Gastrointestinal diseases

The function of the intestine is of central importance for human health. Allergies, rheumatism, gout, migraines, immune disorders, skin diseases: The diseases of civilisation in particular are primarily caused by impaired intestinal function and intestinal flora.

Our eating and lifestyle habits, the common misuse of antibiotics and other drugs, pathogens and psychological stress (the gut is in direct contact with our emotional centre in the brain) damage the gut, which is more decisive for our well-being or our illness than any other organ. And if the gut does not function optimally, the body's waste disposal mechanisms no longer work. The result is a backlog of waste and chronic internal poisoning.

#Gastrointestinal diseases

The function of the intestine is of central importance for human health. Allergies, rheumatism, gout, migraines, immune disorders, skin diseases: The diseases of civilisation in particular are primarily caused by impaired intestinal function and intestinal flora.

Our eating and lifestyle habits, the common misuse of antibiotics and other drugs, pathogens and psychological stress (the gut is in direct contact with our emotional centre in the brain) damage the gut, which is more decisive for our well-being or our illness than any other organ. And if the gut does not function optimally, the body's waste disposal mechanisms no longer work. The result is a backlog of waste and chronic internal poisoning.

Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (irritable bowel syndrome, irritable colon)
Many patients come with the diagnosis of ‘irritable bowel syndrome’ after they have already undergone a gastroenterological ‘orgy of examinations’ and have wandered from one doctor to another for years.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that the patient continues to have severe gastrointestinal complaints and often suffers enormously. However, he/she has received this diagnosis because the doctors and gastroenterologists have ruled out all organic diseases using the usual conventional medical procedures. According to the doctors, ‘everything is fine’. The patient should therefore come to terms with the fact that nothing can be done about his/he complaints and simply try to live with them. There are now 10 million irritable bowel syndrome patients alone in Germany!

The term ‘irritable bowel syndrome’ alone is misleading. Many people who suffer from unclear abdominal complaints such as abdominal cramps or flatulence do not actually have irritable bowel syndrome. Unfortunately, the classic diagnostic measures performed by gastroenterologists are mainly limited to colonoscopy. However, a colonoscopy cannot detect leaky gut or overgrowth of the small intestine or food intolerance, for example. Important laboratory tests are not carried out because they are not included in the guidelines or are not paid for by health insurance companies. Due to time constraints, not even a nutritional history is taken, which should actually be the be-all and end-all for the subsequent diagnostic measures and therapy.
In my experienceMany patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome are not only suffering from intestinal nerve sensitivity, an overactive ‘gut-brain axis’ or emotional factors that cause their unclear gastroenterological symptoms (this is the general opinion), but also from physical causes.
In most cases, a detailed anamnesis, which takes a close look at diet, medication intake, living conditions and psychological factors, as well as special blood and stool tests, may well reveal the true causes (usually several) of the gastrointestinal complaints.
If it turns out that at least part of the problem is irritable bowel syndrome, a holistic approach involving the body AND the mind should be taken!

Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
According to the S3 guideline, a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome should only be made if the following criteria are met:
The symptoms persist for longer than 3 months
There are changes in the stool
There is great suffering
Other conditions have been ruled out

Unspecific abdominal pain(usually around the navel or in the course of the colon. Sometimes also wandering pain)
Very frequent flatulence (sometimes so pronounced that it even leads to heart problems = Roemheld syndrome)
Diarrhoea or constipation or both alternately
Stress, anger and other psychological stress usually lead to an increase in symptoms
sometimes nausea (with or without vomiting)
Sometimes a feeling of incomplete defecation
Chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia or migraines
Depression and anxiety disorders
Accompanying symptoms such as tiredness, bad breath, behavioural problems, concentration problems, moodiness, skin symptoms, sleep disorders, exhaustion
Due to bloating, the risk of diarrhoea or nausea, some irritable bowel syndrome patients isolate themselves more and more and no longer dare to go on holiday, visit a restaurant or even leave the house. The anxiety can manifest itself so strongly in the subconscious that it persists even after the physical symptoms have disappeared.
I would like to encourage anyone who is going through these terrible experiences and reading these lines. There are good treatment options for this anxiety disorder that has arisen due to your physical symptoms!

Irritable bowel syndrome - psychological causes
Overactive enteric nervous system (= overactive intestinal nervous system)
and visceral hypersensitivity (= increased sensitivity to pain in the abdominal organs)
The enteric nervous system consists of a network of nerves that runs through the entire gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus to the rectum. This intestinal nervous system consists of 100 million nerve cells (more than in the spinal cord!) and is made up of the same tissue as the nervous system in the head. This is the reason why some decisions are made ‘from the gut’. The enteric nervous system is therefore also called the ‘gut brain’.
The enteric nervous system coordinates intestinal movements and regulates blood flow, the formation of intestinal juices, intestinal permeability and the intestinal immune system. It works both independently and together with the autonomic nervous system.
Some people have a hypersensitive intestinal nervous system, so that they perceive stretching stimuli and pressure (e.g. due to intestinal movements or flatulence caused by putrefaction or fermentation processes) much more strongly than other people. This pressure is then perceived as painful.

