When bacteria that belong in the large intestine start growing where they shouldn’t — in the small intestine — you get small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, a condition where excess bacteria ferment food too early, causing gas, bloating, and nutrient malabsorption. Also known as SIBO, it’s not just an upset stomach — it’s a root cause of chronic digestive issues that many doctors miss. People with SIBO often feel full after just a few bites, bloat after eating carbs, and get diarrhea or constipation without clear reason. It’s linked to conditions like IBS, celiac disease, and even thyroid problems.
There’s no single fix for SIBO treatment, a multi-step approach targeting bacterial overgrowth, gut motility, and gut lining repair. Most protocols start with antibiotics like rifaximin, which work locally in the gut without wrecking the whole microbiome. But antibiotics alone don’t stop SIBO from coming back. That’s why diet matters — the low FODMAP diet, elemental diet, or SIBO-specific diet reduce the food supply for those misplaced bacteria. You’re not just starving the bacteria; you’re giving your gut time to heal. And if your gut doesn’t move food along properly, the bacteria will just come back. That’s where prokinetic agents like low-dose naltrexone or natural options like ginger and Iberogast come in — they help restart the migrating motor complex, the gut’s natural cleaning cycle.
It’s not just about killing bacteria. You also need to fix the damage they caused. Many people with SIBO have leaky gut, low stomach acid, or bile flow issues. Without addressing those, you’re putting a bandage on a broken bone. That’s why SIBO treatment often includes digestive enzymes, betaine HCl, or bile salts — not as magic pills, but as tools to restore normal digestion. And don’t forget the gut lining. Supplements like L-glutamine, zinc, and collagen help repair the intestinal barrier so nutrients get absorbed again and inflammation drops.
What you’ll find below are real, practical guides based on how people actually manage SIBO — not theory, but what works in daily life. From how to time your antibiotics with meals, to which foods to avoid without going crazy, to what supplements actually help and which ones are just hype. These posts cut through the noise and show you exactly what to do next.
SIBO causes bloating, gas, and digestive issues. Breath tests are the most common way to diagnose it, but they’re not perfect. Learn how testing works, why results can be misleading, and what treatments actually help-plus how to prevent it from coming back.
