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  4. Are you using [the] IBS-Smart test, and if so, when do you order this?
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  4. Are you using [the] IBS-Smart test, and if so, when do you order this?

Are you using [the] IBS-Smart test, and if so, when do you order this?

Amy Nett: Christie is asking, “Are you using [the] IBS-Smart test, and if so, when do you order this?”

Personally, I’m not using it a whole lot. I’ve seen Chris has been ordering it a little bit for patients initially if they’re more toward the IBS-D [irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea] type symptoms, and again, I think what you’re looking for here is how much do we need to support you with a motility agent. I think I’m leaning a little bit more toward, what are your symptoms? Do I suspect motility as an issue? Do I want to try, like I said, Motility Activator—pretty safe, 5-HTP might be something that you would use to help support motility. I guess some of this is honestly my own bias. I hate spending money on testing for myself. And so, I just like to be really clear with patients. We could do this test, here’s what we would get out of it, and here’s how it might change your management. Do you want to do this at this time? Because all the Functional Medicine tests, I would say, ballpark everything is around, like, $300 to $400 dollars per test, so this adds up really quickly. And so, again, I might do the IBS-Smart test; for me, it would be more, like, if we’re having a hard time treating your SIBO, do we need to use a motility agent long term, and again, you might know that clinically. You might not need the test. The other time to do it is if somebody says, “I really want answers. I really want to do the testing so I have a better understanding of why I’m having these problems,” and again, totally legit. Do the testing so you can understand like ​why is this prior [39:46]​ food poisoning. But again, I think just being clear on how this is going to change my management, that’s always how I look at “Do I want to order this test? How is it going to change my management?” That’s kind of the framework.

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