Overactive gut-brain axis
Signals perceived in the gut, such as incoming food, the composition of the food and the filling level of the stomach and intestines, are passed on to the brain after the information has been processed in the intestinal nervous system. This communication also works the other way round: information such as stress, physical activity or sleep-wake rhythm is passed on to the intestinal nervous system and in this way influences intestinal and digestive functions. The majority of this lively exchange of information takes place unconsciously and the existence of this gut-brain axis is only noticeable in a few situations.
In the case of irritable bowel syndrome, gut-brain communication is significantly increased, which is partly due to the increased nerve cell activity. Even a small amount of disruptive factors, such as stress or anger, can cause stomach ache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or other symptoms.

The gut-brain axis consists of different parts:
Nervous axis, which is controlled via the vegetative nervous system:
When there is constant emotional and mental tension, there is an imbalance of the vegetative nervous system, a sympathicotonia. This imbalance can be caused by long-term stress, protracted conflicts in relationships and at work, traumatisation or our current global situation with a pandemic, inflation, energy crisis and the threat of nuclear war. People who are confronted with end-time messages and images of catastrophe in the media from morning to night are particularly at risk of developing a chronic illness.
By increasing the level of arousal, the brain and the entire body enter a permanent state of stress. People with a weak resilience (= ability to survive crises or disasters without permanent impairment) in particular experience a general increase in their state of arousal.

Eventually, the body develops symptoms: In addition to chronic pain, sleep disorders and circulatory problems, the gastrointestinal tract can also be affected, as sympathetic hypotension reduces the production of digestive juices and blood flow in the intestines. Intestinal gases can no longer be sufficiently removed and daily meals can no longer be properly processed. The consequences can be: abdominal discomfort, a change in the intestinal microbiome, an intestinal permeability disorder (leaky gut) and/or inflammation in the intestine.
Hormonal axis
The nerve cells of the intestine produce a number of important messenger substances that exchange information between the intestine and the brain. The most important are
- Serotonin: It ensures calmness, serenity, freedom from anxiety and a positive mood.
90% of all serotonin is produced in the gut. In the gastrointestinal tract, it is responsible for the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles.

• Dopamine: It provides optimism, strength and creativity and is the main player in the reward system. If there is a deficiency, it leads to constipation in the intestines.

• Cholecystokinin: It promotes the secretion of digestive juices from the pancreas and bile. It triggers a physiological feeling of satiety.

• Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA): It calms the nervous system, promotes sleep and relieves anxiety. A deficiency leads to anxiety, chronic pain and seizures.
  If there is a deficiency of micronutrients, these messenger substances cannot be produced sufficiently.
  For example, an undersupply of magnesium, vitamin D, B6 and tryptophan can lead to a serotonin deficiency. An undersupply of vitamin C or phenylalanine can lead to a dopamine deficiency.

Microbiome-gut-brain axis
The gut microbiome (= the totality of all bacteria and other microorganisms living in the gut) can influence the gut-brain axis in a variety of ways. Intestinal bacteria use signalling substances to activate the vagus nerve, which connects the intestine with the brain and thus conveys information directly.
In addition, gut bacteria produce metabolic products (metabolites) that influence communication between the gut and brain and between brain nerve cells.
Irritable bowel syndrome patients have an altered microbiome compared to healthy people. There are now several studies that show a connection between disorders of the intestinal microbiome and the occurrence of psychological disorders (especially anxiety and depression).
Personality structure and psychological stressors
Abdominal complaints are sometimes also linked to personality structure. People with compulsive or anxious personality traits in particular are more likely to develop irritable bowel symptoms.
Anxious people concentrate more on their bodily symptoms and listen more intently to themselves. This leads to misinterpretations. What other people see as a ‘temporary ailment’, anxious people quickly mistake for an illness. The result is that the anxiety manifests itself in the subconscious and the bowel actually tenses up and develops symptoms.

People with depression also often develop gastrointestinal complaints as part of their illness, which is again related to the gut-brain axis or the autonomic nervous system.
Psychodynamic studies have found evidence of increased perfectionism, exaggerated ambition and an above-average drive to achieve in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Such people need to learn to become more relaxed and to live more in the here and now.

