What are some of the main medical treatments for SIBO?

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    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    SIBO is conventionally treated with certain classes of antibiotics that are poorly absorbed — unlike systemic antibiotics, which easily enter circulation — so they act primarily in the intestines. This leads to fewer side effects and lower chances of antimicrobial resistance, which leads to potentially deadly microbes becoming unaffected by antibiotics.[1] SIBO is generally considered to be cured (often referred to as being eradicated or decontaminated) based on normal breath test results.[2][3]

    Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) aren’t an established treatment yet, but there is promising preliminary research. [4]

    References

    1. ^L Gatta, C ScarpignatoSystematic review with meta-analysis: rifaximin is effective and safe for the treatment of small intestine bacterial overgrowthAliment Pharmacol Ther.(2017 Mar)
    2. ^Changqing Zhong, Changmin Qu, Baoyan Wang, Shuwen Liang, Bolun ZengProbiotics for Preventing and Treating Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Current EvidenceJ Clin Gastroenterol.(2017 Apr)
    3. ^Ali Rezaie, Michelle Buresi, Anthony Lembo, Henry Lin, Richard McCallum, Satish Rao, Max Schmulson, Miguel Valdovinos, Salam Zakko, Mark PimentelHydrogen and Methane-Based Breath Testing in Gastrointestinal Disorders: The North American ConsensusAm J Gastroenterol.(2017 May)
    4. ^Fenghua Xu, Ning Li, Chun Wang, Hanyang Xing, Dongfeng Chen, Yanling WeiClinical efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation for patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinic studyBMC Gastroenterol.(2021 Feb 6)