It May Have Never Been IBS
"It's just IBS", "try the low-FODMAP diet", "manage your stress?"
You cut out the foods. You took the Imodium. You ate blander and blander meals and your gut still punished you for it.
Why? Studies show up to 78% of people diagnosed with IBS actually have SIBO. Your gut isn't broken, it's overrun with bad bacteria and you're doctor has been treating the wrong thing this whole time.
What's Happening Inside Your Gut?
Inside your small intestine, bacteria that don't belong there are fermenting your food and producing hydrogen gas (SIBO). That hydrogen pulls water into the gut triggering the sudden, watery, diarrhea you can't control.
Simultaneously, gas produced higher up gets trapped, causing the distension, pressure, and painful bloating.
A 2014 study from Johns Hopkins compared herbal protocols including oil of oregano against rifaximin (standard SIBO treatment) and found them to be at least as effective — and fewer side effects.