For many years, I endured digestive dysfunction quietly. I had no desire to discuss it. I had no intention of addressing it. I hoped to avoid it into oblivion.
I can’t say exactly when it started, but I recall having occasional issues even as a teen. Mostly, though, at that age, I could eat what I wanted, without much problem. The first problematic experience I recall was on a trip to Italy my senior year of high school. Something I ate disagreed with me, severely, and I had to make a mad dash for a restroom. Luckily, there was one not far away, and there was sufficient privacy.
Over the years, the problem worsened, slowly but surely. During college, I went to Mexico. On the last day there, I got a severe case of Montezuma’s revenge. It was horrendous. Somehow, I managed to make it through a long morning of waiting at the airport, a mechanical problem on the plane that delayed our take off for nearly an hour, then a flight and car ride home before the expulsion began. It was bad. I have read, and heard from medical professionals, that serious infections like that truly can throw off digestive health for years. And, quite honestly, I don’t think my digestion was ever the same after that.
As an adult, I learned to avoid certain foods. Anything high fat. Too much caffeine. Anything battered and fried. Liquid cheese. Asparagus, of all things. Any combination of any of those, especially if I was under stress as well, and the consequences were often significantly unpleasant. For the most part, my life was not significantly hindered. I knew what to avoid. But, there were times when I would not eat, or wouldn’t eat much, if I knew I wouldn’t be home soon, just in case. Life just required a little planning. For example, on road trips, McDonald’s hamburger Happy Meals were my choice, always, because I knew my stomach could tolerate that amount of meat and fat, and the caffeine in one small diet coke was not enough to push me over the edge.
Eventually, though, as I aged, as life took it’s toll, as stress increased, my digestion got slowly worse. A few years ago, I endured a series of complicated medical issues that caused me much stress. For months, I dealt with doctors to address various ailments and pains. I was poked and prodded in every unimaginable place. I had tests and scans and blood work. The minor symptoms went away, but they could not resolve the major ones. Throughout that medical mystery tour, I dared not address the digestive health. Somehow that seemed too much, a line I was not ready to cross. I just kept it quiet, hoping it would get better. The digestive dysfunction was one problem that I knew how to live with, even as bad as it was getting, and I was not ready to face it down.
However, during all the stress and strain of the other medical problems, my digestion got completely out of whack. At the worst of it, I could not eat. I lost 10 to 15 pounds, rather quickly. And, everything I tried to eat went straight through me. I went nearly a year with chronic diarrhea. I don’t say that lightly or casually. I’ll spare the graphic details, but know that it was awful. Horrible.
Finally, in the face of that trying time, I had to address the digestion. Because I had so many other symptoms and peripheral medical maladies, I began to think perhaps I had a very serious illness. Maybe the digestive problems were more than just my usual problem getting worse. Maybe there was cancer? So, I went back to my MD, who by then surely thought I was crazy. He did no exam. He ran no tests. He shrugged his shoulders and diagnosed me with IBS, based on my verbal descriptions. He gave me some pills to treat that disorder and sent me on my way.
The medication slowed everything down almost immediately, causing the opposite problem, constipation, which was a rarity for me. Because I expressed concern about having stress and anxiety over the medical issues, especially the digestive matter, he also gave me an antidepressant. Within a couple of days, I had more side effects than benefits from both of the pills. I threw the prescriptions out.
I went to the health food store to get something natural. My doctor had discouraged this, stating “that’s just somebody trying to sell you something that doesn’t work.” However, by then, I was sure he didn’t have all the answers, because he sure hadn’t helped me much. I found the first clerk in the store and gave her an earful of my digestive history. She recommended a few products and I bought them all. I ended up calling the maker of one of the products. I did my own research. I saw some benefits fairly soon, but I was not convinced I was on the right track.
I scheduled an appointment with an acupuncturist. I had been to one before to treat other symptoms. And, by this point, I was glad to have a non-MD on my side to help me fix this. The needle sessions were relaxing. The input was useful. The process was slow. But, I felt more convinced I was on the right track. And, I got some seemingly magical Chinese herbs that fixed the near constant stomach gurgling I was experiencing. Amazing. At first, I had to take 15 capsules per day of those herbs. But, over time, I reduced the dosage. Now, I almost never take them, but keep a bottle on hand, just in case.
I went back to the health food store to ask questions. The manager all but insisted that I go to a gastroenterologist to rule out anything serious. She fed into my worst fears and I was nearly terrified of cancer by the time I left the store. I called my doctor’s office for a referral to a gastroenterologist from the parking lot.
I got the standard scopes in both directions. Interestingly, they found a polyp in the colon and one in the stomach, as well as inflammation in the duodenum. The biopsies were clear. The various other tests showed nothing serious. The only advice I got was to take Nexxium for six weeks. I was glad to get cancer ruled out, but I had no real solutions for my problems. I never took even one little purple pill. Further, based on the lab report that said my duodenitis was likely from NSAID damage, I stopped taking Advil completely.
