Kaiser & SIBO Treatment
Hello.
I have SIBO. I also have Kaiser, which from what I understand, is not a good combo to have. (Hopefully someone can prove, from personal experience, that my statement is false.)
I'm seeking referrals for gastroenterologists at Kaiser (Oakland is ideal, but will travel) who are 1) knowledgeable about and will treat SIBO, constipation predominant and (ideally) 2) are on the holistic/naturopathic end of the medicine scale (i.e. knowledgeable about and open to herbal antibiotics in place of or in combination with traditional, drug antibiotics for treatment).
If you know of anyone, please let me know. If you also care to share your story/journey with SIBO, I'd welcome that, too!
Many thanks.
Sep 17, 2019
Parent Replies
Can't help with Kaiser navigation, but I did want to point you towards a small but powerful study about the effects of a specific probiotic on the methane kind of SIBO. If you have the methane kind of SIBO, of which constipation is a symptom, it's worth trying this low impact intervention. The study is very small (20 people) but shows significant promise for this probiotic. Excerpt: "Four weeks of L. reuteri administration was associated with a significant decrease of mean methane production determined... Moreover, a total disappearance of methane production was observed in 11 patients".
I took Biogaia chewable tablets, 2x a day for a month - matches the dose of 100 million CFUs that were used in the study. Symptoms disappeared but it was in combination with some other diet and life changes so it's hard to disentangle what was responsible what. So far symptoms haven't come back. https://www.biogaia.com/product-country/biogaia-protectis-tablets-usa/
Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri (DSM 17938) on methane production in patients affected by functional constipation: a retrospective study
https://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1702-1708-L.-reuteri-in-methane-producer-constipated-patients.pdf
hi there. my GI doc at kaiser sf is wonderful! i don't know about his experience with SIBO or not... his name is dr. vellayos.
take care,
joDy
Hi there!
I was diagnosed with SIBO by a naturopath a few years ago, I didn't even know normal doctors knew what that is or could diagnose it?? I'm going to follow this thread to see if anyone has had success with treatment outside of a naturopath. I will say, it was a tough experience for me. The FODMAP diet and all the supplements are tough to keep up with and really expensive. I'm not sure if it's gone away, but I do feel mostly good and eat a really healthy diet overall. If you can't find a Kaiser Dr. you may want to check out Parsley Health, they're a somewhat affordable membership option and their doctors are amazing!
Good luck!
Hi There,
My gastro at Kaiser ( I am spacing her name) would not test for SIBO - I actually do not think they do not test. She advised me to follow the FODMAP diet and that was it. I think seeing a naturopath is the way to go. My girlfriend who was diagnosed with both types of SIBO imported a prescription from Canada. Let me follow up with her and see 1) how she is feeling and 2) if she can recommend her Naturopath.
Dr. Jonathan Pritikin at Kaiser San Francisco is absolutely worth the commute. I saw him a few years ago after struggling with IBS for decades and having basically given up on finding a doctor who would tell me something other than to reduce my stress level. He had up to date knowledge about SIBO and treatments. (Kaiser did not do the breath test at that time - but that didn't mean that he didn't recognize the condition or refused to treat it.) I did a round of traditional antibiotics and started a FODMAP reduced diet and had great success. I didn't have a ton of conversation with him about alternative treatments beyond dietary, but he is incredibly open minded and willing to try a variety of things. My only complaint (beyond the SF location) is that he is maybe a little too thorough; I've definitely had a lot labwork and imaging done on his request - but I have also pushed back on some of it and he has respected that. Finding Dr. Pritikin literally changed my life. It is such a gift to have a GI doctor that I know will take my concerns seriously and do his best to address them. Bonus is that he is a lovely and quirky guy; we always have interesting conversations during office visits. Best of luck.