5 Tests To Investigate Your IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is said to affect 1 in 5 Australians at some point in their life. For some it can be months of dealing with bloating, pain, gas, diarrhoea, constipation or a mix of both. Others suffer with these symptoms for years or even a lifetime.

IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, generally, my patients are told by their GP or Gastroenterologist they have IBS after other conditions have been excluded with medical tests. Some of my patients have been told they have IBS, based solely on symptoms alone. IBS is called a functional disorder, as there is said to be no physiological change to the gut or pathology detected.

In the field of  Natural Medicine, we are very good at supporting deficiencies in the functioning of the gut, but we also look for causes of your IBS. I want to discuss with you 5 tests, that may be helpful in investigating your underlying causes of IBS.

Coeliac Serology

One of the first things I check when patients present with an IBS diagnosis or IBS symptoms in my clinic is if they have had Coeliac Serology through their GP. Coeliac Serology is a blood test that measures if antibodies are present that may indicate Coeliac Disease. It is very important to still be consuming gluten when this test is performed or it may result in a false negative test result.

Calprotectin

Calprotectin is a stool test, that looks to measure an inflammatory protein produced in the gastrointestinal tract. Elevated levels can point towards inflammatory bowel disease, as opposed to IBS. This would need to be further investigated.

SIBO Lactulose Breath Test

As SIBO (Small Intestinal bacterial Overgrowth)  can be an underlying cause of around 50%-84% of IBS patients' symptoms, thus the SIBO breath is very indicated. SIBO is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine and can produce extreme bloating, pain, reflux, excess gas and depending on the gases formed constipation, diarrhoea or a combination of both. Patients with SIBO can also experience more systemic symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, joint pain & mineral deficiencies.

The breath test should measure methane and hydrogen levels every 20 minutes over a 3-hour period. The gas levels and the increases observed over the 3-hour period, should be used to guide the type of treatment that will be most effective. Ensuring you use a quality lab is essential to getting the correct testing procedure and interpretation of results.

Organic Acid Test

The Organic Acid Test (OAT) is a urine test that measures chemical compounds we excrete as a part of the normal (metabolism) function of our bodies. These compounds can tell us a lot about what is going on inside the body. As a practitioner, I use it to get very accurate information on intestinal yeast, mold, and bacteria overgrowths.

Microbiome testing

There are many tests that will look at the make-up of the microbial community that lives in your large bowel. With extensive research, we know what bacteria species and roughly the numbers that make up the microbiomes of healthy individuals as compared to those that have poor health.

Microbiome testing can help us to see if there are changes we can make including antimicrobial herbs, probiotics, prebiotics or dietary changes to shift your microbiota in a more favourable direction.

There are many tests available on the market today, but you do want to be discerning. I suggest working with a practitioner who specialises in digestive issues, as they can guide you on the most reliable tests and help you to interpret your results based on your unique case.

Please note that more serious diseases should not be overlooked. IBS symptoms can be due to a functional problem or just as easily due to a specific disease like Coeliac Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Diverticulitis. Therefore investigating & ruling out more serious conditions is definitely advisable.

If you want more help to resolve your IBS or any gut conditions, you can book a FREE 15-minute discovery call here:

https://www.tummyrescue.com.au/free-15-minute-call

Or if you are interested in the membership, you can jump on the waitlist here:

https://tummy-rescue-hub.newzenler.com/courses/tummy-rescue-hub

If you want 5 ways to reduce your bloating, pain, and gas, get my FREE e-book right now!

This guide is easy to understand, so that you can begin implementing changes today and  
get relief as soon as possible.

Don’t suffer any longer!

A bit about me!

 I am Danielle Elliott a qualified Naturopath and the owner of Tummy Rescue.

I have been helping kids & adults improve their health for over 16 years, with the last 11 years concentrating on helping patients with any kind of gut disorder. I began focussing on everything gut related after my husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. And lucky I did……as my husband and both our kids have Coeliac Disease and my daughter has a dairy allergy.

So…. I am well and truly where I am meant to be!

I love being able to help people to soothe and calm their symptoms, investigate the causes and support and improve their gut function.

I also get to write educational pieces to train practitioners and am often interviewed for podcasts and summits, which is another really rewarding part of my work. I love educating people (this is something I do in every consult), because I do believe knowledge is power. It gives you the tools to make the changes you need to!

So, when you opt-in to my E-book, you are beginning on a journey of learning and discovery, of how you can reduce your symptoms of bloating, gas & pain and improve your gut health.

I would be honoured to help you along the way.

Danielle xoxo