Condition: Young Boy with IBS and GI Dysfunction
Symptoms: 10-year old boy was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel and Ulcerative Colitis at age 5 after experiencing abdominal discomfort and irregular stools. It began with eating clams at a restaurant and experiencing diarrhea and vomiting the following day. The patient also experienced blood in the stools. A colonoscopy and endoscopy was completed by the gastroenterologist, which reported inflammation. There was no sign of cancer or diverticulitis. The patient was recommended to go on Remicade, which is a low dose of chemotherapy to depress his immune system and “manage” the condition. After 5 years of this treatment, the patient’s symptoms did not improve
Findings: A 3-day stool analysis, blood work and a hair analysis was taken of the patient. The stool analysis showed 3 strains of bacteria. One of the strains is known to be fatal in 60% of children who have it. The stool also showed that there was “no growth” for any of the beneficial probiotics in the gut. The hair analysis showed heavy metal toxicity in the patient, particularly mercury and aluminum. The blood work showed a depressed immune system with bacterial infection and severe food allergies.
Treatment: The patient was recommended to eliminate gluten, dairy (with the exception of goat products), other grains, and limit sugar intake. He was placed on an organic, whole food diet. He was also recommended antibacterial and antimicrobial supplements to combat the bacterial infection in the gut. In 4 weeks the patient was feeling 50% improvement. The patient had formed stools, no blood or mucus present in the stool. He experienced better mood, decreased abdominal pain, and better quality of life.
Conclusion: After two months of treatment, the patient had 90% improvement in the symptoms. The patient was talkative and vibrant as he reported no abdominal pain, no bloating, no gas, and formed bowel movements. The patient decreased from 6-8 loose bowel movements per day to 2-3 formed bowel movements with no blood or mucus. The stool analysis was clear for any bacterial pathogens and the gut inflammation was gone.
Does this sound familiar? Want to find out more about how Integrative Wellness Group can help? Call us at (732) 359-8263 to set up a free 15 minute consultation to learn more about our functional medicine nutrition program!
