IBS Doctor in Boca Raton, FL

Over 10 percent of the world’s population has Irritable Bowel Syndrome, commonly termed IBS. Some estimates run as high as 20 percent. Surprisingly, most are under the age of 50. While older people can and do experience IBS, it is typically a disease of middle age - and increasingly younger people. Even children are being diagnosed with IBS.

Conventional medicine has no cure, the cause is unknown, the unpredictable nature of the symptoms can be devastating to your quality of life, and IBS can even lead to permanent disability – or simply an inability to leave your house.

Would it surprise you to know that Dr. Borenstein has been able to successfully treat most of his patients who suffer with IBS?

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine in Boca Raton, FL, we can help you put an end to chronic IBS symptoms. To schedule your consultation with Florida’s top integrative and functional medicine doctor who specializes in digestive health issues like IBS, complete the form below or call us at (754) 247-0122 today!

What is IBS?

IBS is a digestive condition that is defined by its frequent, unpredictable and alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea. While constipation may be the most commonly experienced digestive symptom in this country, IBS is the most commonly diagnosed GI disorder in the U.S.

Causes of IBS

The foods you eat and stress you experience are clear triggers for IBS symptoms, but at this point, the root cause is up for debate. Research suggests the microbes in people with IBS might differ from the microbes in people who do not experience IBS symptoms, but researchers and medical professionals still don’t agree on what causes IBS to develop. Some argue it’s a disruption in the gut-brain axis. Other possible causes of IBS include:

• Severe infection
• Disruptions in your microbiome
• Certain medications
• Issues with intestinal muscles in your digestive tract

Risk Factors for IBS

IBS can impact anyone – regardless of their general health condition. It can develop at any age, ethnicity and in gender, but it is believed to be more common in:

• Women
• Anyone undergoing estrogen therapy
• People with a family history of IBS
• Those with a mental illness like depression or anxiety

Symptoms of IBS

The impact that IBS can have on your life can be mild or severe – from an occasional inconvenience to complete disability. Its symptoms are so unpredictable and can strike anywhere at any time without warning – symptoms like sudden explosive diarrhea. You can imagine how repeatedly having to run out of a lunch date or a board meeting might impact someone’s career or personal life. Some people with IBS become housebound, unemployed, alone and isolated.

Proper digestion is essential to your social, professional, physical and mental function and well-being. IBS is a signal that things are awry in your digestive system. Symptoms of IBS could possibly include:

• Alternating constipation and diarrhea
• Swelling or distention of your abdomen
• Complications of constipation like hemorrhoids or anal fissures
• Rectal bleeding
• Pain
• Cramping
• Discomfort
• Nausea
• Unexplained vomiting
• Gas
• Hard, lumpy or pellet type stools (from constipation)
• Episodes of urinary incontinence
• Weight loss
• Nighttime diarrhea
• A feeling that your rectum is blocked or that you have not emptied your bowels

Over time, people experience a poor quality of life as their number one symptom. Other medical complications can also develop - like iron deficiency anemia.

A proper diagnosis is required for effective treatment. What specifically may be causing your IBS is the next step in your diagnosis and treatment journey.

Diagnosing IBS

Not everyone seeks help with IBS. It’s not only uncomfortable to experience but also uncomfortable to discuss – even with your doctor. People generally don’t like discussing bowel issues with other people.

But it’s important to seek treatment. Not only can severe IBS be accompanied by symptoms like rectal bleeding or mild to severe pain or cramping, but it can also sometimes lead to serious medical conditions if left untreated – like iron deficiency anemia.

If you are experiencing symptoms of IBS, our goal is to uncover the source of your symptoms, so that we can effectively diagnose and treat your condition. At Manhattan Integrative Medicine in Boca Raton, FL, we have a great deal of experience in diagnosing IBS and have had great success in treating the condition among our patients.

A complete medical history, medical testing, and a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms can be effective tools that can be used to accurately diagnose IBS or any underlying issues that may be causing your IBS.

Treatment Options for IBS

As one of the top digestive doctors in Florida, Dr. Borenstein offers the most effective integrative treatment options for IBS. Lifestyle changes, like incorporating more movement into your life – to help with constipation - and changing what you eat (for a multitude of reasons) are just a starting point. Although the connection between food allergies and IBS is not clearly understood, it is believed that your food allergies don’t cause IBS, but they can clearly trigger episodes or flare-ups.

When your gut becomes unbalanced and has an overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria - and not enough healthy bacteria - disease often results. Restoring that delicate balance in your microbiome can be the first step toward healing IBS and other digestive complaints.

Dr. Borenstein will create a customized treatment plan specific to your specific health concerns to restore your gut bacteria. He will choose antibiotics or other more natural remedies such as Microb-Clear to kill off bad bacteria in your gut. He also recommends starving bad bacteria overgrowth by removing legumes, bread, and other products containing refined sugar, including alcohol.

Replacing troublesome foods with healthy fats, leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, high fiber options and lean proteins are better choices for healthy gut bacteria to thrive – and they also can help with IBS.

It is also essential to optimize stomach acid and digestive enzymes which can help with food digestion. Especially as we age, digestive enzymes produced by the body and stomach acid levels can decline. Supplementing with either or both may be helpful.

Repairing the Motion Migration Complex (MMC) is another step in achieving proper digestive function.

To regulate your MMC, making necessary lifestyle changes and different food choices – together with taking promotility medications - can help bring restoration and regulation.

Dr. Borenstein sometimes utilizes Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Naltrexone has been shown to help lessen inflammation in the bowels and reduce uncomfortable symptoms caused by SIBO and other digestive disorders. Most people believe conditions like SIBO only cause diarrhea, but IBS can also be a symptom.

It’s also important to address any medical conditions – digestive and otherwise – that may be contributing to your IBS. For instance, thyroid hormone levels can impact digestion. Testing and treating thyroid dysfunction can in some cases completely resolve digestive concerns – or at the very least reduce them.

There are so many effective treatment options available for IBS and other digestive issues, so schedule your consultation today.

What to Expect from a Digestive Care Visit

Our approach always involves seeing the human body as a single entity rather than as individual organs or metabolic processes. Since every part of the body is interconnected with every other part, any illness that affects one specific part of the body has a profound impact on the rest.

At Manhattan Integrative Medicine in Boca Raton, FL, we offer the most up-to-date testing and diagnostics, along with a cutting-edge functional and integrative medicine approach and a powerful focus on prevention, so you can avoid illness, injury and disease and maintain renewed health and freedom from troublesome digestive symptoms and conditions like IBS.

We recommend that you prepare a list of current symptoms – whether or not they are related to your IBS - prior to your first consultation. On your first visit, Dr. Borenstein will discuss your family medical history, personal medical history, lifestyle, daily stressors, diet, exercise habits, and current medications. He may also conduct blood, saliva, or urine tests, as necessary.

Request your consultation today

Dr. David Borenstein is a top functional medicine practitioner in Florida who recognizes that each individual patient requires a prevention and treatment regimen tailored to an individual health profile and specific medical and family history. Dr. Borenstein has an established history of helping his patients heal from illness and restore overall health and longevity.

Call Manhattan Integrative Medicine in Boca Raton FL at (754) 247-0122 for an initial phone consultation or complete our quick online form.

Serving patients in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Parkland, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Aventura, Miami and the surrounding Palm Beach, Broward and Dade County, Florida communities.