When you go to your doctor for digestive problems, there are many things that should be happening and questions that you should ask so that you can determine whether or not you are getting the very best care possible. I’ll explain what those issues are and arm you with the knowledge to take control of your care so that you can solve the vast majority of digestive problems and get your life back.

I see a ton of people who’ve been mismanaged by the medical system, and my hope is that you’ll learn a few things here that will save you a lot of time and trouble when it comes to getting really good care for your digestive issues.

When you go to your regular doctor for digestive problems, they will of course examine you and run some tests. You should know that those exams and tests almost always come back negative and likely won’t explain your symptoms.  That testing may seem impressive, because of course how would you know. But mostly what they’ve done is very routine.

What I encourage you to do is to trust your instinct that there must be more to be done and that there must be an answer to your problem, because there is more and there is an answer. But it’s not always easy to get there, and it is easy to think that you’re getting the best care possible and to give up way too early.

So Here’s What You Need To Ask Your Doctor To Find Out If You Are Getting Great Digestive Care:

How Often Do You Help People Solve Digestive Problems Like Mine?

This question is one of the most important questions you need to ask. It will tell you what their experience level has been when working with patients like you, and whether or not they expect you to get better. Just because your doctor is really nice or they’ve been doing their job a long time doesn’t mean that they know how to help you.

If your doctor can’t answer with complete confidence that they are able to help most people with your symptoms get better, then they probably aren’t the right doctor for you, regardless of their credentials or how highly regarded they are.

And if they don’t find anything wrong, don’t let them get away with an answer like “It will probably go away sooner or later on its own.” Or, “It’s just stress.” You should expect them to be much more knowledgeable than that.

Can You Map My Microbiome?

Understanding your microbiome is critical to understanding what is going on in your digestive tract. You’ve probably heard about it, but few doctors actually look at it or do anything about it.

Lots of people tell me that they’ve had stool testing. But most of the time what they’ve had is very limited stool testing that does not test for most of things that make up the microbiome in your digestive tract. If you haven’t had a complete mapping of the microbiome in your digestive system, then your stool testing isn’t good enough.  

When this is done properly, well over 100 different kinds of bacteria, yeast, and viruses, as well as a lot of other things are included on the test results. And your results won’t be negative. Everyone has bacteria in their gut.

Can You Test Me For Food Allergies That Cause Digestive Problems?

Your bloodwork should evaluate you for well over 200 different kinds of food reactions. If you haven’t had that done, then you can’t possibly know what kinds of food reactions that you have. But this testing is much easier to ask for than it is to get done correctly.

If your doctor says that they don’t believe in this kind of testing, then it’s obvious that they don’t know anything about it and can’t help you. There are many scientific studies that support this kind of testing. If your doctor isn’t keeping up, then they aren’t qualified to help you in this area.  

And if they send you to an allergist, forget about it. Allergists are not specialists in the kind of food reactions that cause digestive issues. They won’t be able to help you.

Can You Test Me to Tell Me If I Need Enzymes or Probiotics and Which Ones I Need?

This is another clear Yes or No question. They either can or they can’t.

There are tests that will shed light on areas of your digestion such as enzyme production, good bacteria (probiotics), inflammatory markers, and gut permeability issues.

If you aren’t getting all of that, then you aren’t getting the best digestive care that you can get.

Do You Know About Any Diets Other Than the Low Fodmap Diet?

The low fodmap diet is the current favorite diet in the digestive world, but it’s not customized to you based on any testing. It’s a guess. And everyone gets the exact same diet.  

If your doctor can’t figure out the diet that is right for you based on a specific assessment of your individual needs, then you aren’t getting the best care available. You deserve more than a guess.

What Do You Do If All Of My Tests Come Back Negative?

This happens. A lot. Which means that most of the time your doctor will be stumped. And that means that you will be left with the impression that you’ve had all the tests and that there is nothing more that can be done.

That is simply not true. There are far more tests than we can ever hope to get into here, and no one ever gets all the tests. Your insurance company simply won’t pay for that. On top of that, there are also many things that we simply don’t have the technology to easily evaluate, such as acid production, bacteria and yeast locked up in biofilms, and other challenging issues.

So even if you really have had all of the tests, which is incredibly rare and unlikely, there are issues that your doctor should know about simply based on their clinical experience, things that can cause your symptoms for which there is no test.  

Are You Better?

This is the most important question of all, and the one question that you must ask yourself, not your doctor.

The treatment that your doctor gives you should work and work well. Because if it’s not solving your problem and your symptoms aren’t gone without the use of a drug that is merely altering your symptoms, then you haven’t gotten to the root cause of the problem.

Surprisingly, getting better is not the standard that most doctors are held to when it comes to digestive problems. Once they’ve done their thing, their job is done, regardless of whether or not you get better.

If this has happened to you, then you need a new doctor. If you still have symptoms, then who cares what the lab work says. The only thing that really matters is that you feel better.

Your doctor should want to keep working with you until you are better. If they don’t, then it means that they are out of ideas and that you’ve reached the limit of their abilities.

If never ceases to amaze me how many people end up in this situation. So here’s what you should do next: (Because seeing another GI doc will probably not help.  They all do pretty much the same thing.) What you need is a subspecialist.

For example, the same thing is done with eye doctors. First you see an optometrist. They can prescribe glasses and handle basic needs. But then you need an ophthalmologist for more serious problems. (Which is like seeing a Gastroenterologist). But then the ophthalmologist refers you to a retinal specialist or a glaucoma specialist, etc, as needed.

That’s what should be happening in digestive health as well. Unfortunately, most people don’t get past the Gastroenterologist. The next level is an IBS specialist, like me. And then we also see things like Candida, microscopic colitis, and eosinophilic esophagitis, etc. We are the subspecialists.

So don’t give up when your Gastroenterologist is unable to help you solve your problem. There are people like those of us at the IBS Treatment Center who specialize in your specific problem. And we can even work with you via telemedicine regardless of where you live.

I hope that you found this video useful and that it helps you get the care that you need to solve your problem.  Please give this video a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel for more valuable information about how to improve your digestive health.

Related Content:

‍What is Causing All of That Gurgling in My Stomach?

Is Age the Cause of Your Digestive Problems?

The 5 Major Obstacles to Solving Your IBS

How I Built My Expert Health Care Team