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Irregular digestive spams
My daughter has been diagnosed as having irregular spasms in her digestive system. She now has to look for foods that would trigger this so she can manage the symptoms. She will be taking an antispasmodic drug in the short term but wants to find an alternative solution. She is 25 and leads a busy life which is constantly being disrupted by acute abdominal pain and vomiting.
With a condition as serious as this, your daughter needs to have a proper consultation and all the relevant testing. In fact, one of the colon specialists I consulted on your behalf felt she could offer no advice in the format of a column except to urge your daughter to seek extensive tests, examination and consultation. “This question,” she stated, “goes way beyond basic nutritional education.”
Kitty Campion, who is one of the country’s leading naturopaths and another colon specialist, did agree to examine the symptoms you have described and suggests that once lifestyle and psychological factors have been eliminated or treated, your daughter’s health advisors need to consider that she may be suffering from a malabsorption problem which could be the result of low gastric acid production or inadequate pancreatic function.
If food is the true culprit, then those she needs to eliminate right now from her diet include wheat, bran, yeast, sugar, beef, pork, corn, coffee, orange juice and dairy products. An itchy nose or anal irritation are both signs of a parasite infection which would also need treating without delay.
Campion says probiotics are very helpful for regulating peristalsis, which is the wave-like movement of food through the digestive tract. She recommends Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, and reports that recent independent tests rate Biocare’s Bioacidophilus probiotic supplement at the top of the league. “Above all, I would recommend you contact a good naturopath for specific guidance with nutritional treatment,” she adds.
Kitty Campion practices at The Campion Clinic in London (0171-722 9270) To find a qualified naturopath in your area, contact the British Naturopathic Association on 01458-840072. Biocare’s Bio-acidophilus costs £17.45 for 60 capsules. To mail order call 0121-433 3727.