Need help for ongoing gut issues? I want to share this email from a reader because I think his issues and questions are common to anyone with gut issues – whether they have SIBO, IBS, colitis, diverticulitis, etc.
His plan is a good one – and as you can see, he has experienced some really good results for several months. He may just be confused or off-track on a few crucial points.
Go through the checklist I give him for assessing and treating his SIBO/IBS and see if you’re on track for your own gut condition…
QUESTION from Reader:
I have not been diagnosed with any condition from a medical doctor other than when I went into urgent care this summer for gut pains. I did blood work and x-rays and was told I was FOS (full of shit) but I had been going daily and not constipated by my analysis. After reading your book in the summer and deciding on a plan, I ordered the Natren Tri-pack and oil of oregano. I still had some grapefruit seed extract so I continued with that and started the tri-pack. I did not take the oil yet. After 30 days of the probiotic I switched to one trinity capsule daily and have been on that ever since.
My condition did improve and for a few months I felt normal.
By November my guts started hurting again like in the summer. I was still taking 1 Healthy Trinity/day but had stopped the GSE in September. My BM were still normal with 1/day and no sign of abnormality in the stool. At this point I started adding the oil of oregano daily with 5 drops 3x/day. I did this for about 3 weeks and things were better.
I slowed down to about 5 drops/day for maintenance. Through the last month I have been having a couple days of discomfort in the guts, not as bad as in June or November but still bothersome. Every couple weeks I feel good and than not good. I have started to take 10 drops 3x/day of oil of oregano again, still on the 1 a day trinity and also started Life Start in the last 2 weeks but starting it slow as the first couple of days taking it seems to aggravate my gut more, so I am still on 1/8 teaspoon /day.
I know I still have emotional issues to sort out but they seem based on my health which is like going around and around.
I am thinking I have a bad bug or parasite or a form of IBD or SIBO but not sure. Can I find this out? I realize there are things you can’t comment on…..
My questions:
- I heard about bentonite clay for gut health and started taking 1/2 teaspoon 2x/day. I seem to be fine with it. Can you comment on this?
- How long can I take the oil of oregano at 30 drops/day? Should I try something else?
Is colloidal silver a good product to take for gut issues? - Should I increase the Healthy Trinity dosage?
- Could this be ongoing herxheimer reaction?
ANSWER from Jini:
In my opinion, the key things to check or keep in mind in both assessing the status of your gut and formulating a plan for moving forward are:
1. Check the timing of your supplements – make sure you are not taking competing supplements together. So bentonite adsorbs all bacteria (good and bad) and clears it out. Wild oregano, colloidal silver, GSE all kill bacteria (good and bad). So you want to make sure you take your probiotics 2 hours AFTER bentonite and 2 hours away from all anti-microbials.
2. Balance the gut flora – it’s good to kill the nasties, and to flush them out. But you don’t want to leave a vacuum. You must fill the gut with beneficial bacteria at high doses. An easy way to do this – if your condition isn’t severe – is to take your anti-microbial substances during the day and then a high dose of probiotics right before bed (and 2 hours after your last anti-microbial), as per Jini’s Wild Oregano Oil Protocol. If your body tolerates GSE, then you may want to alternate that with wild oregano. Colloidal silver is usually well-tolerated by most people. You might also want to experiment with both increasing the Healthy Trinity dosage and alternating that with the powdered version of the Natren probiotics, which contain the supernatant, or growth medium. I suggest you watch this series (or download the audios to listen to in your car or while walking/exercising) to really get yourself fluent with using probiotics, since this is such a cornerstone for ongoing health:
3. Long-term vs Short-term – because Bentonite clay clears out bacteria, I don’t recommend using it for more than 2 weeks at a time. Have a clear out, then focus on building up your good bacteria levels. Same with the wild oregano; get fluid with cycling on and off it as your symptoms/gut tells you to. Remember that persistent infections, or yeast/bacterial hybrids like MAP (mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis) can have a dormant/active lifecycle that can take 2-3 years to eradicate.
