I never wanted to write about the SIBO weight gain connection because I really hate talking about weight with you.
It’s not my thing. It’s not what I like to focus on. And I believe that, as women especially, we are inundated with far too much weight loss s#$@ every single day that I just don’t want to be part of it.
So then why am I talking about the SIBO weight gain connection today?
Honestly? I’m talking about it because weight gain not weight loss was my situation. And when I couldn’t figure out why, I began conducting a little research.
It was there that I realized a lot of people out there are in this boat vs. the SIBO patients scary weight loss boat (the one that doctor’s usually associate with SIBO – small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) so I wanted to help people understand what’s going on.
Not all SIBO symptoms will look and present the same way.
In my post, “When SIBO Keeps Relapsing,” I told you about the doctor who made the comment to me,
You don’t have SIBO. If you had SIBO, you would be losing weight quickly and very frail.
Well he was wrong then and he’s still wrong today. I’m not making this up, there is plenty of science and research around it.
And by the way, if any practitioner makes you feel awful, guess what? You GET TO fire them.
Let’s cut to the chase, and dig right in with something that might help you.
IBS/D – C: Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Constipation (Methane Dominant SIBO)
IBS/D – D: Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Diarrhea (Hydrogen Dominant SIBO)
(Note: That is typically what it looks like. Can it be different? Yes, in some cases; usually not.)
SIBO can be methane or hydrogen producing (or both – I produce both). Bacteria produces hydrogen and archaea produces methane. Updated to add: Also now a third type: Hydrogen Sulfide.
There is nothing wrong with having bacteria in the gut; everyone does and everyone should. The problem with those who have SIBO is that there is too much, an overgrowth of bacteria, in the small intestine causing problems.
If high levels of hydrogen are the problem, then bacteria will cause unabsorbed carbohydrates to ferment. Then, if you’re really lucky (insert sarcasm) you’ll have problems with methane production when the archaea feed off the hydrogen.
What are Archaea?
Archaea or methanogenic archaea, “are known as human gut inhabitants since more than 30 years ago through the detection of methane in the breath and isolation of two methanogenic species belonging to the order Methanobacteriales, Methanobrevibacter smithii and Methanosphaera stadtmanae.” (source)
Now to correlate archaea to SIBO (and Lehman’s terms), I like how Chris Kresser describes them,
Unlike bacteria, which primarily produce hydrogen, the archaea are what produce this methane, and they do this actually not by fermenting carbohydrates. So bacteria produce hydrogen and the way they do that is by fermenting fibers. The methane production works differently.
The archaea consume the hydrogen that’s produced by the hydrogen-producing bacteria, and then they produce methane as a by-product of that process.
So this is actually one of the ways that excess hydrogen in the gut gets metabolized, is by these methanogenic archaea converting that hydrogen into methane.
Problems Caused by Methane
Not everyone produces methane, and that’s a good thing, because here are some of the problems caused by methane.
And there it is, obesity.
So let’s discuss the topic at hand…..the SIBO weight gain connection and how to lose weight with SIBO.
The SIBO Weight Gain Connection
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Recent research has linked methane production to the pathogenesis of constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as obesity. (source)
From my research, methane dominant SIBO correlates with weight gain more often for these 3 reasons:
Slower Transit Time
I’ve talked about this at length in various places, but there is a correlation between slow transit time and methane production.
Slow transit time means there is a slow movement of food, food which sits in the gut for far longer than it should, causing many problems, including weight gain.
Archaea
Archaea have been shown to affect the amount of calories your body absorbs by increasing the capacity of gut bacteria to digest specific glycans. (source)
What does that mean? Yet again, a calorie is not a calorie.
“So let’s say you have a high-fiber diet. Humans generally can’t eat fiber. Cows and ruminating animals have a lot of methanogens because the methanogens help facilitate digestion of fiber. So what does that mean? That means that you can get more calories from a meal if you’re a methane producer because you’re liberating calories from things that people who don’t have methane can’t get.” (source)
Sluggish metabolism
Metabolism impacts HOW your body is able to utilize the nutrients it receives from food. With a slow metabolism, your body is not able to efficiently use nutrients from food, so the excess is often stored as fat. A slow metabolism can also negatively impact some of our natural hunger hormones, such as leptin and insulin, which can keep us from staying full and cause further weight loss resistance. A vicious cycle, isn’t it? (source)
All of these can be traced back to poor gut health.
