Negative SIBO Test After Treatment, but Symptoms Persist – What Else Could Be Going On?
This has been an interesting experiment. After a couple of months of dealing with diarrhea, headaches, and nausea following my H. pylori treatment (which was successfully eradicated), I tested positive for hydrogen SIBO in February 2024. I took Rifaximin for two weeks in July, but none of my main symptoms improved. The only noticeable change was that my POTS-like symptoms and fatigue reduced significantly. However, I still experience frequent diarrhea and nausea.
I just tested for SIBO again last week, and surprisingly, the results came back negative this time.
I’m starting to think that while I probably had SIBO, it wasn’t the root cause of my main symptoms. I wanted to share this because so many of us might assume all our symptoms are SIBO-related, but they might not be.
That said, I’m still baffled. I have no idea what’s wrong with my GI system. My endoscopy showed mild chronic gastritis, and my colonoscopy was clear. This leaves me wondering if it’s post-H. pylori IBS or something related to bile function 🥴.