Throughout all this, I researched holistic options for healing digestion several times. I came across a web site by a woman who claimed to heal her own severe case of Crohn’s Disease using only holistic methods, after reaching the point of dissatisfaction and frustration with her western doctors. Jini Patel Thompson went on a quest to find the means to heal herself without drugs or surgery and she was successful. In the process, she learned a lot about a wide range of digestive health issues and the means to address them with holistic remedies. Consequently, she wrote a book about all her experiences and all the knowledge she gained. She explains that is possible to heal the body and fix digestion problems holistically, even in extreme cases. Eventually, after working through my hesitation over buying an online book that suggested to readers to try to heal themselves as opposed to relying on trained doctors, I got the book.
For more information, visit Jini’s site, Listen To Your Gut.
Jini is not a medical professional of any kind. However, on the subject of digestive disorders, she seems to know more than any of the medical professionals I saw. And, she is full of practical advice that gets results, again using holistic methods, not synthetic drugs or surgery. Admittedly, her style was a bit too touchy feely for me, especially at first. And, much of the content in her book, “Listen to Your Gut,” didn’t apply to me. I don’t have Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis or any of the more severe gastrointestinal diseases. Fortunately, Jini’s book covers a broad spectrum and even people with IBS, including a severe case like mine, can benefit from sections of her book. I was able to thumb through some chapters with a sigh of relief that I didn’t need to go to such extremes. I paid very close attention to other chapters that had direct relevance to my experience.
I bought the book just before leaving town on a trip that was both business and pleasure. The first day was business, and I needed to be away from my hotel all day, including a lengthy dinner at a fancy restaurant. This came at a time when my digestion was at its worst. The morning of my departure, I bought one of the supplements recommended in Jini’s book, L-glutamine. I saw results right away. It was not a quick cure, by any means. But, there were much needed benefits, which made my traveling easier. From the beginning, it was clear that the book was worth every penny. Eventually, I gained other useful information that made a tremendous difference in my digestive functioning. Now, I do not hesitate to recommend “Listen to Your Gut” to anyone with digestive dysfunction.
Although the book does not promise quick fixes, it outlines various steps to take that have a restorative effect on the digestive system. Over time, with patience and endurance, healing takes place. It did for me. The book was a life saver. I have never met Jini Patel Thompson face to face. Nevertheless, because of the impact that her wisdom and experience has had on my health, I won’t forget her.
The few recommended supplements that helped me were probiotics, L-glutamine and psyllium seed husks. “Listen to Your Gut” explains why these items are useful and how to take them. My experience was very positive, again, over time.
Probiotics are vital for someone in the state I was in. I take the brand that Jini touts in her book. Even before I read the book, my health food store recommended the same product, Natren Healthy Trinity. I started with the capsules, and even used the more intense and more expensive powders for a while. During the string of medical problems I encountered, I took about six courses of antibiotics over the span of six months. There are lots of concerns about antibiotics. One of them is that in addition to killing problematic bacteria, they also kill off the good bacteria that the body needs for proper digestion. My digestion was already bad. And, the antibiotics I took made it worse. I had to rebuild the good bacteria. Natren’s probiotics helped me. I have stopped and restarted the probiotics a few times. So far, they continue to make a difference, though I’m not convinced I’ll always need to take them consistently.
L-glutamine is an amino acid that, when taken before eating, helps the colon absorb liquid. Initially, I desperately needed that sort of help. And, it worked. I no longer take this, but I would, if needed.
Psyllium seed husks make a remarkable difference. I had always thought Metamucil and the like was for old people with constipation, not for the digestively impaired with the opposite problem, like me. Not true. Metamucil helped me. I now take another brand of this fiber that my health food store sells, Yerba Prima, and, I also take cold milled flax seed. The results are impressive.
It was a long, slow process. I have taken the supplements for well over a year. I have continued with acupuncture as well. But, the results are worth it. Now, my digestion is better than it has been in many years. I still have to be cautious. I likely will never eat much of anything battered and fried. I have not eaten asparagus in many years, and have no intention of trying it. But, I can eat a much wider range of things than I once could. I can have caffeine in mild doses. My digestive system functions much more normally now. I feel much better overall. All is well.
An interesting thing I learned is that MANY people suffer with digestive dysfunction in various forms. In my quest to heal my intestines, I talked to lots of folks who have all kinds of problems. Many of them try to manage it themselves, avoiding foods, carefully refraining from mixing certain problematic items, and recognizing the role stress plays. I know that some people prefer not to take medications. In so doing, some tend to avoid holistic or natural remedies as well. I believe that they miss the opportunity to see great results without the side effects that prescription meds can cause.
Now, I am sort of a spokesperson for digestive health. When I encounter people who have these difficulties, I give them my story, or at least parts of it, and I encourage them to dig deeper and fix the problem. It can be done, with patience and perseverance.
If you’re one of the millions of people with digestive health problems… Go ahead. I dare you. Seek digestive health via natural means.
For example: 
