Can Probiotics Help IBS? And What About SIBO?

When it comes to the questions "can probiotics help IBS?" and "should I avoid probiotics if I have SIBO?", it's best to look at the research.
In this podcast episode, the featured findings provide clarity about the effectiveness of probiotics for IBS and SIBO and how probiotic supplementation measures up to other drug therapies. Listen in.
🌿 Subscribe - www.youtube.co...
➡️ Learn More - drruscio.com/
The Ruscio clinic offers telehealth visits. If you need help please go here to become a patient: ruscioinstitut... or here to schedule a discovery call with our nurse: calendly.com/r...
Dr. Ruscio, DC specializes in Functional Health and helps people with conditions like gut health, brain fog, thyroid, and digestive health. Michael Ruscio is a health provider, clinical researcher, and author working fervently to reform and improve the field of functional and integrative healthcare. He is doing so in collaboration with his clinical and research team, both via clinical experimentation and published research. His primary focus areas are digestive health and its on other facets of health including energy, sleep, mood, thyroid function, and more.
His work has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals and he speaks at integrative medical conferences across the globe. Dr. Ruscio, DC also runs a website and podcast at DrRuscio.com, and is actively seeing patients in his clinic both in-person & over the phone.
Improve Your Diet - • Elemental Diet for IBS...
How Your Gut Causes Brain Fog - • What Causes Brain Fog ...
Get the Healthy Gut, Healthy You Book - drruscio.com/g...
Buy Supplements - store.drruscio...
Let’s Connect:
Facebook - / drrusciodc
Instagram - / drrusciodc
Pinterest - / drmichaelrusciodc
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment.

[@DrRuscioDC]

If you’re looking to get started on a probiotic regimen but have questions, download my Probiotic Starter Guide: drruscio.com/getprobioticsguide/

[@gutmicrobiomequeen]

I've found probiotics to be very helpful for SIBO! It's just a matter of taking it slow. Personally, I usually don't reach for probiotics *first*... mostly bc most people with SIBO are so apprehensive of them. Instead, I'll usually start with something else (ex. prokinetics) first, then layer in probiotics after a few weeks.

[@richard9380]

My doc wanted me to heal my inflamed stomach and calm my immune system before starting any “killing” does that sound like an ideal thing to do in your opinion?

[@gutmicrobiomequeen]

@@richard9380 I can see the merit of that, yes!

[@lyudmiltsvetanov2385]

So you don't trust Pimentel that much? Edit: Probiotics make me even more bloated. My problem with this is my bloated gut is pressing to my heart and I get heart palpitations. So unlucky. :(

[@justlol7281]

@@lyudmiltsvetanov2385you have to take them for a few months before results apparently.

[@theWafer8]

What about when dealing with inflamed gut due to Proteobacteria overgrowth? I am trying Bifidobacteria mix by Seeking Health atm.

[@lXlElevatorlXl]

Had same thoughts when reading the antibiotic and probiotic study But for me my symptoms worsened when taking bacterial probiotics and yoghurt Saccharomyces seems more safe

[@OGAesthetics]

Can you do a video on candida? Love ur work!

[@TheCambra]

I have severe methane overgrowth only. I just treated with antibiotics what would be a good probiotic to use for methane sibo?

[@monaalshahrani-dg1el]

ماهي الاعراض

[@1990rable]

i swear sibo and general gut issues is like rocket science.. very frustrating if you are suffering

[@azdhan]

Excellent! Many thanks for sharing

[@mustseenow991]

so it's ok to take probiotics while on rifaximin?

[@tammyevans792]

I feel like having a unhealthy use of ppi for ulers decade caused ilium neuroendocrine tumor, which they are saying it's not curable. So im trying to heal what I believe is the root cause, the Stomach lining is sad😢. Just recently I've been doing Mastic Gum, cabbage juice, buckwheat honey, Schisandra Berry, liposomal vitamin c.etc. And foods with low amines. Love your channel 💯

[@dantwister5106]

Which probiotic strain could help for IBS/sibo with bloating & diarrhea? Saccharomyces boulardii & Bacillus coagulan maybe? Anything else?

[@DrRuscioDC]

A soil-based and it seems you're right on the money! You can check out my article for SIBO and probiotics which covers this in more detail if you need :) drruscio.com/sibo-probiotics/

[@Rebecca-bz6ph]

Dr. R, I love your content and recently read your book. I was doing great on probiotics and antimicrobials and getting really great toilet habits after months of constipation. However suddenly I ended up with a fecal impaction… any thoughts on what could have caused this?

[@DrRuscioDC]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not sure what could have caused that without knowing more about your diet and anything else you were taking. But I also wonder if there were any remnants of your previous constipation... You're welcome to contact the clinic and become a patient if you need help. Or I'd recommend talking to your doctor and seeing what they think, knowing more about your case.

