Functional medicine costs vary depending on the level of support you need, from consultation fees and test kits to targeted supplements and personalised lifestyle plans. At IBS Clinics, pricing is transparent, with flexible appointment lengths and clear test kit options.
When compared with the hidden costs of ongoing gut symptoms, from missed work days to repeated spending on ineffective remedies, the root cause approach of functional medicine can offer better value and more sustainable symptom control.
Living with persistent gut symptoms can feel like an endless cycle of flare-ups, fatigue and trial and error. Many people reach a point where quick fixes, supplements recommended by friends and repeated specialist appointments are adding up in cost, but not in progress. That is often when functional medicine becomes a serious consideration.
But a fair question comes up early: how much does functional medicine actually cost, and what are you paying for?
Functional medicine is not a one-size-fits-all package. Your total investment depends on the complexity of your symptoms, the gut health tests you need, and the level of support required to rebuild healthier digestion, sleep and energy.
In this guide, we break down the costs of functional medicine, including consultations, test kits, supplements and personalised plans. For a detailed look at what functional medicine is all about, and the principles behind it, take a look at our article What is Functional Medicine?
We also look at the other side of the equation: the money people often spend before seeking a root cause approach, from multiple private referrals to lost work days during flare-ups. When viewed together, the true value of functional medicine becomes clearer.
What Determines the Cost of Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is highly personalised, so costs vary depending on what you actually need to understand and resolve your symptoms. Rather than paying for a fixed programme, you pay for the components that apply to your case. These usually fall into four areas: consultations, testing, supplements and personalised lifestyle plans.
For example, someone with clear IBS triggers who needs help refining their diet and rebuilding gut function may only require a few consultations and minimal testing. Another person with long-term bloating, fatigue, disrupted sleep, and suspected SIBO might need a breath test, stool analysis, and a longer period of structured support. Each of these choices will influence the total cost.
Common cost contributors include:
• Consultations for assessment, follow up and plan adjustments.
• Test kits such as SIBO breath tests or comprehensive stool tests to identify root causes.
• Targeted supplements like probiotics, antimicrobials, digestive enzymes or gut lining support.
• Personalised plans covering nutrition, sleep, stress and movement, which can reduce or replace the need for multiple external specialists.
Because every case is different, some patients invest modestly, while those with more complex or long-standing gut issues may require deeper investigation before a support plan can begin.
Consultation Fees
Consultation fees form the core of most functional medicine costs because this is where your practitioner builds a detailed understanding of your symptoms, medical history and lifestyle before creating a personalised plan. Across the UK, a typical functional medicine consultation usually falls between £200 and £400 for a 60-minute session, depending on the practitioner’s accreditation, experience and whether the session is delivered in person or online. Follow-up appointments are often slightly lower, and many clinics now offer shorter check-ins to keep ongoing support more affordable.
Consultation Fees at IBS Clinics
At IBS Clinics, the structure is clear and transparent. We offer a free 15 minute introductory call to discuss your concerns and explain how the process works. These conversations are designed to help you decide whether functional medicine is the right approach, but do not include personalised advice. Once registered, a 60 minute session with a Registered Nutritionist costs £235, while a 60 minute consultation with a Senior Nutritionist is £295.
Many patients then use shorter appointments for ongoing support. A 20 minute check in is £98.30 and works well for questions, minor adjustments or reviewing new symptoms. These sessions are charged pro rata so you only pay for the time you need. For more complex cases, a 90 minute consultation is available at £442.50, offering the additional time required to review extensive test results or explore long standing, multi layered symptoms.
Test Kit Costs
An important part of functional medicine for IBS and related gut issues is testing, because understanding what is actually happening in your digestive system helps avoid guesswork and more expensive investigations later. Many of the main gut health tests can be done from home and analysed by specialist labs. Full pricing and options are available at our Gut Test Kit Shop.
At IBS Clinics you can choose from a range of tests covering common gut health concerns, with prices that reflect the type and depth of analysis:
- Breath tests for SIBO cost £175 with lactulose substrate included or £170 if lactulose is purchased separately. These look at hydrogen and methane in breath samples after ingesting a testing solution.
- IBS and stool analysis tests such as “GI Effects” offer broader insights into digestion, inflammation and microbiome balance, with prices from approximately £210 for basic versions up to £375 for a more comprehensive panel, depending on the panel selected.
- Microbiome DNA and comprehensive panels like the GI MAP or Microbiome Explorer may be priced around £355 to £399 and provide a more detailed picture of gut microbes and function. To explain further:
GI MAP (DSL) – “Who’s there”
Uses targeted DNA testing (qPCR) to identify and quantify a broader range of microbes, including specific bacteria, viruses, parasites (like worms), and fungi – including pathogens like H. pylori. It shows you exactly which organisms are present and their levels.
