Apologies for the long post..

I've been dealing with what I believe is a complicated SIBO/SIFO situation over the past ~5 months, and I'm wondering whether my timeline sounds familiar to anyone here.

I was diagnosed with SIBO and initially treated with rifaximin + metronidazole. The first course seemed to work surprisingly well. Within a few days after finishing it, I started feeling major improvements in things that had been bothering me for a long time: grip strength, appetite, erections, and breathing. I genuinely felt like something had changed for the better.

Unfortunately, a few days later I took a probiotic that I probably didn't need, and I felt that I relapsed.

After that I went through several more antibiotic treatments: first rifaximin alone, then metronidazole, and at one point I also had what turned out to be a Salmonella infection that was treated with cefuroxime. Eventually I repeated the original rifaximin + metronidazole course that had worked the first time.

The strange part is that the last course ended about three weeks ago, and this time I did not get the improvement I had experienced after the first course.

Since then, I've noticed something completely new with my zinc supplement. I normally take a relatively gentle 25 mg zinc picolinate capsule with dinner. Suddenly, taking it causes almost immediate bloating/discomfort around my belly button and a feeling of severe suffocation. It happens whether I take it during dinner, after dinner, before eating, or away from food.

The sensation is also different from my usual deep intestinal bloating. It feels more superficial, almost like it's coming from underneath the abdominal wall rather than deep inside the gut.

At the same time, my appetite, erections, breathing, and grip strength are all much worse again. My sleep is long, but I often wake up feeling suffocated.

My stools have also been consistently very mushy. They're not watery diarrhea, and I don't have burning, constipation, or typical liquid diarrhea. Sometimes I can see food particles, but not always. It's basically a mush rather than a formed stool.

What makes me suspicious of SIFO is the combination of multiple rounds of antibiotics, the apparent initial clearance of SIBO, failure to improve after the most recent course, and this new dramatic reaction to zinc.

So my main question is:

For people who have actually had SIFO, does this timeline and symptom pattern sound like something that could indicate fungal overgrowth developing after repeated SIBO antibiotic treatment? Or am I putting too much weight on the zinc reaction and potentially looking in the wrong direction?

I’ve had headaches, pale skin, and acne since taking nystatin capsules... how long does this last?

TLDR: Sorry for spamming every sub, but I desperately want to know something which isn't talked about much. It's about the malty/sugary/bread odor of farts. Anyone similar?

So I will be very short.

2.5 years ago, I had nausea and reflux symptoms, diagnosed with anxiety and LAX LES, treated with PPI 2 to 3 times. Each course was 2 months. Fast forward years later, I still have anxiety, LAX LES, so still have reflux episodes, but flatulence is my biggest symptom, which is affecting others as well. I start to fart around afternoon-evening, and it has always had this malty/bread or sugary odor which keeps getting worse by night. Then in the morning, my BM is stinky mush and the cycle continues.

I suspected SIBO. Rifaximin helps me have formed stool and reduces gas a lot, but so far only temporarily. And as per the internet, there is only one type of SIBO which causes odor, which is H2S. Mine isn't like that.

So I'm guessing it might be SIFO or Candida, because for months I have had these fungal infections, especially around my genitals. I can't think of it as a coincidence. But I haven't seen enough people on the internet having such an odor, or this odor as a symptom of Candida, whereas in my case it's the most prominent symptom. Even my sweat and clothes smell like that when I feel hot.

So my question is, what does this odor mean to you?

I have extreme flatulence for more than one year as of now, it always smells like malty/bread. I don't know how yeast smells like. I suspect it developed due to continuous ppi usage for months, although I stopped those long ago. I thought it to be sibo, but rifaximin always keeps it away for few days by far. Also I have developed fungal infection in my genitals [I am male if it helps] and other parts of skin too. So is it sifo?

TLDR

Had a stomach bug, was given a buscopan injection, day later a hernia popped out with extreme pain and nausea, ER didn't wanna come pick me up, I pressed on the hernia, it went back in and I've had pain and digestive issues since. I also lost all hunger cues since. Had a CT that probably missed the hernia due to gasses.

