Starting to think my recent digestive issues are SIBO. Methylene blue exacerbated?

After the recent upper abdominal pains, inflammation, nausea, and no appetite…

I’ve started experiencing what I believe are histamine reactions, as well as increased burping, trapped gas, and more pains.

I suspect histamine, because so many foods cause tachycardia. My heart rate has been 100+ the past few days, ‘cause I keep eating stuff trying not to starve to death…

I suspect SIBO, because of the burping, despite not really eating, and feeling like I can’t get the gas out…

Just wondering if methylene blue without a strong probiotic could have triggered…

One way to test out the idea of histamine affecting things is to do a trial of a DAO supplement. If it helps, maybe ask a doctor for a trial prescription of either Ketotifen or Cromolyn.

I thought my son must have had SIBO, because he burped all the time, he couldn't tolerate any probiotices, and he needed a low FODMap diet. But Ketotifen reduced the burping by 90% all by itself.

I proved that the lack of tolerance of probiotics was caused, not by either die off or by SIBO, but simply by the biogenic amine residue from manufacturing the probiotics. The way I proved it was by giving him VisBiome, the highest dose available, but manufactured in a way that removes the biogenic amine residue.

SIBO could still be a possibility for you, but all I'm saying is that the symptoms you describe aren't necessarily SIBO. MCAS can overlap with SIBO but can cause all those symptoms by itself without SIBO, too. Even high FODMap foods can trigger mast cells in the gut, with or without fueling bacterial growth in the gut.

Methylene Blue could possibly be something that your system is overly reactive to. Just another possibility to consider. It's possible to be allergic to it.

interestingly Astro

i remember Rainy saying he had bad gut issues he put down to candida

he took a heavy dose of sucralose ( an ingredient often used in colonoscopy preps ) which had a strong laxative effect - and he said it cleared it all out and he was much better after that

may or may not be connected - as there are a lot of different colonoscopy preparations - all basically strong laxatives - but i thought it was interesting

i guess anything extreme - or chemical like - in high doses we put in there stands a chance of disrupting whatever is thriving beforehand - especially if it also flushes everything out - so if that's something pathogenic / unhelpful it could be a win

yep - its antimicrobial in higher doses - but usually not very potent till you are the 400-600mg a day range
( up to 900mg per day was originally used for its original purpose as an antimalarial drug )

at lower doses 25-100mg a day mainly it acts as an electron donor ( helps mitochondria) and has mild mood enhancing effects

its active for bartonella - but again to make a serious dent it needs to be in the higher doses ( Dr H uses it at 300mg or more a day as one of 3 persister cell drugs in his quadruple dose dapsone protocol)

that didn't stop me herxing from even relatively small doses when i started taking it - 20mg or less - so it defo does something - but i tend to herx from almost anything with any antimicrobial effect - even at low doses

one possibility is that it caused herx type reactions - and its this herx that is driving an MCAS type reaction
( its very common for MCAS reactions to flare when herxing from antimicrobials )

bartonella in particular seems highly associated with MCAS type reactions to foods etc - so that would fit

a whole food keto type diet was the thing that settled my digestion enough for me to start to make progress

i was against the idea until i saw my fiance - who was also sick with lyme and bartonella - go for a 2 mile run after less than 2 weeks on such a diet - when we had both been housebound and super sick before that

so i had to try it - and it helped - my recovery started gradually from that point - so i still eat like that now

ref the doses of MB used being variable
all lyme and bartonella treatments are basically experimental at present - there is no established standard of care for these diseases
LLMD's are adding things based on invitro studies as treatment adjuncts - but not with any human trials to back them up

i take it myself - it did cause me to herx - and i think it probably helps a little - but has not been a game changer

good diet can certainly help

there are ways to self treat - ways to obtain antibiotics etc - but having gone this route myself - i can tell you its really not the easy option - in fact its incredibly challenging - difficult to navigate - time consuming - emotionally taxing.

for most - finding some way to afford a LLMD is probably the best and over the long term - considering lost earnings - etc -actually the least expensive way forward.

if you are committed to self treating ( i seriously urge you to consider this carefully rather than defaulting to it) - its best to develop a long term plan - an approach to follow and a way of tracking all the various trials and error experiments it involves - and ways to objectively measure progress and guide your treatment decisions - then setting about a very step by step treatment protocol.

i have written quote a lot on here in the past about this - so you may find some of my other posts helpful

Hi Garzie,
how are you recognizing MCAS in your experience? Which specific symptoms distinguish it from herx, herx-type of reactions, or from other say general immunity responses?
Best wishes,
B

Hi Garzie,

thank you very much! Yes I have managed to find it and indeed it is there, last issue discusses MCAS extensively. Thanks to Dude Abides and yourself too. Here is the post if others are interested too:

For anyone interested, here are some issues of "The Lyme Times" magazine:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c9sycov8926d480/aaawll7zy0sxvdrtgoqtudrea

If you're unfamiliar with the publication, you can learn more at:

The Lyme Times: The Journal of LymeDisease.org
https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-times-lyme-disease-journal