FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE TREATMENT OF

SMALL INTESTINE BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH (SIBO)

Many new patients come to my office with small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Sometimes they have been experiencing symptoms and trying various treatments for years with little or no results.

The symptoms can vary and fluctuate based on what you are eating, which is why SIBO needs to be confirmed via testing.

Symptoms Of SIBO

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)
Food Sensitivities
Histamine Intolerance
Signs of vitamin deficiency (dry, damaged, or inflamed hair, skin, and nails)
Vitamin deficiencies (Vitamin B12, D, & E)
Rashes, Acne
Abdominal pain
Gas, Bloating
Particular discomfort after eating sugar or carbohydrates
Diarrhea
Constipation (not having a bowel movement every day)
Nausea

THE FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH TO SIBO

When most people have not recovered from SIBO it is because their bacterial imbalance was only partially addressed by their treatment.

I have combined functional medicine with my own experience of addressing chronic, complex conditions. The result is an effective, multi-pronged approach.

The first step is to adequately assess the function of organs and systems that are integral to your ability to maintain a healthy microbiome.

If one of these five areas is severely compromised, then your body's ability to maintain a healthy microbiome will be impaired - no matter how much medication you take to kill off 'bad bacteria'.

CAUSES OF SIBO

STOMACH

low hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) from persistent stress
poor diet

LIVER

bile dysfunction
gallbladder removal
diet too high in fat causing bile stores to become too low

IMMUNE SYSTEM

impaired immune system
deficiency in zinc stores from years of stress
poor diet
copper toxicity

GUT FLORA

Imbalanced gut microbiome
intestinal damage from antibiotics and processed food chemicals

NERVOUS SYSTEM

autonomic nervous system dysfunction - most commonly caused by long-term stress and anxiety

WHY FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS SO EFFECTIVE AT TREATING SIBO

Whole-body, functional assessment is necessary to rebalance your system as a whole. Addressing only the affected organ system of a condition (in this case, your digestive tract) is inadequate.

In the case of SIBO, for multiple reasons, your body has lost the ability to regulate the bacterial environment in its digestive tract properly.

An optimally functioning body could recover from a bout of food poisoning, an illness, or a bad diet (short-term) and maintain a balanced microbiome.

There is a reason sufferers of SIBO have lost this ability to adapt. It could be due to toxicity, viral or bacterial infection, fungal overgrowth, insufficient stomach acid, or bile dysfunction.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Food poisoning
Food sensitivities and allergies
Poor diet (high carbohydrate, high sugar)
Past antibiotic usage - even a couple of rounds of antibiotics can damage the microbiome enough to cause a bacterial imbalance
Stress
- Stress floods the body with adrenaline which directly lowers stomach acid over time which hinders digestion and can allow unwanted bacteria into the wrong part of the digestive system.
- long-term stressors, mental/emotional/physical abuse - all can cause a biochemical imprint of trauma in the autonomic nervous system long-term (part of the brain/nerves that maintains the basic functions of life and regulates digestion)
High-fat diet

Each of these potential causes will be assessed so your body will be equipped to maintain healthy homeostasis.

STEP BY STEP RECOVERY FROM SIBO

Step 1: OPTIMIZE STOMACH FUNCTION

Specific therapies to restore stomach acid levels in order for you to properly digest food and keep out harmful bacteria from the small intestine. Heart burn, acid reflux, or bloating are key signs that you do not have optimal stomach acid levels - this must be corrected for SIBO to be resolved.

Step 2: OPTIMIZE LIVER FUNCTION

Targeted strategies to clean up your liver and improve your biliary health. This is the most important step and yet is often overlooked. Many people suffering from SIBO have an overburdened liver, which seriously impairs their digestive health.

Step 3: STRENGTHEN IMMUNE SYSTEM

Most often it is necessary to restore zinc levels as many SIBO sufferers are deficient. Dr. Lum will also screen for any other nutrient deficiencies that would impair digestion.

Step 4: BALANCE GUT FLORA

Balancing your microbiome is more complicated than taking a probiotic (which either has a negative or no effect on most people). Dr. Lum will give you specific foods and nutritional medicines to restore your flora naturally depending on your type of SIBO and your other health conditions.

Step 5: CALM NERVOUS SYSTEM

Dr. Lum will assess neurotransmitter function which is a critical component of healthy digestion. Vitamin, mineral and toxic burden will also be assessed to see if there are key imbalances that are aggravating your nervous system.

LASTING RESULTS AND SYMPTOM RESOLUTION

The most effective treatment of SIBO is highly personalized and must include the treatment of any underlying disease, specific nutritional support, and must address all five factors integral to a healthy microbiome.

If even one factor is neglected, you may find temporary relief for a short time, but your symptoms will likely return.

SIBO often returns because, most of the time, treatment only addresses the overgrowth of bacteria, and nothing is done to restore the entire digestive system as a whole.

Restoring a healthy digestive tract with effective interventions and ensuring that you are optimally healthy is the way to resolve SIBO for good.