I didn't realize until reading Gut Feelings the extent to which trauma, infections, parental behavior, and coping skills play a role in developing issues in the gut. I personally have struggled for years to find a diagnosis for my stomach pain and have observed my own patients struggle with similar difficulties. Gut Feelings provides easy to understand explanations for these frequent, yet commonly misunderstood, conditions. Gut Feelings provides practical knowledge and useful insights in a manner which is very easy to digest. "

Dr. Drossman and Ms. Ruddy have created a valuable tool for all readers navigating the healthcare system, in particular gastroenterology and psychiatry, that will be useful for all in the years to come. As a chronic illness patient, I wish I would have had this guide at the beginning of my journey!” 

This is the book I wish I had read many years ago, when I first began to experience my abdominal pain. As a patient, this is very helpful in seeing things from a Doctor's perspective and also seeing what you can do to help take an active part of your care. The discussions on the Doctor-Patient Relationship are also useful for interacting with your care team. This book also shows that there is hope for you out there. You can find a good team to help manage your symptoms and improve your life. 

Patient

Gut Feelings is an incredible resource for physicians and patients who are faced with undiagnosed Disorders of Brain Gut Interaction (DGBI). It can be extremely frustrating for all involved when patients present with gastrointestinal and potential concurrent neurological symptoms without an apparent structural cause. Many physicians are not familiar with the Rome Criteria and often patients are dismissed when physicians are unaware of a course of action. Gut Feelings provides the framework to empower patients to self-advocate and ask pertinent questions, allowing them to actively participate in their action of care.

In most ways, I would consider myself extremely fortunate. I have a medical background. I had access to medical care deemed to be the very best and I saw physicians who had the resources and desire to do all they could to help. However, the knowledge and tools to do so were simply absent. At the age of 33, I began to experience numbness in the face and extremities, severe headaches, temperature dysregulation, dizziness and brain fog. No one linked any of these symptoms with the two Clostridium Difficile infections I had six months prior. Looking back, I now know that I downplayed my concomitant GI symptoms. I wanted to focus on the neurological symptoms that were the most outwardly debilitating as I feared those could affect my ability to care for family and perform my job. Grasping at straws, the doctors ordered expensive and unnecessary neurological testing which have resulted in lasting negative effects. Somehow, I knew that extensive neurological testing was not the direction to take. However, like the doctors, I yearned for a structural deficit to explain my symptoms. When the testing failed to yield the answers we craved, I was forced to accept my “new normal” and do my best to manage my symptoms.

Only after my GI symptoms became severe did I seek out a GI physician. After being honest with some friends and colleagues about my symptoms, it was suggested that I make an appointment with Dr. Drossman. After a one-hour visit, I left with a diagnosis and a treatment plan. I was given a dozen peer reviewed research articles relevant to my illness. Most importantly, I was reminded that my recovery would be journey, but that it would be one we would travel together. 

Although more physicians are learning about DGBIs and how best to treat patients with these illnesses, many patients will not have the opportunity to see a physician well versed in this growing field. Within Gut Feelings, Dr. Drossman provides a detailed scientific background and explanation for each DGBI as well as potential treatments for each. This book also describes methods to achieve an ideal patient-doctor relationship, thereby improving communication skills, patient education and mutual respect. In this safe environment, the patient is more likely to share their entire story, thus giving important clues which may lead to an accurate diagnosis, improving both doctor and patient satisfaction. This book is certain to resonate with and provide valuable guidance for both patients and doctors contending with DGBIs.

Patient

Gut Feelings is a must read for any doctor in the field of gastroenterology. It is also a must read for any patient experiencing unresolved, seemingly misdiagnosed GI issues. It is widely known that a doctor’s mission is to provide excellent medical care and improve the lives of patients. Education is oftentimes the answer when doctors reach a roadblock. For a decade, I was failed by the medical community because the science of gastrointestinal dysfunction was unknown.

When I arrived at Drossman Care in 2017, I was stuck in a vicious cycle with no way out. An accurate diagnosis coupled with Rome Foundation Research paved the way for healing. My treatment included Pharmacology + CBT + Doctor’s Care + Time. Neuromodulators were necessary to regulate signals to the brain. Equally, if not more important, CBT helped me identify and change behaviors that were hurtful and an impedance to healing. Calm the brain, calm the gut! I wasn’t crazy, but my A-type, overachieving  personality needed a total OVERHAUL. Today, my life is vastly improved, better balanced and even restful. I am thankful that the biopsychosocial model not only saved my life, but gave me a much better quality of life to enjoy!

I, and my family, are forever indebted and grateful to Dr. Drossman and the Rome Foundation for the magnitude of research done in the field of DGBI’s. Through the care and guidance of Dr. Drossman, I am thrilled to say, I HAVE MY LIFE BACK and I AM PAIN FREE. My first visit with Dr. Drossman set the stage for success. His methods of communication set me at ease and conveyed a sense of care and concern. He educated me with diagrams and even gave me several journal articles which I happily read. I trusted Dr. Drossman– perhaps the most critical step– because without trust, there is no viable treatment plan.

This book provides a wealth of information, backed with decades of research and patient success. Dr. Drossman translates complex and often misunderstood digestive disorders that ultimately help doctors and patients understand one another. Gut Feelings begins with a brief history of medicine to help the reader understand the limitations of Cartesian dualism. More importantly, Dr. Drossman highlights the relevance of the biopsychosocial model, which cannot be overlooked, considering the hard-wired Gut-Brain interaction.

Digestive disorders are very real, but the treatment is NOT a one size fits all. Gut Feelings categorizes a magnitude of symptoms, coupled with proven interview techniques which allow for proper diagnosis. This methodology is proven and for me personally, it was the answer to wellness I had been seeking for a decade. Finally, a book that validates the patient, explains the gut illness AND gives hope for wellness and healing!

I have recently had the pleasure of reading Gut Feelings: Disorders of the Gut Brain Interaction and the Patient Doctor Relationship. In this book, Dr. Drossman explains the different disorders of gut brain interaction (DGBI) and provides case studies, one of which has been generously shared in detail by the author Johannah Ruddy, who gives the patient perspective of treatment. Her story and explanations feel genuinely empowering for someone with this diagnosis.

I am not a psychologist, but in my humble experience, as someone living with IBS, a healthcare practitioner and charity worker in the field of gastroenterology, there is great power in a good patient doctor relationship. I have heard a lot of people report on how their diagnosis was given over the years, and sadly it still is often given poorly. This is certainly not done in malice by any means but is perhaps rooted in misunderstanding about the patient’s concerns. The choice of words used really matters.

This books premise is to teach about the patient doctor relationship and explain about the gut brain interaction so that three things can happen. First, the doctor can give a confident diagnosis (the book explains all the different DGBI’s in detail) – explain the biopsychosocial model of symptoms and the brain gut interaction – then both work in partnership in addressing concerns and trying treatments. How easy is that? This book shows you how. For patients with IBS, this book can be a little complex in some of the medical descriptions and terms, however I encourage all patients to learn as much as you can about your diagnosis from credible sources. This book is a good place to start.”

Guts UK

gutscharity.org.uk