Small bowel bacterial overgrowth is a common cause of chronic diarrhea
What I find interesting about this is that small bowel bacterial overgrowth has also been linked to increased risk of non-alcoholic steatohepatits and elevated TNF alpha levels as well. “So what?” you say? Acid suppressive therapy has been linked to bacteria growing where they are not supposed to (stomach acid is definately a sterilizing agent for most bacteria). We really need to re-evaluate just what side effects we can expect with chronic use of this class of medications. Funny–I don’t remember seeing anyone in the commercials for the “purple pill” running to the bathroom in the middle of the commercial…
Small bowel bacterial overgrowth is a common cause of chronic diarrhea – J Gastroenterol Hepatol, Vol 19, Issue 8, pp. 904-90..