Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is hard—unpredictable flare-ups, discomfort, and the impact it has on your daily life can leave you feeling frustrated and out of control. But here’s the truth: IBS doesn’t have to define your life.

If you haven’t been able to manage your symptoms, it’s time to shift your focus from symptom management to uncovering the root cause of your issues. That’s where I can help.

What Is IBS?

IBS is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects the gut-brain axis—the complex communication network between your digestive system and brain. Symptoms can include:

Abdominal pain and cramping
Bloating and excessive gas
Toilet urgency
Changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, or a mixture of both)
Brain fog
Food intolerances and reactions

IBS is a common diagnosis for people once other clinical conditions have been eliminated - such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Coeliac disease, and Endometriosis. However, IBS is a collection of symptoms, and getting to the root cause of your IBS is key to a long term resolution. Research shows it’s often the result of multiple contributing factors, including gut imbalances, food sensitivities, stress, and even past infections.

Why Symptom Management Isn’t Enough

Over-the-counter remedies or generic advice often fall short because they only address the superficial aspects of IBS. What’s truly needed is a deep dive into your unique biology to uncover the specific triggers behind your symptoms. If you don’t do this, you’re likely to experience continued flare-ups and an IBS-impacted quality of life.

A Functional Medicine Approach to IBS

Using a systems-based, biological approach, functional medicine looks beyond the temporary relief of symptoms to uncover the underlying imbalances driving your IBS, not anyone else’s. This personalised approach allows us to investigate and address the root causes, which could be:

Gut Microbiome Imbalances: The cause of symptoms like bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): Present in up to 80% of IBS cases, this involves excessive bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.
Digestive Insufficiencies: Low stomach acid or enzyme deficiencies can hinder proper digestion, contributing to problems further downstream in the digestive tract
Stress and the Gut-Brain Axis: Chronic stress disrupts communication between your gut and brain, exacerbating IBS symptoms.
Post-infectious IBS: This is the gut’s auto-immune reaction to bacteria which causes traveller’s diarrhoea or food poisoning, which can result in the development of IBS up to 6 months after experiencing the infection.
Low thyroid function: The thyroid gland governs metabolism in our body. When it’s underactive it can slow down bowel motility (leading to constipation), and is also a common cause of SIBO development.

The Power of Functional Testing

When managing IBS, functional testing is a game-changer. These tests go beyond conventional diagnostics by a GP and provide a detailed snapshot of your gut health, uncovering hidden imbalances and specific triggers behind your symptoms. This data-driven approach takes the guesswork out of healing, allowing for a personalised plan that targets root causes like bacterial overgrowth, infections, or dietary sensitivities. By addressing these underlying issues, functional testing helps create a truly bespoke gut healing protocol for long-lasting relief. Key tests include:

SIBO Breath Test

This simple, non-invasive test uses only your breath to determine the presence of bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine. Given SIBO is the root cause of IBS in 80% of patients, it’s an excellent tool to inform a bespoke protocol to eliminate SIBO. There are 3 types of SIBO, and this test will tell us which form you have, so I can further tailor your gut healing protocol for you. This test is essential if you suffer from bloating, gas, or constipation.

Comprehensive Stool Testing

This advanced analysis provides a deep dive into your gut health, examining your microbiome, inflammation markers, and digestion to uncover imbalances, infections, or hidden factors contributing to your symptoms. The results guide us in tailoring a precise plan—whether it's implementing a leaky gut protocol, addressing infections with natural antimicrobials, or targeting chronic inflammation with an anti-inflammatory approach. If your gut bacteria are imbalanced, we’ll pinpoint exactly which probiotic strains can restore harmony to your microbiome. Plus, this test highlights any organs in your digestive system that need extra support, giving us the insights to create a truly personalised path to healing and long-term gut health. This test is essential if you suffer from chronic bloating, gas, abdominal pain, IBS, skin conditions like eczema, migraines, food sensitivities, or mood disorders.

Intolerance and Allergy testing

While food intolerances often improve after a gut healing programme, identifying any significant intolerances or allergies that may be driving acute inflammation is sometimes essential. This type of inflammation can act as a barrier to effective gut healing, making it crucial to temporarily eliminate these triggers. By giving your immune system a chance to recover and reduce its reactive load, we create a more supportive environment for long-term gut restoration.

Resolving IBS: 3 Keys to the Puzzle

Managing IBS often requires a multifaceted approach - personalised to your unique root causes and biology. Below are examples of strategies I use to address your root causes, once we have your personal case history and data from any functional tests.

Dietary Changes

The SIBO Bi-Phasic diet, and the low FODMAP diet can be very helpful in the initial stages of an IBS protocol. These are not meant for long term use - so working with a gut health specialist is essential to understand when to implement them, and when it’s time to slowly transition back to a normal diet as part of your gut healing process.

Nervous System Support

Gut hypnotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Vagal toning, and stress management techniques are among the strategies I use frequently. These all help to rebalance the communication highways between your brain and your gut that could be contributing to your IBS symptoms.

Supplements

The right supplements can play a critical role in the management of IBS - but only once we’ve laid the correct foundations. Here are a few examples of the ones I commonly recommend:

Natural antimicrobials to address gut infections, SIBO, dysbiosis, or candida
Digestive support to improve stomach acid production, and digestive enzymes to support the effective breakdown of food
Probiotics and prebiotics tailored to your unique gut microbiome (based on functional test results)
Key nutrients that are commonly depleted in cases of IBS and SIBO
Anti-inflammatory nutrients to reduce any chronic inflammation present in your gut environment

Work With Me and Regain Control

As a gut health specialist, I take a personalised approach to IBS using my extensive clinical experience. Together, we’ll uncover the root causes of your symptoms and create a tailored plan to address them. Functional testing is just the first step—what comes next is a guided journey to restore balance and consistency and help you regain control of your life.

Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?

IBS doesn’t have to ruin your life, and you don’t have to face it alone. My IBS Programme is designed to help you:

Identify the triggers and root causes behind your IBS symptoms
Use functional testing to uncover hidden imbalances
Build a clear path to lasting relief

Book your free 15-minute call today to discuss how we can get to the root of your IBS and to apply for my IBS programme.

Book a Free Call

Don’t Let IBS Control You: How I Can Help You Get Your Life Back