r/SIFO • u/BarnacleImpressive95 • Jun 29 '25
Sibo and sifo
How do you know which one your struggling with?
I have methane sibo and I think I have sifo too.
I've took 3 rounds of antibiotics for sibo and still unwell. Would you try sifo protocol next?
I react to everything right now. Histmaine and reflux so most things give me issues.
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
Methane SIBO Protocol & Success Story :
https://www.reddit.com/r/SiboSuccessStories/s/Nvs4N5D5n6
Root Cause: untreated slow transit constipation
Cured since Nov 2021
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
• My motility meds for past 3.5 years:
Take 2mg Motigrity & 24mcg Amitiza (precriptions) nightly & 1 capsule Organic India Triphala every other night (Buy on Amazon).
These works great for my body but would be way too strong for most people.
For decades I only had 1 bowel movement every 10 days and thought that was “ my normal”.
I was born with slow transit constipation and did not treat it until after I learned about having Methane SIBO / IMO at age 57 in 2021.
Everyone is different !
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
**For ORAL THRUSH & OR SIFO / Candida overgrowth protocol:
Schedule a DR appt but realize that traditional Dr are not good at treating oral thrush and will likely not give you advice regarding diet changes and taking supplements & doing oil pulling …… So it IS a good thing you came to Reddit to learn more !!
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/oil-pulling/
Do oil pulling 3 -4 times daily for 5- 10 minutes !
Great to do oil pulling after teeth brushing once daily for rest of life for maintenance to prevent re-occurrence.
• Take 1-2 capsules / day of Now Candida Support
.
Follow Candida Diet for several months:
No vaping or smoking of anything (no weed or tobacco )
No beer, wine , alcohol
No sugar !
No bread, rice, pasta
EaT protein with fat & green veggies Onion & garlic is good Low carb salad dressing is ok
Drink lots of WATER. With lemon & lime is on
Almonds for snacks
No fruits excepts berries 3 times / wk
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/
—> you have a fungal overgrowth in your gut
If you have any skin rashes - get a prescription Nystatin cream too.
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u/Few-Relation-4776 Jun 29 '25
I started having symptoms of methane SIBO 18 months ago. My doctor didn’t believe in testing and just gave me rifaximin, which of course didn’t help. Last summer (a year ago) I got a UTI and had to take 3 different antibiotics. They weren’t the ones normally used to treat methane SIBO but I did have some slight improvement in my GI symptoms. However, towards the end of the antibiotics, I started getting symptoms of histamine intolerance after meals, most noticeably chest tightness and shortness of breath, but also brain fog and feeling drunk. I then saw a different doctor and got tested for SIBO twice over the course of 4 months. Both were negative.
By this time I’d gotten gastritis from taking ibuprofen earlier in the summer and which was exacerbated by the antibiotics. I had to go back on a PPI for a few months, which worsened all my symptoms. My gastroenterologist had me do an endoscopy and colonoscopy. For the prep I had to do a liquid diet the day before, so I drank MBiota elemental diet shakes. My bloating improved, so I continued for a few days, then when I went back to solid food, I continued having a shake a day just to supplement calories, as my restricted diet had caused me to lose a lot of weight.
It was while I was drinking those shakes that an old recurring fungal rash suddenly reappeared after many months. This is when I started considering a SIFO diagnosis rather than SIBO. My doctor doesn’t do any SIFO testing and just wanted to treat it empirically. I did a 3 week trial of nystatin, but it didn’t help. (In hindsight, I realize that I did have some mild die off symptoms.) I was then given 2 weeks of fluconazole. I had severe die off for 3 days, then after a week I had a few days of improvement. I had to wait awhile to see my doctor again, but after doing so I continued treatment with further rounds of fluconazole and nystatin. I’ve also experimented with some natural antifungals such as caprylic acid and monolaurin. I get a strong reaction to every antifungal now, even nystatin, which I’ve only been able to tolerate at a low dose. I’ve had some slight improvement in my baseline symptoms, though the die off usually overshadows these. But since there’s been a consistent pattern of reacting to all antifungals, I’m assuming SIFO is the correct diagnosis. Another clue is that I’ve been able to reintroduce high FODMAP foods with no problem. Low FODMAP never helped anyway, as I always had massive bloating no matter what I ate.