The good news is, as you fix your gut, you address all of these issues.
Spotlight on Inflammation
Inflammation.
Practically a Gutsy buzzword at this point.
Truth be told, it is a huge component of the SIBO weight gain issue. Recent studies have shown that weight gain and inflammation are in a constant cycle with one another, each one furthering the other.
Weight gain causes the immune system to react to produce low-grade inflammation, while inflammation causes hormonal imbalances that promote weight gain. This includes both insulin resistance and leptin resistance, which can raise blood sugar levels and promote fat storage.
So how do we stop the cycle?
Target the inflammation first.
Obviously the inflammation will slowly come down as you address your SIBO, but there are some more ways you can be soothing your gut in the mean time.
1. Identify your food sensitivities
This is one step that is extremely helpful in lowering inflammation across the body. By removing foods your body struggles to digest, you can help prevent inflammatory responses.
There are a couple ways to properly identify your food sensitivities, including a blood test, digestive breath testing, and the elimination diet.
2. Remove inflammatory foods
I will say this time and time again, but the inflammatory foods have got to go.
If you want to truly commit to this, you can try an elimination diet, which can help both lower inflammation and pinpoint specific triggers.
If not, try removing these foods and seeing how your body reacts:
- gluten
- dairy
- alcohol
- added sugars
3. Add in soothing herbs and supplements
Some herbs have natural properties that help to prevent inflammation in the gut.
These are also great for any type of digestive problems.
Some of my favorites include:
- Peppermint
- Marshmallow root
- DGL
- Slippery elm
- L-glutamine
- Ginger
- Fennel
- Dandelion
How to Lose Weight with SIBO
While the real issue comes down to SIBO itself, there are some ways to temporarily help support your body’s natural weight in the process and getting to what you determine is a healthy weight.
Clearing SIBO can take quite some time and effort, so we want to give our body as much support as we can in the mean time.
This does NOT include any restrictive diets or over-exercising. Instead, we are leaning into supporting the digestive system for better metabolism and health.
Here are some ways to help “reverse” the SIBO weight gain:
Focus on natural ways to boost your metabolism
Metabolism is something that can be improved, given the right strategies. By doing things such as incorporating more movement into your day, taking 4-5 hour breaks in between eating, and increasing protein content, you can naturally improve your resting metabolic rate.
For more information on all things metabolism check out THIS article.
Incorporate natural prokinetics
Prokinetics are supplements or medications that promote movement throughout the digestive tract. This can help to prevent your food from sitting in your large intestine and causing undesirable weight gain.
Some of my favorite natural prokinetics include:
- Ginger (actually, the whole Digest Plus formula)
- Iberogast
- Motil Pro
I have found each of these to be extremely helpful in not only preventing food from sitting in my body, but also for helping with digestive symptoms as a whole.
Find a short-term “diet” that works with you
Whether this be the elemental diet, the SIBO diet, or the low-fodmap diet, the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD Diet), or a combination of any one, find one that works for you.
There is no “best” diet, it just just whatever makes you feel better temporarily.
The goal of any of these diets is to address the underlying INFLAMMATION and give your GI tract the chance to slowly repair itself. It is NOT and I repeat NOT meant as a long term solution for any of your symptoms.
If you want to create the best diet for your own body, with the A Gutsy Girl method, you’ll find it in A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut.
This book is called, A Gutsy Girl’s Bible: a 21-day approach to healing the gut and in it you’ll find my tried-and-true method for healing to apply to your OWN journey.
Before starting any of these protocols, make sure to consult with a trained practitioner.
Address your SIBO!!!!!
This is a bit of a gimmy, but I did need to throw it out there.
Your weight issues will not fully go away until the root issue is addressed. The weight is just your body’s way of saying, “Something is not right.”
The ultimate goal is to get rid of the imbalance of gut bacteria in your gut and rebuild that healthy microbiome. Any and all SIBO treatment must be a priority.
Once that is done you will certainly see improvements in your body weight and overall health.
My Personal Experience Arriving at Good Health
While I had high levels of both hydrogen and methane, I lean far more towards methane symptoms than hydrogen.
When it comes to the SIBO weight gain connection, I don’t complain about my weight gain because I still remain fairly small. That said, prior to SIBO, I was eating about double what I did during SIBO hell, and weighed about 7 pounds less.
