Up to one in nine people who get bacterial gastroenteritis develop lasting IBS. The mechanism is autoimmune: toxins from the infection trigger antibodies (anti-CdtB and anti-vinculin) that damage the nerves governing gut motility, letting overgrowth take hold. This is one of the best-understood IBS subtypes — and it's testable with a blood draw.
Antibody testing to confirm the mechanism, breath testing for secondary overgrowth, then a plan built around motility: prokinetics, overgrowth treatment, and protecting the gut during future GI infections, since repeat episodes compound the damage.
New patient visits in person in Portland or by telehealth. I've spent 18 years on complex GI cases — including my own.
