IBS - Irritable Bowel Symptoms & Treatment + 4 success stories for treating IBS with natural remedies

IBS - Irritable Bowel Symptoms & Treatment + 4 success stories for treating IBS with natural remedies

With a global prevalence of 10 to 20%, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common digestive disorder characterized by abdominal pain and bloating, changes in bowel habits (constipation, diarrhea, or both), and is typically a long-term condition. For a diagnosis to be made, symptoms must be present for at least six months and occur at least once a week. ((Link removed), (Link removed))

What causes irritable bowel symptoms?

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) belongs to a category of digestive disorders known as functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDI). This means that clear pathology cannot necessarily be identified, although the patient may be quite ill. It is a syndrome with a specific constellation of symptoms that are common among sufferers, but a diagnosable, named disease cannot be determined, e.g. E.g. celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. For this reason, IBS has historically been considered a "disease of exclusion," meaning that an organic cause cannot be found through laboratory work or imaging and that the diagnosis is made after all other causes have been ruled out.

Conventional medical care may be inadequate for these patients because a definitive cause cannot be determined. A handful of medications are currently on the market to relieve symptoms, but they do not treat the root cause the way naturopathy can. ((Link removed), (Link removed))

mechanisms

Until more conclusive diagnostic tests can be developed, common features in addition to symptoms have been observed in IBS patients that shed light on the underlying cause of the syndrome. Understanding the mechanisms behind a health problem is ND's first step toward effective treatment and hopefully a cure.

• Eine niedriggradige Darmentzündung wurde mit dem Reizdarmsyndrom in Verbindung gebracht, nicht zu verwechseln mit Reizdarmkrankheiten. Bei IBS-Patienten wurden entzündliche Zellen der Darmschleimhaut nachgewiesen, und sie weisen einen Anstieg der Entzündungsmarker auf, die als Zytokine sowohl im Blut als auch in der Darmschleimhaut bezeichnet werden. ((Link entfernt))
• Histamin, an das wir normalerweise bei allergischen Reaktionen denken, wird auch im Darm produziert und trägt vermutlich zur „viszeralen Überempfindlichkeit“ von IBS-Patienten bei. ((Link entfernt))
• IBS nach der Infektion ist die Entwicklung von IBS nach einer Darminfektion, die lange nach dem Abklingen der Infektion anhalten kann. Es wird angenommen, dass dies zu einer abnormalen gastrointestinalen Motilität und einer erhöhten Kontraktilität der glatten Muskulatur führt, möglicherweise aufgrund entzündlicher Prozesse. ((Link entfernt))

"IBS is a condition with a complex array of triggers, none of which are individually sufficient to produce symptoms, but can do so in combination. Food sensitivities, imbalanced flora and improper fermentation can trigger a condition in the gut that requires just one trigger, such as emotional or physical stress, or a dose of sensitive food, to produce reactions and symptoms. The Natural treatment is based on the concept of the four Rs: remove, replace, reinoculate and restore.”Wm. Thor Conner, ND,Graduate ,  National University of Health Sciences

Irritable bowel syndrome triggers

• Lebensmittelempfindlichkeiten / -unverträglichkeiten – Wenn es um IBS geht, spielt Lebensmittel eine zentrale Rolle, da viele Menschen mit IBS einen signifikanten Zusammenhang zwischen den von ihnen verzehrten Lebensmitteln und dem Auftreten oder der Verschärfung ihrer Symptome feststellen. Eine Entzündung der Darmschleimhaut kann eine häufige Folge von Nahrungsmittelempfindlichkeiten / -unverträglichkeiten sein, die IBS auslösen können.
• Dysbiose – Ein Merkmal vom Reizdarmsyndrom scheint eine Verringerung der Diversität des Darmmikrobioms zu sein. Eine Studie zeigte, dass die Patienten mit den schwersten Symptomen weniger verschiedene Stämme der Darmflora hatten als diejenigen mit milderen Fällen oder gesunder Kontrolle. (Quelle)
• Stress – Die Verbindung zwischen Darm und Gehirn scheint bei der Entwicklung von IBS besonders wichtig zu sein, und viele Fälle von IBS begannen mit einem traumatischen Lebensereignis. ((Link entfernt))
• Hormone – Da Frauen häufiger IBS entwickeln als Männer, wird angenommen, dass weibliche Sexualhormone eine Rolle spielen. Tatsächlich wurde gezeigt, dass eine Östrogendysregulation eine Immunantwort im Darm hervorruft, die zur Symptomologie beiträgt. ((Link entfernt))