Because of my research and all that has happened, my approach for healing post-antibiotics was so different than all the previous times. It was in line with A Gutsy Girl’s Bible vs. just doing and eating whatever I wanted.
And furthermore, I did not stop until I had that underlying cause figured out (and addressed). p.s. It was highly due to low stomach acid.
Having high levels of both hydrogen and methane has been a vicious, exhausting cycle. Until you’ve lived it, you don’t know and you can’t understand. This isn’t just a little “weight gain” complaining. This has affected, truly affected, every single last piece of my life.
Updated in 2023 to add: Shortly after this post was originally written, I healed for good. I have had zero issues or symptoms since late summer of 2018.
If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:
p.s. If you liked this information regarding SIBO, check out my new guide, Reasonable SIBO.
Xox,
SKH
You will heal. I will help.
I think I have SIBO. my doctor has ruled everything else out and I’m now trying to get him to test me for this. I’ve had 5 stomach tests. A year ago, I began getting extreme intermittent bloating. I gained 12 lbs in 3 months. I’m normally 102. I’ve stayed at 114 for a year, despite working out like crazy and eating healthy. I struggle with constipation, gas, indigestion. I believe it’s methane SIBO. It sucks! I cry every day and just want to get better. This crap really affects your day to day life and self-esteem. But, doctor’s don’t seem to know a damed thing about it. I also have hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue and dysautonomia. So, I have 3 auto immune disorders. There has to be a connection.
Hi Julie – I hear you! You might enjoy this post http://bit.ly/skhesill Hang in there. Hope you find your answers.
Also natural product Atantril
This May work look up Dr Ken Brown Gastroenterologist
I’m being tested for sibo…this is the only article where sibo is related to weight gain. Briefly I’ll tell you my case. I’m gaining an average of 10 pounds a year. I tell the nutritionist that I’m not hungry until 2:00 PM. So she explained that i probably stuff myself by then…WRONG!! Once I eat two or three bites I’m full. So my body thinks I’m starving it, holding on to every thing that goes into my mouth and turning it into fat. That would explain why I have 51% bodyfat. No. You read right I said 51%!! I can however tell you I am(knock on wood) not diabetic, do not have high cholesterol, am not on any high blood pressure pills….in fact my only illness is I am anemic and vitamin D deficient. Oh yeah SIBO can contribute to anemia!! No leaky gut, I’ve been tested for everything under the sun. I believe I have both too. I have loose stool in the morning and can be constipated all day. I just finished reading there is a third one!!
This blows my mind!!! I have been dealing with this or perhaps I should say I started to notice my body changing since 2010!!! Every year gaining weight without the junk food to merit the weight gain cause I eat super healthy nothing from a box. Dont eat bread. Other symptoms I got too super fatigued, foggy brain, joint pains…Doctors kept telling me it was the anemia that contributed to those feelings. Suggesting I should have a weightloss surgery to help me shed the pounds. Yes now I’m over a 100 pounds of where I should be. Im glad i stood my ground by telling them that my problem was not controlling my mouth it was lack of eating sooo I had to remind them hey if I have a problem with appetite and I go ahead with a surgery that helps suppress your appetite….tell me Doctor what do you think will happen to me…more weight gain???!!!! Ah I hate that they stereotype me…my email address is jamminfamily@yahoo.com if you can relate or have the same thing I do!
Hi Moraima – my name is Dee and I live in Canada. I can’t tell you how happy and sad I was to read your comment. Happy to have found someone with the same issues I have been going through for years, and sad that you had them at all. I too have methane predominant Sibo. For the last 10 years of so I’ve had pain in my lower left abdomen and have been gaining about 10 lbs per year. When I complained to my doctor at first, years ago, we did all the tests at the time, and when they all came back negative, she said it was probably just IBS and that was that. I then went to another doctor and demanded to be checked for parasites. He did a full comprehensive stool test and found blastocystis hominis. He told me it would be very hard to get rid off but we tried diet which didn’t work so I then went back to the 1st doctor and she prescribed me Metronidazole for it. At the time, we didn’t know I had Sibo. After a year, I went back to see her and complained about the pain again and insisted I had something, and she then suggested that I go to a naturopath. The naturopath looked all my blood work and prescribed me supplements and diet for IBS. After that didn’t work, I went back to the same doctor and she suggested I might have Sibo. I sat on that information for about a year as I didn’t have time to deal with it and finally did it and it came back positive for methane and hydrogen. The naturopath gave me the choice of either conventional antibiotics or herbal ones, as she’s seen both work and not work depending on the patient, and I chose 2 rounds of conventional antibiotics (Xifaxan/Rifaximin and Neomycin), to start. I felt like I was doing well with them, but at the time I was also working at a really stressful job and 1 really horribly stressful day got me completely off the rails. I literally felt my stomach squeezing and twisting in enormous pain. I also wasn’t able to do the 3rd round of antibiotics suggested because of the cost (CAD $500 each round), and I was also going on a trip. Now, I’m really regretting not having done them. I haven’t really done much since then as I haven’t had the time to deal with this, but I will be off work November & December and hoping to tackle all these issues then. My only concern is the cost, so I might try herbal antibiotics this time around as they are cheaper. I am hoping to go to a new Naturopath and also do a GI map before starting treatment. Thank you Moraima and Sarah for giving me hope and for making me feel less lonely in this journey.
