SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) without Drugs or Antibiotics

I just finished the book! As an IBS sufferer for many years, I've tried everything from all the traditional medicine junk to diets galore. The latest diet I tried is Paleo which helped at first but depending on what I ate I still suffer. In my research I came upon this book which I felt I had to have. But it isn't the panecea I was looking for either. However Dr. Robillard seems to really know what he's talking about so I won't give up on him yet because I haven't started the diet. What bothers me about the diet is all the pasteurized dairy, which has carrageenan in it among other chemicals and processed meat (deli meat) and cheese (American) that aren't pure either. Also I have read a lot about soy not being so good. I will give the diet a try leaving out the dairy and the processed foods for two weeks and then update my review.

While I appreciate the research put into the book, what was disappointing was that so much of the food recommended was contraindicated if you are following Autoimmune Paleo; using artificial sweeteners like Splenda or nutrasweet is not recommended by the FODMAP research I have read. The recipes rely on dairy, artificial sweeteners, and sometimes wheat products. None of which I can eat. What is helpful , though, is the information that IBS is related to an overgrowth of bacteria, as in SIBO. By stopping the feeing and cultivation of these bacteria, symptoms can disappear quickly, depending on the type and amount. That's the good news. None of my doctors have even heard of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth .....tragic lack of information !

Interesting. But the only really helpful information were the charts on which fruits and veggies were high or lower in carbs. Info that could have been gotten off the web. The "Formula" for converting other ready made store bought foods was "Impossible"!!!! I had two other people (who like math/algebra) look at it. And nobody could do it! So, it's only helpful if you eat foods the book has already converted.

While the theory sounds good on the surface, the proposed diet solution would be terrible for anyone with gluten-sensitivity (whether they have celiac disease or not), diabetes 1 or 2, or immune-system hypervigilance, which I suspect would include a very high proportion of people with IBS symptoms. Buyer beware! This diet could make your condition worse.

If you have digestion issues, you need to read this book. The gut healing strategy put forward isn't a rehash of existing ideas but rather implements a unique concept of using the Glycemic Index to determine which foods will cause more fermentation in the gut. By reducing fermentation, symptoms subside and healing begins.

I started researching when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland) and was told that there was nothing I could do to prevent the disease from progressing. What I learned is that healing begins with the gut. I learned about ‘leaky gut’ causing inflammation and the resultant immune response to this inflammation. More research revealed that ‘Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth’ (SIBO) plays a key role in leaky gut.
Armed with this information I began looking at how I could change my diet to bring about healing. I thought I had found the answer with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It all made sense to me except what was being said about amylose and amylopectin starches. My research revealed that amylopectin is the starch that is more easily digested – yet the SCD held the alternate position. I kept researching…
This is how I stumbled onto the Digestive Health Institute site. I was absolutely thrilled as I read what Norm Robillard had to say! I purchased the book ‘Fast Tract Digestion – IBS’ immediately. I had been diagnosed with IBS early in my life but it had rarely given me great discomfort. Yet I now have no doubt that this faulty digestion that I have been living with was the impetus to my developing Hashimoto’s disease.

Fast Tract Digestion is brilliant in its simplicity. The use of the Glycemic Index to determine fermentation potential (FP) in the intestines is genius! Norm has done his homework – this diet is scientifically sound. He has taken the guesswork out of menu planning for healing your gut. It allows flexibility in that you can have a food with a high FP as long as you balance it with lower FP foods. I love the boundaries that it provides to keep your healing going forward but the freedom to have a coveted food now and again is there - as well as the freedom for varying food preferences.

I now feel that I am on solid ground as I move forward. Thanks Norm! I am eagerly awaiting his next book which I understand will include information on Hashimoto’s. So many conditions respond to this diet which, in its essence, is treating the underlying SIBO that contributes to them.

Bottom line: Use this book on it's own or as an adjunct to an existing eating plan. But it most definitely needs to be in the library of anyone with digestion issues. It's that good.

