What Doctors Don't Tell YouBefore any practitioner makes a firm diagnosis of IBS, it’s a good idea for you to undergo a number of tests in order to rule out one of the many other conditions that can masquerade as IBS. They include: a comprehensive stool analysis, an intestinal permeability probe, a blood serum test for gut fermentation products, an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a Heidelberg pH gastric analysis, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and/or serum protein concentration.
Once other conditions have been eliminated or treated, including lifestyle or psychological ones, your practitioner should consider three possible treatment areas, according to the outcome of the tests:Nutritionally correcting a potential malabsorption syndrome due to either low gastric acid production or inadequate pancreatic function (or both).
Identifying possible allergy/intolerance to certain food, and then excluding them from the patient’s diet.
Fixing “leaky gut syndrome” (increased intestinal permeability), which may be a legacy from some earlier condition or treatment by adding linseed (soaked in water) to the diet for its soothing effect.
Daniel Redwood DC
Tom Ferguson MD
