Irritable bowel syndrome or SIBO: what’s the difference?

2023-08-29 16:39:58

We have all heard of the famous irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but few people know the SIBO ! This syndrome is characterized by the same symptoms as IBS… but is not treated in the same way. Hence the importance of clearly distinguishing between SII and SIBO in order to set up the right treatment.

What is SIBO?

SIBO is simply the acronym for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – either bacterial colonization of the small intestine – and corresponds to excess bacteria in the small intestine. THE most common symptoms of SIBO are :

• Diarrhea,
• Bloating,
• Abdominal pain,
• excess flatulence,
• Vitamin B12 deficiency,
• And sometimes even an accumulation of fat in the stool also called steatorrhea.

All these symptoms are very similar to those observed in cases of irritable bowel syndrome which sometimes makes it difficult to diagnose between these two syndromes.

What causes SIBO?

The SIBO and associated small intestinal bacterial overgrowthcan be the cause of several other diseases or conditions, such as diabetes, food poisoning, a disease cand so oninflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Effectively, there is a prevalence of SIBO in patients with IBS. Thus, according to a study¹ produced by three doctors from the department of gastroenterology and hepatology from the American medical center of Dartmouth-Hitchcock estimates that SIBO affects up to 78% of people with IBS. SIBO can also be the cause of a slower transit than normal, following gastrointestinal surgery such as bariatric surgery for example or because of taking certain medications such as opioids or inhibitors of the proton pump (PPI) but studies on the subject remain controversial.

To can diagnose SIBO with certainty, ideally, one should be able to take fluid from the small intestine and study the number of bacteria. But to make a diagnosis more easily and in a less invasive way, we carry out a breath test with glucose in the laboratory: the patient ingests glucose and we then measure the hydrogen (H₂) and methane (CH₄) expired. After 90 minutes, if the hydrogen rises by more than 20 particles per minute or the methane by more than 10 particles per minute, the test is considered positive.

Pour treat SIBO we must take a broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment for a week to 10 days, several types of antibiotics can be proposed depending on the practitioner. It is important to remember that antibiotics can sometimes be poorly tolerated by patients with irritable bowel syndrome who may feel Side effects. It is also important to note that the treatment is not always effective. Also, as in IBS, one can try to adopt a specific diet by reducing the foods leading to fermentation.

The reading advice

Pour approach the issue of SIBO from a more relaxed side and understand the daily life of people with SIBOthe book “A fleur de pet” written by Dora Moutot is described as “an essential work for all people who suffer from bloating, loneliness in the face of this taboo problem, and who wish to recover from it.”

1. Dartmouth-Hitchcock American Medical Center Study: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

Read also:

• Which probiotics relieve irritable bowel syndrome?

• Belly yoga: what are the benefits?

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