Irritable bowel syndrome - physical causes
As already mentioned, irritable bowel syndrome is not always caused by an ‘irritated’ bowel. Some patients simply have an incorrect diet with too much sugar, junk food and convenience foods, which causes the bowel to become increasingly upset.
The following disorders of the digestive system should also be ruled out:
Intestinal dysbiosis
Irritable bowel syndrome patients have an altered microbiome compared to healthy people.

An intestinal microbiome that is no longer in balance can lead to considerable putrefaction and fermentation processes, especially if the acid flora is reduced and the putrefactive flora is increased.

Intestinal mucosal inflammation
The most important laboratory value for inflammation in the intestine is calprotectin. If the calprotectin is within the normal range but everything still points to inflammation, parameters such as lysozyme, PMN elastase, EPX, α1-antitrypsin or lactoferrin can be determined in the laboratory

Malabsorption and maldigestion
The stool is analysed for an increased fat, sugar, starch or protein content. Decreased or increased values provide a wide range of information.
For example, an increased sugar content is an indication of a possible carbohydrate intolerance. An increased fat content indicates a problem with the gall bladder or pancreas. And an increased protein content could indicate intestinal inflammation. pancreatic elastase is also an important laboratory value. It indicates insufficient pancreatic activity. With this disorder, fats, proteins and carbohydrates are not digested properly. This results in upper abdominal discomfort, voluminous diarrhoea and nausea after high-fat meals.

Intestinal fungi
This is a very important factor, as exposure to intestinal fungi leads to massive flatulence.

Leaky gut
Leaky gut (or permeable bowel) always leads to food intolerances. If the parameters for leaky #gut, zonulin and α1-antitrypsin, are elevated, tests for food intolerances should then be carried out.

Food intolerances
The symptoms asked about in the medical history and the stool examination provide indications as to whether further tests need to be carried out to rule out the following Food allergies, coeliac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity, IgG-associated food intolerances and food intolerances

Small intestinal overgrowth (SIBO)
In small intestinal overgrowth, an abnormal amount of gas is produced so that the upper abdomen is constantly bloated. Other symptoms include diarrhoea, a fat digestion disorder and a micronutrient deficiency.
An overgrowth of the small intestine is detected by a breath test with glucose or lactulose.

Bile acid loss syndrome
When bile acids are ‘lost’, there is a fat digestion disorder and a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins. One symptom that could indicate this is morning diarrhoea.

Thyroid dysfunction
It must be clarified whether the thyroid is underactive, overactive or Hashimoto's.

It is important to note that there is no ONE irritable bowel syndrome treatment. Irritable bowel syndrome is so diverse and multifactorial (a syndrome = a combination of different symptoms) that each patient must be treated individually!
However, the necessary diagnostic measures must be carried out before therapy can begin:
And nothing works without a medical history! As with all chronic illnesses, a precise description of the symptoms, medical history, dietary history etc. is the basis for the subsequent treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.
In order to rule out physical causes, I give the patient a special stool test to take home with them, which they then send to a specialist laboratory themselves. With the help of this stool examination, the basic intestinal parameters can be determined and the intestinal microbiome analysed.
This stool examination also provides information as to whether the patient's intestinal bacteria could be a trigger for irritable bowel syndrome, i.e. whether there are psychological causes that have led to irritable bowel syndrome. And whether a #FODMAP diet (see below) could lead to relief of the symptoms. Furthermore, a risk profile is created on the basis of this stool analysis, which indicates microbiome-associated health risks.

In patients with irritable bowel syndrome, the body AND psyche are often under strain:
-> The intestinal complaints lead to anxiety and depression
-> A disturbance of the psyche or the vegetative nervous system leads to the intestinal complaints A reciprocal process and a vicious circle!

Nutritional counselling:
Nutritional #counselling is always individualised based on the results obtained.
It is important that the change in diet can be easily integrated into everyday life, otherwise the patient will give up at some point.
The person must actively co-operate and change habits, which is not always easy. A gluten-free diet for coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, for example, is not easy to implement. Sometimes you have to proceed in stages.
Often you also have to look creatively for substitute solutions for obtaining food.

Psychotherapy:
The irritable bowel syndrome hypnoses I offer aim to calm the hypersensitive intestinal nervous system through relaxation in combination with targeted suggestions and to normalise unconscious dysregulation of the gut-brain axis. The effectiveness of intestinal hypnosis has already been proven in numerous clinical studies.
Furthermore, there are now studies that have shown that when certain bacterial strains are administered to a large number of study participants suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, the gut-brain axis is regulated, visceral hypersensitivity is reduced and bowel movements are normalised.

If you change your habbits and your mindset, you can already do a 60% move forward to health. If you need to know how, I can help. Schedule a free talk with me here