First, I need to start off by reminding everyone that IBS is just a catch-all term for a common cluster of symptoms, not an actual diagnosis of what's causing it. Four people with the same symptoms could have 4 very different underlying causes. This post is for the folks who have had all of the GI tests done, with normal results, and no explanation for their IBS. What worked for me might not work for everyone.
Backstory: I made it to 54 years old without any GI problems. Then, I had my gallbladder removed in May of 2024. I was fine for the next 10 weeks, and could eat a pretty normal diet with no GI issues. Then, I had another stone that blocked my bile duct, and had to have an emergency ERCP to clear that. A week later, my abdomen was extremely bloated and painful. I hadn't moved my bowels in 3 days. (Scar tissue fully forms around 10 - 12 weeks after surgery. This will come into play shortly.)
I went to the ER. My tests were normal. They referred me to urgent outpatient GI. They examined me, and just shrugged and said "You have IBS" in this matter-of-fact, nothing-you-can-do-about-it tone. I said "How could I get IBS out of the blue so quickly? Isn't this related to my blocked bile duct a week ago?" They just referred me to a nutritionist who went over the low-FODMAP diet with me, and put me on Linzess for my constipation.
I lived that low-FODMAP hell for months. I did the reintroduction, and learned that my trigger FODMAPs were lactose, GOS, sorbitol, and fructans. I had to eliminate about 60% of my previous diet. Everyone reading this knows the impact that this has on your quality of life. I was so angry, frustrated, and depressed.
On top of that, the Linzess was giving me HORRIBLE diarrhea every day. I knew that within 2 hours of taking it every morning, everything that I ate the day before would come flying out of me in half-digested, liquid form. I couldn't leave the house until I had my morning bathroom purge. It ruined my life. I had to plan my day around it.
I pushed my GI team for more tests. They did a combo colonoscopy / endoscopy, which included an h. pylori test, and a SIBO breath test. Everything was normal, except for some esophagitis and gastritis.
At this point, about 4 months after this all started, I could feel some hard lumps of scar tissue where my gallbladder surgery was. All of my pain and bloating was always located just below that scar tissue, not throughout my whole abdomen. I knew that my slow motility was related to this. I talked to my GI team and my PCP about it. I had a clinical visit with the surgeon to talk about adhesions impacting my digestion. Everyone told me the same thing: "Yeah, there's some adhesions, but the only thing to do for it is more surgery, which could cause even *more* adhesions, so we only do that when the bowel is blocked. You're passing stool, as long as you keep it soft enough (with the Linzess), so there's no need for more surgery."
I lived the low-FODMAP / Linzess hell for a few more months. Then, in early 2025, I started having HORRIBLE fatigue and muscle cramps. I went from hiking 2 - 3 miles on challenging trails, 4 - 5 times a week (I live on the edge of the woods, and work from home), to barely being able to go grocery shopping. The slightest activity, even driving, would give me horrible muscle cramps in my legs that lasted all night. I started having heart palpitations. I would just lie in bed all day, shaking, cold, and cramped. I couldn't sleep at night from the chills and cramps. I couldn't do anything. I also lost 20 pounds over 4 months, without being able to exercise. I was also starting to develop neuropathy in my hands and feet.
I saw all the specialists and did all the tests - neurology, endocrinology, cardiology - EMG, Nuclear Stress Test, Adrenal and Thyroid bloodwork. Everything was "normal".
I KNEW that this had to be related to my GI issues. Surely, with all of my food flying out of me every morning from the Linzess, there had to be some serious nutrient malabsorption. My GI team dismissed this theory. They had run some vitamin tests on me, which came back normal, except for vitamin D, which I started supplementing. I switched GI doctors. The new doctor told me that I never should have been on the Linzess if it was giving me such bad diarrhea, and switched me to Lubiprostone. I no longer had diarrhea every day. My BMs were normal and regular. Within a few weeks on the Lubiprostone, all of my symptoms (except for the IBS symptoms) started improving.
But, they only improved about 50%, and then plateaued. I still didn't have my full strength back. I still had heart palpitations and mild peripheral neuropathy. Getting off of the Linzess was not the whole solution, just a step in the right direction. Plus, I was still on the low-FODMAP diet, so that was still impacting my quality of life. I pestered my PCP weekly, asking her what the next step was. She was running out of specialists to send me to. Finally, in May of 2025, she suggested that I see a Functional Medicine MD. She knew of a reputable one nearby who had cured some of her other patients with "mystery symptoms".