I bought this book directly from the author, quite excited that the doctor who wrote it would at last provide relief for my SIBO and IBS-C. I read some other reviews similar to what I have to say. First, the scientific part is too much information. The average person does not benefit from diagrams of sugar molecules, etc. I'm shopping today and looked ahead, after skimming through much that was useless to me, to see what his diet recommendations were. I was aghast at what I read! There is no way I could eat those foods in those massive quantities without suffering severe consequences! It struck me as his attempt to reassure the people who can actually eat with SIBO that they could eat all they wanted on his fast tract diet. If you are suffering from SIBO, then you know food is difficult to get down in the first place. In addition, recipes do not appeal to me. I hate cooking.
I am 30 pounds underweight, and his day one suggestions would feed me for a week, IF I could tolerate that type of food. In addition, the title is a bit deceptive saying "heal without drugs," and I had hoped to find guidance on how to use the herbal antibiotics I bought - nothing. Guess that was assumption on my part. The book has not been helpful in any way, and while this review might be a big premature not having read all the book, I doubt that I will bother.
My body tells me quickly what to eat and what not to eat, and there is nothing in this fast tract diet I can handle! He also says right out the gate that it's crucial to treat SIBO before significant weight loss and failure to thrive. He adds that severe osteoporosis is a result of SIBO, and I wondered how I lost bone mass that while hauling a cord of firewood a year for 13 years. Too late for me, according to him. For those who wrote similar reviews about not being able to eat the hideous food suggestions, I say listen to your body. That's the best guidance we have.

The first half of this book is scientific and interesting. It makes sense to me that long-chain carbs take longer to digest than single-molecule carbs, and knowing which foods have those long chains is very good and useful information.

I am afraid I can not endorse the diet. As an IBS sufferer, I can't imagine eating a bacon cheese burger. I wouldn't eat that even if I didn't have IBS. Similarly, a breakfast consisting of steak and eggs sounds like a breakfast that will hurt.

I am drowning in conflicting information. Heather says you must eat fiber. This author says fiber will only make things worse. This author says eat broccoli, watermelon, cream cheese and portobellos, all of which are on the Fodmaps elimination list.

I like that this guy took a scientific approach. I was real interested in his description of the digestive tract, and what happens in each part, and how things can go wrong. So that part of the book was real good. But I can't agree with his diet recommendations. I am not even willing to try his diet because there are so many things I would never, ever eat. Meatballs with roasted peppers? Kielbasa with onions? No way! Are you trying to kill me?

The more books I read on this subject of IBS diets, the more conflicting information I get. It's confusing, and aggravating, and I am at the point where I don't know who to believe, but I am pretty sure it isn't this guy.

Having struggled with acid reflux for many months with its accompanying distressing symptoms, I started this diet several days ago and have become almost symptom-free. The author's theory is very well-researched and documented and makes total sense. I haven't followed the First-Week recipe sequence exactly because I didn't have all the ingredients readily available yet, but I've stayed at the required "FP" (fermentation potential) values per day, and I no longer have gas, bloating, cough, or nausea, nor is acid causing me sore throat, stomach, and lungs. Two caffeinated plus one alcoholic drink per day are permitted even at the start, which is a real departure from all the GERD diets I see online--I've had coffee and it has not bothered me. Some types of dairy are also permitted, too, which is a nice, soothing, break from the traditional GERD diets. I have lots of energy and no longer feel bogged down by slow digestion. I've also followed the author's advice regarding enzymes and probiotics. I still use DGL, Zinc-Carnosine, and Slippery Elm because my tissues are still healing, but I expect that I'll be able to eliminate these three supplements soon.

This book is a miracle: clearly written with extensive scientific references, explanations, charts, and tools to adapt the diet for your own preferences or circumstances. The author, a former reflux sufferer himself, has tested all of his recommendations on himself and writes in a very authentic, caring way.This diet is manageable, healthful, and most of all, a long-term remedy for a virtually debilitating condition. In addition, the author's website, www.digestivehealthinstitute.org, has many excellent resources including a calculator to determine the FP of any food that has a nutrition label on it. That gives lots of freedom to change up your meals. All in all, THE answer to resolving acid reflux while still enjoying food! Thank you, Dr. Robillard!

Finding and following the diet outlined in this book has hugely impacted the quality of my life. About a year ago, I found myself newly dealing with SIBO/IBS. Exact cause is unknown -- I've had cancer treatment in the abdominal/intestinal area, including surgeries and radiation; plus, additional intestinal surgeries because of adhesions and bowel blockages that developed because of the aforementioned. In addition, over the past nine years, I've been treated with a variety of antibiotics to assist with wound infections and healing from surgeries, so that may have triggered IBS/SIBO.

Regardless of the cause, as I mentioned, my digestive troubles started rearing their ugly head in June 2014, beginning with very loud intestinal rumblings, and later, a variety of nasty symptoms that made me afraid to be away from my home and my bathroom. From conventional medicine, I wasn't getting the help or answers I needed to get the symptoms under control or address my fears that I was going to be sick as a dog for the rest of my life with digestive issues and pain. Desperate for answers, I searched the internet for help.

