Eileen is a 42 year old lady who came to see me for help with terrible digestive problems. She had been feeling very uncomfortable for the past year. Her digestion had never been great, but recently Eileen experienced extreme bloating, wind pain, and constipation alternating with diarrhea. She also felt nauseous most of the time, particularly when she woke in the morning.

Eileen’s doctor ordered a stool test to check if she had a parasitic infection and it came back negative, and a test for celiac disease, which was also negative. Eileen had never had great digestion; for as long as she could remember she suffered with bloating and wind. When she was 27 years old she had her gallbladder removed because she had a gallstone. It is quite unusual to have a gallbladder problem so early in life, particularly since Eileen was not overweight or a diabetic and she tried to eat well. It is often a sign of food intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome. These conditions can reduce the ability of the gallbladder to contract fully, thus leaving stale bile behind which can eventually form stones.

Along with digestive problems, Eileen also suffered with hay fever. She did notice a strong association between the severity of her symptoms and how much dairy products she had been eating, therefore she tried to keep her intake of these foods minimal.

Eileen spent her days at home raising her three children. Her digestive problems made it extremely difficult to leave the house, particularly if she needed to be out all day with her children. She said “By late afternoon I’m so bloated that none of my clothes fit me anymore and I look pregnant again”. Occasionally she experienced urgent diarrhea while out and she had a fear that one day she wouldn’t make it to a bathroom.

My recommendations for Eileen

  • Eileen had tried to reduce her consumption of gluten because she read that it may help, and she noticeably felt much worse after eating breakfast cereal and bread. I explained to her that she would need to strictly avoid all gluten for at least a month to really see an improvement. I also asked her to eliminate dairy products from her diet completely. Some people have a sensitivity to one or more other foods, and we could determine that once she had been off gluten and dairy for a month.
  • Since she doesn’t have a gallbladder, Eileen would greatly benefit from taking an ox bile supplement. It would help to reduce bloating, nausea and diarrhea, particularly after an oily meal. I asked her to take 1 capsule with lunch and 1 with dinner. I also asked her to follow the guidelines in my book Save Your Gallbladder, and what to do if you've already lost it.
  • Digestive enzymes would also help Eileen to digest her meals more thoroughly, therefore reducing the bloating and indigestion. Eileen also needed to learn to eat in a calm, relaxed, unhurried manner. She was a busy mum of three and said she often ate her meals over the kitchen sink, or while doing the laundry. That means she didn’t chew properly and she didn’t allow her body the space required for healthy digestion.
  • I asked Eileen to dissolve a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in ¼ cup of warm water and drink it 5 minutes before lunch and dinner. This would help to support healthy stomach acid production and thus improve protein digestion.
  • I asked Eileen to take a glutamine supplement, to soothe the lining of her digestive tract and reduce the diarrhea. Eileen experienced a lot of fatigue and the main cause was an inability to absorb the nutrients from her foods adequately. When the gut lining becomes irritated, nutrient absorption is compromised. Glutamine would help.

Eileen is booked in for a follow up appointment in two weeks and I’m looking forward to hearing about her response.

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

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