[@Rebecca-bz6ph]

@@DrRuscioDC thank you for your reply. I had Hemorrhoid surgery in February and my doctor had put me on magmilk and carbophil for my constipation for a couple of months and I went straight in with the probiotics and antimicrobials after that… I wonder if I overwhelmed my body a bit. I also live in South Korea and while I follow a high fiber paleo diet at home I have to eat a Korean diet at work so I am trying to do a real elimination diet right now to see for intolerances. Thank you again for all your wonderful content! If I had the chance I wish I could go to your practice.

[@DrRuscioDC]

@@Rebecca-bz6ph Thank you! Best of luck with your elimination diet. I hope it helps get you some relief. We're always here if you ever are able to work with us in the future :)

[@phillipsnyman7000]

I started acidophilus and bifido lactis a while ago and my symptoms became better. Then i increased my dosage and that made it worse again. Then stopped completely and 2 weeks later my symptoms is at it's worst ever.... suggestions?

[@DrRuscioDC]

I would try going back on the initial dose you were taking before you increased. It seems like that was working for you!

[@phillipsnyman7000]

@@DrRuscioDC thank you Dr!

[@thomassaddul]

Minimize carbs and veggies

[@phillipsnyman7000]

@@thomassaddul i completely stopped probiotics thanks. I dont eat vegetables at all 😁

[@prestiplex]

​@@phillipsnyman7000did it work?

[@RoFKillaBacon]

I have not been diagnosed with sibo or pi ibs (soonest appointment I could make was November the 29th and today is September the 28th) but I definitely have one or the other after a week or two long fight with a stomach cold, had lots of basically liquid stool for almost the entire time and made the mistake of not eating anything for a couple of days. Finally kicked it but have lingering symptoms of gas, being bloated, gas buildup that was so bad it gave me chest pain, loose stools, more frequent stools, a loss of appetite, brain fog, weakness, increased fatigue, intolerance to alot of food and I'm probably forgetting some. I tried a generic probiotic that was in my medicine cabinet already and it did basically nothing for me, then I seen the possible benefits of saccharomyces boulardii and started that with immediate relief the first day , and I also switched my generic 10 strain to a different 10 strain with different lacto and bifido strains. I'm only a week or two into taking them but I can say with confidence I feel much better than I did before starting the probiotics, I'm not perfect yet and I still have bad days like yesterday where I had to burp for about two hours after eating just to feel normal but it's better than it being an everyday thing. For the most part I have had massive improvements in my symptom's and my mental health is improving, I went from going to the bathroom twice a day with loose stools back to my usually once a day with normal stools. Gas is significantly down and even when I eat a trigger food it is much much more manageable to the point where I haven't had enough gas to hurt my chest in weeks. I personally think for some people probiotics can be very beneficial now if it's treating the issue or just masking the symptom's I can't speak on but it is making my quality of life much better as I wait for my doctors appointment.

[@RoFKillaBacon]

I also had the sudden urge to use the restroom anytime I ate, which has also completely subsided with the regularity of my stools coming back.

[@harshitthakar5377]

​@RoFKillaBacon how are you doing now?

[@RoFKillaBacon]

@@harshitthakar5377 I'm doing a lot better after a vigorous routine of gut healing stuff like 15 grams of glutamine in my protein shake everyday plus gi relief from Thorne I also take supplements for my motility although I've been experimenting I've used motility activator for awhile then I tried just generic ginger and artichoke now im on motilpro and they all helped as long as you use them correctly and I'm on a 60 million 10 strain probiotic plus digestive enzymes that also have 10 million 10 strain. Overall I have much less brain fog than before, I don't become incapacitated everytime I eat for two hours, basically everything I was going through is gone I go to the bathroom regularly I don't get bloated as long as I'm taking my supplements and everything is better. I just have lingering issues like I have an abundance of immune reaction still so I can see the white blood cells in my eyes anytime it's bright but I've been training myself not to see them and I got a floater at some point a couple months after not sure if it's connected but my first one ever and my glasses prescription went up one but other than that I feel alright most of the time. Kinda hard to remember what it felt like before but now I'm kinda getting use to this new version of life enough to start enjoying it again.

[@BomaHarry]

Is it okay to consume Sauerkraut only if you do not have access to probiotic supplements for SIBO? Second question, after a flush is Sauerkraut okay to consume in replacement of a probiotic supplement ?

[@DrRuscioDC]

Sauerkraut is great. You typically can't get as much of a dose as with a supplement but it does have quite a bit. The thing is, you'd have to make sure you have sauerkraut every single day like you would a probiotic supplement.

[@BomaHarry]

@@DrRuscioDC thanks for your reply and I will look into getting à good probiotic in my location.

[@saffronsl]

I don’t recommend any fermented foods for sibo, maybe raw milk kefir or yogurt and to follow a gaps diet

[@ayadhussin6771]

​@@saffronslWhy wouldnt you recommend fermented foods like sauerkraut?

[@saffronsl]

@@ayadhussin6771 because it is very high in histamine and people who are having digestive problems tend to have a histamine intolerance

[@tdg223]

Soo what strand and brand do you suggest taking for sibo and ibsd????

