Unfortunately, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is as unpleasant as it sounds.
It’s characterised by a cluster of symptoms including bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and/or abdominal discomfort. And, it’s generally used as a diagnosis when a doctor or specialist has ruled out all the other serious causes through further investigation.
Go on a low FODMAP diet, they say…
Most patients who walk out of the doctor’s office with this diagnosis are told to go on a low FODMAP diet, manage stress and take medications when necessary. However, I don’t believe this is the right advice as the first line of treatment.
So, what about the root cause?
Despite the common belief that IBS is very poorly understood and that the causes are idiopathic (of no known origin), I beg to differ. Both in the research and in clinic, I have seen evidence to suggest that there is one very likely underlying cause to many people’s IBS symptoms. That cause is known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO. What happens in this situation is that bacteria that should be in your large intestine become overgrown in your small intestine and produce many of the symptoms that are common in IBS.
Research has shown that up to 80% of IBS cases are caused by SIBO.
That figure depends on the research that you look at and of course, this isn’t to say that everyone with IBS has SIBO, but it is a very worthwhile, and relatively simple thing to investigate and rule out.
So, do you have SIBO?
To accurately diagnose SIBO, it’s recommended that you complete both a lactulose and glucose breath test for SIBO using a reputable lab and have a practitioner who is experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of SIBO to interpret your results alongside your symptom picture.
To help you get started, below are a list of symptoms that commonly occur in SIBO patients:
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal discomfort
- Bloating (particularly bloating that occurs straight after meals as opposed to bloating that only occurs as the day goes on)
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms when taking probiotics
- A temporary relief of symptoms after taking antibiotics
- Multiple food intolerances or sensitivities
If this sounds like you, I’d strongly encourage you to reduce sugar in your diet, and get to a practitioner’s office who can get to the bottom of it for you (pun intended).
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