Do or Do Not… There is No Try

How This Unique Approach For Treating Hard-To-Solve Conditions Is Different From Anything Else You’ve Tried “Do…or do not.  There is no try.” This iconic quote is from Yoda, in Star Wars Episode V:  The Empire Strikes Back. * And it often applies to many of my patients and families. By the time I see patients, […]

Why the Mind-Gut Connection Is the Key to Solving Your IBS & Ongoing Stomach Issues

By Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP on March 2, 2022 Author, Controlling Your Gut Feelings Blog Why the Mind-Gut Connection Is the Key to Solving Your IBS & Ongoing Stomach Issues Most people are at least somewhat familiar with the concept that our bodies are integrated systems that talk with and affect one another.  However, traditional […]

Parents, Congratulate Yourselves!

By Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP on February 3rd, 2021 Author, Controlling Your Gut Feelings Blog   Parents, Congratulate Yourselves! I believe that being a parent is the hardest job in the world. And the current pandemic is making this job even harder. We parents do the best we can. And my feeling is that each generation […]

How COVID-19 Could Be Affecting Your Child’s IBS

Is Covid-19 Affecting Your Child's IBS

By Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP on January 7th, 2021 Author, Controlling Your Gut Feelings Blog   Is Your Child’s IBS Made Worse By The World Today? During this time of COVID-19, more people are attending school online and working remotely from home.  You may be wondering how this affects patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). […]

Teenage Girls Dealing With Digestive Issues & Gut Pain

ibs-symptoms-treatment-in-teenagers-controlling-your-gut-feelings

By Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP on May 18, 2020 Author, Controlling Your Gut Feelings Blog   Overview Let’s face it, life for teenagers isn’t as easy going as it was 50 or 60 years ago. Put yourself in the shoes of a teenage girl, and the stress really piles on. Between rigorous schedules, the demands […]

How do I solve my child’s chronic stomach pain?

ibs-symptoms-treatment-in-kids-teenagers-controlling-your-gut-feelings

If your child has stomach pain, or nausea, and all of the test results are normal, she may have a condition for which medication is not helpful. The first thing is to have your child evaluated by her primary care clinician to be sure that there is nothing medically that is contributing to the problem. […]

Pain Rules the Roost

Pain Rules the Roost By David Hanscom, MD My friend and colleague, David Hanscom, MD, wrote a wonderful blog.  It is entitled: “Pain Rules the Roost” and can be read below: I am noticing a pattern that seems to be quite common. People in pain control others around them – especially their close family members. […]

What Does the Research Say About Treating Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders?

There is a growing body of research that addresses functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and their treatment. These are some of the studies I have found helpful as I continue my work with children, adolescents, and young adults with these conditions. A large trial that focused on children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel […]

Functional Abdominal Pain – How Parents Make It Worse: What You Focus On, You Amplify

When children and adolescents have functional abdominal pain (FAP), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or functional dyspepsia (FD), their healthcare clinicians typically ask them, “What’s your pain level today?” and “What’s your average daily pain level?” If I tell you, “Don’t think of a white horse, don’t think of a white horse, don’t think of a […]