[@DrRuscioDC]

I don't have a particular brand or strains that I suggest. If anything, I suggest a triple therapy approach, which means taking one of each category so you're sure to get the potential benefits of each. We do offer a triple therapy blend: store.drruscio.com/products/triple-therapy-probiotic. But I'd say just find a brand that looks good to you and is high-quality (no fillers, third-party tested). Hope that helps!

[@tdg223]

@@DrRuscioDC Thank you! What do you think of megaspore? Or is that just one strand. I could try the triple strain. Also I will be trying xifaxan again which has never worked even though im sibo hydrogen positive, how long should I wait after finishing the antibiotics to start the probiotics?

[@DrRuscioDC]

@@tdg223 Megaspore sounds fine, but it seems to only have Bacillus, which is one strain. So I'd recommend finding a blend. And I highly advise taking probiotics with antibiotics. I've talked about this in other videos, but it's been shown to be super helpful to the gut. kzbin.infoKsDd0jI7FmE?feature=share Hope that helps!

[@tdg223]

@@DrRuscioDC Thank You so much!

[@JBgoodiebag]

@@DrRuscioDCare these low histamine?

[@xo7454]

I have sibo. Im about to start raw goat milk kefir and raw goat milk. Thank you

[@TommyGTime]

Any updates?

[@xo7454]

@@TommyGTime I started June 10. Initially, I can drink 3, even up to 4 x 250 cups of plain raw fermented or raw kefir, every single day. My body craved it after years of poor nutrition and poor gut microbiome. I was eating 100% carnivore + 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries (because this fruit was the only plant that didn't make look like I swallowed a big watermelon after 10 minutes LOL). Since end of July, I craved less and less of the milk, until I only wanted 1 cup per day now. July 3, I started losing weight, my clothes are loser and my belly is smaller. July 7, my belt moved 2 holes tighter. And I also ate 1 whole white nectarine and 3 fresh lychees in one seating, and my belly did not balloon!!! It's not sciencey, but I think the good bacteria from the raw goat milk kefir overpowered the bad bacteria. There's more good bacteria competing for sugar and fiber.

[@xo7454]

@@TommyGTime Also just FYI. I tried the sauerkraut as source of probiotics in the past... because I love sauerkraut. Only 3 tablespoons in, and my belly is as big as the watermelon almost immediately. The raw goat milk as source of probiotics did not do that at all.

[@TommyGTime]

@@xo7454 thanks for the reply!! And that’s fantastic news. I have SIBO, dysbiosis, leaky gut. Pretty much the works. So thinking of giving Kefir a go as I keep reading a bunch of success stories. But yeah. I’m also pretty much incredibly restricted in what I eat. Same as you. Mainly meat! I’m on the other end of the spectrum in terms of weight. I’m severely underweight. Did you make your own kefir or did you buy it?

[@royery]

​@@TommyGTimehi how did it go for you? Which probiotic you ended up taking?

[@westakladnz1582]

Personally, no issues with probiotics 🤩, but dairy products= brain fog + gastro discomfort 😕

[@stephaniecatena7966]

Makes 💯 sense!! Probiotics are here to eradicate the unwanted overgrowth

[@Anita-wh4vr]

Would all this apply also for people with SIBO and Histamine intolerance?

[@phwshopping1426]

I wish someone would answer this! Histamine Intolerance isn't well known even by doctors so not many really help us out sadly 😞

[@saffronsl]

Histamine intolerance usually means you also have a leaky gut that you have to seal back up

[@Plasmamarino]

@@saffronslthat’s the question! How to seal it?

[@saffronsl]

@@Plasmamarino gaps diet

[@marthaherrera2533]

Gracias dr.

[@angelataylor2049]

Can you use probiotics for food allergies in babies? 🤔🙂

[@DrRuscioDC]

Great question! So probiotics aren't a cure-all, so I can't guarantee they'll resolve all allergies. But they do show effectiveness, and the research I've seen shows benefit for infants and children as well. I'll actually be touching on that topic on an upcoming video so stay tuned 👀😊

[@angelataylor2049]

@@DrRuscioDC thank you, I’m in the UK so not much info out there. I hope say coconut kefir would be ok for him? he is allergic to dairy (one of the numerous allergies). I’m just nervous of trying it.

[@richard9380]

What if you can’t tolerate them?

[@gutmicrobiomequeen]

Sometimes it's a matter of just choosing a different product and/or taking it reallllllly slowly. Slowly = starting with 1/8 capsule, then gradually increasing over days or weeks.

[@richard9380]

@@gutmicrobiomequeen thanks for replying i love your videos as well what do you think about soil based bacillus family probiotics?

[@gutmicrobiomequeen]

@@richard9380 they help sometimes. They are NOT gods greatest gift to probiotics like the manufacturers would like you to believe, though 🙄 there is still very much room for Lacto and Bifido probiotics. (Ps. Don't believe the idea that Amy Myers put out there that Lacto and Bifido are the "overgrown" bacteria in SIBO, therefore taking them will make SIBO worse. There has never been a SINGLE study showing increased Bifido in SIBO, and only two (one of which was poorly done) suggesting Lactobacilli may be involved.