21 Symptoms of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is becoming a more commonly diagnosed condition as research is pointing to SIBO as leading cause of other serious gastrointestinal disorders, particularly because SIBO shares many of the same symptoms.

SIBO is a condition in which bacteria from the large intestine enters the small intestine and overpopulates, dominating the small intestine’s own microbiota.

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Symptoms of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, according to the SIBO Center for Digestive Health, include:

• Bloating
• Belching
• Cramps
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn (reflux or GERD)
• Nausea
• Food sensitivities
• Headaches
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Skin rashes
• Respiratory symptoms (such as asthma)
• Mood symptoms (such as depression)
• Brain symptoms (such as autism)
• Eczema
• Steatorrhea (fatty stools)
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Flatulence
• Abdominal pain
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Research from the University of Southern California published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that the symptoms of SIBO were nearly universal to those symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

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“The gastrointestinal and immune effects of SIBO provide a possible unifying framework for understanding frequent observations in IBS,” the findings said.

Doctors in Bucharest found that patients reporting symptoms of IBS should be tested for SIBO in order to correctly treat difficult IBS cases.

A Cedars-Sinai Medical Center study of lactulose breath tests on patients who had IBS or fibromyalgia found that there was stronger correlation of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth among the fibromyalgia sufferers than the patients with IBS. Cedars-Sinai found that all of the fibromyalgia patients showed the presence of SIBO while only 84 percent of those with IBS tested positive. Only 20 percent of the control group had abnormal results.

Italian researchers found that celiac disease patients may continue to experience gastrointestinal symptoms after switching to a gluten-free diet because of the “high prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.”

According to the Digestive Health Institute, it is difficult to distinguish the symptoms of SIBO from the underlying symptoms of Crohn’s disease.

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So if you are experiencing several of these symptoms associated with SIBO, you should consult a doctor to determine a diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or some other underlying condition.

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