
SKH