Are you suffering from this surprising cause of heartburn?
Heartburn is a common condition for many, many weight loss surgery patients. Unfortunately, conventional medicine quickly prescribes medication to put a band-aid on the problem instead of looking for the root-cause.
In this episode, we discuss the most overlooked causes of heartburn
There are several personal behaviors that can contribute to your heartburn like…..
- Not chewing well
- Eating too quickly
- Always eating on the go
While other more intricate causes are:
- Food Sensitivities
- Poor diet
- Too little or too much stomach acid
- Stress
The most commonly overlooked or missed diagnosed cause of heartburn is small intestinal bowel overgrowth commonly referred to as SIBO. This is an imbalance in the types and quantities of certain bacteria within your digestive tract overgrowing in places it shouldn’t be.
Commons signs of SIBO
- Abdominal bloating and distention
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Reflux or heartburn
- Excessive gas or belching
What are the common causes of SIBO?
- Low stomach acid or chronically taking Proton-pump inhibitors(PPI)
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Decreased motility
- Bowel obstruction
- Gastroparesis
- Gallbladder/Bile Dysfunction
- Multiple courses of antibiotics
- Heavy alcohol use
- Diet rich in sugar & simple carbohydrates
- Chronic stress
- Excess estrogen, which inhibit excretion of bile salts from the liver into the intestines, as well as delays gastric emptying & motility. (learn more about estrogen & it’s connection with weight loss here and here)
- Surgical bowel resection or Bariatric Surgery
- Food poisoning
- Nerve damage that affects GI tract
- Opiate drugs
- Any disease that slows motility(diabetes, hypothyroid)
Research shows increased SIBO incidence after Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass
“SIBO is present in 15 % of obese patients before bariatric surgery. This prevalence does not increase after AGB while it rises up to 40 % of patients after RYGBP and it is associated with lower weight loss.” You can read the study here.
What are your options if you think you have SIBO?
Talk to your doctor, bariatric surgeon or get a referral to a Gastrointestinal Doctor(GI) and work with a skilled Registered Dietitian who can guide you through a high and low FODMAP diet incorporating the right fibers and foods at the right time during and after treatment.
If you are interested in learning more about SIBO after weight loss surgery or need help loosing regain. You need to join our Gastric Health Club.
Here is what one of our members has to say:
Your future health awaits…
Play-by-Play:
4:00 Learn about common causes of heartburn
6:50 Learn about SIBO and what it is
9:40 Learn the symptoms of SIBO
12:20 Learn why you could get SIBO
20:50 Learn how to test for SIBO
24:15 Learn how SIBO is treated
Listen, Learn, Enjoy…
References & Links:
- High incidence of fermentation in the digestive tract in patients with reflux oesophagitis
- Effects of long-term PPI treatment on producing bowel symptoms and SIBO
- Extensive atrophic gastritis increases intraduodenal hydrogen gas
- Association between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and peripheral bacterial DNA in cirrhotic patients
- The therapeutic management of gut barrier leaking: the emerging role for mucosal barrier protectors
- SIBO Dilemma: How the optimistic “magic bullet” falls short for most patients
- 7 underlying causes of SIBO that you might be missing
- SIBO symptoms
- What your doctor didn’t tell you about GERD
- 6 signs that SIBO might be the root cause of your IBS
- 10 Signs you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth(SIBO)
- Probiotics for preventing and treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: A meta-analysis and systematic review of current evidence
- Evidence indicates probiotics may help manage SIBO
- GLP-2: A poorly understood mediator enrolled in various bariatric/metabolic surgery-related pathophysiologic mechanisms
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
- Breath hydrogen as a biomarker for glucose malabsorption after Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery
I had my Gastric sleeve 6 1/2 years ago. The pst two years I have notice that I always have an orange tongue, also having bubbling in back of my throat occasionally after I’ve eaten. Also, after I have eaten I feel A fullness in the back of my throat. The other thing I’ve had a yeast infection at least 3 times a year. I have sour horrible taste in my mouth everyday. I have gained most of my weight back.
Not sure what’s going on, but tried Prilosec 14 days, and gave it break with no success and now on Nexium now on 3rd day with no changes in the above symptoms – yet!
I’ve been reading about low stomach acid and wandering if that’s my case?
Hi Amy!
I’m sorry you are having such issues. It sounds like you are a complicated case, hopefully you are working with someone to help you figure out what is driving your symptoms. Feel free to check out our nutrition counseling services if you need help with nutrition and digestion/gut health guidance. Thanks for sharing!
Dawn Boxell, RD, CD