IBS Nutrition Podcast by The IBS Dietitian · Jessie Wong, Registered Dietitian and Gut Expert

26. IBS Success Story: How Lauren Found Relief from IBS & Microscopic Colitis (IBD)

·26 min·2 clips

Lauren's naturopath diagnosed her with SIBO, but her symptoms returned, leading to a surprising colonoscopy result.

The episode begins with host Jessie Wong introducing the podcast and promoting the IBS Freedom Group program, which has limited spots for 2025. Jessie and co-host Brooke Keenan welcome guest Lauren, a recent university graduate in criminology and psychology who works in restaurants and administration. Lauren describes her active life before IBS symptoms started in 2018, including diarrhea, urgency, bloating, and pain. She initially saw a family doctor who provided little support, then a naturopath who diagnosed her with SIBO and prescribed a protocol that helped temporarily. When symptoms returned, Lauren advocated for more tests and underwent a colonoscopy, receiving diagnoses of microscopic colitis (a type of IBD) and IBS. Jessie cautions listeners about alternative medicine delaying proper diagnosis and emphasizes the importance of seeing a gastroenterologist. Lauren recounts her GI doctor's unhelpful advice, leading her to research and join the IBS Freedom Group program. She highlights the program's one-on-one support, weekly group sessions, and journaling system where clients track food and symptoms for expert analysis. Jessie explains how this helps identify trends and triggers over days. Lauren discusses the elimination diet and food challenges, including reintroducing pitted fruits like cherries and peaches with portion control, and trying lactose-free dairy. She also shares lifestyle challenges, such as gratitude journaling and humming, which helped manage symptoms and anxiety. Lauren reports significant improvements: she no longer takes Imodium regularly, feels less anxious about leaving home, and has reduced her supplement use, like Metamucil. Jessie and Lauren discuss the importance of not waiting to address IBS, with Lauren noting her father's similar symptoms and improvement from her advice. The episode concludes with a promotion for the program's enrollment closing September 30, 2025.

As heard by us

A steady guide to reintroducing foods and checking IBS triggers.

Lauren's story gives the episode its frame, while Jessie keeps the discussion on process. The conversation moves through delayed symptom timing, the elimination diet, the reintroduction chart, and the food challenges that help separate likely triggers from assumptions.

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Why you'd press play

See how Lauren worked through elimination diets and food challenges to reintroduce foods she had avoided for years.

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