Talking to your doctor about IBS.
Only a trained healthcare professional can determine if your symptoms are associated with IBS
The best approach is for the IBS patient to find a sympathetic healthcare professional who will exclude any more serious condition, provide a means of self-education about IBS, and prescribe the most suitable individual dietary changes and medication.
Communicate With Your Doctor About IBS
A good doctor-patient communication is essential to making appropriate lifestyle decisions that may increase quality of life. The doctor must be able to provide reassurance that the symptoms and the disorder are real. Your doctor will need to perform testing to determine if your symptoms are related to IBS. Some commonly performed tests are:
- Lower G.I. x-ray (a.k.a. the barium enema)
- Small bowel series x-ray
- Stool parasite culture
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy and/or colonoscopy
Keep an IBS Symptom and Diet Journal
Often, a successful diagnosis is dependent on a detailed medical history and a thorough physical examination. It may be very useful to your doctor if you keep a Symptom and Diet Journal — simply record what you eat each day and any symptoms that may occur. This will help healthcare professionals establish a pattern that may be consistent with IBS.
To assist you in getting the most from your doctor visit we have created a simple one week IBS journal where you can register foods, potential IBS events, and other information that will help you give your doctor as much information as possible.
DOWNLOAD- One Week IBS Journal (13)
Share Your Experiences With Other IBS Sufferers
Support groups may also be helpful, including those on the Internet. Explore the following links for more information:
