No. Carrying out the test is simple and there are detailed test instructions with step-by-step explanations. A brief description of how to perform the test is provided in the follow-up questions. The description contained in the test kit is even more detailed.

Yes. The test can be carried out alone from home. No doctor / therapist or an appointment in a practice is required.

Yes. A printed step-by-step test guide is included in the test kit.

The breath test measures hydrogen and methane gases in the air you breathe in response to drinking a sugar solution. As a rule, lactulose (consisting of fructose and galactose) or glucose is used as a sugar solution. When a SIBO is present, the bacteria begin to metabolize lactulose in the small intestine before it even reaches the large intestine, leading to an early increase in gas production. These gases get into the blood, are exhaled through the lungs and measured by us.

A sugar solution (15 ml) is mixed with water and drunk. Then breath air samples are taken with the help of a mouthpiece and vacuum tubes, which store the air and make it transportable. These samples are sent back to the laboratory and evaluated there. A detailed step-by-step test guide is included with your test kit.

Yes. This is the only way for the test to deliver the most reliable results. Common breath tests often only measure hydrogen, so that a SIBO of people who produce methane (~ 30% of the population) often goes undetected.

Lactulose gives more reliable results. Glucose is already absorbed by the first section of the small intestine and can only detect bacterial activity there. Lactulose, on the other hand, migrates through to the large intestine and enables detection to the rear section.

As explained in the question above, there are good reasons to use lactulose. But if you would like to use glucose, you can use the "Special information for the seller" field during the ordering process and ask for glucose there. Just write, "I want to use glucose instead of lactulose."

The test duration is 180 minutes (3 hours) - the preparation time is not included!

Test instructions, 10 vacuum glass tubes, 1 mouthpiece with breathing bag, sugar solution (lactulose or glucose), address and postage label for return shipping within Germany, patient information so that the test can be assigned and carried out.

All suggestions for preparation must be discussed in advance with your therapist.

In general:

1 month before the test
Wait at least 4 weeks before testing after: antibiotic therapy1, colonoscopy, colonic irrigation and x-ray examination with oral contrast agent.

1 week before the test
Stop taking:
▪ Prebiotics, probiotics and probiotic products (e.g. yogurt and fermented products)
▪ Antifungal drugs
▪ Herbal antimicrobial products (also known as “herbal antibiotics”) 1

24 (48) hours before the test
Strictly adhere to the preparatory diet2 from 24 hours before the test - or from 48 hours if you are constipated. The
Diet is explained in detail in the next question (FAQs).
Stop taking:
▪ Laxatives, stool softeners, and other digestive aids
▪ proton pump inhibitors (PPI)
▪ Food supplements

12 hours before the test
▪ Fast for 12 hours before the test, for example overnight. Do not eat or drink anything except water before and during the test
▪ Avoid medication that is not essential if possible and only in consultation with your doctor

1 hour before and during the test
▪ Before the test, brush your teeth with water only (without toothpaste)
▪ No smoking, including passive smoking, on the day of the test and while the test is being carried out
▪ Get up / wake up at least one hour before the test and do not sleep during the test
▪ No sporting activities before or during the test
___________
1) For follow-up tests that check the progress of treatment after SIBO therapy with (herbal) antibiotics
does not need to be serviced. Such a test can and should be done immediately after therapy.

The purpose of this diet is to avoid food fermentation. Certain foods lead to fermentation processes in the large intestine even in healthy people and thus to a falsification of the measurement results. Start the diet 24 hours before the test or 48 hours if you are constipated. Please only eat what is on the list.

List of allowed foods Nutritional example
▪ Baked or roasted chicken, fish or turkey. With salt and pepper
▪ Olive or coconut oil - 1 tablespoon for boiling
▪ Steamed, white rice (basmati / jasmine)
▪ eggs
▪ Clear chicken or beef broth (boneless, without vegetables)
▪ White bread only
▪ Pure table water (no mineral water)
▪ In the morning of the previous day: 1 cup of black tea or black coffee. Without sugar, milk and sweeteners. On the test day: only water.

Nutritional example
08 am-00pm: 20 hour diet
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and a slice of white bread
Lunch: Chicken seasoned with salt and pepper with white rice
Dinner: fish seasoned with salt and pepper with white rice
Drinks: still water.
20: 00-08: 00 a.m .: Fasting for 12 hours
Please only drink water. The test can begin at 08:00 a.m. Drink moderately still water during the test.

Important Note: Diet guidelines vary by therapist and laboratory. The study situation with regard to test preparation is not clear. Ultimately, a treating doctor or therapist can decide whether to adjust the diet.

