Digestive Health

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

From a conventional standpoint, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion - meaning that it's given when there are no other plausible explanations for your gut issues. The advice usually given is to "manage your stress" and "watch what you eat". However, what has become more and more apparent in my clinical practice is that the majority of patients who've been labelled with IBS actually have a gut condition called SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth).⁠ This occurs when there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, usually due to the migration of bacteria upwards from the large intestine and colon (where the bacteria usually live).⁠ ⁠
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Common symptoms of SIBO include (you don't have to have all of these symptoms to have SIBO):⁠
💨 Gas and bloating ⁠
💨 Chronic constipation, diarrhea, or a combination of both⁠
💨 Abdominal pain, discomfort, cramping⁠
💨 Acid reflux⁠
💨 Fatigue and brain fog⁠
💨 Nausea
💨 Increased flatulence and/or burping
.. which is basically all the symptoms of IBS!
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We can test for SIBO using a breath test to detect whether there are large amounts of methane or hydrogen gases released from the bacteria in the small intestine. The wonderful thing about testing for SIBO is that once it's confirmed that you do have SIBO and once we initiate treatment, symptoms can improve very quickly (in a matter of days). 

If you've been suffering from all the symptoms above and/or you've been diagnosed with IBS and want to address it once and for all, click below to book a discovery call to learn more about how to get tested for SIBO!