Greetings!
Thank you for your continued support of my newsletter. I sincerely enjoy bringing them to you every month.  This month, I am focusing on IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. If you are experiencing a lot of bloating, cramps, pain constipation or diarrhea, you may have IBS. Symptoms of IBS can be anywhere from uncomfortable to downright debilitating at times. Those who suffer from IBS have probably endured many tests and procedures that have diagnosed the problem, but ultimately, they may not be receiving the best treatment that will really get in there and solve the problem. If you believe you have the symptoms of IBS or any other digestive disorders, please consider coming in for a Holistic Physical. We can find out the underlying cause and get you back on the road to better health. |
A Solution For IBS
| |  It's a very familiar story; a patient has cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and pain. Some of these symptoms are so debilitating, that at times they have been forced to stay at home and miss work. They go to their medical doctor who orders tons of tests, endoscopies, colonoscopies, but everything comes back normal.
This patient receives a diagnosis of IBS and is told that it may be due to stress, that little can be done, and ultimately they will have no other choice but to live with it!! Sometimes, they are prescribed a drug, which may have nothing to do with the cause of their problem.
Patients have told me that their medical doctor prescribed them anti-depressants for IBS. They are not given answers on why or what to do to feel better, and most of the time are left frustrated.
IBS is another one of those very generalized syndromes that lumps a large percentage of people with very generalized digestive problems together. Approximately, 20 percent of Americans have digestive upset and specific symptoms, and have been diagnosed with IBS. It is true that their bowels are irritated and they have similar symptoms of cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and pain, but the question is what is the underlying cause of these symptoms?
The gut is a finely tuned ecosystem that requires the right balance of healthy micro-organisms ( good bacteria), which significantly have to out number any bad micro-organisms ( bad bacteria, viruses, parasites, molds, yeast, fungii, rickettsia, protozoa, amoeba). Microbial imbalance causes the lining of the intestines to become inflamed and creates a leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability. This is when food particles, microorganisms, and toxins are not digested properly, and may literally leak out into the blood stream, causing the immune system to constantly react and respond to these substances.
Microbial imbalance also may cause a reduction in enzymatic activity, which causes food to be left undigested. The bad microorganisms will then take this undigested food and ferment this food, which can produce gas and bloating.
Food sensitivities also cause IBS symptoms, so it is important to know what foods to avoid in order for the body to heal. Multiple food sensitivities can be the result of microorganism imbalance and toxicity. Many patients indicate that at a certain point in their lives, their bodies started to react to certain foods. The majority of people aren't born with multiple food sensitivities, but they develop sensitivities over time because of microbial imbalance and toxicity.  A person can become sensitive to anything, even fruits, vegetables, and foods that are considered healthy by the general population.
When the underlying cause of microbial imbalance, toxicity, gut lining health, and enzymatic capacity are improved, many food sensitivities are lessened dramatically, if not completely eradicated. The body can handle these former sensitivities when the digestive system is healthier.
Case Study of an Active Patient
Peter is in his mid 40's and works for a television station in Manhattan. On his first visit, he complained of bloating, stomach pain, on and off constipation/diarrhea, and what he called his biggest complaint stomach noise. Peter said that he wanted to be symptom-free by his upcoming trip in October to South America to meet his girlfriend's family. He indicated that at work in the studio, there would be relative quiet, and all of a sudden his stomach would make loud, gurgling, obnoxious noises.
Not a day would go by without his fellow work crew throwing out some back-handed comments about his stomach's cacophony. Peter told me it was really getting under his skin and wanted a solution. Through muscle and reflex testing, it was discovered that Peter had food sensitivities to corn, dairy, almonds, white potatoes, lemon, walnuts, and eggs. Microorganism imbalance was also identified, which included positive tests for the protozoa vial and the fungus 2 vial.
Nutritional supplements and food intake modification were recommended to help the underlying cause of his IBS symptoms. Peter came into the office for follow ups about every three weeks for the next three months. Each visit he reported improvement. By the fourth visit, about 9 weeks after he started his protocol, he told me that the all of his symptoms had improved by about 90 percent. His gurgling and stomach noise were almost completely gone, and his co-workers had to find something else to make fun of.
Currently, Peter's protocol consists of many less food restrictions, but he is staying away from dairy, because dairy is still testing as a sensitivity. When he no longer tested positive for the fungal and protozoa vial, many of his food sensitivities cleared up. Now that his gut is healthier, he can handle the foods that he was having problems digesting.
Peter's gut is in the rebuilding phase, and he is taking nutritional supplements to help maintain the integrity of his intestinal lining, enzymes to help with digestion, a probiotic, and other nutritional supplements for vitamin and mineral deficiencies. During his last visit, he left the office and said, "I'll give you this doc; you cured my stomach problems, and even came through with getting things sorted out before I go to South America."
If you or someone you know wants to find the underlying causes and a solution for your IBS diagnosis, call my office, and I would be happy to help you turn IBS into a thing of the past.
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