ARE MY SYMPTOMS IBS?

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“Your IBS Symptoms Are Experienced in Many Different Body Systems.“

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House (NDDIC) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) is one of the most authoritative sources for information on digestive diseases. This is their definition of IBS Symptoms. I think it’s the best place to start discussing your symptoms as well as the symptoms usually left out or overlooked by our doctors. These other symptoms are vital in revealing the path to the cause of all IBS symptoms and the way to stop them. Even the NDDIC description, which is more thorough than most, ignores many of the other symptoms we have to learn to live with.

“Abdominal pain, bloating, and discomfort are the main symptoms of IBS. However, symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people have constipation, which means hard, difficult-to-pass, or infrequent bowel movements. Often these people report straining and cramping when trying to have a bowel movement but cannot eliminate any stool, or they are able to eliminate only a small amount. If they are able to have a bowel movement, there may be mucus in it, which is a fluid that moistens and protect passages in the digestive system. Some people with IBS experience diarrhea, which is frequent, loose, watery, stools. People with diarrhea frequently feel an urgent and uncontrollable need to have a bowel movement. Other people with IBS alternate between constipation and diarrhea. Sometimes people find that their symptoms subside for a few months and then return, while others report a constant worsening of symptoms over time.”

Again, I assume you are here because a physician said that your diagnosis is Irritable Bowel Syndrome. If not, you need to see your physician and make sure that other conditions are ruled out first.

Since you do have a definite “IBS diagnosis”, we can explore the problem and the solution. There are different types and combinations of IBS symptoms. You already know IBS causes intestinal symptoms: abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, gas, episodes of diarrhea or changes in bowel habits from diarrhea to constipation and back again, or just chronic diarrhea. Some people diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome experience abdominal pain, bloating, and gas but never get diarrhea. Instead, they are constantly fighting constipation and failing, just as most IBS victims are fighting off diarrhea episodes and failing to break the cycle.

The IBS population is roughly split three ways between what we call ‘IBS with Diarrhea Predominant’ (IBS-D or D-IBS), IBS with Constipation Predominant (IBS-C or C-IBS) and “Cyclic IBS” (IBS C & D, C-D IBS, or simply Cyclic IBS).

The math suggests there is a 66% chance you are like I was, plagued with a chronic diarrhea or Cyclic IBS. These IBS suffers (this 2/3 majority) respond most dramatically to the LEAP testing and treatment plan. Because of certain distinctions in the type of inflammation seen by investigators, IBS-C can take a bit longer. One of our Certified LEAP Therapists (Certified LEAP Therapist or CLT) may have to work with your eating and activity patterns longer to achieve your treatment goals. But you’ll get there. It doesn’t matter where you love or work either. We can reach you just about anywhere.

Irrespective of “type”, we also experience symptoms in other parts of their body. These symptoms might appear before, during, or after an “IBS Episode”. They may come and go on their own without the abdominal and intestinal symptoms. Unfortunately, our doctors may tell us these symptoms are insignificant; or they are just “stress” related; or they have nothing to do with our IBS - its “something else”. Research has now shown this is a mistake. All these symptoms are directly related to the cause of our intestinal symptoms. These other symptoms can include sensations of chills, hot and cold flashes, sweating, aches, and pains in other areas of the body, dizziness, cloudy or “foggy” thinking or awareness, acid indigestion (reflux) and more. These are all widely reported and shared by Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients. Just like the intestinal symptoms. There is absolutely no answer when we try to get help for these symptoms. Now there are answers both about “why” and “how to make them stop”.