PATIENT STORIES

Effective natural medicine solutions in Adelaide

Here at Highbury Natural Health Centre & IBS Clinic, nothing is more important to us than the health and happiness of our patients. We’re delighted to share some of our patients’ success stories below. Please get in touch with us today on 08 8395 2836 and you could soon be on the road to good health.

Disclaimer: Individual results may vary from person to person

Jeff

Jeff, 31, from Golden Grove knew he was lactose intolerant and sensitive to salicylates. Jeff had spent 10 years on a very restricted diet but still had intense burning pain in the abdomen; he found it difficult to sit for more than 15 minutes which made travelling and working very difficult. He suffered debilitating diarrhoea despite taking up to 6 Imodium a day. There was bleeding from the bowel at least twice per week and Jeff felt nauseous more often than not.

Our Bio-Compatibility test was able to determine that Jeff was reacting to specific foods including cabbage, celery, banana, baked beans, mushrooms, sunflower oil, pork and soy milk.

Jeff avoided these foods and continued to avoid lactose and foods high in salicylates and at his four-week check up, his symptoms were 50% better. Jeff had believed that oats were safe to eat and had replaced his usual banana for breakfast with porridge; this was the last piece of the puzzle and as this was the only source of gluten remaining in his diet, Jeff found his symptoms were 90% better within 8 days of eliminating it.

Itchy Skin

Mark

Mark, 44, from Ridgehaven had suffered for over twenty years with itchy skin, small bumps would appear like little water blisters all over his body, they were intensely itchy and he found it very difficult to stop scratching. The itching was constant and ranged from mild to intense during the day, it was worse if he got hot and sweaty and was always worse at night. Mark found his steroid creams and medications were not helping any more when a friend suggested it could be related to food.

Mark made sweeping changes to his diet, he cut out all grains, sugar, dairy, and processed foods. He went from mostly take away food to home cooked meals with all organic meats and vegetables. He lost 10kgs but was still itchy.

Our Bio-Compatibility test revealed Mark was reacting to Bananas (he was having one every day), strawberries (he had these in a smoothie every breakfast), Cola (he had switched from beer to whiskey with a dash of Coke). Mark was also reacting to his toothpaste, feather quilt, aluminium foil, mushrooms, white fish, and honey.

Because Mark had already made some very important changes to his diet he found that after only two weeks of the new changes and following his Bio-Compatibility report his itching had decreased by 80%.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Tim

I first saw Tim when he was 9 years old and living in Athelstone, he complained of tummy pains, headaches, constant nausea, occasional reflux, asthma and leg pain. He responded extremely well to the diet changes governed by his Bio-Compatibility Test results and after 2 months most symptoms were 90% better.

Five years later Mum contacted me by phone, they were now living in Tasmania and a teacher had suggested Tim may have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and his GP had suggested he start on medication. Tim had been pushed along through school, now 13 years old and in high school he struggled with his lessons, he liked reading but was only capable of reading comic books.

Tim’s diet was relatively good, mostly gluten free and home made with very little processed foods. I asked Mum to remove all gluten and dairy, we focused on more nutrient dense foods, increasing protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Within a month there were some noticeable improvements to concentration; after four months Tim had progressed to reading novels aimed at 8 year olds.

With a few nutritional supplements to improve liver detoxification and energy production the next few months saw Tim really increasing his focus at school. After nine months he was reading novels in line with his age and had taken up guitar lessons, which he really enjoyed.

Felicity

Felicity jumped for joy the day she received her Bio-Compatibility test results. After ten years of suffering with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), she finally had the answers she had been searching for.

Felicity’s symptoms included recurrent diarrhoea and debilitating pain that would leave her doubled up on the bathroom floor. She relied heavily on Imodium to get her through her working day and social events. She often felt nauseous, her appetite was poor and she experienced headaches, constant fatigue, and anxiety.

Over the last 10 years, Felicity has had many tests and seen several medical specialists. For the past 9 weeks following a dietician's instructions to follow an elimination diet; Felicity had been eating mainly pears, chicken, rice, some crackers and drank only water.While she experienced some mild symptomatic relief due to the small amount of food being eaten; she felt depressed, tired and weak.

