After years of trying to treat my candida with everything from diet to threelac to olive leaf to shots from mexico etc etc. I finally went to MD desperate for relief. After undergoing a Colonoscopy, endoscopy, ultrasounds, ct scans..... finally breath tested positive for sibo. Went on xifan unwillingly and of course it made my symptoms worse. Dr wanted me to have a small bowel follow thru where I drink 3 cups of barium (a heavy metal) I canceled the day before worried that with my condition was so bad already and I am progressively getting worse also I am horribly constipated it would make my symptoms worse and the barium would never leave my bowels. Now back on several natural \"cures\" probiotics, antifungals...no relief...went online and to a bookstore trying to find a diet or ? to help. Left even more confused with so many conflicting ideas of how to treat IBS. Desperate for relief I thought maybe cleansing colon with enemas and colonics. Has anyone had any success treating this ailment when it is this bad? I am in chronic pain and have 0 quality of life so any help would be welcome

Hi,

Welcome to the forums.

Unfortunately your story is familiar to many of us. I have also had ultrasounds, a colonoscopy, endoscopy along with breath tests and various other tests from functional testing labs. So at least you're in good company

I think you certainly did the right thing regarding the barium procedure. If you're badly constipated probably not the smartest thing to go through with.

On the subject of treatment it sounds like you're doing all the right things. Colonics or enemas may well help with your constipation so be well worth doing for that purpose. I have experience using them for this purpose and as a last resort they are very effective and not as unpleasant as all that. They will not however treat your SIBO and Candida problems as these are affecting the small intestine rather than the colon.

To really tackle these you may have to go for the heavy guns and use antibiotics such as metronidazole or ciprofloxacin to tackle the SIBO and fluconazole (Diflucan) for the Candida while taking high strength probiotics such as VSL#3. Of course you will need a willing doctor. Please check out this post for ways to find an environmental medicine doctor.

Such a doctor could also look at why you have developed these problems in the first place e.g. poor immunity, poor digestion (lack of stomach acid and digestive enzymes.) These problems can then be treated through various means such as nutritional supplements.

Hope this helps somewhat!<br /><br />Post edited by: Maff, at: 2008/09/15 16:25

Is the breath test for SIBO the same as the one used by NHS to diagnose H.Pylori?
Does the breath test for SIBO show which bacteria is causing symptoms?
As for the IBS, one of the theories I found is that when one is dehydrated, the intestine is trying to squeeze water from the waste, this causing the pain. I tried the water and I think it works, I am certain it works. It was more evident at one time when I was taking co-codamol which is known to cause constipation. There are many guides on how much water to drink, when and what attention should pay to electrolytes. You need to drink the water regularly over a few days and if you don’t like simple water, try adding a hint of fresh lemon juice to either hot or cold water; try drinking it instead of some or all of the teas and coffees and if you take sugar in your tea, just try taking it with the water (this is my home made recipe!).
At the moment, I am also testing drinking 2 cups of milk (sometimes I add a pinch of salt! I use the lo-salt which has sodium and potassium) well after meal, just before bed time. It might not be good for candida but I think it gets the bowels moving over night. This might be due to the properties of milk which I found documented in some web-sites.

Hi Marina,

The breath tests for SIBO and H.pylori are very similar from the patient's perspective. In both cases you are given a special drink and then a sample of your breath is collected some time later.

However, the contents of the drinks and the chemicals being tested for a different. With the H.pylori test the drink contains urea, which itself contains 'labelled' isotopes of carbon. If H.pylori is present in the stomach it will metabolise the urea producing carbon dioxide which can be detected in the breath. With the SIBO test the drink contains sugars such as lactulose which the body does not absorb. Instead bacteria in the gut metabolise the sugars and produce hydrogen which is then tested for in the breath. A high level of hydrogen indicating SIBO. Breath samples may be taken periodically over a few hours which allows the lab to determine roughly where in the intestines the bacteria are located. This test is known as the Hydrogen Breath Test (HBT), although sometimes methane is also tested for (another bacterial metabolite).

