My high numbers on all 8SIBO tests for the last 16 months

I had my 8th SIBO test yesterday at the SIBO Center in Portland while we are down here for a long weekend.  The good news – my numbers are down even lower than the test in February, in fact the lowest they have been during this whole strange trip I’ve been on.  The bad news – I’m still positive for SIBO.  I only have 7 points to go on methane to get to a true negative test at this point.   The frustrating thing is that I just did a protocol for 8 weeks that was shown to clear SIBO in 85% of cases and all it did for me was take a few points off each of my methane and hydrogen levels.

I’ve now done every protocol that I know about over the last 16 months.  I tried the standard antibiotic route of Xifaxan/Neomycin which was a bad experience for me, I tried the old SIBO Center Berberine & AlliMed protocol for 2 months, the improved SIBO Center AlliMed/Neem protocol for 2 months, the self-improved protocol adding Berberine for another 2 months.  That got my numbers down last fall when I finally started feeling decent.  Since then I did the CandiBactin protocol for 2 weeks followed by the 6 weeks of the Mullen Protocol and have barely made a dent in my numbers.

Something is keeping my SIBO from clearing all the way, this is what we need to start looking more deeply into starting Monday morning when I meet with Dr. Keller at the SIBO Center.   A few things I can think of off the bat:

• I’ve got the vinculin antibodies and my motility is really impaired by an auto-immune reaction to my enteric nervous system.  Luckily, Dr. Pimentel just released his IBSChek blood test that can test for these antibodies, I think I’m adding yet another test.
• My ileocecal valve is not functioning properly.  When Dr. Hall checked it a few weeks ago it was kind of lax and not doing its job.  I may need some manipulative work to rehab this thing, push-ups for the ICV.
• My brain-gut axis is just not firing properly.  Evidently low output from the brainstem can also hamper the enteric nervous system.  I’ve been reading Why Isn’t My Brain Working? which goes into this in detail.  Rehab here evidently involves extensive gargling, loud singing, gagging oneself and coffee enemas.  Sounds like a party gone out of control.
• I’ve also got a weird methylation cycle mutation that may be contributing to problems clearing this.  Not sure what the heck to do about that, no one seems to really fully understand these methylation issues all the way and what support is needed to overcome them.  I find it interesting that a friend of mine who also can’t clear SIBO has a mutation in common with me, could this be a key to those who can’t clear their SIBO?   More on this whole topic later.

It is going to be an interesting meeting on Monday morning and I’ll report back on what the outcome is.   In the meantime I’m going to be doing a Paleo tour of Portland.  Hitting Cultured Caveman food trucks for lunches and we are going to Ox tonight and Departure tomorrow night.   If that isn’t enough I’ll be back in Portland in a few weeks with a bunch of my SIBO buddies for the SIBO Symposium to see if we can learn anything new there.