PT, a 34 year old sales director, decided to consult with me following 14 miscarriages and poor outcomes with IVF over the past 7 years. PT and her husband MT did have a son in 2003, born prematurely who sadly passed away at 24 weeks. PT was also diagnosed with PCOS for which she was taking metformin; hypothyroid for which she was taking thyroxin, endometriosis and complained of IBS.
PT was under the care of a fertility consultant and was diagnosed with a condition where she had elevated natural killer cells that would attack the developing foetus, she also had heightened immune activity in her endometrium which made it difficult for implantation to take place. PT had undergone 6 laparoscopy operations to clear out her endometriosis and de-bride and clean her womb following unsuccessful pregnancies.
On initial consultation the things that stood out to me were the previously mentioned PCOS and endometriosis, and a number of symptoms related to the bowels such as bloating, cramping, flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea. There were other things that stood out including poor energy levels, the use of caffeine as a stimulant, symptoms of PMS and previous multiple uses of antibiotics.
A dietary analysis highlighted an over reliance on oats, dairy and wheat for nutrition, however she had consciously made some good nutrition choices such as reducing red meat and increasing fish as well as eating berries and vegetables. A typical breakfast was oatibix, berries and yoghurt, lunch was usually a sandwich and occasionally crisps and dinner would include pasta, poultry, fish and some vegetables. There were often no snacks or they consisted of an oat bar. PT did consciously try to drink 4-5 glasses of water a day and drank several cups of tea.
It was clear from this initial consultation that there was a problem with PT’s hormone balance, PCOS is a condition where insulin is poorly controlled, the low thyroid speaks for itself and the endometriosis and PMS suggested out of balance oestrogen and poor oestrogen metabolism. There was also a big problem with the bowels causing immune dysfunction, I believed the over reliance on oats, wheat and dairy and the multiple exposures to antibiotics had created food intolerances and dysbiosis.
My plan to help PT was to balance her blood sugar to control insulin, heal and repair the gut, improve oestrogen metabolism and boost the immune system.