Hi Dee,
So sorry to hear about all this. I similarly have been struggling the last year and I have just come across a very interesting approach to sibo and parasites – Dr Matt Cook. I highly suggest listening to this podcast it has really changed my approach and am beginning something similar with my doctor now. It is probably one of the most comprehensive approaches i have come across. https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/digestion-podcasts/how-to-treat-sibo-naturally/
Hi look up Atantril by Dr Ken Brown as May help.
I’m half way through so can’t say they work yet.
But great reviews on Amazon.
My heart goes out to all the bloggers here . I look like I’m 8 months pregnant!!
Same same same! 2 rounds of antibiotics didn’t help… so starting soon the physicians elemental liquid diet as soon as I get it this week…
How did it go?
Julie, I am reading your comment now and it is really resonating with me as I am going though the same thing. It’s been 2 years since you posted this, I’m wondering if you ended up finding a solution that helped you?
You sound underweight . What’s your heigh. Maybe your body needs to be a health my weight..
Did you ever figure anything out? You literally could have written my story for the last few months.
Yes, I am healed 🙂
Hi Julie!
How are you doing now? My story is very similar to yours. I am trying everything I possibly can. -Jess
Hey Sara,
I completely understand what you are going through, I have been having IBS/Sibo issues for 7 years now. What amazed me is how completely unrelated some symptoms are , you go to the doc and they run thousands of test and all is fine, yet i had – Joint pain, brain fog, depression, constipation, lower back pain in kidney area every day, severe fatigue and many more.
I finally found doctors that ran the Breath tests for SIBO, so I am SIBO positive – methane SIBO. So I am well aware what you are talking about.
I think you will not find the underlying cause because :
1. It probably started with a stomach bug that hit you or a high stress period that unlocked this
2. Based on latest research SIBO comes back because the problem is in the MMC – Migrating Motor Complex of the gut which is not working properly and not cleaning up the gut when it has to creating the perfect environment for a relapse. Also they speculate that a faulty Hypothalamus causes this bad MMC dysfunction. That is why for some people SSRI Antidepressants help, because they affect the HPA axis, and serotonin levels in the gut, which plays a role in the MMC regulation.
My suggestion is once or twice per year take a round of Rifaximin and Metronidazole (important to take both , since Metronidazole is the one hitting the archaea the best, while Rifaximin hits the hydrogen producing bacteria). When i do that i am fine, when i skip for one year, it all comes back, all the symptoms and issues.
Wishing you good luck , it is indeed a tough fight we are in!
Thanks for all the thoughts. If you read more of my latest blog posts, you’ll see I have been feeling 100% doing all the things I do 🙂
Hello, So I have celiac disease, leaky gut, and SIBO, I will relapse often due to the celiac disease. My issue is every time I take the Xifaxan (Rifaximin) I gain 30 to 40 lbs within a month after taking it, but I also experience major depression, anxiety, brain fog, mood swings, tired all the time, full body joint and muscle pain. I feel like I am crazy every time I take it that it makes me very anxious for doing a second round of Xifaxan that my doctor is recommending right now. I know what has caused my recent relapse 2 years ago I got dengue fever from my trip to Costa Rica, my symptoms slowly came back and it got harder to loose weight, but last year my dad past away and a month later my mother-in-law whom I am very close to had a major heart attack which the stress sent my system into absolute chaos. I developed a food sensitivity to absolutely everything! I couldn’t even go outside without the sun causing major inflammation. My body felt like it was on fire all the time a I was retaining water like crazy. I was finally able to see my doctor again and he gave the prescription for Xifaxan and ever since then I feel like I have been living a total nightmare! I have stopped everything. I don’t even like to go to the store or to see anyone due to this sudden weight gain. I am having a hard time finding food to eat that doesn’t cause inflammation, my doctor says I need another round but I am terrified!!
