Sometimes I Hate My Guts: Alleviating IBS Symptoms

May 4, 2021 by
IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, stomach pain, gut health, Dr. Matt Fisel

We had plans to go on a long hike.

I chose my breakfast carefully. I didn’t want to rock the boat with any foods that might upset my stomach. I thought I had covered all of the bases, but a mile in I noticed the usual symptoms:

bloating, gassiness, and then…

my bowels started to activate.

I knew from experience this was not going to go well.

Maybe you’ve had your own bout, in public or private, with cramping, constipation or a sudden onset of diarrhea.

And…your doctor just could not tell you WHY.

Patients who have been categorized with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) say,

“Dr. Fisel…I was diagnosed with IBS months ago, and was prescribed medication that doesn’t seem to be working. Are there natural ways to find relief from my IBS?”

Unfortunately, IBS tends to be a catchall for those unexplainable symptoms in the intestines, appearing “normal” when tested. Your doctor may have ruled out cancer, colitis, etc., but wasn’t able to specifically answer the question:

WHY ARE MY GUTS HOLDING ME HOSTAGE?

We help patients find answers using an integrative approach that assesses their diagnosis and also gets to the root cause(s) of their underlying symptoms.

HERE’S THREE THINGS WE LOOK AT, from a naturopathic perspective, to understand more about your personal condition and why your symptoms might be persistent:

GUT SYSTEM HEALTH: We can do additional stool, breath, and/or blood testing to identify more definitive causes of IBS (small intestine bacterial overgrowth – SIBO, microbial overgrowths, enzyme deficiencies, food sensitivities, functional bowel problems, leaky gut syndrome).

Also, a number of treatments we can incorporate to improve the FUNCTION of the gut, along with promoting intestinal repair (probiotics, digestive enzymes, intestinal healing herbs and nutrients).

FOOD SENSITIVITIES: We will sometimes do elimination diets or cleansing protocols that often help people identify food triggers within their diets.

Cutting back on FODMAP foods, or following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, can often help to give the intestines a rest allowing the intestinal tract to repair.

STRESS MANAGEMENT: Stress relief is key. At the very basic level we want to assess your day-to-day life and look at your habits.

You could start monitoring yourself by journaling about the foods you eat, how much sleep you’re getting, how you are moving your body – and of course how it makes you feel. Notice the trends.

Naturopathic medicine is an integrative approach to health care. Where western medicine leaves off, a Naturopathic Doctor helps patients get to the root of uncomfortable symptoms.

Dr. Fisel is here to help you get your life back after an IBS diagnosis and to help you feel relief from your symptoms. Please call (203) 453-0122 or CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment, today.

NEW PATIENT FREE 15 MINUTE CONSULATION: Dr. Fisel promotes health and healing on all levels, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you live in the Guilford/ Branford/ New Haven/ Madison/ Clinton area and would like to learn more about the innovative programs Dr. Fisel has to offer, call (203) 453-0122 or CLICK HERE to schedule your free 15 minute consultation.

Filed Under: Digestive Health, IBS Tagged With: , , , ,

IBS? It May Be Something Else . . .

May 15, 2013 by

SIBOPeople often come to my office saying they’ve been diagnosed with IBS. They may complain of intestinal pain, constipation, diarrhea, or all of the above, yet all of their test results come back “normal”, so they are prescribed anti-spasmodic medications to manage their symptoms, and sent on their way. In my experience, IBS is merely a symptom of other underlying causes, rather than  a definitive diagnosis. Whether it’s food intolerances, poor eating habits, or restoring optimal production of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, naturopathic medicine has a lot to offer when it comes to identifying and treating the underlying cause of IBS. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Digestive Health, IBS Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Is It Really IBS?

February 15, 2012 by

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects one in five adult Americans, and is responsible for up to 40% of referrals to gastroenterologists. While there are legitimate criteria used to diagnose IBS (alternating constipation and diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain), the term is generally used to label patients who don’t have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or other underlying “organic” diseases. Once patients have been labeled with having IBS, they are often given one or more medications to treat the symptoms, usually with little to no relief.

Fortunately for IBS sufferers, a multitude of underlying factors may be the real cause of digestive symptoms, making the likelihood of recovery much more promising. One condition in particular that’s often overlooked is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This is an abnormal colonization of bacteria within the small intestine by bacteria that are normally found in the colon, mouth, or pharynx. When left untreated, SIBO is not only mistaken with IBS, but has been linked to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome as well. The cause of SIBO isn’t always clear, but patients who are at higher risk include those with chronic constipation, achlorhydria, diabetes, scleroderma, diverticulosis, and adhesions from prior surgeries.

Up to 78% of patients who are diagnosed with IBS may in fact be experiencing SIBO. Testing for this condition is performed by blowing into a tube that measures gases given off by the excessive amount of bacteria that are present in the small intestine. While these tests are typically offered by gastroenterologists, there are several commercial laboratories that offer test kits for home use, which are then mailed back to the laboratory for analysis. If diagnosed, SIBO can be treated initially with specialized antibiotics. Once the offending bacteria are successfully eradicated, measures should then be taken to improve the intestinal environment (probiotics, digestive enzymes, etc.), which should help to prevent recurrence.

A diagnosis of IBS does not mean all hope is lost. Explore the possibility of SIBO, and seek out a naturopath or other alternative practitioner who can focus on how the digestive tract functions, rather than just looking for a disease.

Filed Under: Digestive Health, IBS, Pain, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

IBS and “Mindfulness”

June 29, 2011 by

A therapy that combines mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga may help soothe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a small clinical trial suggests.

In a study of 75 women with the digestive disorder, researchers found that those assigned to “mindfulness training” saw a bigger improvement in their symptoms over three months than women who were assigned to a support group.