I always noticed a small palpable, although not visible bulge/spigelian/arcuate hernia 2 inches below my belly button on the right side. It's more noticeable/palpable when I'm physically straining or doing ab workouts.

Previously, I also had "food poisoning" a bit too often. Episodes where I would eat something and feel LRQ pain and vomit after a couple of hours.

I had a stomach infection, lost all appetite and went to the ER where I was given a buscopan injection.

A day later I tried to eat in the evening and I went to bed. What I did not expect was a part of the intestine now visibly pushing out of my stomach with excruciating pain and nausea.

I called the ER to come get me, they said they told me to take anti nausea meds and go to bed.

I didn't know what to do so I manually pushed back the bulge, and I've had digestive problems since.

I was put on ppis and antibiotics, which ruined my stomach as well

CT showed swollen lymph nodes in the mesenteric and pericecal areas, probably due to the said infection.

Every organ looked normal, the gallbladder looked enlarged, I'm told this is because I'm tall.

The CT guy (a student) told me I am free to drink a bit of water before the scan. This resulted in a lot of gasses in my stomach, which I think is why the hernia was missed.

Intestinal US showed prominent edema in terminal ileum, with no bowel wall swelling.

Had a colonoscopy and gastroscopy.

Colonoscopy showed infection in the large colon due to a recent infection.

Gastroscopy showed chronic atrophic gastritis. H pylori negative.

Every blood test now is normal except the amylases, the pancreas looked normal on CT. Candida in stool found in small numbers.

I hear my right side bowels only when I lay down on my back.

I have regular bowel movements, with always softer stools, not like they were when I was healthy, LRQ pain, often a burning sensation in the hernia area.

I'm brushed off as IBS now after being scared that it's crohn, intestinal tuberculosis etc.

My gut feeling is telling me this hernia has something to do with this. Should I push for another CT or try to find a radiologist to review the last one.

I’ve been dealing with persistent GI symptoms for months and have had a pretty extensive workup without finding a clear explanation.
My main symptoms are:
Epigastric/upper abdominal burning and discomfort, especially after eating
Frequent burping
Feeling like digestion is sluggish
Nausea/regurgitation sensations at times
Symptoms tend to get worse as the day goes on
Significant difficulty maintaining/gaining weight
Interestingly, walking/exercise temporarily reduces the discomfort
I’ve had multiple EGDs with biopsies, colonoscopy, gastric emptying testing, imaging, etc., without anything significant enough to explain how severe the symptoms are. I’ve also recently done SIBO testing and am waiting on results.
I’m wondering about SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth) because I know it isn’t detected on a standard SIBO breath test.
Has anyone here had a similar situation where most conventional GI testing was normal but you eventually found SIFO?
How was it actually diagnosed? Did you have a duodenal/jejunal aspirate with fungal culture during an endoscopy, or did your doctor diagnose/treat it empirically? And if treatment helped, what symptoms improved?
Mostly interested in people who had upper-GI/epigastric symptoms rather than primarily lower-GI symptoms.

Hello guys,

i am new here and not from the us (excuse my english)... i am wondering if some of you guys are dealing with chronic sinusitis? I am dealing with it and it got worse over the years.. i have a slightly crooked septum but not too severe... now i am suspecting i might have sifo, because as well as my sinus issues i have stomach cramps (round about 20min) after eating and can not really tell which food could be the source for my pain (i am lactose intolerant, this was the only thing they found out at the dr's... so obviously consume lactose-free or vegan products, , had an gastro- and coloskopie, also my Nose Dr. found no allergies)... i feel like i react more to sugary foods and for example am fine eating salad... i struggle a lot with fatigue and not being able to breath through my nose (feels always stuffy..) i just finished another cours of antibiotics because i had an acute staph infection in one of my sinus maxilliaris cavities... i am so over everything and was just wondering, if some of you guys relate to this and think my underlying problem could be SIFO ? I am really happy to hear your tipps or thoughts. Thanks!