I saw the Functional MD in early June of 2025. He did very different kinds of tests. The main test was an Organic Acid Urine Test. The lab report was 3 pages long, and had readings for TONS of stuff, including microbiome markers. That lab report showed several serious nutrient deficiencies that the regular bloodwork missed. It also showed that I had NO good gut bacteria! Everything was flushed out of me from 7 months on Linzess. I told the Functional MD that I had been taking a very expensive, high-quality probiotic for years. He said that my gut lining had been damaged by the Linzess, and the probiotics were just flushing through me; they couldn't get a foothold.
He also did a physical exam, and found the surgical adhesions before I even mentioned them to him. He could feel the scar tissue, and the GI backup behind it. He did a series of specialized acupuncture treatments, called biopuncture, where he injected small doses of ozone and homeopathic treatments through the needle. This breaks up scar tissue and helps restore blocked nerve signals. I did 3 treatments, 2 weeks apart. A few weeks after the last treatment, I stopped taking the Lubiprostone because I started having diarrhea again. I was able to go off the Lubiprostone completely, and started having Bristol 4 BMs daily.
I started taking some specialized supplements to address the deficiencies that the urine test found. That helped my energy level and muscle weakness tremendously. By October, I was back to my regular hiking routine, with no cramps or weakness. My neuropathy and heart palpitations were gone.
Curing the IBS was not as easy of a fix. The constipation was cured, but I still had to stick to a low-FODMAP diet to avoid horrible bloating, pain, and cramps. He put me on BPC-157 peptides to help heal my damaged gut lining. He also put me on Berberine and a few other supplements. He put me on a 16:8 fasting / eating schedule to give my gut time to heal every day without digesting food. He put me on a different, very expensive probiotic called TruFlora pro, which you can only get from naturopathic / homeopathic doctors.
I have been doing all of that since September of 2025. At my last visit a 2 month ago (Feb. of 2026), he told me to start gradually reintroducing FODMAPS, to see how I tolerate them. Over the past 2 months, I have eaten pizza, Mexican food, Thai Food, Indian food, Middle Eastern food - all food full of garlic, onions, legumes, high-FODMAP veggies, dairy, wheat, etc., with NO gas, bloating or cramps. I can dine out and with friends again without stressing about finding "safe" food, or bringing my own food. My weekend outings with my husband are no longer planned around safe dining options. I can grab lunch on the run again without worrying about it.
I sought out Functional Medicine to cure my "mystery" fatigue, muscle cramps, and neuropathy. I did not expect it to also cure my IBS. I might not have tried it if my other symptoms weren't so dire. Yes, it has been very expensive. Between the tests, treatments, and specialized supplements, I've easily spent $4K over the past 11 months, possibly more. But, when you think about the toll of living with IBS for life, and all of the specialized food, enzymes, and other medicines and supplements you'll buy over several years, you'll easily spend $4K, with no improvement in your quality of life.
Sorry for such a long read, but maybe this can help some other folks find a cure for their IBS. I wish I had tried Functional Medicine a LOT sooner. I was reluctant because of the cost. But, in the end, it was worth every penny. I'm glad to finally have my life back, but I could have saved myself several months of hell.
PS: If you do try Functional Medicine, remember that true healing takes time. It's not a magic pill to manage a symptom, like conventional GI treatments. I didn't start to see improvements in my IBS symptoms until I was 10 months in. Also, you have to be willing do to the work. When I first started with the Functional MD, he put me on a very strict elimination diet for 8 weeks that was even harder to live with than the low-FODMAP diet, to rule out certain underlying causes, like autoimmune disorders. The 16:8 fasting / eating schedule was also very difficult for the first few weeks. But, once my body finally stopped resisting it and learned to go into ketosis for the last few hours of fasting, I started feeling great. You've got to do the work, trust the process, be patient, and stick with it.
EDIT, for all of the folks who have messaged me about my functional MD:
I see Dr. Leonid Gordin in Cambridge, MA. I was very lucky that my PCP was already familiar with him. I wish I had advice for finding a good Functional MD. Sorry that I don't. During my many visits with Dr. Gordin, I have chatted with several other patients in his waiting room. Some of them drive from 2 - 3 hours away to see him.