Hello Sarah–Did you do an at home breath test for SIBO or where you able to get a Doctor to order lab breath tests? I believe this is what I am dealing with. I’ve been to 3 doctors and 1 gastroenterology “expert” and everyone has dismissed my concerns. They have no clue my request for a breath test. I’m considering ordering from Lab and doing at home. The each said because of weight gain, no way can it be SIOB. Thank You.
Hi Leah – I did it at home, but my doctor ordered and sent it to my house. You just have to fight for what you want. Find a new doctor if yours isn’t giving you what you need. Hang in there. Xox
Thank You-I did the at home test & I tested Significantly elevated Methane & slightly elevated Hydrogen. Now I know I am not going crazy… I’m on a mission to heal and find a Dr. who will help me. I’m small so the weight gain in the gut has been super hard, esp this summer when I could not wear my fav, sun dresses w/my new cowgirl boots because I looked 20 weeks prego.. I’ll let you know how this turns out in finding help & healing in my neck of the woods. love your blog & thank you for putting this out here so people can heal.
Hugs.
Exactly!
Hi sarah! I am so glad I have finally read about all the symptoms I have. I know my body very well and have been dealing with this for years! I never knew what it was and thought I was crazy… but it really affects my life…
May I ask you what are the procedures?
Treatment?
I live in quebec , canada. So I am not even sure they know what this is.. 🙁
Thanks xxx
Hi Amanda – just put “SIBO” into the search bar and you’ll find out everything you want to know about it 🙂 Step 1: get tested! Xox
Yep I agree with everything you have said. I too have sibo and agree that it sucks. I used to eat 4 times what I do now and weighed 10kg less.
What really sucks is that I now have ACNES as well.
Hi! Hang in there. And then read this, too –> http://agutsygirl.com/2016/06/07/healing-cystic-back-acne-naturally/ Xox
Finally getting my breathe test tomorrow. I have been bringing up my symptoms to my doctors since 2016 when I got prescribed a strong about of antibiotics for an abscess tooth. They wanted to do every other test before this one. Super excited to finally get the breathe tests and start getting on the way of healing and feeling better.
All my best! Keep me posted. Good luck 🙂 Xox
I’ve just been diagnosed with Sibo after a breath test in the hospital. I also have serveral othee health conditions.
I have always found it incredibly difficult to manage my weight… I am a’normal’ size but this is through eating very carefully and if I deviate from this I gain weight very quickly (like 6lb in a week!) any tips on how to manage my weight with Sibo?
I’m awaiting antibiotics but they apparently have to be requested because the type I need are expensive.
Hi! The struggle is real. The only thing I know for certain is that once your gut is healed, the weight will naturally come off without doing anything.
Hi! I’ve dealt with methane SIBO for a year. Started antibiotics rifaxamin and neomycin for methane. I still haven’t dropped the weight. I weigh about 114 but started at 107. I too eat 1/2 as much as I did a year ago and had to buy all new jeans and under garments. I haven’t changed Jean sizes since I’ve been an adult. Now I’m 1-2 sixes bigger and I’m extremely athletic into yoga and cardio. I eat like a saint eating egg whites, Greek yogurt, plain chicken. My weight isn’t budging and my SIBO is over. Does the weight take awhile to budge?? Thanks! I’m 32 so random weight gain at this age with my super fast metabolism was weird. Thanks!
I did antibiotics for months and now I’m done
That’s what I needed to hear.
Hi. I’ve read through everything and. Any find the solution here. You mention once the guy is healed, the weight will come off. What did you do to heal it?
Sorry…gut not guy
There is an entire website filled with information on how I healed my gut and how you can, too 🙂 Just put whatever you want to know in the search bar in the upper left-hand corner.