The elimination diet was restrictive, difficult to adhere to and of little benefit. As it turned out, Felicity was sensitive to chicken, rice milk and rice thins, which were causing inflammation in the digestive system so her symptoms prevailed.

Felicity was encouraged to come to the IBS Clinic by her fiancé. Although sceptical at first, after one week of eliminating just a few foods she had no pain and “hardly any” diarrhoea.

In four weeks she had her life back; her bowels were normal and she reported feeling 80% better with other symptoms. Her energy was up and she was walking for one hour every day.

She was enjoying shopping with her Mum, dining out, going to the movies and catching up with friends for coffee.

Felicity now knew exactly what foods to avoid including chicken, olives, eggs, avocado and shellfish, she knew what foods were safe and could now choose from over 200 fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products herbs and spices to build a healthy and satisfying diet.

Sandra

When Sandra from Fairview Park came to the IBS Clinic, she had lived with her symptoms for over 10 years. However, in recent months they had become so severe she was now in constant pain; her stomach felt like it was on fire, there was a persistent pain and pressure in the bowel so that she constantly felt she needed to go to the toilet. She also suffered nausea, bloating, and recurrent urgent diarrhoea which contributed to her anxiety. Sandra felt flat and tired and would often feel cold with “the shivers”; she struggled with a demanding role as theatre nurse.

Our Bio-Compatibility test revealed Sandra was reacting to chicken, ham, broccoli, multigrain bread and milk; after avoiding these foods for just a few days her burning pain was gone. All other symptoms disappeared within a few weeks. Sandra says she hasn’t felt this good in 15 years.

Alison

Alison’s symptoms included nausea, reflux, bloating, and severe abdominal pain. Her bowels were most often constipated but at times she could also suffer severe diarrhoea for a week or more.

Over the years, this recurrent pattern had often coincided with exams and curtailed Alison’s educational opportunities and determined her career path. Alison first came to the IBS Clinic having just quit her job; she was very ill, had lost all hope and was unable to work at all.

Alison had dramatically restricted her diet but had been unable to determine which foods were causing her debilitating symptoms. While eating very little, Alison was relying on coffee with sugar to keep her going; both of these items were identified with our Bio-Compatibility test along with tuna, avocado, white bread and rice.

After four weeks Alison had improved dramatically. She looked radiant, had more energy, much less anxiety and was planning to return to University to do a Post Graduate year and pursue a new career as a junior primary teacher.

Mary

When Mary first came the IBS Clinic, she said she had been told that she had to learn to live with her IBS symptoms but she felt like she was dying.

Mary’s abdominal pain made her break out in a sweat, diarrhoea would come within 30 minutes of eating or drinking anything, she was bloated and uncomfortable. Mary also had daily headaches, a rash on her legs, pain in most of her joints and chronic fatigue.

Our Bio-Compatibility test revealed Mary was reacting to chicken, pumpkin, potatoes, yoghurt, black pepper, bananas and snow peas. Mary was advised to avoid these foods for six months. Mary responded quickly with her IBS Symptoms and rash almost gone within three weeks of changing her diet, and she was surprised that her joint pains were gone after 8 weeks.

With some herbal support to her thyroid and adrenal glands, her energy was back to normal in three months; Mary said she felt like a new woman.

Severe

Constipation

Belinda

Belinda came to the IBS Clinic very distressed. She had suffered with constipation for many years and now no form of laxative was helping things to move. At 32 years old, she was horrified when her doctor told her that her bowel was compacted, useless and should be completely removed and she would have to rely on a colostomy bag.

At best and using a combination of four laxatives, Belinda could only get her bowels to open once every two weeks to discharge a very small amount. Laxatives irritate the bowel and while they can initiate a movement, with prolonged use they make the bowel lazy.

Belinda was prescribed a mixture of herbal bowel tonics; these were used to strengthen the bowel and teach it to work again. Things were moving for Belinda within the first week and while tonics were required for several months, with the assistance of probiotics, healthy fibre, and the right diet, the result is a normally functioning bowel.