Overview

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is characterized by alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea, accompanied by cramping and bloating.

Please see conventional, complimentary and alternative medical treatments for important background information regarding the different types of medical treatments discussed on this page. Naturopathic, Complimentary and Alternative treatments that may be considered include:

Etiology

Diagnosis

The Rome III [Longstreth2006] criteria for diagnosing IBS requires:
  • Symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis
  • Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort at least 3 days/month for the last 3 months
  • Associated with 2 or more of the following:
    • Symptoms improve after bowel movement (BM)
    • Onset of symptoms is associated with a change in frequency of BM
    • Onset of symptoms is associated with a change in consistency of BM

The workup of an IBS patient includes:

  1. Rule out alarm signs (bleeding, masses, sudden change in bowel habits)
  2. Then diagnose based on history and symptoms.
  3. Test for dysbiosis with organic acid test

Differential Diagnosis

  • Opiate drug use
  • Neoplasm

Treatment

Conventional Treatment

Naturopathic, Complimentary and Alternative Treatments

Dysbiosis

Treat dysbiosis if present.

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

According to the Low Dose Naltrexone home page [LDN], LDN has been seen to benefit IBS, which is considered to be an autoimmune disease. Dr. Weyrich has been trained in the use of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). However, Dr. Weyrich has not treated any cases of IBS with LDN.

Please see What is Low Dose Naltrexone? for more information.

Neurotransmitter Balancing

Neuro Research [Hinz2015] reports that irritable bowel syndrome can be benefited by balancing neurotransmitter levels in the body.

Dr. Weyrich has been trained in neurotransmitter balancing protocols, but has not treated irritable bowel syndrome using this technique.

Please see What is Neurotransmitter Balancing? for more information.

References