This one is a very comprehensive book on IBS/SIBO. It really helps to piece together various pieces of the puzzle for someone who's been bothered by an "IBS" of sorts.
I myself am more on the constipation side of things with occasional manifestations of extra flatulance, gurgling stomach etc. (but not anything like frequent diarrhea or severe bloating). I'm definitely sensitive to fast carbs like white bread and sugar packed stuff like candies and chocolate. I'm actually less sensitive to pastas and also sourdough or non-yeast bread. I've tested for pretty much everything already without much results though. For one, it's not celiac disease. It's also not gluten intolerance per se (I've done genetic testing for that). It's not parasites. I also don't have much "inflammation" or anything like autoimmune effects according to a variety of blood tests. I do have some issues with gut flora according to stool tests, and I might have a lower than necessary stomach acid, though (currently awaiting for the latest test results). I might have some lactose intolerance because of my gut flora issues (basically, it's an excess of E.coli lactose negative). I do have iron, B12 and some folic deficiencies. Supplementing with B vitamins and iron does help with the deficiency, but as soon as I stop, it's back again. I've been taking various probiotics with no long-term effects - as soon as I stop, it's all back in a day or two. I've got a stressful life balancing various family stuff and a rapidly developing international startup. I developed some annoying side-effects to all of the above that really affect my quality of life. As a result, I've been also supplementing with diosmin and stone root, on a permanent basis - to keep the side-effects under control. What's even more annoying is that laxatives actually make it worse (it's a well-known fact, btw, but still annoying). I've switched to Natural Calm magnesium lately, and it appears to be much better than anything else for consistent bowel movements, though. I've been also taking Trimebutine (200mg, 3 times a day with meals) and it really made a difference at the beginning, but now it's much less pronounced, though definitely helps a lot (especially with bread and pasta).
Now about the book.
PROS. After studying various materials for almost 2 years now, I tend to conclude this book is the most detailed story behind IBS/SIBO connection so far. If you've been checking books like "Breaking the Vicious Cycle", "Fiber Menace", "The Good Gut", "The Microbiome Diet", "Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You", and maybe also various "SCD lifestyle" and "FODMAPs" resources on the Web, this book is the very necessary addition to your library. It kinda summarizes everything in a consistent and easy to digest manner, and gives you further direction if you're still stumped. I'd really recommend checking out more books on every particular topic, though (e.g. on stomach acid). What I also liked about this book is that it's got an entire section on "alternative approaches" to mitigate the IBS effects. I can confirm that mindful meditation does help to alleviate the "IBS symptoms" if practiced on a consistent basis - basically, if done every day. There are many great apps already for that, Headspace being particularly useful to me personally.
CONS. It appears the book is already quite outdated. E.g., Zelnorm/Tegaserod appears to be withdrawn from the market since 2007. Still the book sort of advertises it. The book also doesn't mention relatively benign but very effective spasmolytics like Trimebutine (possibly because it's not approved pretty much everywhere but not in the U.S.?). In fact, the book says spasmolytics don't help - but that's probably in regards to two particular medicines mentioned in the text. The antibiotics approach is certainly something worth considering after all the comprehensive tests are done and severe bacterial infection confirmed, however it's more like an atomic bomb to your gut. There are things like bacteriophages that have been used in certain countries for almost a century now as a great alternative to antibiotics..
*** Update ***
Still can't fully deal with my "IBS", though :) Preferred not to go the "anti-biotics" path. Been trying various probiotics, with varying results. Been changing my diet too, with mixed results (no panacea from any combination I've tried so far). Also tried a bunch of esoteric (supplement) things. One interesting fact that I've discovered recently — Luna by Nested Naturals helps to improve my bowel movements quite significantly. For the mildest laxative (and most useful so far) I'd recommend trying out "KAL - Magnesium Glycinate 400".
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Kieran
Exceptionally insightful.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 4, 2015Mary Dawson
Excellent book wish I could get in touch with the ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 25, 2014TechGuy
Very good book based on solid research.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 6, 2012Colin Prentice
A new IBS Solution
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 1, 2011
