Prepare for Your Appointment

Pre-Appointment Checklist

  1. Complete the New Patient Intake Form (this will be emailed to you when you book your appointment)

  2. Send us all of your current medical records including lab results and procedure results (email to gutwellcos@gmail.com)

  3. Get your labs drawn if you paid for our LabCorp panel (fast for 12 hours prior). Do not give LabCorp your insurance if you have paid through us.

  4. Review the educational content on this page to prepare for questions we will likely ask about your symptoms. This helps us have a more informed conversation and get to the root of what is causing your issues so we can get you feeling better faster.

Educational Content

Review the following content as it applies to your symptoms.

Learn what symptoms and patterns to track so we can determine the root of your issues faster.

BLOATING

Do you experience bloating? If yes, review this content so you can track your symptoms and reflect on them before your session.

  • The cause of bloating is related to where in the GI tract it comes from - there are 3 main options: the upper part of the GI tract (stomach), the middle part (22 feet of small intestine), and the lower part (the colon). 

  • UPPER GI TRACT / STOMACH: You may feel full longer, feel like you still have food in your stomach several hours after eating, you may fill up quickly when eating, or food might feel like a rock in your stomach. This type usually occurs soon after eating, and may be the worst in the evening.

  • MIDDLE GI TRACT / SMALL INTESTINE: You may feel distension, the need to loosen your pants, might look pregnant in the mirror especially as the day goes on. The small bowel is loose and floppy and can easily bulge out due to bloating. This type might occur 1-2 hours after eating. 

  • LOWER GI TRACT / COLON: You may have the urge to have a bowel movement but can’t, might feel more rumbling and discomfort lower in the abdomen. The colon is held down with ligaments and therefore can’t expand with bloating - but you may still feel discomfort. This type is less common. 

CONSTIPATION

Do you struggle with constipation? This can mean several different things so let’s explore it together so when you come in you can give us more details. 

LACK OF URGE TO GO: This is when you just don’t feel the need or urge to have a bowel movement. It could mean your whole gut is slowed down, and not moving things through as quickly as it should. 

CAN’T PUSH STOOL OUT: You feel like there is stool/poop in your rectum, and you want to push it out but you can’t. 

More questions if this is the case: 

Do you have stool that is too hard to push out? 

Or is the stool soft but you still struggle to get it out (this can have more to do with dysfunctional anal contractions or pelvic floor dysfunction)?

Depending on your symptoms, we may suggest a rectal exam when you’re in the office to get a better idea of how the rectum is functioning. 

GAS

Do you experience gas? Most people do; in fact the typical person makes from 0.5-1 L of gas per day. Gas is normal, but can cause problems and pain in some people. 

What does it feel like? Gas feels different based on where in the GI tract it originates.

FROM UPPER GI: This manifests as belching, indigestion, rumbling, or potentially heartburn. 

FROM MIDDLE GI: Gas is accompanied by bloating and abdominal distention. You might feel the need to loosen your pants and could look pregnant. 

FROM LOWER GI: Gas is expelled through farting, and can be accompanied by cramping or pain before bowel movements. 

What does it smell like?

No odor - Usually methane-containing gas

Sulfur smell - Usually sulfur-containing gas produced by microbes in your gut. This type is often more painful.

What causes it?

Do you notice a difference in how much gas you have based on the foods you eat? Pay attention to when you eat raw versus cooked vegetables, or other foods that can often cause gas in people like dairy, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), or beans.

DIARRHEA

Diarrhea can also mean different things to different people. For some people diarrhea is having bowel movements multiple times a day, for others it means just having loose stool. Let’s dive into some questions we will ask to determine the root cause of your issues. If you aren’t sure of the answers now, try to track your symptoms more carefully before your appointment so you can report more details about what you’re experiencing. 

Key Factors to Monitor:

Color: brown, yellow, orange, or pale/gray

Consistency: watery, loose/no shape, or soft serve

Oily: fat droplets in the bowl

Undigested Food: plant fiber, does it look like what you ate the night before?

Urgency: fecal incontinence, do you have time to make it to the bathroom, does it wake you up at night?

Frequency: how many times a day do you have diarrhea?

HEARTBURN

If you experience heartburn, we will ask you some questions to try to figure out the root cause of it. 

What does it feel like: Do you experience a burning sensation in your chest, or does acid come up into your throat? Does regurgitation occur, like a feeling of throwing up in your throat or mouth?

Timing: Do you feel heartburn when you’re going to bed or laying down at night? Do you ever wake up at night choking or feeling like food is coming up? 


Triggers: It’s important to pay attention to any specific foods that seem to trigger your heartburn, how late at night you’re eating, and how large your meals are—especially if they’re heavier or greasy. Finally, do you notice if bending over sometimes causes food or acid to come up?