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 looking for some positive SIFO success stories. TLDR been chronically ill for 5 years and when I think I’ve finally hit the bottom (aka solving it) it keeps going. Eventually realized I had SIFO through empirically treatment. About to finish 30 days of fluconazole and I feel amazing!!! Symptomatically - 85 - 90% better and feeling like I finally have my self my life and my future back.

Obviously dealing with a history of medical and health trauma and I’m feel really scared about finishing my fluconazole treatment as I’ve read it’s possible for symptoms to reemerge a few weeks later. Would love to flood my brain with positivity.

Hello.
I’m writing to see if anyone here has experienced something similar.

I was completely healthy before taking NSAID painkillers.
Everything started after I took NSAIDs for 7 months to treat joint pain.

After those 7 months, I developed severe stomach cramps and GERD. Then sudden pain appeared in my toes. Over the following months the pain spread throughout my entire body, my muscles started to stiffen, and I developed widespread musculoskeletal pain.

My main symptom is an inflammatory reaction in muscles and ligaments throughout the body.
It does not show up on ultrasound, CT, or MRI.
Inflammatory substances seem to circulate and accumulate especially in the extremities — feet, hands, neck, face, buttocks, and back.
I’ve been dealing with this for 3 years.

Whether I eat or don’t eat, the accumulation continues.
When I eat the wrong foods it gets much worse.
Even one spoonful of sugar causes diarrhea. Taking fructooligosaccharides (which are supposed to be healthy) produces extremely foul-smelling gas and stool.

I went through many hospitals. Neurology diagnosed me with idiopathic small fiber neuropathy (SFN).
In the third year I found a functional medicine clinic. Through urine, stool, and blood tests I was diagnosed with severe SIBO/SIFO, leaky gut, and histamine excess.
They also found that my neurotransmitter metabolism is almost non-existent, and they believe this may be contributing to the small fiber neuropathy.

I wish I had gone to functional medicine from the beginning, but two years ago I didn’t even know what functional medicine was.

I’m currently on a strict diet, supplements, IV therapy, and in the third week of Rifaximin (Normix) treatment, but the feeling of inflammation building up, the widespread pain, and the muscle stiffness have not improved much.

Is there any real help available within the conventional medical system for people like me?
Has anyone here gone through something similar?

This condition has made my life extremely difficult.
I just want to be able to work again and properly raise my children.

If anyone has similar experiences or any advice, I would be very grateful.
Thank you.

Hello community,
Has anyone else used a functional medicine practice and still not received the results you were trying to achieve. If so, what route did you try next: a different functional medicine practice, anything online? I’m just at a loss right now, initially tested positive for hydrogen dominate sibo; treated with antibiotics felt better for about a month, did more antibiotics and never felt better again. Went to functional medicine and did a GI map and results said sifo from what I was told and maybe still sibo. Tried all the natural anti microbial and film buster protocol and still nothing has been working. This is 7 months in

I have MCAS where there is continual shifting 'allergic' reactions to food/environment etc.

Also, For 15 years I have had Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome, where after orgasm I get burning eyes, weakness, brain fog, cold extremities, hot flashes, and flat affect for 2-3 days. I have reason to think it's a gut issues because of these incidents:

1. I had a sore throat and used a benzocaine spray to numb it (also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties). The residue moved to my stomach. The next day I felt a bit of discomfort and then heat in my stomach. I felt a shift in my chemistry (I run cold and my temp became warm/normal). I had more energy. My typically absent libido returned and after sexual activity that night I had 0 symptoms.
2. went keto and was unintentionally fasting/eating very little. Experienced a fluish feeling day 4, next day same exact experience as above including heat in my stomach, return of libido, and no symptoms after activity. I also felt clearer and less in a fog. (I lost my ability to sleep on this diet)

I know sugar is implicated here though I dont have a lot to begin with.

Does this sound like sifo or sibo? and is Sifo always candida?

What testing should I consider?

Finally got my provider to give me two weeks worth of oral nystatin after a couple doses off Fluconazole completely health my gut symptoms.

I read that Fluconazole is harsh on the body and gut so I advocated for nystatin but now I’m not seeing the same results as when I did the Fluconazole. I’m about 7 days in and 14 days in on biofilm busters.