4. Keep a journal – I would keep a journal of just short, point-form supplements, symptoms, food/drink, any exercise, and emotional feelings or events each day for 4 weeks. At the end of 4 weeks, look to see if you can find any patterns. I don’t know why us humans think we are capable of cataloguing all these elements in our head and then we think we are able to pick out correlations… but we think that! It’s ridiculous and none of us can recognize patterns or ‘recurring coincidences’ unless we keep a daily journal (written or on your phone) and actually track the key elements. Then go over it at the end of 4 weeks and see what patterns emerge. What events or substances seem to trigger symptoms?
For example, let’s say you track everything for 4 weeks and at the end you realize, “You know, every time I eat a ham sandwich I get this symptom” and so you take a closer look at what’s in the ham sandwich and you realize that the meat is preserved with nitrates which is a known gut toxin and causes colitis in rat studies. Or perhaps you realize that your symptom flares every morning after you’ve visited your sister – so then you book a session with a Craniosacral Level 2 therapist, or an EFT Tapping practitioner to delve into what’s happening in that relationship that is making you sick, what is it that you just can’t stomach?
Or, work through it yourself with Lazer Tapping, my greatly simplified version of EFT (or acupressure) tapping that accesses the wisdom of the body itself; the actual consciousness of the cells and tissues of the body. It has been the cornerstone of not only healing myself physically but also healing my relationships (even abusive ones).
Whether you have SIBO, IBS, or colitis, or diverticulitis, or Crohn’s, the principles are the same and the healing path is comprised of similar elements. The other thing I’d like to point out as being really key, is to get your body moving outside in nature somehow. If you can walk somewhere there are old-growth trees, this is particularly beneficial. We have lost awareness of how much our bodies naturally resonate and align with mother earth and nature – and how much our bodies need this to be balanced and healthy. So exercise at least a few times a week and go as much into wild nature as you can.
Hope that helps! And look on the bright side – by the end of all of this, you will be a bonafide expert in gut health and likely able to help all of your family and friends! These conditions are becoming epidemic, so everyone’s likely to need your help at some point or another.
If you are taking any prescription meds, the GSE can potentiate (increase their potency) making you prone to side effects. So just keep that in mind. It really amplified the flushing that I would get from niacin, even a few hours after I took the niacin. I was flushed red from head to toe!
If you think stress or anxiety is contributing to your symptoms, try taking an Ashwagandha supplement. It can be a game changer!
If you haven’t already, cut your sugar consumption. It can cause gas, bloating, and fuel the growth of bad bacteria. And steer clear of FOS (aka inulin) which is a fructose based fiber that can cause bloating and cramps. It caused gas and bloating so bad that I believe it caused a hernia for me. It is sometimes used as a prebiotic, but it can also contribute to the growth of bad bacteria. It is in a lot of snacks and other foods so read labels carefully. One reason I like the Natren Probiotics is that the do NOT use inulin! I have had real good luck with Life Start 2 and Healthy Trinity. Life Start 2 is a powdered form and acts very quickly to bring relief.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, Roger! It was very informative.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
I’ve been diagnosed with UC and have been taking mucosaheal after a flare up and hospital stay last October. They gave me tons of antibiotics and steroids, and steroids for 4 weeks after stay. It seems like everything I’ve taken, is too strong for me. What can I do?
Hi Rachael,
Thanks for contacting us here. Please check Jini’s blog post below about Re-populating the Gut with Probiotics after antibiotics usage:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/re-populating-the-gut-with-probiotics-after-antibiotic-usage/
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer care
I’ve even started taking the new life start product, 1/8 of tsp. And it’s too strong. I get extreme flu like symptoms and fast pulse rate. Any other help would be nice. Maybe start with a pinch a day? I was successfully taking the whole stater program before flare up. Just out of balance. Thank you
Hi Rachael,
Yes, test a little bit (a pinch, or 1/8 tsp) and see how your gut reacts. If you get too much die-off, or fast pulse rate etc. then it’s too soon, or you need to go slower. Everyone’s pace is different, so you need to listen to your own gut.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Hi, I have either ulcerative colitis or Crohns (I had a fistula). Was on Lialda for 3 years and now I’m on a biologic which healed the fistula. I have also been taking probiotics and supplements to help heal my gut for a couple years and eating organic thanks to your book. Most of my symptoms are gone and my blood tests show normal inflammation levels. My doctor wants to do a colonoscopy just to check for cancer. I am 73. I am afraid of colonoscopies. What do you think about them?
