It's so easy to dismiss heartburn, bloating, or stomach upset as “something I ate," or a natural part of aging and a busy life. You might find yourself reaching for antacids after meals, avoiding certain foods, or accepting that burning sensation in your chest as normal. Perhaps you've been told you have acid reflux and need to take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) long-term, or that stress is causing your stomach issues and you just need to relax.
While occasional digestive discomfort happens to everyone, persistent heartburn, frequent upset stomach, and chronic bloating aren’t something you need to accept. If you’re sleeping propped up every night, wake to find yourself coughing or choking, or can’t get comfortable because of your digestive symptoms, your body is telling you that something needs attention.
At The Center for Fully Functional Health, we understand how disruptive digestive issues can be to your daily life. Simply suppressing acid production or masking symptoms with medications doesn't address the underlying causes. These symptoms deserve comprehensive investigation and treatment that goes beyond symptom management.
Heartburn is that familiar burning sensation in your chest or throat that typically occurs after eating. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with your heart – it's caused by stomach acid escaping into your esophagus, where it doesn't belong. While occasional heartburn is normal, frequent episodes (more than twice a week) may indicate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Upset stomach encompasses a range of digestive discomforts, including nausea, bloating, stomach pain, indigestion, or that general feeling that your stomach isn't working properly. You might experience fullness after eating small amounts, burning or gnawing stomach pain, or discomfort that seems to move around your abdomen.
Functional dyspepsia is the term doctors use when you have chronic stomach discomfort without an obvious structural cause – essentially, your digestive system isn't functioning optimally even though tests might appear "normal." All of these symptoms often overlap and can occur together, creating a pattern of digestive distress that significantly impacts your quality of life, energy levels, and relationship with food.
Please seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, persistent vomiting, signs of bleeding (black stools or vomiting blood), or chest pain that could indicate a heart problem rather than heartburn.
However, we don’t want you to wait until your symptoms merit a trip to the ER! If you're experiencing heartburn more than twice a week, persistent stomach discomfort, bloating that interferes with your daily activities, or find yourself regularly relying on antacids or avoiding foods you used to enjoy, it's time to investigate the underlying causes.
Many people also notice that their digestive issues come with other symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, skin problems, or mood changes, all of which can provide important clues about what's really happening in your body.
What causes chronic heartburn and upset stomach?
Rather than simply accepting that you have "too much stomach acid" or that stress is the only culprit, functional medicine in Carmel, IN, recognizes that digestive issues typically result from multiple interconnected factors that need to be identified and addressed:
Your digestive system contains its own complex nervous system – often called your "second brain" – that's in constant communication with your actual brain. That’s why you might get butterflies in your stomach when you’re nervous or feel nauseous during stressful situations.
When you're chronically stressed, anxious, or dealing with past trauma, it directly affects how well your digestive system functions. Chronic stress can reduce stomach acid production, slow digestive motility, increase inflammation in the gut lining, and alter the balance of beneficial bacteria in your microbiome. This creates a cycle where digestive issues increase stress, which worsens digestive function, leading to more symptoms and more stress.
Additionally, an imbalanced gut microbiome can actually affect your mood and stress levels by influencing neurotransmitter production. Since your gut produces about 90% of your body's serotonin, digestive dysfunction can contribute to anxiety, depression, and mood swings, which then further impact digestion.
Understanding this connection is crucial because effective integrative medicine treatment often needs to address both the physical causes of digestive dysfunction and the nervous system factors that perpetuate the cycle.
Traditional medicine typically treats heartburn and upset stomach by reducing or blocking stomach acid production through antacids, H2 blockers, or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). While these medications can provide temporary symptom relief, they don't address why the symptoms are occurring in the first place.
More concerning is that long-term acid suppression can actually worsen digestive function over time. Stomach acid is essential for breaking down proteins, absorbing nutrients like B12, iron, and calcium, and maintaining healthy gut bacteria balance. When acid production is chronically suppressed, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies, increased risk of infections, and paradoxically, more digestive problems.
