I have been on the diet for two months. I was doing really well and feeling much healthier. i went on it because i had low energy due to Hashimotos (low thyroxine) and terrible indigestion every day for years. 6 weeks on the diet and i felt better and the indigestion finally went completely when i removed raw nightshades. I was enjoying ferments in my diet and had successfully reintroduced cheese, yoghurt and milk in small quantities. Then i had a very stressful experience which stressed my tummy and i couldn’t eat much for a couple of days. this then triggered an IBS attack for the first time in my life. I have a really gassy painful tummy which makes it difficult to eat and so I am barely eating anything. I have lost 10lbs in two weeks. I am also having reflux at night. From researching I think my stomach has become low in acid which is often a problem with low thyroxine. I am taking cider vinegar before meals. To help get it right i am going to use some HCL and digestive enzymes tablets. Has anyone any ideas? If I cannot resolve it in the next few days i will go to see my doctor.

Sorry to read you are having a bad time. That level of weight loss warrants an urgent appointment with your family doctor. Short term you are at risk of electrolyte imbalances and dehydration (food helps the body hold onto water). Medium to long term you would be at risk of nutrient deficiencies and even organ damage.

I am also concerned you are self treating several self diagnoses – irritable bowel syndrome, low gastric acid, reflux/ gastritis – with remedies that have the potential to worsen your symptoms. Stress/ anxiety can certainly cause or contribute to loss of appetite, *increased* gastric acid and to indigestion. Proven treatments for stress/ anxiety include low dose beta blockers (prescription), daily physical activity, relaxation exercises, targeted diet modification (foods rich in magnesium, long chain omega-3s, vitamin D, B group vitamins). You may notice how well this fits with Clever Guts!

Did you consult a medical professional before starting (p.187)? And have you been completing the detailed food and symptom diary (p.187)? If you have do take this to your doctor’s appointment. They may be able to identify dietary imbalances or triggers for your digestive problems: sometimes what we blame is only the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’.

HTH!

czasawd