My Path To Discovery
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Watch My Story
A year after being diagnosed with IBS, I made a breakthrough observation when I connected my IBS symptoms to garlic ingestion. I investigated by performing a patch test with garlic on myself and found that my allergy to garlic was detectable by this test. I then removed this single food from my diet and was able to completely stop my IBS symptoms.
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I discovered that the allergies detected by patch testing could cause IBS symptoms. The allergies detected by patch testing are physiologically different from allergies detected by skin prick tests and commonly ordered antibody blood tests. These latter tests have generally been determined not to be helpful for IBS. The IBS-80 patch test tests for 80 common food allergies associated with IBS.
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I don't want to get too far into the weeds here, but if you're interested, here's how I identified the cause of my IBS symptoms.
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Once I realized the connection between garlic and my IBS symptoms, I dug in deeper, investigating with three scientific studies (Study 1, Study 2, Study 3) showing that many other food allergies detectable by patch testing also cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Foods used in the studies are now the backbone of the IBS-80 patch test. The theory is that an allergic reaction similar to that in the skin caused by the food(s) used in the patch tests also occurs in the intestinal lining after ingestion of the same food(s), triggering the IBS symptoms.
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Our patented proprietary test allows many patients to exit the trial and error game
and zero in on the root causes of their symptoms — and eliminate them from their diet.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated IBS-80 for safety or effectiveness.
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Background:
Dr. Stierstorfer graduated with honors from Franklin & Marshall College and the Temple University School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and Dermatology residency at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. He is the founder of North Wales Dermatology, specializing in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology, and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was awarded the Faculty Teaching Award in 2008. He is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery, and the Philadelphia Dermatological Society. Dr. Stierstorfer has published in a number of peer-reviewed dermatology journals and is a clinical investigator independently and with the Dermatology Clinical Effectiveness Research Network (DCERN). He is also a participant in the Major League Baseball Skin Cancer Screening and Awareness Program.
Physician Testimonial
Patient Testimonials
We had all the tests done (on my daughter) - endoscopy, colonoscopy, allergy testing. Everything came back negative. They told me that it would just take time to figure it out. No one had an answer for me. No diets worked. Nothing I eliminated seemed to keep my daughter well for very long. Dr. Stierstorfer took the time to contact me directly and tell me what makes his test different. When the results came back, I could finally connect the dots. They found the needle in our haystack and the answer to our problem. It wasn't the gluten but the bleaching agent used in flour and a natural substance in carrots, celery, and parsley. She has not had one IBS symptom. Not even a stomachache. I simply removed the few things from her diet that had come up positive.
— K.S., mother of an 11-year-old patient
"If I avoid … red food dye, I don't experience the pain and diarrhea from IBS! I'm a happy girl!"
— K.S., mother of an 11-year-old patient
"This is a life-changer. I thought the daily discomfort was normal."
— D.D., a 42-year-old woman
Watch my IBS-80 Success Story
"I have had one month of normal bowel habits … for the first in a long time. I am unable to thank you for how you have changed my life."
— D.M., 57-year-old man
Watch my IBS-80 Success Story
"I have learned so much about the items causing me problems and have had a normal month. The first in a long time."
— M.S., a 52-year-old man
