In week 2 of my Long Covid Histamine SIBO Healing Journey I talk about my first steps after testing positive for SIBO
Have you been diagnosed with both Histamine overload/intolerance HIT (allergies, inflammation, skin issues, food intolerance, MCAS, fatigue) and SIBO (bacterial overgrowth, candida, IBS, bloating, digestive problems, fatigue) issues?
There is a long list of common symptoms which you might be ‘living with’ or ‘managing’ with long-term medications that can be linked to a condition called SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
Below I share what my first steps were after being tested positive for SIBO in week 2 of my own Long Covid, Histamine & SIBO healing journey.
Just found this post? Start from the beginning HERE
Please note this is my personal journey, not medical advice.
The SIBO Test Result Practitioner Feedback Video
I had paid to not only have the SIBO test but also have a personal practitioner video (7 minutes) explaining my results and suggested next steps.
In the UK SIBO is not easy to get tested for by your local Dr which is why I paid to go private.
The gist of my message was that it was not good to stay on a restricted diet for any length of time (completely agree) but that I would have to combine low histamine and Sibo diet guidelines and find what worked for me to start with. They provided handouts for both, listing which foods I could eat.
There were very few foods on both lists.
The reality is that I was having daily histamine reactions, my upper stomach was painfully swollen and I just wanted to get better – fast.
Which is why I chose to start with a very strict and limited diet of both low fodmap (sibo) and low histamine diet.
And to be fair this tactic has helped reduce my bloating. See HERE for details of my low fodmap and histamine meal plan..
My suggested SIBO Remedies
When it came to my SIBO remedies my practitioner was careful to highlight that when you have Histamine Overload or MCAS you have to go carefully and see what your body will react to.
This I have found is a repeating theme.
While both Histamine (MCAS) and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) are commonly found together to fix one often causes issues with the other.
I was already taking DAO (Diamine oxidase) an enzyme that breaks histamine down – something that really helps me although if I take more than one capsule my stomach feels weird. It is also expensive. If I know I might be going to eat something that might release histamine I take an extra DAO.
I also take the probiotic Saccharomyces-Boulardii every evening as this helps with Histamine, inflammation and digestive issues as well.
Along with Vitamin C, D and B complex supplements.
Why I take so many Supplements
Yea I spend a fortune on supplements but have taken breaks and researched and tested and these all seem to help my body. In fact I went a couple of months without supplements in case they were causing histamine reactions (common) but actually slowly started to feel worse without them.
The bacteria that shouldn’t be in my small intestine (SIBO) can stop nutrients from being absorbed by the small intestine so you quickly become malnourished.
And being low in vitamins and minerals make it harder for the body to deal with inflammation and histamine or killing off bacteria.
This makes you feel exhausted.
Are Oregano Capsules as good as Antibiotics?
The general opinion (from various research trials) found that essential oil of Oregano kills off ‘bad’ bacteria as well, if not better, than antibiotics when it comes to SIBO.
So this is what my practitioner suggested for me. Along with a prebiotic that encouraged good bacteria.
I was told to start slowly and build up and see how my body reacted.
Massive Reaction to Oregano?
I did start slow with 1 capsule.
All fine.
So the next day I added an evening capsule.
And then I had a massive histamine reaction that lasted days.
Not only did I have swelling around my eye, but I had dizziness and felt faint every time I stood up, my whole body ached from head to toe, my eczema went crazy, my skin erupted on my face, my stomach hurt and my bowel stopped.
In fact the constipation (a new symptom for me) was distressing.
I could not function for 2-3 days.
Being honest, I probably went too fast with the capsules. Maybe one a day for a week or more or even start on alternative days.
Lesson learned.
If you read this and have allergy-type Histamine issues as well as SIBO you might be fine with Oregano Capsules just learn from my experiences and go very s-l-o-w.
Die-off or Reaction? Is the Big Question
Friends asked if it was just Die-off symptoms – a common reaction when you start to kill bacteria, who release chemicals as protection which can give you unpleasant symptoms.
Maybe it was.
But I feel it was a reaction as I am not sure how many bacteria would be killed off with just 3 capsules over 48 hours.
Also essential oils are something I personally often react to – so putting them inside my body was probably not such a good idea?
I was gutted.
But every instinct told me not to take them again.
So back to the drawing board for week 3.
Final thoughts on week 2
I do think that Oregano capsules can be very effective for killing off bacteria in the small intestine (SIBO)
I definitely got impatient and went too quickly – big lesson for the future.
I think that as I seem to have reactions to anything that contains essential oils it makes sense that I would not tolerate ingesting essential oils – even with highly tested capsules.
