Do Gut Germs Affect Your Mood and What Hath We Wrought With Newer Ulcer PPI Pills That Cause Bacterial Overgrowth?

Study from McMaster University Ontario found oral antibiotic treatment in mice resulted in changes in bacterial flora that increased anxiety-like behaviour. Gut Bacterial Overgrowth found in 50% of people on Proton Pump Inhibitor Ulcer Pills. Are these pills driving us crazy?

(image from:http://www.novamind.com/connect/nm_documents/
show_branch/Power/3DDB0D16-D6F9-4EB8-B3C9-EF5050564DD1/2039310965)

It has been suggested we are what we eat, but now it can be we are what pills we take…

Dig Dis. 2009;27 Suppl 1:85-9. Epub 2010 Mar 4.
The role of pathogenic microbes and commensal bacteria in irritable bowel syndrome.
Collins S, Verdu E, Denou E, Bercik P. abstract here

  • There is a strong link between irritable bowel and bacterial overgrowth
  • Article states “psychiatric comorbidity that occurs in up to 60% of irritable bowel syndrome patients”
  • They say “Antibiotic therapy produced substantial changes in the microbiota, a small increment in inflammatory activity and an increase in substance P or pain perception. Oral, but not systemic antibiotic treatment, produced changes in brain chemistry and an increase in anxiety-like behavior.”

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Jan 6. [Epub ahead of print]
Increased Incidence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth During Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy.[PPI’s]
Lombardo L, Foti M, Ruggia O, Chiecchio A. abstract here

Bacterial overgrowth seen in:

  • 50% of patients using PPIs, (P<0.001)
  • 24.5% of patients with Irritable bowel syndrome
  • 6% of healthy control subjects
  • Risk of bacterial overgrowth occurred after 1 year of PPI’s.
  • Bloating and weight loss could be symptoms

PPI’s include Omeprazole (Losec), Lansoprazole (Prevacid), Pantaprazole (Pantaloc, Tecta), and Nexium.
Comment – the lactulose breath test was used for diagnosis. My understanding is that it is not available free here but might be arranged through Pasqua hospital. In the USA, Rifaximin, a non-absorbed antibiotic, is quite usful:

Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2010 Jan;26(1):17-25.
Rifaximin: a unique gastrointestinal-selective antibiotic for enteric diseases.
Koo HL, DuPont HL. abstract here

Discussion of its use in irritable bowel here:
Review article: the role of antibiotics vs. conventional pharmacotherapy in treating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
C. L. FRISSORA* & B. D. CASH
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25, 1271–1281, (2007) free article here

In Canada, all we have is Neomycin powder 500 mg twice daily for ten days – which comes out to be about 1/2 an OO gelatin capsule full worth of powder twice daily.

No one has done research on how Treatment with Rifaximin improves quality of life. that needs testing. I have all these people with “functional dyspepsia” on PPI’s that I will now have to get back to them.- Oh man… I wonder how much probiotics could help. They are getting “mixed” reviews however…

There is a connection of Bacterial overgrowth and Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia: The Gastrointestinal Link
Daniel J. Wallace, MD and David S. Hallegua, MD
Current Pain and Headache Reports 2004, 8:364–368 abstract here

Bacterial overgrowth eradication had these Stomach benefits:


Note – there is a question whether this relief lasts or not…

I once wrote that I thought all cases of Fibromyalgia had bad stomachs and should be on a PPI. How many are on PPI’s and worse for it?

One issue I missed was the yeast connection – yeast overgrowth. Our lab used to comment on yeast overgrowth in stool samples seen, but now that they have dumbed down their Ova & parasite analysis that is another thing no longer seen…
Any comments?

This entry was posted in Abdominal pain, Fibromyalgia. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.