SIBO Is Not a Personality Trait: Why You Keep Relapsing

Spoiler: It’s not because you didn’t take enough oregano oil.

You got the SIBO diagnosis.
You followed the low-FODMAP plan like your life depended on it.
You took the herbs. Maybe even did the rifaximin dance.
Things got better… then worse. Again.

So WTF is going on?

You’re not failing.
You’re just treating the result instead of addressing the why.

Let’s break down why Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) loves to make a comeback — and what you need to do if you’re stuck in the relapse loop.

🦠 First: SIBO is not a root cause.

It’s a symptom of deeper dysfunction.
Treating it without addressing why the bacteria overgrew in the small intestine is like wiping a foggy mirror without turning off the shower.

⚠️ 1. Your motility is sluggish (or stuck entirely)

The migrating motor complex (MMC) is the "janitor" of your small intestine.
If it’s not sweeping regularly between meals, bacteria stay and multiply in the wrong place.

Why it gets disrupted:

• Food poisoning (can damage MMC signaling)

• Mold toxicity

• Hypothyroidism

• Trauma (yes, really)

• Chronic stress (nervous system dysregulation)

• Grazing all day with no fasting periods

• Imbalanced Gut Bacteria (too much bad, not enough good)
• Overuse of Antibiotics, NSAIDs, SSRIs, PPIs, BC pill

Support it with:

• Ginger, bitters, or prokinetics

• Meal spacing (no constant snacking!)

• Vagus nerve stimulation

• Nervous system regulation (more on this in the next newsletter 👀)

🐛 2. You didn’t address the microbial imbalance beyond the small intestine

SIBO is often part of a bigger gut party. Like:

• Candida

• Parasites

• Low stomach acid

• Poor bile flow

• Colonic dysbiosis

If you kill off SIBO but don’t rebalance the rest? It comes back. Like your toxic ex with a new profile picture.

🌬️ 3. Your nervous system is stuck in fight-or-freeze

When you live in a chronic state of stress, your body:

• Slows digestion

• Pauses motility

• Impairs detox

• And basically creates the perfect Airbnb for bad bugs

If you’re doing everything right but still bloated and foggy — your nervous system might be the real root.

🧪 4. You skipped rebuilding + repair

Most SIBO protocols end at “kill.”
But healing isn’t over after the antimicrobial phase.

You need to:

• Repair the gut lining (glutamine, zinc carnosine, collagen, collustrum)

• Rebuild microbial diversity (spore-based probiotics, fermented foods if tolerated)

• Restore enzyme, acid, and bile function

• Work on your lifestyle (sleep, stress, trauma, toxins)

Otherwise? The terrain stays vulnerable.

🧠 TL;DR:

You don’t have SIBO.
You have dysfunction that results in SIBO.

Want long-term relief?
Don’t just kill the bugs — change the environment they keep thriving in.

With love and perfectly timed poops,
Ksenia 💩🦠✨