Bacterial overgrowth

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Symptoms

Symptoms of bacterial overgrowth can (but do not always) include:

  • very foul-smelling gas/stools
  • increase in watery outputs
  • discolored (darker) stools
  • bad breath
  • gas pain
  • belly going from flat to round
  • difficulty sleeping

Prevention and Treatment

The two main approaches to preventing and treating bacterial overgrowth seem to be:

  • Antibiotics (administered preventatively, or as needed), including:
    • Flagyl
    • Gentamycin
    • Xifaxan
    • Bactrim (?)
    • MUD: 3 antibiotics (tobramycin, colistimethate, and amphotericin) that are typically given IV, but get administered in this mixture by button twice a day.

However, oral antibiotics may induce D-lactic acidosis by promoting the overgrowth of resistant D-lactate producing organisms. Symptoms include weakness, slurred speech, and lethargy. The main diagnostic measure may be a very high d-lactate blood test; low bicarbs are also suggestive.

See also IVIG for treating low IgG.

Individual Experiences

  • MaxMunakata has had two obvious episodes of bacterial overgrowth, characterized by very foul-smelling output with an increase in volume. He has been on the Prebiotic inulin since June 2007. His first episode of overgrowth (before starting inulin) was treated with flagyl, the second episode (after starting inulin, but perhaps complicated by a stoma revision surgery) was treated with gentamycin.
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