Soooo, guys/gals, I learned something new today!!!!!!!!

Let me preface a bit of a background of my current situation, but don't feel like typing it all over again, so going copy from one of my earlier posts:

**<begin copy post> "**I personally am on my own journey, and I'll share a couple of insights that you can either take it or leave it, it's fine either way.

People are not aware that SIBO can and do have multiple causes. So, when they try a supplement, it may not work due to timing of it, and/or because you may have another cause along with it.

Take me for example. I was on a cholesterol medicine that I didn't realize caused my gut to slow down and almost be "non-functional, kinda" and it affects the bile flow too.

Also, I was taking aspirin daily for several years as well. You know what the problem with aspirin is? It's a NSAID. It has good odds of producing gastritis in your stomach. So, if you try pouring shit ton of betaine in hopes of stimulating HCI, well, your stomach has gastritis, it'll not only not work, but you're pouring acid on an "open sore," so to speak.

Then I've been chronically anemic for years. What I wasn't aware is that it can affect stomach acid, ie, reduce it.

And I've mentioned this before, but like it's not mentioned directly in stuff that I read about in relation to SIBO, but bile flow and stomach acid are kinda interdependent on each other. So if one is not working, the other can get affected.

And for a lot of people, vagus nerve can be problematic and it can affect multiple things such has stomach acid production, gut motility via MMC, bile and pancreatic enzyme release and prevents gut inflammation. So if your number is low or deficient, you gotta a problem there too.

So ... that means I have several problems to think about and combat. And I can't combat all of them at the same time as much as I wish I could. And I think that's the hard part here in the forum for the people here. Because we (myself included) want a simple solution or supplement, and the problem goes away, and for some people, it can happen.

But I suspect the vast majority of us face multiple problems that we have to be mindful and thoughtful about healing slowly." <end copy post>

So, guess what I learned today in trying to trigger my bile flow (been doing it for a while but kinda overdid today, which led to (sorry, TMI), diarrhea which got me curious so I googled it.

Drumroll, please! This is from ChatGPT.

📌 Why SIBO Must Be Treated First

✅ 1. SIBO Disrupts Bile Metabolism & Absorption

• Bacteria in the small intestine deconjugate bile acids, making them harder to absorb.
• This means even if you increase bile flow, your gut won’t absorb it properly, leading to diarrhea.

✅ 2. SIBO Causes Gut Inflammation, Which Worsens Bile Malabsorption

• Inflamed gut lining = poor bile acid recycling in the ileum.
• You need a healthy small intestine to reabsorb bile and prevent bile acid diarrhea.

✅ 3. Fixing Bile Flow Before SIBO Might Feed the Overgrowth

• Bile has antimicrobial properties, but some bacteria thrive on bile (especially in methane or hydrogen sulfide SIBO).
• If bile isn’t absorbed properly, it sits in the small intestine and can actually worsen bacterial overgrowth.

🚨 Bottom Line:
If you push bile flow too hard before treating SIBO, it can cause diarrhea, more bloating, and even fuel bacterial growth.

Did you get that?????? Aghhhhhhh! I knew I had multiple problems to combat, but today was the first time I learned that even if I got my bile to flow, it's going to be deconjugated!

Anyway, going to think on this, but wanted to share this insight for others who are on their own personal journeys of trying to figure this out.

Also, if you have any thoughts to share, I'm more than happy to hear them.

EDIT:

What triggered this post: Yesterday, I was experiencing constant diarrhea, which was unusual for me. I don’t typically struggle with diarrhea, and since I have hydrogen-based SIBO, I don’t experience constipation either. That got me thinking, and I started questioning whether I might be missing a bigger piece of the puzzle.

One of the challenges with ChatGPT (or any AI) is that the responses are shaped by the way you phrase your questions. So, I decided to look into it again to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding or spreading misinformation.

From what I found, it seems that the idea of treating SIBO before addressing bile flow is especially relevant in certain situations, rather than being a blanket rule for everyone. (See ChatGPT’s note below!)

However, after reflecting more, I realized it was more likely that I was reacting to the Jarrow Artichoke supplement due to allergies rather than bile flow being the issue.

Friendly reminder to always do your own research and cross-check with reputable sources. I’d love to hear thoughts from others who have explored this!

📌 When Fixing Bile Flow First Might Worsen SIBO

✅ 1. Methane-Dominant SIBO (Feeds Methanogens)

• Methanogens (bacteria that produce methane gas) can use bile acids as a nutrient source.
• Increasing bile flow before killing these bacteria might fuel their growth and worsen bloating, constipation, and weight gain.
• This is why Atrantil is often used for methane SIBO—it reduces methane gas production.

✅ 2. Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO (Bile Feeds Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria)

• Hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria thrive on bile acids.
• If bile isn't absorbed properly, it sits in the small intestine, feeding these bacteria and increasing toxicity (sulfur gas).
• This can cause rotten egg-smelling gas, bloating, diarrhea, and neurological symptoms (brain fog, fatigue).

✅ 3. Bile Acid Malabsorption (If Your Ileum Isn’t Absorbing Bile)

• If your gut isn’t reabsorbing bile properly, bile spills into the colon and causes diarrhea.
• This can happen in any type of SIBO but is more common with gut inflammation or post-infectious damage.
• If you stimulate bile flow before fixing SIBO, it might cause more irritation.