Many people find themselves in a cycle where they need increasing doses of acid-blocking medications to control symptoms, yet their underlying digestive health continues to deteriorate. They may develop new symptoms like bloating, gas, or food sensitivities as their ability to properly digest food becomes more compromised.
Additionally, conventional approaches often don't investigate the complex factors that contribute to digestive dysfunction, from gut infections and food sensitivities to stress and hormonal imbalances, leaving the root causes untreated.
At The Center for Fully Functional Health in Carmel, Indiana, our functional medicine approach to digestive issues focuses on identifying and treating the underlying causes, while also supporting your body's natural digestive processes and healing mechanisms.
We use advanced testing to understand what's happening in your unique digestive system. This includes comprehensive stool analysis to identify bacterial imbalances, SIBO/SIFO testing, food sensitivity panels, assessment of digestive enzyme function, and evaluation of stomach acid levels. We also test for nutrient deficiencies, inflammatory markers, and hormonal imbalances that could be affecting your digestion.
Based on your individual test results, we develop personalized protocols that might include antimicrobial treatments to address gut infections, digestive enzyme support to improve breakdown of foods, targeted probiotics to restore healthy gut bacteria, and nutritional support to heal intestinal lining and restore proper function.
For patients with low stomach acid, we may recommend betaine HCl or other natural approaches to restore adequate acid production rather than suppressing it further. Treatment might also include bile acid support, liver detoxification protocols, and specific nutrients needed for optimal digestive function.
We help identify trigger foods through comprehensive testing and elimination protocols, then work with you to develop a sustainable eating plan that supports digestive healing while ensuring you get proper nutrition. This isn't about restrictive eating or taking away all your favorite foods – it's about understanding what foods work best for your unique digestive system and enjoying as varied and pleasing a diet as possible.
For patients currently on PPIs or other acid-blocking medications who want to address root causes, we provide careful, medically supervised protocols to gradually reduce dependence while healing underlying issues. This process requires patience and expertise to avoid rebound symptoms while restoring natural digestive function.
Many patients begin experiencing improved digestion, reduced heartburn, and better overall gut health within weeks of starting their personalized treatment plan, with continued improvement as underlying causes are addressed.
Digestive healing takes time, and we provide ongoing support through our dedicated health coaches who help you implement dietary changes, monitor your progress, and adjust protocols as needed. We also offer supportive therapies like IV nutritional therapy to soothe your gut and restore optimal nutrient status.
Dr. Ellen and Dr. Scott Antoine are a married duo of award-winning physicians who bring decades of medical experience to digestive health, understanding both when conventional treatments are necessary and how to identify and treat the complex root causes that are often missed in traditional settings. Their emergency medicine background gives them expertise in recognizing serious digestive conditions that require immediate attention, while their extensive functional medicine training allows them to address the subtle imbalances that create chronic digestive dysfunction.
The Center for Fully Functional Health in Carmel, Indiana, offers comprehensive digestive testing, personalized treatment protocols, and ongoing support to help you achieve lasting digestive health rather than just symptom management. We understand that digestive issues affect every aspect of your life, from your energy and mood to your social activities and overall well-being.
Most importantly, we don't believe you should have to accept digestive discomfort as "normal" or rely on medications that mask symptoms without addressing causes. We're committed to helping you understand what's really happening in your digestive system and providing you with the tools and support you need to achieve optimal digestive health.
Don't let heartburn or upset stomach continue to disrupt your life and limit your food choices. Call our supportive team at (317) 989-8463 Monday to Thursday, 8AM to 5PM Eastern, or fill out the simple form below to find out more and schedule your Initial Consult.
Schedule an Appointment Today.
The Center for Fully Functional Health® is led by a team of award-winning, internationally recognized physicians, committed to providing personalized, life-changing care.
