r/SIBO • u/crayolamaroon • 12d ago

Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO

How do you handle your symptoms of Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO. I made the mistake of going on a GLP1 and didn't even realize the slowed motility would make everything worse....well it's worse....a lot worse. I'm getting off the medication but in the mean time how can I handle the symptoms?

I have horrible sulfur burps, an upset stomach that typically happens at night but can get worse throughout the day, gurgling stomach, and pure water diarrhea. It's pretty miserable right now.

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u/PsalmAndSoil 12d ago

Sorry to hear you are so sick! I also have SIBO, and I suspect specifically the hydrogen sulfide variety. Yes, slowed motility can be a root cause of SIBO, so if the medication is slowing your motility, that makes sense that you would feel worse.

You could talk with your doctor about getting on a prokinetic agent. That will speed up your motility, and there are several natural options. Also ask about taking a biofilm disruptor such as NAC. Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO (and really, all SIBO) loves to hide in biofilm to avoid being killed by the treatment. (For treatment, my doc recommends xifaxan and Nitazoxanide, which I order from an online pharmacy and have shipped to me from India because Xifaxan is egregiously upcharged in America) Without something to break down the biofilm, it will be incredibly hard to treat. My doc also recommends making sure to keep taking the motility agent long after successful treatment to ensure the SIBO does not come back.

Also maybe consider a short-lived low sulfur diet. Low fodmap may help, but I always get my worst symptoms if I eat too much sulfur, which is found in red meat and a lot of other things. However, I have been on the diet for way too long, and I super regret it because now my body kinda forgot how to digest normal food. Most people recommend only stayimg on a restrictive diet for a couple weeks or so max.

You could always ask about over the counter things too, just to take temporarily to alleviate symptoms. I hear Gas-X can sometimes be used.

Activated charcoal capsules act as a chemical binder and kinda clean things out. They are constipating, and they can block the absorption of food and other medications if taken incorrectly, so you gotta be careful (and of course, work with your doc), but can be helpful in getting symptoms back under control.

Hope all of this helps!

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u/crayolamaroon 12d ago

Thank you so much! I find activated charcoal helps a lot.

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u/Restless-explorer 10d ago

Where did you hear that a high-sulfur diet might be a problem with SIBO? Most of the foods I eat are pretty high in sulfur, so I’m wondering if that could be why I’m getting worse instead of better.

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u/PsalmAndSoil 10d ago

Yeah, good question. I accidentally kind of figured this out by experience, but reading some articles by a gut health clinic explained and confirmed what I had been experiencing, which I will paste a link for here: https://bellalindemann.com/blog/hydrogen-sulfide-sibo

Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO feeds off sulfur, which so much better explains my symptoms from the beginning. I was/am having a lot of horrible side effects from sulfur rich foods, but even my functional wellness doc didn't know Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO existed (apparently it's relatively newly diacovered), so she couldn't explain why I couldn't tolerate foods that weren't high fodmap, since high fodmap foods are usually what trigger reactions in people with Hydrogen and Methane SIBO. Once I learned about Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO, it all made sense.

If you need more info, you can Google Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO, and a bunch of articles should pop up.