This EndoLife

A week or two back I did an episode on the small intestine spasm seen in 100% of endo participants in a study on endometriosis and SIBO.(1) Last week I shared about this observation on Instagram and the post went wild. It had 100,000 views, hundreds of comments, thousands of saves and so many of you wrote to me to say that you get a spasm like pain in your intestines over night. I am going to do s...

When I am working with endo clients on their SIBO, I always start the discussions not by diving into the protocol options, but by setting expectations and giving some cautionary warnings. This is so important, because SIBO is not easy to treat, but also, if you misunderstand your test results as you go through the protocol, you may give up or change protocols when in fact, you should keep going. O...

This week we’re travelling again, heading over to the Isle of Wight, and we have a lot of packing to do, so this week is a real bite sized episode, but an important one. You may remember me talking about a study showing 80% of participants with endometriosis also had SIBO. But what many people don’t know, and what I think doesn’t get enough focus, is that this study also found 100% of participants...

Recently, there’s been some awful articles going around about the rise of the chronic illness community and how we’re lying about how ill we are, and that we’re encouraging others to believe they are also ill. So, today, if you’re questioning how you’re feeling, worried it’s all in your head, or fearful you won’t be believed, I wanted to give you some research on why you your health may have been...

Today I want to talk about Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the hypermobility spectrum disorders, and how they may be contributing to your endo belly, IBS and/or SIBO References 1) https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/ 2) https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-hsd/ 3)  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28145606/ 4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39990556/ 5) https://jchr.org/index.php/JCHR/article/vi...

Please note - due to graphs and example images, this podcast might be best consumed as the original video here: https://youtu.be/z04DCzoSgxY This week on the podcast I am interview Rose Mackenzie, Clinical Manager behind Mira, the hormone monitor that I use with clients, to discuss tracking and understanding your hormonal patterns. I use Mira with my clients to: Identify what their hormones are up...

A while back I did an episode on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia and its connection to endometriosis. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I’ve linked it in the show notes. Today I want to do a short episode on how POTS may be connected to your endo belly and IBS symptoms. References 1) Gastrointestinal (GI) Disease Burden in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachyc...

So today marks the 400th This EndoLife episode! But it occurred to me that my first full episode on SIBO was episode 90! So for some of you, you may wonder why it’s such a big deal in my mind for people with endo. So I wanted to share some of the ways that SIBO can affect our endo symptoms, outside of the usual endo belly issues. References (1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39959963/ 2) Relation...

Today I want to talk briefly about the possible connection between endo, SIBO, IBS and UTIs. Now this could be a deep dive episode but I am giving you some of the top lines and the most recent research, and I’ve put a few links to more detailed episodes in the show notes. References 1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39990556/ 2) Relation of endometriosis and neuromuscular disease of the gastroint...

Today’s episode is a brief introduction to the mystery of the endo belly in the luteal phase, and some pointers to get you started.  References 1) https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/22/7176#B44-jcm-12-07176 2 ) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9150547/ 3) Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Menstrual Cy cle - PubMed , Change in bowel habits during menstruation: are IBD pat i ents different? -...

If you want to learn more about the root causes of endo belly and IBS in the endo demographic, and you’re keen to understand the SIBO, MCAS, POTS and hEDS connection too, I am running a free workshop on Thursday July 23rd, 6pm British Summer time, live on Zoom. If you can’t attend it live, you’ll be able to watch the replay. You’ll learn what the emerging evidence is showing us about endometriosis...

A couple of months back I did an episode on mast cells, MCAS and endometriosis - so, if you haven’t listened to that episode, it’s a short one, and I would listen to it to get you up to speed on what mast cells are and their function, what MCAS is and what the connection is to endo. Today, we are talking about how MCAS, or even just mast cells, could be contributing to your endo belly, IBS and/or...

