I often see gastrointestinal issues to be a large contributor in both symptoms of more complex conditions but also decrease in quality of life. One such issue is Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). SIBO is a condition where the bacteria that are usually in the large intestine inhabit the small intestine as well. This can lead to many symptoms including, gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, iron deficiency, bladder irritation (interstitial cystitis), IBS, and even restless legs. If you want to find out more about SIBO, you can see our previous article.
Testing for SIBO can be done through breath testing as the small intestine is difficult to get to. This, or small intestine biopsy, are the gold standards of diagnosing SIBO. At Boise Natural Health, we use Gemelli Biotech’s TrioSmart Breath test. Triosmart is the only test on the market that can test for all three kinds of SIBO: Hydrogen, Methane, and Hydrogen Sulfide. Other tests have only been able to test for hydrogen and methane in the past, which caused many falsely negative tests as it missed the hydrogen sulfide variation of SIBO.
This test can be administered at home after 24 hours of a restricted diet, 8-12 hours of fasting, and drinking a lactulose solution after the first collection. The lactulose provides food for the bacteria all the way through the small intestine so they start to create the gases we need to measure. You blow in a sample collection bag every 15 minutes for about 2 hours. Then you mail the sample bags away!
It is useful to test for all 3 gases as the result can change our approach to treatment for SIBO. Depending on which bacteria and gases are present, we can alter our treatment plan to better eliminate those bacteria and prevent relapse. If you have questions, contact us to discuss if SIBO testing is preferred for your symptoms.