When I found and read an excerpt on the book “Fast Tract Digestion IBS” early last fall, I ordered the book immediately, and literally the day it arrived in the mail, started following the diet outlined in it. I also took advantage of the online FP (fermentation potential) calculator found at digestivehealthinstitute.org, and via the book and calculator, identified foods that were likely exacerbating my digestive issues. And, because my symptoms were so severe starting out and I needed and wanted to make progress quickly, I also signed up for one-on-one phone consultations with the book's author, which I also found very helpful.

I've now been following the diet in the book for about 9 months, and find when I stick to it pretty religiously and keep my daily FP quota to that recommended, I feel pretty well and the frequency and severity of my flare-ups are greatly decreased. In all honesty, it did probably take a good six weeks for the diet to really kick in and for me to see favorable changes, but I think that is because my system was so very severely messed up from past surgeries, radiation, antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors (like Prilosec) that I'd been recommended to take.

I compare being on the diet to following a daily budget or a Weight Watchers program. You have a certain FP quota for the day and you can decide what foods and drinks you are going to have that add up to that quota. You have plenty of options, but you do want to stick to your budget.

Lastly, I want to share that I've reread the more informational, scientific discussion part of the book numerous times. It was really important for me to understand digestive system dynamics and what was likely going on. I particularly found it both helpful and disturbing to understand how proton pump inhibitors can impact your long-term health and how beneficial it will likely be to wean yourself off them. In addition, I've referred back to the FP food and drinks grids in the back of the book COUNTLESS times to get ideas on what I might add or take out of my diet or to remind myself of the FP level of certain foods and beverages.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to get IBS/SIBO symptoms under control. I've even recommended it and bought a copy for a family member who doesn't officially have IBS/SIBO, but has a lot of trouble with bloating and gas. Following the diet has helped her significantly with the bloating issue, but also caused her to lose weight because of not consuming so much sugar or starch. It was not my purpose in following the diet, but I too have lost weight by removing or reducing the aforementioned foods. I know that the diet can also be used to help people gain weight and the author can help with that through individual consultations.

After coming down with a painful and health-threatening condition leading to thousands of dollars of tests, this little book saved me. Last September I suddenly spent my nights in pain, with horrible cramps. During the day I couldn't eat. I dropped 15 pounds in one month, with trips to emergency and test after test offering no relief. But in the beginning of October I found Fast Track Digestion. From day one this diet diminished my pain and allowed me to eat, which stabilized my weight. It's been a slow recovery, taking a year, but by following the guidelines of Fast Track Digestion, I'm now able to eat most foods without pain, and my weight is back to normal. So, if you have SIBO symptoms, I strongly recommend this little book. Like... you'd be a fool not to try it.

This book is excellent. I went on the Fast Tract Diet immediately after reading the book, and after a few weeks I was virtually IBS/SIBO symptom-free. I have struggled with IBS-Constipation and SIBO since 2009. Every night after dinner my abdomen would swell up with trapped gas, which was painful and kept me from sleeping. I took an antibiotic Xifaxan prescription for SIBO 4 times, and each time it helped less and less. The final dose did no good at all. I tried 3 diets that were supposed to eliminate my symptoms, but all I did was lose weight. The symptoms continued. The Fast Tract Diet gave me symptom relief almost immediately, and the book explained why the other diets all failed. It also explained why the antibiotics failed. In this book, Dr. Robillard explained why 5 specific types of carbs cause fermentation or “feeding the bacteria” in the gut. This carb fermentation caused the trapped gas which was causing my painful abdominal distention. He provided a simple-to-understand formula for calculating the fermentation potential of foods. This provided me with a lot of information about foods that I found surprising. For example, who knew that pumpkin causes much less carb fermentation than sweet potatoes? For the first time, I finally understood the cause and effect relationship between what I ate during the day and the painful digestive symptoms I had at night. The Fast Tract Diet seems to have given me a way to control my IBS/SIBO symptoms. I give this book my highest recommendation.