The findings, they say, suggest that the mindfulness technique should be an option for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

A doctor not involved in the study agreed.

“I think people with IBS should learn mindfulness skills,” said Dr. Delia Chiaramonte, director of education for the University of Maryland’s Center for Integrative Medicine in Baltimore.

Learning such skills, she said in an interview, is “100 percent safe,” and it could offer people a way to help manage IBS symptoms on their own, long term.

People with IBS have repeated bouts of abdominal cramps, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. The typical treatment includes diet changes, as well as anti-diarrhea medication and, for constipation, laxatives or fiber supplements. There’s also some evidence that regular, moderate exercise helps.

The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but anxiety and less-than-ideal coping strategies — like avoiding going out because of your symptoms — are thought to make IBS worse for many people.

Because of that, psychological counseling is sometimes used. The best-studied form is cognitive behavioral therapy, which tries to change the unhealthy thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to people’s health problems.

For the new study, Susan A. Gaylord and colleagues at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, looked at a different approach to managing the “brain-gut” connection — known as mindfulness-based stress reduction.

The researchers randomly assigned 75 women with IBS to either undergo the mindfulness training or attend an IBS support group once a week for eight weeks.

The training included lessons on meditation, gentle yoga postures and “body scanning,” in which people focus their attention on one body area at a time to detect muscle tension and other sensations.

Gaylord’s team found that three months after the therapy ended, women who’d undergone mindfulness training were faring better than the support group.

On average, their scores on a standard 500-point IBS symptom questionnaire fell by more than 100 points, with a 50-point drop considered a “clinically significant” improvement.

In contrast, women in the support group averaged a 30-point decline, according to results in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Chiaramonte said the trial was “tremendously well-designed,” and set up to address the common criticisms of studies of mind-body therapies. Testing mindfulness training against a support group, for example, helps control for the fact that people involved in any form of therapy may simply expect to get better — and, therefore, do.

In surveys, the researchers found that women in the support group were as likely to expect benefits as those in the mindfulness group.

“And still, the mindfulness group did better,” Chiaramonte said. “So it’s not just the contact with another human being, or not just that they expected to get better.”

It also makes sense that mindfulness training would help people with IBS, according to Chiaramonte. “Part of the problem in IBS,” she explained, “is the attention people give to the physical discomfort, and what the mind then does with that.”

With mindfulness training, the goal is to help people become aware of what they are feeling, but then “let it go” instead of ruminating, and potentially making the physical symptoms worse.

Of course, naturopathic medicine automatically takes “mindfulness” into account, so this is nothing new from my perspective. By always assessing people’s mental/emotional state, along with implementing diet and lifestyle changes, it’s not uncommon for me to see people’s IBS symptoms improve dramatically. It’s unfortunate to see so many patients who come to me after undergoing multiple symptomatic treatments (steroids, anti-spasmodics, etc.), only left to be feeling worse.

Once again, this study demonstrates what naturopathic med
icine already practices-The impact of the mind on physical health cannot be avoided!

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/lfYimf American Journal of Gastroenterology, online June 21, 2011.

Filed Under: Diet and Nutrition, Digestive Health, IBS Tagged With: , ,

IBS and Exercise

January 12, 2011 by

People with irritable bowel syndrome may be able to find some relief by getting regular exercise, a small clinical trial suggests.

The study, of 102 adults with the disorder, found that those who were told to get some more exercise had better odds of seeing improvements in problems like cramps, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

After three months, 43 percent of the exercisers showed a “clinically significant” improvement in their symptoms — meaning it was making a difference in their daily lives. That compared with a quarter of the participants who maintained their normal lifestyle.

For people who are currently less-than-active, even a moderate increase in exercise may curb irritable bowel symptoms, according to senior researcher Dr. Riadh Sadik, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

In an email, Sadik said the researchers had told those in the exercise group to get 20 to 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise — like brisk walking or biking — on three to five days out of the week.

That’s a level that is generally safe and achievable, Sadik said. On top of that, the researcher added, “it will also improve your general health.”

About 15 percent of Americans have irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, which causes bouts of abdominal cramps, bloating and diarrhea or constipation.

It is different from inflammatory bowel disease, which includes two digestive diseases — ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease — that are believed to involve an abnormal immune system reaction in the intestines.

The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but people with the condition often find that they have certain symptom “triggers,” such as particular foods, larger-than-normal meals or emotional stress. From a naturopathic perspective, we also look at food allergies and dysbiosis (imbalances of gut bacteria) as major underlying causes of IBS.

According to Sadik, exercise may be helpful for several reasons. Past studies have shown that it can get things moving along in the gut, relieving gas and constipation. (Vigorous exercise, however, may worsen bouts of diarrhea.)

Regular exercise may also have a positive influence on the nervous and hormonal systems that act on the digestive tract.

None of the participants in the new study, reported in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, were regularly active at the outset. The researchers randomly asked about half to begin exercising over a 12-week period, with advice from a physical therapist. The rest stuck with their normal lifestyle habits.

At the end of the study, the exercise group reported greater improvements on a standard questionnaire onIBS symptoms. They were also less likely to show worsening symptoms.

Of the exercise group, 8 percent had a clinically significant increase in IBS symptoms, versus 23 percent of the comparison group.

That, according to Sadik, suggests that for a considerable number of people remaining sedentary may only worsen IBS.

“If you have IBS, then you can increase your physical activity to improve your symptoms,” Sadik said. “If you stay inactive, you should expect more symptoms.”  

Naturopathic medicine looks at IBS as a multi-factorial condition, involving physical, mental, and emotional issues, so it makes sense that exercise would have a positive impact when it comes to treating this “condition”. If you have symptoms of IBS, but have not yet explored naturopathic treatments, it would definitely be in your best interest. 

Filed Under: Digestive Health Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

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