I'm a member of an HMO (Kaiser). What medical specialty should be best qualified for IBS & etc.?
I don't think too highly about the guy I'm seeing, his card say's MD, FACP and he is in the internal medicine dept. Thanks, Jack

A GI doc may be better for you. Sometimes a GP is just as good provided her or she keeps up on the newest medical information.

Good luck to you,
Katie G

Either and internal medicine doc or an Gastroenterologist is the doc you want to see.

In addition to gastro specialist, I would think a colorectal doctor wouldnt hurt. good luck

A "colorectal" doc is just a gastroenterologist who is known to have an interest in colorectal disease (i.e. IBS, IBD etc.) so the doctors will tend to refer those kinda of cases to him/her.

The IBS workup often occurs like this:

GP finds a GI problem, refers to the gastroenterologist, (s)he rules out all the bad things and makes the diagnosis of IBD. The patient is started off on medications, and then is bounced back to the GP who will do the long-term care. IBS is a syndrome which has both medical and social treatment. The doctor must maintain a therapeutic relationship with the patient because the disease has a psychological as well as a social aspect to it.

IBS is another thing that alternative medicines can have a hand in treating.