Microbiome Explorer (Microba) – “Who’s there AND what they’re doing”
Uses shotgun metagenomic sequencing to decode all the DNA in your sample, revealing both the bacterial composition and the functional capacity and metabolic activity of your microbial community—what beneficial compounds they’re producing and how resilient the ecosystem is.
- Additional tests such as lactose or fructose intolerance assessments are also available, typically starting around £155.
All these kits include everything needed to take the sample at home and send it to the lab. Many clinics, including ours, also recommend an interpretation consultation separately so a trained practitioner can explain your results and integrate them into your personalised plan. This session will usually incur a separate fee.
Being prepared to include test costs in your planning helps you see the full picture of what functional medicine may involve, rather than being surprised by additional charges later.
Costs of Supplements and Personalised Regimes
Supplements are often one of the most variable elements in functional medicine costs, because the types and quantities recommended depend entirely on your symptoms, test results and how your body responds over time. For IBS, SIBO and related gut issues, this might include probiotics, digestive enzymes, antimicrobials, gut lining support or nutrients to address deficiencies identified in testing. Some patients require only short-term supplementation, while others may continue with a few core products once their symptoms begin to settle.
Have you ever bought probiotics because a friend swore by them, or picked up a multivitamin after a tough week? UK adults already spend a surprising amount on supplements without really noticing it. On average, people spend around £15 a month on vitamins and health products, which adds up to roughly £176 a year without factoring in any targeted gut health support at all [1].
When you start looking for relief from IBS or SIBO symptoms, that number often climbs. It’s very common for people to try several products before finding anything that helps, and many of those purchases end up half-used in the cupboard. Seen in this light, investing in supplements that are chosen based on your test results and actual physiology can be far more cost effective than buying whatever is trending online.
Unlike some clinics that sell long programmes or preset lifestyle packages, IBS Clinics includes all personalised regime planning within your consultation time. Your practitioner will guide you through nutrition adjustments, sleep support, stress regulation and suitable movement strategies as part of your recovery programme, rather than charging for these elements separately. This helps keep costs focused on what you truly need, rather than committing to large programme fees.
In practice, this means your supplement budget is tailored to your case and kept under review, and your lifestyle plan develops naturally through your sessions rather than being an additional expense. For many people, this approach replaces the much higher costs of repeatedly trying over-the-counter remedies, diets recommended by friends or supplements influenced by social media trends that do not address the underlying issue.
The Hidden Costs of Guesswork
For many people, the biggest expenses are not the functional medicine consultations or tests, but the cumulative costs of everything they try before seeking a root cause approach. Chronic IBS symptoms often lead to cycles of fatigue, brain fog and poor sleep, all of which can reduce productivity and make daily tasks feel harder. Over time, this can mean lost income opportunities or simply the frustration of never feeling fully able to function at your best.
Some patients spend years going back and forth between private referrals to gastroenterology, dietetics, psychology or sleep specialists, often paying separate consultation fees for issues that may ultimately be interconnected.
There is also the financial and emotional toll of experimenting with new supplements, diet trends or remedies recommended by friends or social media. Many people invest in multiple products or programmes that promise relief but deliver little, leading to repeated disappointment and continued symptoms.
How Much Time Gut Symptoms Can Steal From You
Flare-ups of IBS or SIBO can also lead to time off work, cancelled plans and the emotional stress of symptoms returning without explanation.
Most people with IBS or SIBO can think of at least a few times when symptoms disrupted a workday, a meeting or even an entire week. Although there isn’t UK data that measures days off specifically for these conditions, we do know that health issues in general cause workers to lose around 6.1 days a year to sickness absence [2].
But the bigger impact often comes from working while feeling awful. Fatigue, discomfort and brain fog can make it hard to concentrate, keep up with tasks or make decisions. When researchers look at this reduced productivity (often called presenteeism) the total impact can be as high as 43.6 lost working days per year [2].
For anyone living with recurring gut symptom flare-ups, these figures can feel very familiar. It’s not just the odd day off. It’s the ongoing drag on your energy, confidence and ability to get things done.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Sleep
IBS rarely travels alone. Many people also struggle with disrupted sleep because of bloating, pain or anxiety about symptoms. Poor sleep then makes everything else harder: decision making, concentration, emotional resilience and even digestion.
Economists estimate that poor sleep costs the UK around £34 billion every year in lost productivity [3], which gives a sense of how much it can influence your daily performance. If your sleep is affected even a few nights a week, it can reduce your capacity to cope, work effectively and feel well. Over time, this has a genuine cost, both financially and in quality of life.
When viewed together, these hidden costs add up significantly, and they are part of the reason why a structured, personalised approach can be more effective and more economical in the long run.
