Chinese Medicine

IBS and chronic indigestion

Bloating, belly pain, stools that change from day to day. The tests are normal, but you still do not feel right. Dr. Pan rules out other causes first, then uses Chinese herbs.

Call us (267) 348-4139

See what a first visit involves · Join the list

Please bring any endoscopy, colonoscopy or lab results, and a list of the medicines, supplements and herbs you take now. For a week or two before you come, it helps to note what you eat, when you feel bad, and how your stools are.

First, rule out other causes

Go to the ER right away for: a lot of blood in the stool, black stool with dizziness or fainting, vomiting blood, or sudden severe belly pain.

These need to be checked before herbs are tried:

Blood in the stool, or black stool
Weight loss you cannot explain
A low blood count (anemia)
Fever, or a lump you can feel in your belly
Pain or diarrhea that wakes you at night
Trouble swallowing, or vomiting that keeps coming back
Stomach trouble that first started after age 60
Age 45 or older, and not up to date on colon cancer screening
Colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease in the family

Chinese herbs

If needed, Dr. Pan orders tests first — for celiac disease or the stomach germ H. pylori, for example — or refers you for a scope.

Then he checks your pulse and tongue, and asks about your eating, sleep and stress. The herbs are chosen for your kind of problem, and checked against the medicines you already take. Food is part of the plan too: which foods make it worse. Herbs help some people, but not everyone.

How many visits

After the first visit and any tests, plan on follow-ups every few weeks for about two months. We look at whether the bloating and pain are less, whether your stools are more regular, and whether meals feel easier. These problems often come and go, and stress can bring them back. If nothing has changed by then, we work out a new plan together.

Common questions

My tests are all normal. Why do I still feel bad?

In IBS, and in indigestion with normal tests, the gut is not damaged. But it moves out of rhythm, and it is more sensitive than usual. That is real, even when the tests are normal.

I take stomach or diarrhea medicine. Can I take herbs too?

Usually yes. Dr. Pan looks after both. Some need to be taken a few hours apart.

Do I need a colonoscopy?

It depends on your age and symptoms. From age 45, most people should be screened for colon cancer anyway.

How long do I take the herbs?

Plan on about two months. Then you and Dr. Pan decide together whether to go on.