Hail practitioners share success stories from IBS patients

"I have a 28-year-old patient who is pursuing a master's degree and enjoys working outside of animal husbandry. She had a history of IBS associated with heavy, painful menstruation but otherwise normal GI health. After traveling abroad, increased stress, and some general illnesses, she developed urgent IBS-d. This urgent diarrhea had a major impact on her daily life, making it difficult to care for animals and to leave the house for school. She had tried several food removals, herbal teas, probiotics and other supportive therapies that she could find online without much improvement. Her main strategy was to avoid eating, which could extend her day away from the toilet until she was home at night.
Homeopathic Podophyllum immediately relieved the explosive, urgent diarrhea, allowing her to feel more comfortable leaving the house. Further work revealed problems with GI dysbiosis and pancreatic insufficiency. After a few different herbal and pharmaceutical treatments to correct the dysbiosis, discovering the right pancreatic enzyme, and focusing on stress reduction/sleep improvement, a year later she is having one to two non-urgent, well-formed stools per day while maintaining a healthy diet.”Crane Holmes, ND,Graduate,  National University of Natural Medicine

"A 38-year-old male patient presented with IBS symptoms of IBS, including abdominal pain and bloating. These IBS symptoms were relieved by urgent, frequent and loose bowel movements. He had had these symptoms for six months and his quality of life was slowly deteriorating. He stopped going to a restaurant with his family because he was extremely afraid of the thought of not being able to control his pain and bowel movements. He traveled frequently for work and did not eat with his coworkers, surviving on ginger ale, nut bars, and Imodium. When he visited me, his fear became even greater when his wife asked for a separation. After a complete medical history was collected, a physical examination was completed, and other causes were ruled out, the evaluation of IBS was performed. I recommended dietary changes, botanicals and supplements to control his anxiety and GI symptoms as well as counseling were offered to help him grieve the end of his relationship. After three months, his IBS symptoms were more under control, and while he was still struggling with the divorce, his quality of life had improved, he had started his own business, and was less reliant on Imodium. He was able to travel and control his IBS and anxiety with botanicals and supplements. Today he is in a new relationship and although his IBS symptoms briefly flared up when he started dating, he enjoys his life, eating a variety of foods and traveling without fear. This case really helped me understand the gut-brain axis and its influence on health balance. And although his IBS symptoms briefly flared up when he started dating, he enjoys his life, eating a variety of foods food and travel without fear. This case really helped me understand the gut-brain axis and its influence on health balance. "And although his IBS symptoms flared up briefly when he started dating, he enjoys his life, eats a variety of foods, and travels without fear. This case really helped me understand the gut-brain axis and its influence on health balance."Poonam Patel, BSc, ND,Graduate ,  Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

"A woman in her mid-40s had a six-month history of abdominal pain, loose stools, and nausea. Her IBS symptoms began around the same time she was experiencing significant stress with work and family. She was diagnosed with IBS-D and recommended taking Imodium as needed for loose stools and stress relief. She did this, but the IBS symptoms never really resolved, which led her to contact me to see. I gave her a gut healing protocol with glutamine, herbs, and digestive enzymes, which helped a little, but also didn't resolve her symptoms. It became clear that her IBS symptoms were worse with some meals, so we investigated food sensitivities and found that she had reactions to wheat, dairy, and eggs. She eliminated these from her diet and her symptoms improved a little more, but not completely. At this point I ordered a SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) breath test which was positive. Remarkably, the only risk factor she had for SIBO was stress. I treated her SIBO and all her GI symptoms disappeared. While she still had mild reactions to wheat, dairy products and tomatoes, she was able to overcome them after SIBO treatment tolerated much better. Depending on the study, between 60 and 80% of patients with IBS test positive for SIBO. This may be the cause of all of her digestive symptoms and is, in my opinion, important in determining treatment approaches. When SIBO is present, it is the first thing I work on. If SIBO is missed, you generally won't get very far with IBS treatment until it's resolved. “Lela Altman, ND, LAc,Graduate ,  Bastyr University

"I had a patient who had been treated solely with medication for IBS for years, with little effect. She had what she described as 'unpredictable' gas and stool urgency, with many loose stools per day, constant cramping and bloating after meals. She also suffered from headaches and depression, insomnia and fatigue, and was on different medications for each. She was told she needed to deal with the symptoms and that they would likely get worse over time. She called me in what she saw as a last-ditch attempt to get some relief. She ate a diet primarily of processed foods; especially wheat-based. I convinced her to do a basic elimination for two weeks, focusing on eliminating wheat and increasing vegetables. We also addressed the daily stress she was under and gave her some good ways to deal with it in a healthy way.
She left feeling hopeful for the first time in years. A month later, she reported having consistent bowel movements over the weeks and significant improvement in gas and bloating. She slept better and had no headaches since the second week. She even found the energy to start an exercise routine. She had seen the immediate impact of removing offending foods and using enzymes and probiotics and found that the effort was worth it. At six months old, she was thriving for the first time in decades and was an advocate for gut health. She even led a meditation group for her high-stress office to improve her environment. “Wm. Thor Conner, ND,Graduate ,  National University of Health Sciences

Due to the complexity of IBS and the complexity of how the human digestive tract works, it is unlikely that a single treatment will be of full benefit in effectively managing IBS symptoms. Using a multistage approach that utilizes the various approaches available is more likely to result in adequate symptomatic control and treatment of the disease in the long term.