How to Fix SIBO Without Antibiotics

Why Antibiotics Alone Don't Fix SIBO

Using antibiotics alone to treat SIBO has a relapse rate of about 67% — meaning two out of three people end up right back where they started.

That's why we don’t recommend relying solely on antibiotics.

We typically use natural antimicrobials for clients, but in severe or stubborn cases antibiotics can sometimes play a supportive role.

Three Pillars of Successful SIBO Treatment

Long-term success comes from addressing SIBO from multiple angles:

• Decrease bacterial overgrowth with targeted diet changes and natural antimicrobials.
  
  
• Restore healthy gut microbiome balance with the right type of prebiotics and probiotics.
  
  
• Optimize gut motility to keep bacteria moving in the right direction
  
  

Each of these three pillars is essential for not just clearing the overgrowth — but creating an environment where it can’t easily return.

The Truth About the Low-FODMAP Diet

Many people think a low-FODMAP diet will fix their SIBO — but it often causes more harm than good.

A low-FODMAP diet limits fermentable carbohydrates (like fructose, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols) found in foods like garlic, onions, cauliflower, apples, and beans.

While this can temporarily reduce symptoms like bloating and gas, it can also cause bacteria to go dormant — making antimicrobials or antibiotics less effective.

It can also starve the healthy bacteria that belong in the large intestine, which can lead to even more digestive problems and overall health issues over time.

Here’s what we typically recommend to clients:

• Include FODMAP foods during treatment to keep bacteria active and easier to target.
• If you're highly sensitive, start by including small amounts with dinner.
• If tolerated, gradually include them throughout the day for even better results.

Regardless of your FODMAP sensitivity, minimizing added sugars, refined carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, and crackers), and alcohol is key — both during treatment and long-term to keep SIBO from coming back.

Supplements for SIBO

Here are some of our top supportive tools we often use with clients:

• Antimicrobials: Botanical antimicrobials are often as effective as antibiotics, with fewer side effects and lower cost.
  
  
• Prokinetics: Help stimulate the migrating motor complex (MMC) — keeping bacteria from lingering — without acting as laxatives.
  
  
• Spore-based Probiotics: Unlike traditional probiotics, these don’t worsen bacterial overgrowth and help rebalance the gut flora.
  
  
• Partially hydrolyzed Guar Gum: A gentle, well-tolerated fiber that boosts treatment success, supports motility, and feeds healthy gut bacteria. (Start low and build up slowly.)
  
  
• Methane-Specific Supports: Supplements like Atrantil or Allicin can specifically help reduce methane-producing bacteria in constipation-dominant SIBO.
  
  
• Additional Supports (as needed): Gut repair formulas (like L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, or aloe), digestive enzymes, and binders depending on the individual case.

👉 Important: Every case of SIBO is different.

Testing, symptoms, severity, and your overall gut health history all impact what’s right for you.

We’ve worked with clients who had nearly identical breath test results — but needed very different protocols based on their symptoms, history, and overall gut health.

When you have a plan that’s truly tailored to your body, healing is faster, symptom relief is more consistent, and relapse is much less likely.

Preventing SIBO Relapse

The most accurate way to diagnose SIBO is through a breath test — not a stool test.

Stool testing only reveals what's happening in the large intestine, and organic acid tests don't differentiate between the large and small intestines.

The SIBO breath test is performed at home over about three hours.

After following a specific prep diet (we provide instructions), you'll drink a glucose solution and breathe into test tubes at timed intervals.

In a healthy gut, hydrogen and methane gases are produced only once the solution reaches the large intestine (after about three hours).

In someone with SIBO, gas production spikes much earlier — a key indicator of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.

Because interpreting SIBO tests isn’t always black-and-white, it’s important to work with a practitioner who’s experienced in both testing and treatment.

(When you work with us, we not only guide you through the prep and testing process — we also help you make sense of the results and create a clear, personalized plan based on your unique case.)

Quick Recap: Key Takeaways

• Antibiotics alone often fail. A comprehensive, multi-pronged approach is necessary for effective, long-term relief.
• Treatment should focus on bacterial overgrowth reduction, gut microbiome balance, and optimizing gut motility.
• A strict low-FODMAP diet can backfire; strategic inclusion is key.
• Supplements like natural antimicrobials, prokinetics, and spore-based probiotics can support success.
• Preventing relapse requires addressing the root causes — not just killing bacteria.

Ready for lasting relief from bloating?

We help clients uncover and heal the root causes of SIBO naturally.

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