The testing continues: SIBO

     Yesterday I completed my Trio Smart Breath Test for SIBO. I was sent home with it by the ARNP I saw at the new GI office last month. We had some comically bad back and forth a over the phone where I was trying to get information about prepping for the test that delayed my being able to take it before my Palm Springs trip, but it's finally done. When I tested for SIBO in the past I used Genova Diagnostics, the same company I did my stool test with on Monday. I guess they are the preferred company by naturopaths, but this GI office had a different company they used. 

     Having done them both now, I can definitely say I prefer the Genova Diagnostics version from the patient end of things. Their instructions and user support are far more informative. The manual that came with this test was so oversimplified that made it difficult to know what to do. 

     The day before the test I had to observe a strict diet with only meat, eggs, rice, potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper. Believe it or not I've been on more restrictive diets for much longer in the past, so this wasn't too much of a stretch for me. I cooked up a package of boneless chicken thighs and a few cups of rice the night before so I was ready to go. 

     The morning of the test I woke up, breathed into the first collection bag, and then drank a lactulose solution followed by one glass of water. Every fifteen minutes after that for the next two hours I collected another breath sample. I was instructed not to eat during this time, so I took the opportunity to prepare a special breakfast of egg bites (like the ones at Starbucks) for when I finished. This was a nice treat after the bland diet of the day before!

     After I completed the test, I carefully fit all the breath sample bags into a large biohazard ziplock bag that then went back into the box the test came in. I applied the included postage sticker and dropped it off at my local UPS store. It felt really strange to be shipping a box of air!

     My PCP is fairly certain that SIBO is not what I'm dealing with at this time, but the ARNP at the GI office saw that I had a history of it, and because it has a high recurrence rate, he thought it was worth testing for. 

Here's the thing: While I wasn't a fan of the provider I saw at the GI office, nor of the instructions provided by the test company, I have been wanting to do a follow up SIBO Test for a long time, years even, and I'm glad we're checking it out. At the very least it'll reassure me that I'm not missing something obvious as we attempt to diagnose my ongoing GI issues.