What You Gain Compared to These Costs
A functional medicine approach can offer value that goes beyond the price of consultations or tests because it focuses on understanding the root cause of your symptoms rather than managing them in isolation. By unifying factors like diet, gut health, sleep, stress and nutrient status into one coordinated plan, you avoid the fragmented pathway of seeing multiple specialists or trying endless self-guided remedies.
When you work from a clear diagnosis and a personalised plan, you are far less likely to spend money on untailored supplements, ineffective diets or diets that exacerbate symptoms, or treatments that only address part of the problem. This can reduce wasted spending significantly over time.
Most importantly, targeting the underlying driver of your IBS or SIBO symptoms often leads to more stable digestion, fewer flare-ups, better energy and improved sleep. These improvements can have a real impact on daily life, from productivity at work to simply feeling more comfortable and confident day to day.
In many cases, people find that the investment in functional medicine pays off not only in better symptom control but also in the time, money and stress saved from no longer cycling through short-term fixes. It is a more efficient and more sustainable way to approach complex gut issues.
Is Functional Medicine Worth It for IBS and Gut Symptoms?
For many people living with long-term IBS or SIBO, functional medicine becomes worth the investment because it offers something that conventional, symptom based care often cannot: a systematic way to understand why symptoms are happening and how to resolve them. While the upfront costs of consultations, testing and supplements can seem significant, they are often modest compared to the long term expenses of repeated flare ups, time off work, private referrals and ongoing trial and error.
When functional medicine identifies the underlying drivers of your gut symptoms, your treatment becomes more precise. This can mean fewer flare ups, steadier digestion, better energy and a meaningful improvement in day to day quality of life. For some, the avoidance of unnecessary medications or repeated investigations can also reduce overall healthcare spending over time.
It is not a quick fix, and it requires commitment, but for many people, the value lies in breaking the cycle of recurrent symptoms and building a path towards more predictable, sustainable gut health. In that sense, the cost is not just an expense but an investment in long-term well being.
Next Steps
If you’re considering functional medicine for IBS, SIBO or other gut related symptoms, the next step is simply to understand what level of support feels right for you. You can review all consultation fees, practitioner options and test kit prices directly on the IBS Clinics website, which helps you plan with clarity from the start.
If you would like to explore whether this approach is suitable for your situation, you can book a free 15 minute introductory call with a Registered or Senior Nutritionist. This conversation will give you a sense of how the clinic works, what to expect and which type of consultation might suit your needs, without any obligation and without personalised advice at this stage.
When you feel ready, booking an initial 60 or 90 minute online consultation allows you to begin building a personalised plan based on your symptoms and goals. From there, your practitioner will guide you step by step through testing, supplementation and lifestyle support, so you can move forward with a clear, structured approach.
Conclusion
Functional medicine can seem like a significant investment at first glance, but when you break down the components and compare them with the hidden costs of living with ongoing IBS or SIBO symptoms, its value becomes clearer. Instead of paying separately for specialists, repeatedly trying remedies that do not work or losing time and energy to flare-ups, you gain a structured approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of your symptoms.
With transparent consultation fees, flexible appointment options and clear test kit pricing, IBS Clinics allows you to tailor your level of support to what you genuinely need. For many people, this leads to more consistent symptom control, fewer setbacks and a long-term improvement in wellbeing.
Ultimately, the question is not only what functional medicine costs, but what unresolved symptoms are already costing you. When viewed this way, investing in a personalised, evidence-informed plan can be a meaningful step toward lasting digestive health.
References
- MyVitamins. “How much do Brits spend on well-being?” Available at: https://www.myvitamins.com/blog/lifestyle/how-much-do-brits-spend-on-well-being-survey-results/
- Vitality. “Poor health at work is responsible for £138bn loss to UK economy each year.” Available at: https://www.vitality.co.uk/media/poor-health-at-work-is-responsible-for-138bn-loss-to-uk-economy-each-year/
- Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA UK). “The cost of poor sleep.” Available at: https://www.eapa.org.uk/the-cost-of-poor-sleep/
Author – Tracey Randell
At IBS Clinics, Tracey Randell, a renowned Nutritional Therapist and one of the few IFM Certified Practitioners in the UK, extends her specialised knowledge and unique approach to managing and treating IBS and other gut-related conditions effectively.
Tracey’s profound understanding of Functional Medicine allows her to connect the dots for complex health conditions, identifying and addressing the root causes to curate personalised and comprehensive health plans for her patients. Her holistic approach focuses on resolving underlying imbalances and optimising gut health, enabling the body to correct other issues and attain overall well-being.
At IBS Clinics, we are dedicated to being your partner in navigating your gut-related health concerns, offering expert care and individualised treatment plans to alleviate your IBS symptoms and enhance your quality of life.
You can read more about Tracey on our About page here.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The products and methods mentioned are not a substitute for professional medical advice from a trained healthcare specialist. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Use of the information and products discussed is at your own risk.
