Kylie is a 24 year old lady who came to see me for help with digestive problems and sinus congestion. Her gut bothered Kylie since she was a child. She remembered sitting in the classroom at school and feeling extreme anxiety when she didn’t know the answer to a question. The anxiety caused her abdomen to bloat and then she developed cramps and urgent diarrhea. Anxiety promoted the gut discomfort, and gut discomfort worsened anxiety. In recent years Kylie suffered with constantly blocked sinuses. This caused pressure buildup in her head and when it got bad enough, Kylie developed a throbbing headache. A few times a year she got a sinus infection that required antibiotics.

Kylie had seen her local GP about her digestive symptoms and was referred to a gastroenterologist to rule out a serious condition.  Nothing abnormal was detected and Kylie was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).  The gastroenterologist told Kylie to try to reduce her anxiety and to make sure she spaces her meals out, to give her digestive system sufficient time to digest the last meal.

My recommendations for my patient

I asked Kylie to complete a detailed health questionnaire. In it I discovered that both of her parents suffered with digestive problems and anxiety all their lives.  I also realised that Kylie’s diet is based on wheat and milk.  Nearly every meal and snack contains both of those foods.  In most of my patients, gluten and dairy products are common culprits in producing IBS symptoms.  Kylie also ate a lot of vegetables with her evening meal and most of them were high FODMAP vegetables. This can overwhelm the gut with carbohydrate and worsen IBS symptoms. I asked Kylie to completely avoid all dairy products and gluten for the time being.  I also asked Kylie to avoid onions, garlic, cabbage, beets, stone fruit, apples, pears and cauliflower for the moment, because those foods are particularly high in FODMAPS and they do have a bad reputation for causing digestive distress. Once her digestion improves, Kylie will probably be able to digest FODMAPS again. There is a great deal of information about the best diet for gut problems in my book Heal Your Gut: An A to Z Guide.

I gave Kylie BactoClear capsules because they are specifically designed to help both gut and sinus problems. These capsules contain herbs with natural antimicrobial properties. They help to kill bad bacteria, yeast, fungi and Candida that typically cause IBS. When present in the mucous membranes of the sinuses, these bad bugs can cause chronic inflammation and resulting excess mucus production.

I gave Kylie a glutamine supplement, to restore the integrity of her intestinal lining, give her symptom relief and reduce inflammation in her gut.  I made sure she was not consuming any carbonated beverages, chewing gum or artificially sweetened foods, as they can aggravate IBS.

I asked Kylie to take digestive enzymes and ox bile capsules with every meal. People with IBS and chronic sinusitis typically don’t produce sufficient digestive secretions. This allows undigested food in the gut to ferment and then act as food for nasty gut bugs. Supplementing with enzymes and ox bile is a very effective way of alleviating symptoms of gas and bloating, as well as extracting more nutrients from meals and supplements.

Kylie returned five weeks later with a significant reduction in symptoms.  Gas and bloating were significantly reduced and she was no longer experiencing urgent diarrhea.  Stress was still a trigger of IBS so I gave Kylie a magnesium supplement to help her feel calmer and handle stress better. Kylie was thrilled to no longer experience any sinus congestion.

The above symptoms have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.