This is my primary source for the treatment of IBS. He will go through the other methods that use changing your diet as a treatment. This treatment plan is based in the premise that most cases of Irritable Bowel Syndrome have SIBO(small intestine bacterial overgrowth). This is a newer concept that consulted everything that came before. It bows to the advice that came before but provides a method and a diet that will help starve the bad bacteria that have entered and grown in you small intestine where it is not normal for them to be. Evidence can be a swollen abdomen and a great deal of burping. I bought it on Kindle but returned and bought in as a paperback. The paperback includes many, many tables of foods and their ranking according to their Fermentation Potential. The author is a PhD microbiologist and the procedure for picking what is really bothering you and what to eat was complicated. I have a degree in medical technology and studied microbiology but I like his tables. I found doing all of the work myself to time consuming. He also provides you withe a diet for starters. The author also has a book on GERD. I went that horrible route also, took many different PPIs and had surgery because nothing worked. I have notified my gastroenterology team that I am using this information to supplement the FODMAP diet and noone has told me not to do it. These concepts are new to most practicing physicians but are in the literature and can be supported by good past studies.

I have used the principles in Dr. Robillard's previous book to cure my digestion, and I also find when I deviate from his advice for a few weeks my old symptoms return.

After reading this book I realized I was the wrong audience despite the fact I enjoyed it, so I loaned my copy to an elderly friend who read and implemented the approach. They have come back to me today to report a month free of symptoms for the first time.

Clearly when Dr. Robillard writes he writes about effective interventions that work without being to restrictive as to make it unworkable in the real world.

If you need this book.... you should not hestitate to buy it. Its a no brainer.

I am a diagnosed Celiac. Recently diagnosed with SIBO and lactose intolerance. I am feeling so disgusted and confused. Even 20 years ago, the GF diet was a piece of cake (so to speak) compared to this. At least, I was given definitive guidelines. I am an educated person and tried to take an educated approach to dealing with the establishment of an appropriate diet. Well, good luck to anyone trying to sift through the conflicting information given by medical professionals and researchers. So far, I have spent money on and read most of the books listed below. Result? I am more confused then ever. I have also read references referred to on this site as well as the SCD sites. Why is there so little agreement on a standard diet protocol? Why do you include so many dairy options when you state that a large percentage of people with SIBO are lactose intolerant. This goes for gluten as well but I can figure out substitutions for the food choices including gluten. I just bought a big bag of Spenda today after reading your book. Now I read other things that say Spenda is no good. Who am I supposed to believe. Am I supposed to experiment and see how it goes? How do I know if it's working?

Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet (Gottschall)

Fast Tract Digestion IBS: Science-based Diet to Treat and Prevent IBS and SIBO without Drugs or Antibiotics - Foreword by Michael R. Eades, M.D.

Digestive Health with REAL Food: A Practical Guide to an Anti-Inflammatory, Nutrient Dense Diet for IBS & Other Digestive Issues
(still waiting for this book)

Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free

A New IBS Solution: Bacteria-The Missing Link in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome Mark Pimentel M.D., Lisa Kaspin

The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet: A Revolutionary Plan for Managing IBS and Other Digestive Disorders

The program outlined in this book works for IBS and GERD. Really there's not much else that matters if you are suffering from either of these conditions, especially IBS. You sufferers know what I mean. Some of us would try just about anything for some relief. I suffered from IBS for 25 years. 25 years! I learned a lot about life, patience and trusting God during those years so I can't say that they were wasted but I am glad that the symptoms seem to have subsided.

The diet outlined in the book is easy (at least for me) to follow. It's a type of low carb diet so if you need to lose a little weight you'll really like this plan. Overall I found the book to be interesting and engaging. It's easy to skip sections that don't apply to you. In my case I didn't use the recipes but I definitely use the fermentation potential charts. I could see a great use for an FP mobile app. Meanwhile the Kindle version is nice because it allows a word search for quick look up of a given food.

The only other time that my IBS had subsided was years ago when I ate almost noting but salad and grilled chicken for a few months. Turns out that I stumbled onto the root cause of my IBS (SIBO) but didn't know it. Of course that diet was unsustainable so I gave up and the suffering soon returned.

I guess this is more of a personal testimony than a book review but maybe that's what you need to hear in order to get started. A few days on this diet and years of suffering subsided. Highly recommended!

Thank you Dr. Robillard. Thank you.

This book is wonderful for anyone suffering with stomach issues. having looked at so many restrictive diets I luckily came across fast tract. it isn't a diet per se, rather a way of eating that looks at how much of each food you can safely eat. so it means you can "layer" this with any other diet you need (paleo, low histamine, gluten free etc etc). you can follow the recipes, or eat the foods you would normally eat--you just think about amounts that are safe. so i eat delicious food, but my stomach symptoms are SOOO much better. I am so thankfully for Norman's book and his wisdom, which is based on science but the proof is in how much better I feel!

