More than one billion individuals worldwide experience digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) problems, including acid reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and many others. This book was written with these individuals in mind and to help guide them. In this comprehensive yet high-yield and patient-friendly book, trusted medical expert Dr. James H. Tabibian shares his professional insights and personal experiences to empower patients to gain better understanding of and control over their digestive health. This book addresses questions that commonly arise among those with GI problems, such as “What condition do I really have?”, “Should I be worried?”, “At what point do I need to see a specialist?”, “What should I tell the doctor?”, “Is the doctor ordering the right tests for me?”, “What treatment options are there and which ones work best for me?”, “Am I seeing the right subspecialist for my problem?”, and more. It presents up-to-date scientific knowledge and tenets that are relevantacross the spectrum of common GI problems, providing a summary of key concepts, underlying causes of digestive problems, how to best embark on a medical evaluation, and the vast array of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic options. Drawing upon both Western and Eastern methodologies and a combination of integrative and functional medicine, this book provides important practical information to help navigate life with GI problems, the complexities of modern healthcare, and the quest for digestive wellness, debunking misconceptions along the way.
James H. Tabibian, MD, PhD, FACP, FASGE
Physician Specialist, GI-Invasive
Director of Endoscopy
Department of Medicine
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Health Sciences Clinic Professor
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
James H. Tabibian, MD, PhD, FACP, FASGE is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Geffen School of Medicine and Director of Endoscopy at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Tabibian grew up in Central California and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from UC Davis. He received his MD degree at UCLA, wherefrom he graduated with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. Wanting to explore the country, he moved to the East Coast, where he completed Internal Medicine Residency in the prestigious Osler Medical Housestaff Training Program at Johns Hopkins. Thereafter, Dr. Tabibian became the first joint NIH-ABIM Subspecialty Research track Fellow in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic Rochester. During his Fellowship training, he also earned a PhD through Mayo Graduate School, Center for Clinical and Translational Studies (CTSA). Following his time at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Tabibian joined the University of Pennsylvania as an Advanced Endoscopy Fellow and Instructor of Medicine. At the terminus of his year at Penn, Dr. Tabibian moved back to California to join the faculty at UC Davis Medical Center. Family needs brought Dr. Tabibian back to Southern California in 2017, where he has been ever since.
As part of his ongoing professional responsibilities, Dr. Tabibian is intricately involved in the training and research activities of medical residents and gastroenterology fellows. He has authored over 200 articles across the spectrum of research, from basic laboratory science to clinical trials and outcomes research, and on topics including preventive care, telehealth, and novel technology. Dr. Tabibian has been the recipient of numerous honors and extramural grants and holds several Editorial positions for leading peer-reviewed biomedical journals. Additionally, Dr. Tabibian serves as an expert advisor nationally and internationally and is a consultant in Gastroenterology for the Medical Board of California.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Tabibian’s interests include languages, cultural anthropology, history, and theology. His hobbies include spending time with family, gardening, weightlifting, and continuously learning.
