Functional Medicine Testing for Heartburn
Advanced lab testing that finds what is actually driving your reflux — not another guess in a bottle.
Functional medicine testing for heartburn means running advanced lab work — stool analysis, food sensitivity panels, cortisol testing, and H. pylori testing — to find out why acid is reaching your esophagus. In our Wilmington practice, we use these tests to identify the specific root cause behind your reflux, then build your plan around the results instead of guessing with another medication.
Why Testing Beats Guessing
Most people who come to us have been on a PPI for months or years. The medication quiets the acid, but nobody has told them why the reflux started. When the medication stops, the heartburn comes right back. That cycle usually means the cause was never addressed.
Heartburn is a symptom. Behind it you may find an H. pylori infection, a hidden food sensitivity, low stomach acid, stress-driven cortisol disruption, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or a mechanical issue like a hiatal hernia. These causes look identical from the outside. Testing is how we tell them apart.
Our approach is simple: test first, treat what the testing finds.
Our Testing Services
Functional Medicine Heartburn Care
Our 3-Step Root Cause Heartburn Protocol: discovery call, advanced testing, and a personalized plan built from your results.
Comprehensive Stool Analysis
Gut microbiome testing for bacterial overgrowth, H. pylori, parasites, and digestive markers like elastase and inflammation.
184 Food Sensitivity Panel
Immune response testing (IgG/IgE) to 184 common foods to uncover hidden sensitivities driving reflux and inflammation.
Adrenal Stress Testing
Cortisol rhythm and stress hormone testing — the stress connection to gut motility, acid production, and the esophageal sphincter.
PPI Cessation Support
A supervised, gradual step-down plan developed with your prescribing doctor, backed by testing that finds why the reflux began.
How It Works
- Step 1 — Discovery Call. A free 15-minute call where we hear your story and tell you whether testing is the right next move. See how it works.
- Step 2 — Advanced Testing. We order the panels your case calls for. Most kits are collected at home and mailed to the lab, with results typically within 7 business days.
- Step 3 — Your Personalized Plan. We review the results with you and build a care plan: remove what is irritating the gut, heal the lining, and support the systems involved.
Who This Is For
- Heartburn or reflux that returns every time you reduce your medication
- GERD symptoms despite clean endoscopy results
- Bloating, gas, or bowel changes alongside your reflux
- Anyone who has been told "it's just stress" or "just take this forever"
Wilmington Roots, Statewide Access
Our clinic, Wilmington Functional Medicine, is located on Wrightsville Ave. in Wilmington, NC. If you are in Leland, Jacksonville, or Brunswick County, you are a short drive away — and telehealth plus mail-in testing covers the rest of North Carolina.
The GERD and FAQ pages go deeper on the conditions we see most.
What tests does functional medicine use for heartburn?
The core panel usually includes a comprehensive stool analysis, an H. pylori test, a food sensitivity panel such as the Alletess 184, and an adrenal stress profile measuring cortisol rhythms. We do not run every test on every person — we choose based on your history and symptoms.
How is this different from seeing a gastroenterologist?
A gastroenterologist looks for structural disease — ulcers, Barrett's esophagus, strictures — and that work matters. We look for the functional drivers of reflux: infections, food reactions, acid levels, stress physiology, and microbiome imbalance. Many of our patients have had a normal scope and still feel terrible. That is exactly the gap we fill.
Do I have to stop my medication to work with you?
No. We never tell patients to stop medication on their own. If reducing a PPI makes sense for you, we build a gradual step-down plan with your prescribing doctor and support your body through the change. Medication decisions always stay between you and the doctor who prescribed it.
Can I do the testing if I live outside Wilmington?
Yes. Most test kits are collected at home and mailed to the lab, and we work by telehealth with patients across North Carolina, including Leland, Jacksonville, and Brunswick County. Results typically come back within 7 business days, followed by a dedicated results review.
Ready for real answers?
Your first step is a free 15-minute discovery call.
Book Free Discovery CallNo cost. No commitment. Just answers.