Fixing The Root Causes Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Dr. Todd LePine

Aug 10, 2020

Dr. Todd LePine, a Board-certified Internal Medicine physician specializing in Integrative Functional Medicine, dives deep into irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and its multifaceted causes. He emphasizes the critical need for personalized treatment, discussing factors like SIBO, dietary influences, and the gut-brain connection. The conversation also touches on how infant feeding methods impact long-term gut health and the repercussions of medication misuse. LePine stresses the importance of thorough testing to achieve optimal gut health and well-being.

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INSIGHT

IBS: Not Just In Your Head

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was once misunderstood as primarily psychological.
Now, it's recognized as having various underlying physical causes, requiring personalized treatment.

INSIGHT

IBS: A Syndrome, Not a Single Disease

IBS is a syndrome, meaning a collection of symptoms with various potential causes.
Functional medicine aims to identify the root cause, unlike traditional medicine, which often stops at naming the disease.

ADVICE

Listen to Patient History

Doctors should thoroughly listen to patients' histories to identify potential IBS triggers.
Consider factors like antibiotic use, family history, early feeding practices, and stressful events.

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Fixing The Root Causes Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome | This episode is brought to you by AirDoctor

Millions of people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These people struggle with miserable, often disabling symptoms like bloating, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and pain. IBS can be caused by a range of factors, including food allergies, overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine (SIBO), a lack of digestive enzymes, parasites living in the gut, zinc or magnesium deficiency, and heavy metal toxicity. That’s why it is so critically important to personalize treatment based on the unique circumstances that exist for each person who suffers from IBS.

In this episode, Dr. Hyman sits down with Dr. Todd LePine to discuss the numerous underlying issues that can contribute to IBS, what type of testing they conduct when working with patients experiencing IBS, and much more.

Dr. LePine graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, specializing in Integrative Functional Medicine. He is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center, he worked as a physician at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, for 10 years. Dr. LePine’s focus at The UltraWellness Center is to help his patients achieve optimal health and vitality by restoring the natural balance to both the mind and the body. His areas of interest include optimal aging, bio-detoxification, functional gastrointestinal health, systemic inflammation, autoimmune disorders and the neurobiology of mood and cognitive disorders. Dr. LePine teaches around the world, and has given lectures to doctors and patients at American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG), the University of Miami Integrative Medicine Conference, The Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA, and is on the faculty for American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. LePine is the head of the Scientific Advisory Board for Designs for Health and a consultant for Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. He enjoys skiing, kayaking, hiking, camping and golfing in the beautiful Berkshires, and is a fitness enthusiast.

This episode is sponsored by AirDoctor. We need clean air not only to live but to create vibrant health and protect ourselves and loved ones from toxin exposure and disease. That’s why we’ve teamed up with AirDoctor to offer you the AirDoctor Professional Air Purifier systems at a special price. Learn more at www.drhyman.com/filter.

In this episode, Dr. Hyman and Dr. LePine discuss:

The conventional medicine approach to treating IBS

Stress and IBS

How the gut and the brain are connected

Why an IBS diagnosis tells you nothing about the cause of IBS

How having a history of colic as a baby, having been vaginally birthed or breast fed, your childhood diet, past antibiotic use, family history of digestive issues, and other information can provide insight into identifying the cause of and treating IBS

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), having a “food baby,” and auto-brewery symptom

Types of testing to diagnose IBS, including GI map testing, hydrogen methane breath testing, gastric level testing, IBSSure testing, and organic urine testing

The negative effect of long-term use of acid blockers

Reasons for IBS including food sensitivities, allergies, parasites, enzyme deficiencies, heavy metals, Lyme disease, autoimmune issues, akkermansia levels, and more