Irritable Bowel Syndrome

updated May 25th 2020 by Dr Richard Hagmeyer DC,CFMP

STOP! Suffering With Horrible Digestive Symptoms Like Diarrhea, Constipation, Bloating, Intestinal Cramping, Intestinal Spasms, and Fatigue When Your Doctors Say There Is Nothing Wrong And All Your Lab Tests Are “Normal?”

Common Symptoms associated with IBS.

1. Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort
2. Abnormal stool frequency (greater than 3 bowel movements/day or less than 3 bowel movements/week
3. Abnormal stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/watery stool)
4. Abnormal stool passage (straining, urgency, or feeling of incomplete bowel movement)
5. Bloating or feeling of abdominal distension
6. Gassiness
7. Feelings of urgency (the need to find a restroom fast)

Frustrated With the Symptoms of Diarrhea, Constipation, Gas, Bloating, and Intestinal Spasms?

If you’re like most people that find this site, you are frustrated with the treatment and management of your digestive disorder. Perhaps you have been tested for Celiac disease or Crohn’s disease, and when your tests came back, everything was normal. By exclusion, many doctors will tell you that your diarrhea, constipating, or bloating is caused by stress or not eating enough fiber.

Has your doctor tried to push Antidepressants on you? Hinting, that perhaps your IBS is caused by a mental disorder or mental illness?

Has your doctor dismissed the role of diet and nutrition? Have you been told that dietary changes won’t changes your IBS, SIBO or Leaky gut?

Has your doctor told you that you just need to learn how to relax- You should go on a vacation?

 

If that Sounds Familiar Read on…..

Let Me Tell You About A Natural Treatment Program that Helps patients plagued with Diarrhea, Constipation, Abdominal Pain and bloating get to the ROOT CAUSE.

Many people throughout the country and even world dream of having a day where they dont wake up and are dealing with chronic IBD, diarrhea, abdominal pain or constipation.  How would you like to eliminate the embarrassing diarrhea, bloating, constipation, gas, intestinal spasms, and bowel discomfort naturally? I have helped thousands of people over the last 15 years solve the IBS mystery and lead normal lives.

You have probably heard about the Law of Cause and Effect. Quite simply your symptoms are the effects of some cause. Don’t accept the notion that there is nothing else you can do and that you have to live like this for the rest of your life. The Key is finding out what YOUR individual CAUSE is! You can’t guess about what it might be, you cant follow a cookie cutter approach that you see on facebook groups and you can’t take your next door neighbors medications or supplements and expect it to work for you in the long run.

The Answer For Better Gut Health Lies In A Four Step Process.

#1 Getting the RIGHT kind of  Tests– You Need Functional Testing. Test that show where you body needs support.

#2 Working with a certified Functional Medicine doctor who has experience to Interpret the tests correctly.

#3 Following a very Specific- Customized and tailored (to the Individual) Supplement protocol

#4 Consistent Dietary Changes that are based on again testing. Testing serves as a compass at which you will find your direction.

Digestive trouble can be one of the most embarrassing and uncomfortable diseases a person can have.

As you may know, your life can be a wreck by not being able to go in public due to an attack. Never enjoying life to the fullest, not being able to go places where a bathroom is a few steps away, or eating something and never knowing when the next “attack” will happen is NOT how you should have to live.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. What that means is that after ruling out cancer and other life threatening diseases, you are sent home with a diagnosis of IBS.

Is There A Cure For IBS-D, IBS-C or SIBO?

Although traditional medicine states, there is no cure for IBS and that you will have to live with it for the rest of your life.I totally disagree-and so do my patients, I have helped over the years.

Most traditional treatments are designed only to relieve symptoms. Medications to speed up your bowel movements, medications to slow down your bowel movements.

Well, its much more complicated than this. If you want to address the root cause you will need to think outside the box. This is where functional testing can provide insight on where your body needs support.

Here are some of the most common areas I think about when it comes to working with patients who struggle with IBS-D, IBS-M, bloating, belching, abdominal pain and constipation.

Most Important Point of All When It Comes To Treating IBS and IBD.

There is never one cause to your symptoms but a constellation of problems. Several conditions may be present alongside IBS and compound the Symptoms. Disorders and syndromes including SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, SIFO (small intestinal Fungal Overgrowth, Celiac disease, Histamine Intolerance, Gluten intolerance, Fructose mal-absorption, Lactose Intolerance, bacterial infections, endotoxins from bacteria, parasites, worms, food allergies, infections like cryptosporidium, Giardia, Hookworm, Leaky Gut, Thyroid disorders, Autoimmune diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative Colitis’s. Has your doctor considered any of these? If not, this may part of the problem?

In westernized allopathic medicine, traditional and routine testing for IBS often comes up empty handed. This is why we use functional testing markers and often think “outside the box”

While some of the GI “Experts” will say that IBS is not a serious conditions, I would argue that IBS is often an ongoing source of chronic pain, fatigue, skin conditions, Depression, Anxiety, Brain Fog, Thyroid problems, autoimmune disorders and so many other symptoms. IBS also increases a patient’s medical costs long term, and contributes to missed days at work.

I would also add that Gut/digestive problems are the cause of most chronic disease such as auto immune conditions, thyroid diseases, arthritis, anemia, gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD), symptoms relating to the genitourinary system, psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, headache and back pain and many more including something you may have not of heard of COLON CANCER!!!

The gut- has been called the 2nd  brain because many problems that start in the gut lead to problems in the brain.

The Following Health problems have been like to gut problems.

• multiple sclerosis,
• anxiety,
• Brain Fog
• Bi-polar/Schizophrenia
• Inflammatory arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Depression
• Eczema
• Chronic neck or back pain
• Hormone problems
• Diabetes,
• Neuropathy,
• Thyroid disease,
• Hashimoto’s (autoimmune Thyroid)
• Graves Disease
• ADD/ADHD,
• Asthma
• Allergies (adults too) and autistic disorders.
• And many more health problems being added to the list everyday.

My Ten Keys to Improving Gut Health

1.Altered levels of beneficial bacteria “Dysbiosis”

2.Presence of infectious bacteria, H.Pylori, LPS endotoxins, Yeast/Fungal overgrowth or parasites (Toxicity)

3.Lack of digestive enzymes for Proper Digestion (especially if you have lost your gall bladder or you take antacids)

4.Altered Bowel chemistry PH or SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) affecting motility

5.Leaky Gut- Breakdown in the integrity of the Gut Barrier (Can lead to auto immune disease such as Crohn’s disease, Hashimotos, Type I diabetes, Cancer)

6.Fructose or Sucrose Intolerance- Fructose/Sucrose Malabsorption or Histamine Intolerance.

7.Food Sensitivities/Intolerance to Dairy, Egg, Soy, Milk, Gluten, Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Xanthum Gum, or other foods

8.Cross Reactive Food Sensitivity (foods similar in structure to gluten that can induce damage to the body)

9.Inflammation-Inflammation poses many problems to people who suffer with diarrhea, bloating, cramping, constipation, gas, and GERDS. Inflammation is a major cause of tissue damage and pain.

10.Hormonal Imbalances- Hormone like Cortisol, Thyroid, Estrogen have a massive affect on how fast food moves through Gastrointestinal tract. Low thyroid hormones can cause constipation, while too little cortisol can impair healing of inflamed tissues. Estrogen can affect the gallbladder causing poor digestion of fats. Hormones imbalances can influence neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, GABA, Acetylcholine affecting Gut Motility.

As you can see there are many interactions and connections between the Immune system, the Gastrointestinal system, the Hormone system and the Neurological system. If these systems are not evaluated together, You or your doctor may be missing something.

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