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Five Gastroenterologists And Not One Stool Test

I recently had a patient whom spent twenty years with chronic GI complaints, visiting greater than five gastrointestinal specialists. In that span of time, not one of the GI specialists ordered a stool test. I found that surprising and too common. The patient found it frustrating!

Can you imagine having a gut issue for over twenty years and no one thought to perform a stool test?

This particular patient had already been through a series of tests including endoscopy, colonoscopy and abdominal sonogram, due to abdominal pain, reflux symptoms and inconsistent bowels ranging from hard or dry stools to watery diarrhea. To be fair, the tests she  had were able to screen for a variety of conditions including celiac, h-pylori infection, gastritis, polyps, colon cancer, and esophagitis to name a few.

However, the patient was told there was no pathology (this basically means your not dying and we can’t find what’s wrong, so you must be ok). The patient was happy to hear she had no pathologies and unhappy with the proposed solution. She was offered  prescription Bentyl and after trying it for several months was unsatisfied with the results.

In my Tampa clinic I use a few different labs to test for GI problems. One such test is the  Continue reading…

Mold, It’s Usually NOT Allergy – It’s A Biotoxin Illness Named CIRS

It’s been a few months since I have updated my blog. So, where was I?

It’s been a challenge to write while balancing my Tampa Functional Medicine practice, family life, and studying. I figured all that out, sort of! I am happy to be back to writing!

The purpose of my blog is to educate health care consumers on a range of health care topics, and most importantly help you to find the root cause of your health concerns. Since starting my blog, I am happy to say there are many patients who have reached out for more information in a one on one setting.

Besides that, what has really left me busy in the last few months….I have been in the “hole” reading through a borage of papers and books concerning CIRS-Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Over the last four years I have been engaged in testing patients for CIRS- mostly due to mold (more accurately, exposures to biotoxins in water damaged buildings) and Lyme biotoxin. I decided to take the plunge to learn the Shoemaker Protocol for CIRS- biotoxin illness through Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker and I am currently in the certification process.

In January 2019, I attended the  Continue reading…

What Is SIBO and What Can I Do About It?

Do you suffer from bloating, gas, or chronic diarrhea? Have you been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? If so, the problem may not be your gastrointestinal tract but what’s inside it. You may have SIBO.

SIBO is short for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth — the presence of excessive bacteria in the small intestine and/or changes in the types of bacteria normally present. (The small intestine, or small bowel, is the section of the gastrointestinal tract that connects the stomach to the large intestine and is responsible for most nutrient absorption.) SIBO is often the underlying cause of chronic diarrhea, nutritional deficiencies, unplanned weight loss, and osteoporosis.

Left untreated, SIBO negatively impacts the structure and function of the small intestine. The overpopulation of bacteria can damage the lining of the small intestine, which can cause leaky gut — a condition in which large protein molecules pass through the intestine into the bloodstream, triggering immune reactions that can result in food allergies or sensitivities, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.

Recognizing the Risk Factors

The following risk factors increase the likelihood of a person developing SIBO: Continue reading…

Making Sense of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is even more unpleasant than it sounds — abdominal pain, bloating, cramping, gas, and diarrhea and/or constipation. Symptoms can be triggered by certain foods or by stress, infection, medications, or hormonal changes.

If you have IBS, you’re not alone, and you’re in good company. IBS affects between seven and 10 percent of the world’s population (it’s twice as common in women than in men), and like other illnesses, diseases, syndromes and disorders we’ve covered as of late here on my blog, it has a celebrity following; John F. Kennedy, Tyra Banks, Cybill Shepherd, and Jenny McCarthy have all been reported to have suffered from IBS.

If you are struggling with irritable bowel syndrome, I know how difficult it can be. Daily life is often interrupted or halted, time with family and friends can be unpleasant, and dealing with the condition at work can be unbearable. Even worse, you may be too embarrassed to discuss your condition with even your closest friends and family members; IBS isn’t a topic for dinner conversation. Understandably, anxiety and depression often accompany the illness.

The good news is that treatments for those suffering with IBS are available and very effective, even when traditional medical efforts have failed to produce results.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

The symptoms of an irritable bowel (colon) vary according to the nature and severity of the symptoms. I already mentioned some of these earlier in this post, but here is a more complete list of IBS symptoms: Continue reading…

Toxic Mold: How a Medically Supervised Detox Can Help

Toxic mold is a problem in any Tampa building that has been subjected to high humidity or water damage. It is especially prevalent in areas struck by hurricanes and tropical storms, which are common in South Florida. In Fact, Home Advisor recently ranked Florida number two in its list of “The Top 10 Worst States for Mold,” second only to Texas. It makes sense; according to FloridaHealth.gov, toxic mold “can grow almost anywhere there is enough moisture or high humidity,” and South Florida is the capital of high humidity.

Of special concern is Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra or black mold), a greenish-black mold that can grow on drywall, sheetrock, ceiling tiles, and wood. This mold and several others produce mycotoxins, which compromise the immune system and trigger Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), leading to a host of illnesses, including these: Continue reading…