For two years, Olivia, a 26 year old entrepreneur, struggled with chronic yeast infections, PMS and anxiety, and general gastrointestinal distress. After trying to manage her symptoms on her own and struggling to determine the root cause of her problems, Olivia sought out Gritwell to help find answers.
Through Gritwell’s program, Olivia was paired with a health coach who did a deep dive into her history. They discovered Olivia had an extensive exposure to indoor mold starting in high school, again in college, as well as in the last 8 months. Olivia also described breaking out in hives with mold contact, indicating she was most likely mold sensitive. Digging deeper, Olivia’s coach found she had three traumatic brain injuries as a child. Such injuries meant Olivia was at high risk for being vulnerable to toxins. With her high risk status for toxin vulnerability and her continual mold exposure we determined that mycotoxin was the most likely cause for Olivia’s conditions.
Mycotoxins, like Olivia was exposed to, can lead to extensive gut dysfunction and immune system down regulation which allows biofilm creation in the gut and sinuses that are particularly difficult to eliminate with traditional medical treatment. These biofilms in particular can contribute to recurrent and systemic candida infections like the ones Olivia experienced. These infections and the general immune response also interact with the hormonal axis, causing disruptions that lead to hormonal imbalances and mood swings.
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Since mold was identified as the root cause for Olivia’s problems, a customized detox of 7 months was created. Olivia’s personalized wellness plan focused on eliminating all possible symptom triggers by reducing inflammatory and mold related foods. She was switched to a low FODMAP diet, and also advised to exclude all grains, cheese, alcohol, and packaged food. Additionally, a regimen of very targeted supplements to help rebalance the gut, detox mycotoxin/mold, kill candida, and support die-off reactions was implemented.
Olivia’s supplement plan was tailored to her particular symptoms and need to detox from mold. The supplements prescribed for Olivia’s long term mold exposure and inflammatory state were each geared 1:1 to the following targets:
Olivia’s weekly yeast infections was one of the major issues destroying her daily quality of life. Previous doctors had suggested antifungals, but through Gritwell’s program, Olivia was able to avoid continual use of diflucan and nystatin to treat her yeast infections. Continuous use of antifungals can create a cycle of dependency, as they kill both healthy and unhealthy vaginala flora. Instead, Olivia’s plan was tailored to resolve her issues with candida overgrowth and hormonal imbalances through a personalized diet and prescribed supplements that rebalanced her internal flora and her estrogens.
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Upon completion of a 7-month program Olivia showed an 81% reduction in severity and frequency of her reported symptoms. Her yeast infections were completely eliminated along with 28 other problems including her mood swings and bloating/digestive distress. Her mold detox was a success, with her digestive symptoms improving 96% and her mood, anxiety, and PMS improving by 82%. Olivia was able to return to the active lifestyle she thought was lost two years ago and continues to maintain the diet and supplement plan designed by Gritwell to optimize her health and wellness.
