What causes IBS?

When I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 13 years ago I expected my doctors to have all the answers. While IBS is an extremely common diagnosis, it continues to stump doctors.

Most doctors have no idea what causes IBS and no effective drugs to alleviate the symptoms of bloating, gas, gut pain, and diarrhea or constipation.

 

 

Many doctors believe IBS results from a breakdown of nervous system communication between the brain and the gut. Because stress typically causes IBS flare ups, many doctors tell their patients their symptoms are “in their head”.

IBS is misdiagnosed and misunderstood by most doctors. And because it’s often requires dietary changes to treat, doctors don’t have the nutritional background to help.

 

The different causes of “IBS”…

 

Bacterial infections or overgrowth

A common cause of IBS symptoms is an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria (which can also include parasites or yeast) and a lack of beneficial bacteria/probiotics to protect and balance the intestines and immune system.

Bacterial overgrowth can occur in the small or large intestine. When bacterial overgrowth happens in the small intestine it’s called SIBO and there’s a breathalyzer test for it.

Some of the things that cause bacterial overgrowth in the small or large intestines are antibiotics, chronic stress and a high sugar, high carb/grain diet.

Some doctors believe that SIBO is the primary cause of IBS. But I believe this is an oversimplification. But there are too many other factors that can cause an IBS diagnosis.

For example, food allergies are another common cause of IBS symptoms.

Food Allergies

Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance is often misdiagnosed as IBS. Food sensitivities can cause inflammation and damage the lining of the intestines, leading to intestinal permeability, which is called leaky gut.

All sorts of food sensitivities can cause digestive symptoms, including healthy-seeming veggies like eggplant, broccoli, or garlic as well as artificial sweeteners and food additives like carrageenan and annatto.

Food allergy testing is one option to test for sensitivities but results are not always reliable. The best way to test for food sensitivities is an elimination diet. This diet removes suspected foods for one to three weeks and then adds them back in one by one to test the body’s reaction.

The most common food allergens are corn, soy, wheat, dairy, sugar, nuts, processed foods and eggs. Other common sensitivities are to chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, and shellfish.

Nutrient Deficiency

Lack of nutrients or the body’s inability to absorb nutrients is another potential cause of IBS symptoms.

A deficiency of vitamin B12, magnesium or zinc from eating a vegan diet is one example. Lack of stomach acid and enzymes to properly break down and absorb nutrients could be another cause of nutritional deficiency.

Hormonal Imbalance

Yet another cause of IBS is a break down of the hormonal system, particularly the adrenal glands. Chronic stress, a high-carb diet, overuse of stimulants or a highly traumatic life event can burn out the adrenals.

When the adrenal system crashes it effects the functioning of the digestive system. In this case treating the adrenal glands is a precursor to digestive recovery. There are many specialists that deal with adrenal fatigue recovery.

Toxicity

Lastly, toxic overload is another potential cause of IBS. The liver is a crucial detox organ in the body and can get overwhelmed by toxins from food, chemicals, lack of rest or chronic, negative emotions. When this happens, the liver becomes sluggish and congested and struggles to do its job.

Symptoms of liver toxicity are anger, constipation, low energy, headaches, weight gain, PMS and trouble digesting fats. Pharmaceuticals contribute significantly to liver congestion.

Heavy metals

Heavy metal toxicity is another factor that can compromise liver function since metals are primarily stored in the fatty tissues of the liver and the brain. Hair sample tests can determine if heavy metals are the issue.

Healing IBS is like solving a puzzle

I believe IBS is curable but it can be a complicated puzzle to solve. Doing medical detective work is part of healing IBS. You must discover the underlying problem before you can fix it.

Most regular doctors are not willing to make this effort, though they have started prescribing the low FODMAPS diet, which can alleviate the food sensitivity symptoms but will not heal the gut.

Because stomach problems often cause head fog, it’s daunting to tackle an issue with this many variations by yourself. Getting help is an important part of speeding up the healing process.

Working with a professional, natural healer can offer support and an established troubleshooting process. I recommend working with a digestive health coach, functional medical doctor, naturopath or Chinese medical practitioner to find your particular solution.

I also suggest medical testing of the liver detoxification system, the adrenals and for infections and parasites in the intestines.

My story

My issue was bacterial overgrowth and liver toxicity from too many pharmaceuticals (antibiotics and the birth control pill), a high simple-carb diet and lack of stress management. A hair test also showed some minor levels of heavy metals in my body.

A year-long diet that removed refined sugar, grains, nuts, dairy, chocolate and beans and an emphasis on green veggies and red meat was enough to completely reverse my symptoms.

I also took a year off from work to rest I also took supplements to speed up the healing process, detox my liver and chelate heavy metals.

In a sense, an IBS diagnosis is good news because it rules out much more serious issues like colon cancer, ulcerative colitis or Chrons disease.

The bad news is that doctors don’t know what to do with IBS patients, who are left to cope on their own.

An IBS diagnosis means it’s time to start tweaking your diet and lifestyle to find the root of the problem. Your body is trying to teach you how to get back into balance.

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