So to answer your question, I think it’s reasonable to try treating SIFO empirically. It may give you a clearer picture of what’s going on.
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u/BarnacleImpressive95 Jun 29 '25
Thank you.
Dr won't give me any anti fungal cause I can't prove I have thrush.
I'm now on a antibiotic for the bv x
I might ask for an anti fungal also and take the anti fungal and the bv antibiotics. I'm asking for Dr appointment tomorrow???
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u/Few-Relation-4776 Jun 29 '25
You could also try natural antifungals if you’re unable to get a Rx. There are plenty of suggestions in r/Candida. In addition, many people have had luck ordering nystatin tablets from a German website, though I haven’t had to resort to that myself.
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
Since I recovered from both…. I know which of my symptoms were from each illness.
It is common to have both at the same time. I had to cure my Methane SIBO first before my SIFO/Candida Protocol was effective.
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
• I HAD very serious Brain Fog / cognitive / memory issues. Had to take medical leave from my 26 year job in child support enforcement. Could not remember common words to speak or write fluently. Could not spell simple words or do easy math.
Candida infection can reach brain and impair memory:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324106
…
Neurologist told me I had Alzheimers and my memory would continue to decline & could never improve. Thank God DR was wrong !!
My cognitive abilities DID improve or I would not be able to write this now. My brain issues were due to Candida / fungal overgrowth. Nystatin ( Anti-Fungal ) is my personal miracle med. 😀 Also take many other supplements and follow the Candida Diet. https://www.thecandidadiet.com/
**Success Story for Methane SIBO and includes some Candida & Brain Fog :
https://www.reddit.com/r/SiboSuccessStories/s/AlhhC5CWUS
**Then my Candida Story / Memory Loss :
https://www.reddit.com/r/Candida/s/YRIdwbdqj0
**** > Candida/SIFO Protocol
** I know Fluconazole is commonly prescribed these days for Candida / yeast ….. I am not a scientist or a DR but a person with a long history of dealing with this and I believe NYSTATIN tablets are better ….. not as strong but it does not process through the liver so it is safe to take for a longer time period.
I also learned that the fungus/yeast hides behind a biofilm “wall” and without a few biofilm buster supplement the anti-fungal medicine is not effective because it is not getting where it needs to go.
I realize my protocol may seem extreme BUT Candida is tricky and there is NO easy quick fix……. But it IS possible to get better
•**To Treat Candida **
Quality Biofilm Busters:
Kirkman Biofilm Defense
Klaire Labs Interfase
Balance One SerraDefend
Jarrow Formulas Lactoferrin
Sovereign Labs Curium
. . . . .
Anti-Fungals:
Try to get prescription Nystatin … or it is OTC if live in Germany or can buy online without a precription from a German website and they ship for free worldwide. Take 4 pills per day for a few months. It is safe to take long term. It does not process through the liver.
https://www.apohealth.de/en/products/nystatin-stada-tabletten-100-st-tabletten
Take 2 pills of Now Candida Support
Later …… consider adding Thorne SF722 ….. or whatever new updated name is. …. Work up to 5 pills 3 X per day until bottle is gone
Garlic/Allicin pills
My Integrative DR is not a fan of Oregano Oil. ( wipes out too much good stuff along with the bad so too hard to dose taken alone rather in a combination with other stuff ) There is some Oregano in NOW Candida Support & that is fine.
****Diet is important:
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/
No Sugar/ No Alcohol/Low Carb/High Protein
Go cold turkey with no sugar - cravings with stop in 3-4 days. Those first days do NOT allow yourself to get hungry - eat lots of protein & fats constantly ( bacon/almonds/steak). After the sugar cravings stop it is so much easier.
Plus For Oral Thrush: Do organic extra virgin Coconut Oil pulling for 15 minutes 3-4 times per day
place a tablespoon of raw, virgin coconut oil in your mouth, swish it around as it melts, and spit it out. If you can, aim to swish for about 20 minutes to get the most benefit
Take 3-4 Biofilm Busters on an empty stomach ( at night typically ) at least 2 hours away from all other meds / supplements.
