LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
If you’ve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), I want you to know something important: IBS is not a true diagnosis. It’s what I call a “wastebasket diagnosis.” It tells you what symptoms you’re experiencing – diarrhea, constipation, bloating, pain – but it doesn’t tell you why they’re happening.
And not knowing why makes it incredibly hard to truly heal.
In this solo episode of the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast, I share why IBS is often misunderstood, why conventional medicine misses the mark, and how a root cause approach can completely change your healing journey. I also open up about my own experience – how I was diagnosed with IBS years before Hashimoto’s, and how resolving my gut issues became one of the most pivotal steps in my autoimmune healing.
If you’ve been living your life around a bathroom and wondering if this is just “how it is,” please listen to this episode.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, not a root cause: IBS is diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria based on symptoms alone, without identifying what is driving them. Research suggests that up to 98% of people labeled with IBS have a treatable underlying cause. When you investigate the “why” behind symptoms, healing becomes possible.
- The conditions that are commonly mislabeled as IBS: SIBO, bile acid malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease, carbohydrate intolerance, infections, and even inflammatory bowel disease can all present as IBS. Each requires a different treatment approach, which is why proper identification matters.
- Why the low FODMAP diet is not a long-term solution: Although it may temporarily reduce bloating and discomfort, the low FODMAP diet does not address the underlying cause. Long-term restriction may even reduce microbial diversity and worsen gut health if deeper imbalances are not corrected.
- How medications can contribute to digestive symptoms: Proton pump inhibitors, pain relievers, and certain drospirenone-containing birth control pills can alter stomach acid, gut motility, and microbial balance. Medication side effects are often an overlooked contributor to IBS symptoms.
- The nutrient deficiencies and infections that drive symptoms: Low magnesium, glutamine, zinc, vitamin D, thiamine, and carnitine can impair digestive function. Pathogens such as Blastocystis hominis and Giardia are also frequently found in people with IBS and may resolve symptoms when properly treated.
- Why IBS can precede autoimmune disease: Gut dysfunction can appear 5 to 15 years before a diagnosis such as Hashimoto’s. Addressing IBS early may help calm immune imbalance and reduce the risk of progression.
I’m also excited to introduce my new book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, in this episode!
Many people with Hashimoto’s have irritable bowel syndrome, which can be both a root cause and symptom of autoimmunity. In IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I walk you through the exact roadmap I’ve used with clients to uncover and resolve IBS at its source. This comprehensive guide reveals how irritable bowel syndrome is often a catch-all diagnosis that overlooks treatable root causes. It offers a step-by-step approach to help readers understand what’s really driving gut symptoms, and how to create a personalized plan to restore gut health and overall wellness. The book is available for preorder now and will be released March 17, 2026!
Freebies
- Pre-order bonuses for IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome:
- Guide to getting Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis into remission
- Food Sensitivity Recovery Guide
- Fast Solutions to Relieve IBS Symptoms (including acid reflux support)
Supplements We Discussed
- Magnesium – Often helpful for constipation by supporting healthy bowel motility. Consider Rootcology Magnesium Citrate Powder.
- Glutamine – Supports intestinal lining repair and reduces permeability. Consider Rootcology Gut R&R.
- Zinc – Plays a key role in immune regulation and gut lining integrity. Consider Pure Encapsulations Zinc 30.
- Vitamin D – Modulates immune function and reduces inflammation. Consider Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3.
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1) – Can support motility and nerve function in constipation. Consider Rootcology Benfotiamine.
- Carnitine – Supports energy production and may improve sluggish bowel function. Consider Rootcology Carnitine Blend.
- Hydrochloric Acid (Betaine HCl) – Helps improve stomach acid levels and prevent bacterial overgrowth. Consider Rootcology Betaine with Pepsin.
- Prokinetics – Support healthy migrating motor complex activity in SIBO recovery. Consider Pure Encapsulations Motilpro.
Other Tools and Resources
- GI-MAP Stool Test – Functional stool testing to identify pathogens, dysbiosis, and gut inflammation.
- Gut Zoomer Test – Advanced microbiome analysis to assess gut balance and infections.
- Elemental Diet – Targeted therapeutic nutrition protocol for SIBO. My dear friend Debbie Steinbock is an expert in this and covers it in podcast episode #68 – please give it a listen and see the show notes for more resources!
- Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria – Conventional symptom-based IBS diagnosis tool.
- Research study by Saad F Habba: Diarrhea Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D): fact or fiction – This research study found that 98% of people who were diagnosed with IBS out of 300+ patients had some kind of treatable cause.
- Narrative review article by Benjamin I. Brown: Does Irritable Bowel Syndrome Exist? Identifiable and Treatable Causes of Associated Symptoms Suggest It May Not – Explores treatable causes of digestive symptoms, as well as underlying functional imbalances, that may be misinterpreted as being IBS.
Books and Articles About Gut & Thyroid Health
- IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Dr. Izabella Wentz – This is the exact framework I wish I had years before my own IBS diagnosis.
- Hashimoto’s: The Root Cause book by Dr. Izabella Wentz – A roadmap to identify and remove the triggers associated with causing thyroid autoimmunity, Hashimoto’s, and hypothyroidism.
- Hashimoto’s Protocol book by Dr. Izabella Wentz – A practical pathway for healing and reversing the autoimmune damage at the root of the disease. It includes a quick-start two-week detox, advice on supplements to support the liver, an adrenal recovery plan, a personalized plan with foods, supplements, and other lifestyle interventions, tailored to each body’s own unique Hashimoto’s triggers.
- Is Blasto Behind Your Hashimoto’s, Hives and IBS?
- The Thyroid and IBS Connection – Part I
- Finding Your Root Cause: Key Lab Tests
- The Best Probiotics for Hashimoto’s
- Could SIBO Be Preventing Your Remission from Hashimoto’s?
- Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Hashimoto’s
- The Fundamental Gut Health Protocol
- 6 Root Causes Behind Leaky Gut and Autoimmunity
- Common Hashimoto’s Patterns Seen in the GI-MAP Test
- Solutions for Constipation Relief
- Intestinal Permeability, Autoimmunity, and the Hashimoto’s Connection
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
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Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and Adrenal Transformation Protocol. Her latest book, IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, will be released March 17, 2026 and is available for pre-order here.
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is you new IBS book on audio i dont read
Catherine, thank you so much for your interest! It is available through Audible, here is the link so you can check it out: https://amzn.to/4sUogEz