Hi Carol,
First of all, it’s great to hear that most of your symptoms are gone and the inflammation is under control. Here is the section of Jini’s blog with all her articles about colonoscopy:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/colonoscopy-dangers-what-you-need-to-know/
http://listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/45/what-you-need-to-know-about-colonoscopy-ebook.html
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/more-disturbing-data-on-colonoscopies/
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Great article! I’ve been hearing a lot about the effectiveness of oregano but I didn’t know that this also resolves BM. Thanks for sharing this info! 🙂
Hi Sarah,
You’re welcome! In Jini’s words “If I were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one thing along, wild oregano oil would be it!”
You can use wild oregano ANYWHERE you have inflammation or infection: mouth ulcers, ear infections, tooth or gum infections, fungal infections… the list goes on and on. BUT it is also key to know exactly how to use this powerful substance, how to prepare a dilution of it and which dilution (strength) to use for different conditions, how often to dose, etc. More info here: http://listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/47/what-you-need-to-know-about-wild-oregano-oil-ebook.html
And Jini’s symptom page for Diarrhea here: http://listentoyourgut.com/symptoms/16/diarrhea.html
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
I have a weird set of symptoms, wondering if it’s IBS, will see a doc soon but they never know, really. I’m fine until the middle of the night, around 3-4am when I’m awakened by really bad lower abdomenal pain and gas, but the gas won’t pass, it just sits in my lower abdomen hurting. Wonder what I’m doing wrong, or what the heck it is.
Hi Annie,
Yes, the pain can be caused by a number of conditions but yes, you can get more insight after your doctor did an in-depth exploration of ALL the contributing factors. You can also check Jini’s symptom page for Abdominal pain here http://listentoyourgut.com/symptoms/31/abdominal-pain-and-cramping.html
Copied and pasted from the symptom page: “if you’re getting abdominal pain and cramping because of trapped gas (gas pains) then you may benefit from using magnesium citrate to stimulate your peristalsis and cause a bowel movment. Drink one serving of Natural Calm before bed and then perform this colonic massage either in bed or on the toilet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBdWbYakqGo”
I hope this will help.
Best,
Cris B
Customer Care
Thank you for sharing all this information! I am trying to get better I have some stomach pain and the information has been very useful. I have a question about bentonite clay. It seems to help allieviate some of the pain I am experiencing, but even with probiotics during and afterwards it seems to wear off and the pain comes back after I am off. I was wondering how long of a break in between two weeks on bentonite clay you would recommend or do for yourself. Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
Are you using the Clay for detox, alleviating diarrhea or constipation? Also what probiotics are you taking and how many servings/ times a day? Some people are highly sensitive to probiotics so maybe this is what causing the pain. Test a little bit (a pinch, or 1/8 tsp) and see how your gut reacts. If you get too much die-off, or bloating etc. then it’s too soon, or you need to go slower. Everyone’s pace is different, so you need to listen to your own gut.
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care
Hi Jini,
I am really enjoying your website! I’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease and have been feeling a lot over the year but still not 100%. Acne, and rectal pain is my main concern these days, previously it was constipation but that seems to have cleared up. That being said I’m interested in doing the Candida Yeast Infection treatment, proctitis/rectal infection treatment, hemorrhoid treatment, acne treatment, and Anal Stenosis treatment. What do I start out with? Can I combine some?
I will also note that in the evening I take 300 mg of magnesium citrate and just purchase some of the George’s aloe Vera and have been taking the advised amount in the morning and evening as well. I am on no other medication or supplements.
Thanks so much, E
Hi E,
Thank you for reaching out. Best to start with the most severe case. If you have bleeding due to hemorrhoid, or form Anal Stenosis, then you should start there.. then follow the next protocol once you feel that your body tolerates the product well. However, your body KNOWS exactly what it needs. So Jini encourage you to get in dialogue with your body.
She have a lot of posts on exactly this topic:
https://blog.listentoyourgut.com/category/musings/
I hope this helps you
Kind Regards,
Cris B
Customer Care