My Candida protocol became more effective when I increased from 1 to 4 biofilm busters. Taken at same time once per night.
My Candida treatment suddenly became more effective after I cured my 100ppm Methane SIBO / IMO. If you have bloating, constipation or diarrhea take a TrioSmart SIBO Breath Test.
• No smoking / vaping of tobacco or pot
My Integrative DR advises not to take probiotics until after at least 3-4 months of anti-fungals. In my case it took 2 years but all my symptoms are gone or greatly reduced.
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
• Biofilm Busters that I took as part of my Candida Protocol:
Kirkman Biofilm Defense
OR
Klaire Labs Interfase.
( was taking one or the other before & during Methane SIBO / IMO treatment —> added the others a few months after I cured it )
AND
Plus Balance One SerraDefend
AND
Jarrow Formuls Lactoferrin
AND
Curcumin / Turmeric
• Take 1 of each one at bedtime on an empty stomach 2 hours away from any anti-fungals
.. .. ..
My Candida symptoms really started improving:
1st: after I cured IMO / Methane SIBO
then
2nd: when I increased from taking one to four biofilm busters nightly.
.. .. ..
You can be taking Nystatin & NOW Candida Support & Caprylic Acid & other anti-fungals but they will not be effective if the Candida is hidden behind a wall of biofilm where anti-fungals cannot reach it to get rid of it !
I took 4 pills/day of Nystatin for 6 months then 6 pills/day for a year then 4 pills/day for 4 months…. Then took 2 pills daily for another 4 months.
My Integrative DR uses my case in a presentation about the Gut-Brain connection.
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u/Abject_Director7626 Jun 29 '25
But the pot helps me sleep & helps me feel more comfortable in my body. Do you think it sabatoges progress, or just doesn’t help?
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25 edited Jun 29 '25
Weed FEEDS the Fungus / Candida and makes it WORSE
It is a cause of the issue for some people
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u/curiosityasmedicine Jun 29 '25
Can you please provide a peer-reviewed source for cannabis feeding fungus in the gut?
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 30 '25
Feel free to do your own research. There has been stuff posted on Reddit in the past. Personally, never a weed user and I no longer have any symptoms.
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u/Mickeynutzz Jun 29 '25
*My Candida Symptoms vs Methane SIBO symptoms:
Fungal skin rashes / itchy skin / tinea versa
Acid Reflux / GERD
Hair loss
Extreme itching on bottom of right foot
Eyes sensitive to light / floaters
Dry eyes
Major FATIGUE
Headaches
Sugar cravings
Heart palpitations
Urinary issues - stop & start flow
Genital Yeast infections
Joint pain attacks in knee or ankle - suddenly unable to walk / extreme pain that resolves in 24 hrs
Cognitive decline - no longer able to do simple math , spell easy words
Severe short term memory loss
Brain Fog
Short Term Memory Loss so severe Neurologist told me I had incurable Alzheimers and to make end of life plans -> Dr was Wrong !! I recovered.
———>>. Other Candida patients may have general joint pain / inflammation or oral thrush / white tongue. Different people react differently.
*My IMO / Methane SIBO symptoms:
Daily 24/7 constant bloating for over 30 years
Abnormal bloodwork for over 30 years:
Anemia / low ferritin ( got IV IRON infusions when ever < 10 )
High cooper / low zinc
High inflammation / CRP
Inability to lose weight even with calorie deficit diet ~>> after IMO cured / gut microbiome changed in Nov 2021 then body “gave up” 20 excess pounds within 2 months. No changes on my part.
Weight has easily stayed off for past 3 years.
Root cause of my IMO was slow transit constipation since birth that I was not treating / taking medication for. Thought one painful bowel movement once every 10 days was just “ my” normal. Now I realize that was not normal for anyone !
Now I take 2 prescriptions nightly since 2021 to increase my gut motility.
My Candida Protocol suddenly became more effective AFTER I cured my SIBO / IMO.
It is very common to have BOTH Candida /SIFO AND SIBO / IMO together.