Case Study Update: Patient With Stubborn Bloating

Today I’d like to give you an update about the patient I wrote about in this article.

I last saw Amanda nearly 2 years ago. Stress at home and at work were problems for her in the past, and that remained the case now. Amanda said “I’ve been meaning to come back and see you for the past 6 months, but there’s always something going on with the kids, or at work that I needed to deal with”.

Amanda’s digestive problems returned, because she was always eating while rushed and relied on snacks instead of meals. Her job as a nurse didn’t allow her to drink much water throughout the day, and that often caused Amanda to be constipated. She got in the habit of taking harsh laxatives that contain the herb senna. They worked but Amanda felt uneasy about taking them. Senna is a habit forming laxative, and long term use can cause dependency. I asked Amanda to stop the laxatives straight away.

In August Amanda contracted COVID. It made her feel feverish, weak and nauseous. It also disrupted her bowel habits and caused temporary diarrhea. Amanda experienced significant fatigue while she had COVID and the fatigue persisted. She no longer had the energy to exercise in the mornings, and that negatively affected her motivation and mental health. Amanda said “If I can’t exercise, I end up eating really badly. Exercise helps to keep me on track with healthy eating”.

Abdominal bloating was still an ongoing issue for Amanda, which she managed with the use of unhealthy senna-containing laxatives. She was desperate to get her energy back and her digestive system working properly.

My recommendations for my patient:

• The first thing I asked Amanda to do is take 1 Selenomune Designer Energy capsule each day. This formula contains selenium and other nutrients that reduce inflammation and improve the strength of the immune system. Long COVID is becoming an increasingly large problem in society and I wanted to prevent Amanda developing this. Being deficient in selenium makes it much harder for the body to fight viruses.
• N-acetyl cysteine is a supplement that the body uses to manufacture glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful detoxifier and reduces inflammation. Stress and infections deplete the body of glutathione. I asked Amanda to take 2 capsules daily on an empty stomach.
• I gave Amanda BactoClear capsules because the sugar she had been eating recently would have caused an overgrowth of all the wrong bacteria and yeast in her gut. When there are too many harmful bugs in the bowel, they inflame the lining of the intestines and they produce a lot of gases. Apart from abdominal bloating, the gases and toxins secreted by these harmful microbes can have a negative effect on mood, emotions and cognitive abilities. If you have a lot of yeast in your gut, you’ll experience bad sugar cravings.
• I encouraged Amanda to return to her healthy eating patterns. Being organized is the most important thing. I asked her to base her meals on protein, because it is such a satiating nutrient. She had not been eating enough protein each day, and that led to constant snacking on carbohydrate rich foods. Meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and whey protein powder are all suitable sources of protein.
• There was so much stress in Amanda’s life. Magnesium is such a calming and relaxing mineral. She did take magnesium (as well as vitamin D), but often forgot to take it. I encouraged Amanda to be consistent with her supplements. Magnesium relaxes the muscles and nerves of the intestines, helping to prevent constipation. I asked Amanda to take one to two teaspoons of Magnesium Ultra Potent Powder each evening.

Amanda has asked to have a consultation every month for some time, because being accountable helps to keep her motivated.

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