How do you get an IBS diagnosis?

Do you find yourself running to the bathroom more than usual? Do you often have stomach pains and don't know where they are coming from? Or does your stomach often feel bloated and uncomfortable? Then you might suspect that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is behind all that. But how can you find out if that is the case?

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Diagnosing IBS is not easy. First of all, not everyone has the same symptoms. Many people describe a sharp, stabbing pain in their gut, bloating (the famous "6 months pregnant" look), or changes in their bowel habits -anything from constipation to diarrhoea. Others experience:

  • Tiredness

  • Headaches

  • Muscle pain

  • Backache

  • Rumbling noises and excessive wind

  • Relief of pain when going to the toilet 

  • Passing mucus 

  • Belching

  • Heartburn or indigestion

  • Feeling sick often

  • Needing to pass urine more frequently or urgently

  • Anxiety and depression

All these symptoms are typical for many other stomach problems. That's why it's so important to see your doctor if you experience any of them for more than a few weeks - it is impossible to self-diagnose IBS. 

At first, your doctor will try to rule out anything else that could cause your stomach problems, such as coeliac disease or allergies. It helps to keep a diary listing what you eat when the symptoms appear and how they feel. Did you have a stressful experience or don't sleep well? Maybe you moved house or are dealing with an unruly teenager at home? These things can impact your overall well being so write them down. 

Another way to find out if you have IBS is the longevity of the pain. If your symptoms started at least six months ago and you've had them at least once a week in the last three months, IBS could be the cause. 

Your GP will also ask about any family history of digestive diseases, if you take any medications at the moment or if you had an infection recently. Certain health problems that IBS sufferers experience more often than others can also be a sign. 

Your doctor will suspect IBS if you have pain in your abdomen and two or more of the following symptoms:

  • Your pain is related to your bowel movements- it is getting worse or better after a bowel movement. 

  • You notice a change in how often you have a bowel movement.

  • Your stools look different than before

The tests you should get

There's no single test for IBS yet, so your GP rules out other possible causes of your symptoms by process of elimination. Stomach pain can have a host of causes, so your doctor must check these are not the reason for your problems. He or she may arrange a blood test to check if you have coeliac disease. You might also bite the bullet and give a sample of your poo so it can be checked for infections and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 

Did you know can hypnotherapy help?

No matter where you are in your IBS journey, living with it isn't always easy. You might need to wait a long time for your test results and find that the prescribed medication doesn't help. And for 30% of IBS patients, dietary changes won't improve their symptoms. That can be frustrating. 

Here's the reason for that: IBS is a disorder of gut-brain communication. Your gut has become hypersensitive to any food in your GI tract. Think of it as the "fight or flight"- mode of your gut. It's this miscommunication between your brain and your gut that has to be addressed. Constantly worrying about what you are eating creates stress, which will make your symptoms worse. It's essential to break this cycle. 

Not convinced yet? Neither was Dr Simone Peters at Monash University, until she compared a course of gut directed hypnotherapy with the low FODMAP diet for IBS. She expected the diet to be more effective- and was surprised to find that hypnotherapy reduced symptoms in 70% of patients. That means less sensitivity, abdominal pain, bloating, wind, nausea, diarrhoea and constipation. But it doesn't need to be either-or: Food and mind-based interventions can be combined to give you the best results.

Do you want to know more about hypnotherapy and see if it could work for you? Contact me here: Contact - The Tummy Whisperer

Lucinda McPherson