After being on antibiotics twice in a row about a year and a half ago for a bladder infection, I developed severe IBS symptoms causing me to be confined to our home. My initial reaction was to go off dairy with no results. Then I went off gluten with minimal results for a short time. Then I spent 6 months following the SCD Diet faithfully, literally afraid to accidentally taste a forbidden food. My results from that diet allowed a more normal life, but I lived in fear of setbacks which occurred often and without warning. Two weeks before the date my husband and I agreed on to finally begin the rigors of testing, I found this book. It just made sense! Norm writes in a way that is easy to understand. He also was very encouraging because he said I should start seeing results soon. Because I only had two weeks until my promised doctor's appointment, I jumped in at the most restrictive level. By the two week mark I was 80% improved and now close to the two month mark I have to remind myself what my life was like before. I now think in fermentation potential numbers so I don't go backward in my health. Thank you, Norm. I have to say I am 63 years old, have kept my weight down, and believe in eating whole grains rather than refined foods. I prefer not to use artificial sweeteners but am not opposed to a little stevia. In other words I still made his diet work for me. Sue

Dear Dr. Robillard,

After reading your book I knew you were describing all of my struggles with digestion. This made so much sense to me as I have been diagnosed with SIBO twice in the past 4 years. I can't remember a day when I didn't feel uncomfortable by the end of the day.
I summed up the foods to avoid and within 3 days I was able to eat without feeling bloated. I have been diagnosed with a mild mitochondrial myopathy that I believe is part of my challenge dealing with motility issues. I have read many books on nutrition and have always been conscious of nutrition throughout my adult life, none of these books dealt with degree of fermentation potential in foods affecting digestion and absorption. Thank you so much for your tireless research and publication of this book.

Dear Dr. Robillard,

After reading your book I knew you were describing all of my struggles with digestion. This made so much sense to me as I have been diagnosed with SIBO twice in the past 4 years. I can't remember a day when I didn't feel uncomfortable by the end of the day.
I summed up the foods to avoid and within 3 days I was able to eat without feeling bloated. I have been diagnosed with a mild mitochondrial myopathy that I believe is part of my challenge dealing with motility issues. I have read many books on nutrition and have always been conscious of nutrition throughout my adult life, none of these books dealt with degree of fermentation potential in foods affecting digestion and absorption. Thank you so much for your tireless research and publication of this book.

Well, there are some very interesting points I've taken away from this book and have put them to good use. But I have to say the idea of following the recipes for the diet plan is ludicrous. I'd have to be preparing meals for way too long everyday, not to mention the actual grocery list necessary. I went ahead and "dumbed it down" and have incorporated meal plan ideas with some remarkable success. Feeling better after 30 years of constant IBS struggle, but I've changed a lot of other things, too, to help decrease stress.

The information is good overall but most of it is already available. The author makes some important points and the approach is good in many ways. I am not impressed with many of the diet suggestions like Heavy Cream and Butter. Butyrate is great but loading up on butter is not the best way to get it. Many people with IBS do not do well with heavy fat load. If you are able to take home a few pearls in this book it may very well be worth your time but the diet suggestions need a little help

This provides an okay description of SIBO and IBS, but I'm not sure how "scientific" this is. There aren't really actual scientific studies to back this up like some of the other diets and methods out there. It's also a really difficult diet to follow- a lot to keep track of and the rules are unclear. Too few foods are in the appendix to know their fermentation potential and even those are measured by weight. Who weighs all their food everywhere they go and carry around a book to look up the fermentation potential by weight, then add it up, and make sure you're not going over for the day? I doubt the accuracy of many of the foods in the appendix, anyway. Some of them are prepared foods that could be made a lot of different ways with a lot of different ingredients, making it impossible to know the real fermentation potential to calculate overall. This book is riddled with contradictory instructions, vague, unhelpful charts, spelling/grammatical errors, and obviously wrong assumptions (you can't apply the glycemic index from tofu to soy milk since tofu is significantly lower in carbs and sugars by nature- duh, that's basic). It reads like bad pseudo science. Save your money.

The science behind this book is excellent and I believe could help me. The problem is that it is only available in a Kindle edition, and you can't see all the details in the appendices on your Kindle. The science is all about assigning points to foods and eating within the points target everyday. The appendices include the point totals for tons of different foods; however entire columns on some of the appendices are not viewable on the Kindle. Very unfortunate that the store is selling such a version since the science does seem like it would work.