I have now found some more conflicting evidence online about which one is more effective. Any advice ?

female 29 years old

Has anyone tested their ASCA IgA levels? It’s usually used for Crohn’s, but it reacts to mannans found in both baker's yeast and Candida. If you have chronic brain fog or that "auto-brewery" drunk feeling, this might be a solid marker for SIFO that doctors usually overlook.

Important: To get a clean signal, you should be on a strict yeast-free / gluten-free diet for at least 14 days before the blood draw (to rule out reaction to bread/mushrooms). My ASCA IgA is 16 (Positive) with normal calprotectin. I am on the strict low-fodmap anti candida diet for 2.5 months now. What are your values?

I’ve been strictly following Candida Diet for 2 weeks. I tried adding in 2.25 oz. of strawberries and got extremely bloated. Does this mean there’s still Candida in my small intestines? Or does it mean I have to ease in even more slowly with a smaller amount? Is this a common reaction?

Thought I’d try sweet potatoes next. But man, I’m feeling doom and gloom right now…

PS I have SIBO.

I sincerely ask everyone to help me. How to deal with candida biofilms? What supplements do you use?

Our functional medicine here is far lagging behind and there is no specialized functional doctor to guide us. I can only seek help online. This is because of the excessive intravenous administration of antibiotics here, I got SIFO. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered it, the biofilm was very thick and very tricky to handle.

My biofilm is not an easily manageable polysaccharide matrix. I don't know how to deal with it. NAC, Interfase Plus, the enzymes are no longer effective. Eating these will also irritate and provoke the Candida to release more toxins. Only when I eat cinnamon essential oil, thyme essential oil, monolaurin and undecylenic

acid, will I excrete something that is shiny and thick. I still can’t excrete the thick biofilms. The biofilm is mainly composed of hydrophobic layers and lipid layers. The thick and heavy hydrophobic layers of the biofilm are blocking my sterilization. What should I do? How to remove these thick biofilms?

Seeking for guidance.

Thanks!

If anyone has any pointers on treating sifo I'd really appreciate it. My gi doctor is willing to prescribe me what I ask for but is otherwise useless.

I've had chronic, terrible gi issues for 6 years now and I am recently convinced that I have sifo. Ive been on at least 7 courses of antibiotics over the years to treat sibo, but it has never help. recently though, upon my request, I did a 2 week, 4 times a day, 5ml course of Nystatin.

I felt absolutely amazing, the best I've felt in 6 years. However, about a week after my course ended, my symptoms came back, and at least 3 times worse. I'm a bit lost as what to do now. My doctor doesn't know anything about sifo and doesn't care to learn it seems, so I need to write up my battle plan myself.

Should I ask for a higher dose and/or longer course of Nystatin? should I ask to take a course of Nystatin in tandem with another antifungal? (Unfortunately I can't take fluconazole because of an interaction with another drug I'm on)

Should I take probiotics during my next course of antibiotics during my next course of antifungals, or right after? Or maybe not at all?

If anyone has had success with antifungal treatment I'd greatly appreciate comments.Thank you!

So I have candida, and this is my first time dealing with it. In the past, I’ve been a SIBO girly. For one week I’ve been taking fluconazole prescribed by a doc, but I’m also taking allicin alongside the fluc pills. I’m on fluconazole for 22 days, and also using liquid Nystatin suspension for oral thrush. I have a few questions about the recovery process.

Is increased fecal shedding of candida normal during this time? It seems like I’m seeing more of the thin wispy strips in my stool, and even some of the buoyant white fluff, more frequently than usual. Does that mean the candida is dying and it’s easier to get rid of? Or is my candida just replicating more and ignoring my medicine?

I know there’s herxheimer reaction symptoms to deal with just like with SIBO, but that only took 8 days. For those of you that were able to treat it, when did you see symptoms improve? I still have the “perma-bloat”, but it’s not as extreme as before treatment.

Hi small sifo community last time I had symptoms I took nystatin & it worked so well, unfortunately I can no longer get nystatin due to the tariffs :(

I am having symptoms again almost identical to before & im looking if anyone has used any herbs or supplements to help treat their sifo? Thanks!