Root Member Story: Gabriella

Gabriella had been labeled with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) after visits to her primary doctor and gastrointestinal specialist. For years, she had dealt with bloating and loose stools multiple times per day. She used to plan her travel and work schedule around bathroom breaks whenever possible, but that didn’t prevent several very uncomfortable situations. To make matters worse, after returning to her primary doctor with lack of answers, she was given an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication as the solution, which only lead to side effects but no improvement. Gabriella had read about IBS and how most cases of IBS are actually caused by SIBO (a fact that her specialists were unwilling to investigate) and so she wanted a team who could help her evaluate and treat the root cause. 

In her extensive intake appointments with both her Root doctor and dietitian, we were able to discuss testing options including the possibility of a comprehensive functional stool test and a SIBO breath test. Gabriella chose to begin with the functional stool test, since in addition to testing for the microbial patterns of SIBO, we would also be able to test for yeast, parasites, inflammation, gut immunity, wheat sensitivity, H pylori and more.

We uncovered other symptoms that Gabriella had been ignoring, since they were overshadowed by the impact of her gastrointestinal symptoms. While we were awaiting stool testing results, Gabriella tried an elimination diet for 3 weeks, followed by a reintroduction of foods as a test for the next 2-3 weeks, guided by her dietitian.

Her doctor sent in a prescription for a 3 day anti-parasite medication that is typically very well tolerated. Her dietitian helped her with food sources of her nutrient deficiencies and interpreting her trial of the elimination diet. It was revealed that corn may be a cause of worsening loose stools as well, so we decided to eliminate corn while improving her gut health.

We also started her on a Root supplement called Gut Health Protect which helps support her low IgA as well as being the best anti-diarrhea supplement we’ve ever tried.

By day 3 of the anti-parasite medication, Gabriella was noticing an improvement in her stools. She was shocked that the brain fog she didn’t know she had was also going away. She was also feeling less anxious. 

We continued to guide her through a personalized gut healing program through the next 3 months.

Gabriella was able to travel and work without the constant worry about her bowels. She felt like a new person. Her only regret was waiting this long to invest in her health. She didn’t end up needing a SIBO breath test.

Her dietitian helped her re-introduce corn successfully since her gut was healing. 

Gabriella retested her stool test to make sure that her parasite was gone and her IgA was improved. Both issues had been resolved. (It’s fairly common to have low IgA from fighting off a parasite for some time.)

At month 12 when she renewed her membership, she completed a yearly root wellness panel - worth the entire cost of the membership, so she always had the detailed biomarker data plus the team to guide her through her wellness panel.