This is so interesting! I’ve battled with health issues for most of my life, & was diagnosed with Lyme Disease 17 years ago…. I was tested for SIBO a few years ago & am currently doing the Low FODMAP diet…I feel so good since I cut out all those foods! I just hope I can go back to eating some of those foods again…I definitely have the methane SIBO…thanks again for this article, it feels good to know someone out there understands!????
Anytime! Good luck 🙂
What have you cut out ?
That helped?
I just got diagnosed with SIBO methane dominate. I have spent years yelling at my primary care physician that something was wrong, we ran blood test after blood test because i SWORE up and down that my fatigue was not normal for someone my age, when thyroid and hormones all came back within normal limits and he wasn’t offering the next step in testing, i found an internal medicine doctor, hoping to get some answers, after talking with her she ordered this test. It came back devastatingly high. My liver was in pre-failure and my body was becoming insulin resistant and was approaching pre-diabetic diagnosis. I have gained in incredible amount of weight over the last few years and like i was 105 in high school but who really keeps that up right? I was 125 after i had my son. In 6 years i blew up to 190. That is not normal for someone that starves themselves. My doc is working with me to prepare an action plan. She also wants to run some colon tests because the severity of my diagnosis she is concerned it might have damaged my colon.
all because my damn doctor refused to explore other options and assumed i was lazy and eating poorly despite my protests. My internal medicine doc told me the only reason i staved off diabetes was because she could tell my diet was good. That if i ate like crap i would have been a diabetic years ago. Cheers to a positive Diagnosis and bottoms up for the insane treatment that is to come!
Sarah,
I have suffered from bouts of SIBO for about 30 years now. It would come and go. 20 years ago it got REALLY bad and doctors poo-poo’d me (see what I did there?) because they had no idea what was going on. They told me I had IBS, they told me to take fiber supplements (which made everything so much worse!), they told me that, really, there wasn’t much wrong. In that time frame I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, CFS, Cardiac Arrhythmia, and my weight skyrocketed to 169 lbs. (For reference, Im 5’3″.) Then something happened that I didn’t connect until now… well, a week ago. Back then I started suffering from a long series of UTIs due to undiagnosed kidney stones. We treated and retreated those UTIs. I had the BEST GP at the time and she worked with me to figure all the urinary tract stuff out. Like I said, after about six months one of the kidney stones created a blockage and I had to have surgery, requiring more antibiotics. My tummy, IBS, Constipation issues were gone! My Fibro went into ‘remission’, and the pounds just melted off. My cardiac issues are controlled by meds and no one is willing to see if they’re fine without them (myself included). Fast forward 17 years… I start putting on weight. Meh… could be an age thing, sure. Constipation is back. Stomach pain is mounting. I started gaining weight so rapidly it is ridiculous, not to mention frightening. No matter how much I exercised, limited my diet, (I typically eat one meal a day) I am blowing up.
After scouring the internet for what seemed like weeks, I put all the pieces together. Not nearly as much as you did – This blog is so much wonderful information – but I was ready to try to convince my gastroenterologist that SIBO was the problem. I didn’t have to. He walked into the exam room already knowing. Going from my last visit with him, my medical history for the last two years, and his knowledge on the topic. He interned under a doctor who wrote papers on SIBO. I just broke down in tears… I start treatment today. He’s not kidding around with this. I picked up three prescriptions on my way home.
Still unsure if this is what had caused my rapid weight gain is what brought me here… THANK YOU! A million times thank you. You are helping so many people with this. I am still weeping with relief.
All of these comments are shedding light on what i’m dealing with… and some are the exact thing I have been experiencing! Im fairly small and immediately after a serious of 3 knee surgeries I suddenly gained 15 llbs (normal weight around 115lbs) and was covered in a very painful rash. 1.5 years later I still can’t shake any of the weight and have a very distended stomach like some of the others have explained.
The hardest part is we can’t get a handle on it and seeing the damage that it is doing to my body, even though i’m eating extremely clean and working out religiously – and seeing no change 🙁
What is the dosage and duration of antibiotics typically prescribed for methane CIBO?
Hi! It’s different for everyone, but the antibiotics that are typically prescribed are rifaximin and neomycin.
Rifaximin is not prescribed in NHS in England nor will it be in foreseeable future. Other antibiotics give awful side effects. Have just bought Atrantil a supplement but has said to have same success rate as Rifaximin (fingers crossed). 2 tablets x 3 times a day, just taken first two caosules. Have lost nearly 4 stones in weight so absorption suspected.