If one of the following questions is answered with "No", it makes sense to test again with us:
Has it been tested for methane? Has it been tested with lactulose? Have you tested for at least 140 minutes after drinking the sugar solution? Was the test preparation complied with? Was the test performed correctly?

The information about the test preparation contains the information about the medication.

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a perfect test. False positive results are rare and mostly caused by improper preparation or collection. Almost all false negative results are avoided by measuring methane in addition to hydrogen.

Send the test within two working days of taking it. For example, if you take the test on a Monday, you should return the test by post by Wednesday at the latest.

Yes, shipping is free within Germany. This also applies to the return of the test to the laboratory. A shipping label is included with the test kit.

Yes, we also deliver abroad. However, delivery is only free within Germany. For deliveries to other EU countries and Switzerland, we charge an expense allowance of € 9,99 during the ordering process. For non-EU countries, the expense allowance is € 19,99. Furthermore, the customer is responsible for the return shipment and the associated costs.

A possibly extended delivery time for the return is usually unproblematic. The breathing gas samples are stable for at least 14 days after they have been taken. Nevertheless, we would like to ask you to return the samples to our partner laboratory as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, no. The test is still an individual health service. You can still ask your insurance company. Maybe they're accommodating. 

Please send an email Withdrawal form to send the order number to info@sibolab.eu. If we have received the test kit safely and undamaged, we will cancel the invoice. Please also note our cancellation policy.

With us you can easily choose from the following payment options: Paypal, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro), Klarna (Sofort, purchase on account), instant transfer, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Shop Pay, eps transfer, Bancontact and ideal.

We will send your doctor / therapist an email with a download link to your laboratory report. If you have sent your test to us directly, you will receive the report via a download link.

Approx. 2 to 3 working days after receipt of the test. Currently, during Corona, about 4 to 5 days after the test was received.

Always discuss your result with your treating doctor and / or therapist. SIBO can and should be treated. We are working on collecting and processing scientific information for you in order to show you options for action and to give you tips and advice for everyday life. If the result is negative, you should not give up and continue to look for the cause of your symptoms - preferably in collaboration with a doctor and / or therapist.

Yes. The test is designed as a home test so that your patients can carry out the test regardless of the time allotment in your practice. Simply refer to our website or email the link to our product page to your patients: https: //www.sibolab/products/atemtest.

Alternatively, we can send you order forms, which you can fill out and fax to us by the patient. Feel free to contact us if you prefer this way

Yes very much. Write us an email to info@sibolab.de or call us at +49 (0) 30 49 500 833

On the information platform for functional-integrative, preventive & holistic medicine, you can find Doctaris at
https://doctaris.com/fachkreise-partner/sibolab/ einen Online Kurs zum Basiswissen und eine Vielzahl an Dokumenten und Studien, die Sie bei Ihrer Arbeit unterstützen können.
You have to register with Doctaris, but basic access is free.

Yes. However, Sibolab expressly does not replace the consultation of a doctor or therapist. The interpretation of the test result should definitely be done by a doctor or therapist.

SIBO refers to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine and is the most common cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The term SIBO is the abbreviation for the English term Small intestine bacterial overgrowth.

Common symptoms of SIBO are:
• Flat stomach
• Abdominal pain and / or cramps
• Changed stool frequency and / or structure (constipation, diarrhea, or both)
• Flatulence
• nausea
• tiredness
• Belching
• Heartburn 

• The first symptoms appear after therapy with antibiotics, painkillers or other drugs
• Fiber makes symptoms worse
• Despite a gluten-free diet, if you are gluten intolerant, the symptoms remain
• Probiotics do not help or make symptoms worse
• Antibiotics appear to (temporarily) improve symptoms
• Difficulty concentrating and feeling light-headed
• Inexplicable weight loss
• Blood values ​​show chronic iron or B12 deficiency for no known cause

In a healthy digestive tract, the small intestine is hardly colonized by bacteria. The large intestine that follows the small intestine, on the other hand, is populated with many and different bacteria. These bacteria are useful and good in the large intestine, but harmful in the small intestine. With SIBO there are far too many bacteria in the small intestine. In addition to a disturbed occlusion between the small and large intestines (ileocecal valve) and insufficient movement of the gastrointestinal muscles, there are many different causes. A number of symptoms that are comparable to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can occur as a result of the over-colonization.

Yes, SIBO is basically treatable. Please contact a doctor or therapist who is familiar with SIBO.