Gas-type Irritable Bowel Syndrome - "Gas keeps building up in my stomach"

1. "It feels like something is filling up in my stomach"

Hello everyone. This is Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic.

Have you ever experienced this?

After eating, your stomach swells up visibly, you feel stuffy like you might pass gas but can't quite do it, something keeps rising from your stomach, your stomach gurgles frequently, and you can have bowel movements fine but... your stomach feels uncomfortable all day long. When this continues, it's really exhausting.

You cannot dismiss these symptoms as simple "indigestion." Today, let me talk about this condition, "Gas-type IBS," a functional bowel disorder with abdominal bloating and gas symptoms like belching and flatulence as the main features.

2. The disease exists, but there was no disease name?

The term "Gas-type IBS" is actually not an official medical diagnosis. In modern medicine, it falls under IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but generally it's classified into diarrhea-predominant, constipation-predominant, and mixed types, with cases that don't fit neatly into any of those being described as "unclassified" or "gas-type."

"I don't have diarrhea, and I'm not constipated, but... my stomach keeps swelling."

"I burp way too often. Embarrassingly so during meetings."

"It feels like gas keeps building up inside, but it won't come out, making it even more uncomfortable."

These are the characteristics of gas-type IBS. Your stomach bloats immediately after eating, you feel a heavy pressure in your lower left abdomen or pit of your stomach. The gas doesn't escape and feels trapped inside. And the more anxious you are, the worse the symptoms become. There are actually quite many people like this. But... more often than not, there's no clear diagnosis or treatment for them.

3. Why did these symptoms start gaining attention?

In the past, such symptoms were dismissed as "being too sensitive" or "it's all in your head." X-rays show nothing, endoscopy shows no abnormalities, and blood tests are all normal, yet patients clearly say:

"Something is filling up in my stomach."

"I'm so uncomfortable I could die."

These symptoms began being treated as actual diseases after the 1990s. When diagnostic criteria for functional bowel disorders called the Rome criteria were established, the concept took root that "even if everything looks normal on the outside, if the intestines are functionally sensitive or abnormal, that's a disease."

And what followed were concepts like gut microbiota, SIBO, and FODMAP.

"Bacteria in the intestines are causing excessive fermentation."

"Carbohydrates aren't being absorbed well, creating gas."

"Stress is stopping intestinal movements."

With this accumulation of knowledge, the understanding that it's not just a psychological matter began to take hold.

4. But... why don't hospital medications work well?

This is where many people become discouraged. Even when you visit an internal medicine department, there's not much they can do. Gastrointestinal motility regulators, antispasmodics, acid suppressants, digestive aids... you might feel slightly better once or twice, but soon it returns to how it was before, and some medications actually make you feel worse.

The reason is simple. This isn't a structural problem; it's a functional problem. There's no wound or inflammation in the intestines. What is abnormal is the movement and the over-sensitivity of reactions.

Moreover, this condition isn't just about the intestines. Doesn't it get worse when you're stressed? Don't symptoms spike when you go out or feel nervous?

→ This is the Gut-Brain Axis, a response of the autonomic nervous system.

Medications only regulate the stomach and intestines; they don't regulate the body's entire response system, which is why it gives the feeling of "I took it but nothing happened."

5. That's why more people have been turning to Korean medicine

Korean medicine has a framework that can explain "of course this can happen" for such issues. For example, people under a lot of stress experience stagnation of liver qi (gan-gi), and that energy presses on the intestines, causing gas to become blocked.

People with weak stomachs have slowed digestion, leading to food stagnation (siljeok) and fermentation. People with a constitution that is sensitive to cold have

"This is because your stomach is weak and there is cold energy, so the gas cannot go downward."

"From the patient's perspective, just hearing an explanation of 'why these symptoms occur' is already half the treatment."

"Additionally, Korean medicine can take a holistic approach with herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, abdominal massage, dietary regulation, and lifestyle guidance → So even with the same gas-type IBS, since the causes differ from person to person → customized treatment is possible."

"6. How can it be divided by disease pattern?"

"Gas-type IBS can also be divided into several types."

• "Liver Qi Stagnation Type:" "When stressed, you immediately feel chest tightness and burp frequently." → Formulas such as Si-Ho-So-Gan-San (Bupleurum Liver-Soothing Powder) and So-Yo-San (Minor Calm-Emptiness Powder) are used"
• "Spleen Deficiency Type:" "You feel drowsy after eating, your abdomen is bloated, and you have some diarrhea." → Formulas such as Bo-Jung-Ik-Gi-Tang (Strengthen Middle and Benefit Qi Decoction) and Sam-Ling-Baek-Chul-San (Three Marvels and White Atractylodes Powder) are used"
• "Food Stagnation Type:" "Bad breath is severe, and burps have a foul odor." → Pyeongwi-San (Stomach Harmonizing Powder) and Ji-Sil-Do-Che-Hwan (Aucklandia Mass Reducing Pill) are used."
• "Cold Deficiency Type:" "Your abdomen feels cold, you have diarrhea in the early morning, and flatulence has a cold sensation." → I-Jung-Tang (Double Center Decoction) and Hyang-Sa-Yuk-Gunja-Tang (Aucklandia & Saussurea Six Gentlemen Decoction) series"

"Depending on the patient's constitution and symptoms, acupuncture points are used differently, and herbal medicine also changes."

"7. This is not simply an intestinal problem—it is a 'directional' problem of the body"

"Why does the same food cause no issues for some people but leave others feeling like their stomachs are about to burst? The intestine is merely a 'stage' showing that person's bodily response, and the direction that drives it—energy, autonomic nervous system, constitution—is different."

"Therefore, medicines that simply regulate the intestines are not sufficient; an approach that adjusts the overall balance of the body is needed. This is the treatment structure for gas-type IBS as viewed by Korean medicine."

"If you are currently suffering from 'your stomach feels like it will burst every time you eat' or 'a sensation as if gas is trapped in your intestines,' do not view this as just a simple digestive problem. This may be a structural signal your body is sending. It is time for Korean medicine diagnosis and approach."

"#IrritableBowelSyndrome #GasTypeIBS #IncheonIBS"