Good luck! I have taken Atrantil on and off, too….I have written about it a lot on this site!
Hey just curious if you have methane or hydrogen producing SIBO? My naturopath has given me herbal antibiotics for my hydrogen producing and I cant say enough about how great they are. Currently I am taking Berberine 500 mg BID and acetylcysteine TID (before the berberine to break down bacterial cell wall).
I am super happy to announce that I in fact have SIBO!!!!! I’m so excited, why you ask? Well if I had tested negative then I’d be back at square one…now at least I have a name to what I have…awesome!!!!
I hear ya!!!!! When you have answers, you can truly start healing. Read my post: How long will it take to heal my gut?
I am thrilled to find your blog! This describes what I have been going through for two years.
I had an H Pylori infection for a year before being properly diagnosed. I had many doctors tell me I was “just getting older” and needed to accept they symptoms and weight gain as such.
I used to be healthy, active and weighed 40 pounds less than I do now. I can’t even accurately describe the impact this has had on my self esteem and literally EVERY aspect of my life. I have experienced my darkest days throughout this…. No amount of diet or exercise assists with weight loss. The scale only goes up or stays stuck.
I recently found a great GI doc and feel I’m on a better path. Waiting to start Rifiximin until after my H Pylori breath test on Saturday.
Any resources out there on what to expect with taking Rifiximin? Once finished with those (assuming they’re effective), how long (generally) before I will feel better and perhaps start to see results from my workouts and clean diet again? Thanks!
Yes! Here you go! –> http://bit.ly/skhm28rnj I hope you find all the relief you are looking for. Xox
Thank you!!!
I have Lyme disease and a combination of methane and hydrogen dominant sibo. I’m 16 and have always eaten very healthy, been very active, and been very slim. since developing both health problems a year ago I’ve put on almost 20 lbs. I have no energy (because of the Lyme) to try to work off the weight and I don’t even eat that much. I recently stepped on the scale and started crying.. I feel so powerless 🙁 somehow my body fat percentage is now at 30%?!? I’m hungry all the time but end up in the bathroom for hrs after everything I eat. I haven’t felt filled in forever and yet I’m packing on the lbs. I guess I’m just wondering are there any success stories of healing from this crap and does your weight bounce back to normal eventually??
Yes and yes 🙂 There is hope, Kennedy!
I have SIBO both hydrogen and methane. Today I finally had the guts to get on the scale for the first time since June and saw that I gained 20 lbs! I knew I gained weight and have been feeling down on my weight gain, but 20 lbs since June! My heart aches. I’m glad I found your article and I also recently got your book. I have h pylori, Candida and dysbiosis. Is it safe to assume once those get eradicated that my SIBO will too along with the weight gain??
The weight fell off for me once the SIBO was cleared. Focus on healing, the rest will fall into place.
Great thank you 🙏🏻
Hello Sarah: I also have SIBO. Diagnosed 2018. Did a round of Rx. Did not help. I too have gained weight. Have alway been in the 115# range. Now 135#, Which is fluffy for me but I hide it somewhat with flowy tops. But I’m miserable and tired all the time. Last week I had a Tetany episode. Bloodwork came back perfect so they believe it was caused by my SIBO. Getting ready to start another round of Rx once approved by insurance. Have you ever heard of Tetany from SIBO? Very scary situation.
~Karla
Hi Karla – Yes, I have heard of that. I am so sorry to hear all of this. Not fun at all. I have written a ton about SIBO on this website, so I hope you’ll find a ton of help 🙂 Xox
Hey Sarah!
After reading this last read about Weight gain connection, I was like “wow im not crazy! Im not alone and this is so real!” Regardless of what any doctors have said to me.. Anyway at the end of this you mentioned you got rid of SIBO for good! Congrats! How exciting that must be! Im so happy for you! If you have a read on this I apologize,
but how did you do it? I have been suffering with high methane SIBO for 3 long years and im so sick and tired of it. I know everyone is different but im just so discouraged. Thanks for your time!!
Hi! Here you go – hope this helps! http://bit.ly/agghihsibolt
Okay this fits me and my husband so well!! I keep gaining and it has been impossible to lose any of it! I NEED to know was it antibiotics that finally healed you or natural supplements? We have been avoiding antibiotics because i have heard lots of stories about it not helping or even making symptoms worse!
Can the methane ever be removed entirely or will there always be some level of methane present?