As I am still recovering from covid, today’s episode is a short bite sized episode looking at what the recent research is telling us about the endo belly and the gut microbiome of people with endo. References 1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10316551/ 2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28303579/ 3) Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses - PMC 4...

Antibiotics, understandably, have a bad reputation because of how much they’ve been overused in the past few decades, and the impact that has had on our gut microbiomes and overall health, not to mention, resistance development. So, when it comes to antibiotics for SIBO, most of my clients are initially hesitant to consider them, and will typically opt for antimicrobial herbs instead. However, the...

Today I want to talk about lipopolysaccharides and their role in endo growth and pain. References 1)  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1363455/full 2)  Bacterial contamination hypothesis: a new concept in endometriosis - PMC , Evaluation of microecological therapy in endometriosis through modulation of the gut microbiota | European Journal of Medical Re...

Today I want to talk very briefly on endo belly and IBS symptoms, and the three SIBO type gases and the specific symptoms they can cause, so that you can look for clues as to whether SIBO is behind your gut issues. References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29228433/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12591062/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22262197/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24627585/...

LDN stands for low dose naltrexone. It is an immune modulating drug that also regulates the body’s pain relief system. It is non-addictive and safe, but it can come with side effects, so we’ll get to that - as thankfully, they can be reduced or eradicated entirely. Low-dose naltrexone works in two ways: it blocks opioid receptors which forces the body to increase its levels of other natural pain r...

There are several reasons why SIBO and gut dysbiosis can influence endo growth, but today, I want to talk about just one of them, and that’s β-glucuronidase.  References: 1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10416750/ 2)   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12942269/ 3) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12942269/, https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.10...

This week on the podcast I want to do a mini episode on improving your progesterone to oestrogen ratio in the luteal phase. And the reason being is that I track a lot of my client’s hormones with Mira, which is an at home hormone tracker, and I frequently see higher oestrogen levels and lower progesterone levels in the luteal phase. References: 1) https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/77/...

Today’s episode is a quick but informative one as I have a very packed week of client calls. So, I wanted to do a mini episode on gastroparesis and delayed gastric emptying (stomach emptying) in hEDS and POTS patients, because as you probably know by now if you listen to my show, people with endo have a higher risk of having one or both of these conditions. References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih....

Today I want to talk to you about an alternative SIBO protocol I have been using with clients since last year - and that’s probiotics.  I know, controversial, so let’s get started and you’ll learn why I have begun using them. References: https://journals.lww.com/ajg/fulltext/2020/02000/acg_clinical_guideline__small_intestinal_bacterial.9.aspx https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28267052/ https://pubme...

Today’s episode is with Dr Alexis Cutchins and we’re talking all about pelvic congestion syndrome (or pelvic venous disease as it’s also known as) and its connection to endometriosis, POTS, MCAS and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders. Dr Cutchins is a board certified cardiologist with a passion for caring for patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and...

Today’s episode is with Dr Lizzie Alexander (PhD), an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (who is also currently training as a Naturopath & Nutritionist) specialising in endometriosis and fertility. After 25 years of undiagnosed endo, chronic pain, and her own fertility struggles, Lizzie found healing through working with a naturopath in New Zealand and embracing functional nutrition. She becam...

Today I am continuing with my series on the trifecta of POTS, MCAS and h-EDS/hypermobile spectrum disorders and how they are connected to endo, and today we are basically doing a little MCAS 101. Affiliate Partnerships mBIOTA - mBIOTA Elemental is the next generation of the elemental diet and is developed with leading gastroenterologists and food scientists. It’s both clinically effective and easy...

Today I am talking to Nicola Wodlinger, CEO of mBIOTA, the founders of the mBIOTA Elemental diet, which is a treatment I use with many of my SIBO clients but is also a treatment for other gastrointestinal conditions such as IBS and Crohn’s. The elemental diet is notoriously bad tasting, so the founders of mBIOTA set out to create an elemental diet that was both clinically effective for treating SI...