I hope that helped!

Thanks for sharing your tips for IBS. Adequate water intake can certainly be an issue in constipation-predominant IBS and is essential for regular bowel movements. I have not heard of milk being of help but with illnesses such as IBS you have to go with what works in most cases. You may not have any issues with Candida or dairy intolerance anyway so if it doesn't cause any symptoms I'd say stick with it!

Thanks Maff. It does help. I wonder why the SIBO breath tests are not done more often? They might not always be conclusive but they might help to diagnose SIBO sooner rather than later. I’ve not had a breath test since 2003 and that was for H.Pylori only.
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To be honest I do not really know what issues I have but, whatever it is, it does not let me be. After many years of discomfort, I was diagnosed in year 2000 with H.Pylori, I was treated with Metronidazole and Clarythromycin and the symptoms went for a while then they returned. I was re-tested for H.Pylori and the result was negative.
Recently, I was diagnosed with vaginal b-haemolytic streptococcus and Candida. By chance I was given the same treatment as in 2000 plus Fluconazole. However, this time I was given Metronidazole only, to start with, while the results came from the lab. It turned out that the Streptococcus was sensitive to Penicillin and Clarythromycin but, by then, I nearly finished the Metrodinazole. As I was not due to take the Fluconazole until after the end of the antibiotics, I found that by then the Candida has affected me all the way to the mouth and face. The GP gave me extra Fluconazole and creams for my face. It has been an interesting experience. I believe that some of the many symptoms that I had after the 2000 treatment will have been due to the Candida not treated then or ever (during the 6 years antibiotics therapy for acne).
The symptoms (specially the flatulence and the bloating) have cleared for a while and then they started to build up again and I continue to get this anxiety from what it could be the small intestine. Also I feel that the Metronidazole has also, by chance, treated other intestinal parasites.
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I wonder if, same as the dogs, humans also need to be wormed now and again. I have started to pay more attention and to understand my dog’s behaviour, eating pattern, how some days he does not want his food, etc. He is a happy dog and his body gets over it eventually, sometimes with some de-worming help. Who knows?!
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The milk which I am trying at the moment is also interesting. If I were to judge by some of its effects (occasional explosive emptying of the bowels, sometimes twice within the hour) I would say that I do not tolerate milk but I don’t think that is the case. I cannot be allergic one minute and then not allergic the next minute. However, it feels that any parasites affecting the intestines get well fed (soaked in milk!) and then pushed out. I feel relieved, no bloating or flatulence for a while. I don’t know! I am using the milk cure for a few days at the time when my symptoms get worse.
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Perhaps it is worth mentioning that the GP has also put me on iron tablets for the last 6 months. This was following the symptoms I had when I was invaded by Candida. While my Haemoglobin is around 14, the Ferritin was on the low side. It appears that the blood maintains its composition even when the rest of the body is short and the body has to become extremely deficient before the blood tests show it!? Although my skin is nice and pink now, I am not sure if I really need this iron or I am providing it for the parasites so we can all live happily together.
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I understand that we need the bacteria and fungi to stay alive but, they should keep each other under control and perhaps it is a matter of understanding how they work and helping them to keep each other under control, by diet and sometimes by using medication. I feel that the water is also a must. Treating one of them and too often might allow the others to take over.
I only started to read about health issues because my test results always come back ‘normal’ yet I continued to feel unwell. Now, I realise how difficult it must be for doctors to know what is wrong with anyone just by spending the few minutes during the appointments.
I feel relatively better now but it has taken much understanding of myself and of my past medical history and used medication. I am ready to settle down; I understand how complex everything is.
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Has anyone noticed that the Canesten cream for Candida now comes with a dose of oral Fluconazole included? I wonder why?
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This is getting very long and I am getting lost a bit. I hope it makes some sense.