Brainstorm Health practitioner Kirsty has been working with nine-year-old Lottie* for the past eight months. When she first came to us, Lottie was a highly anxious girl struggling at school and experiencing extreme emotional reactions and debilitating symptoms of multiple allergies. Under Kirsty’s care, Lottie’s anxiety is much reduced, she has become more able to self-regulate, she is much happier at school, and her allergies are under control without needing medication.
Here, Kirsty shares with us the steps she took in supporting Lottie’s path to better health.
Hello Kirsty. Tell me a bit about your patient and the symptoms they first came to you with.
Lottie is nine years old. She has a diagnosis of inattentive type ADHD, including weak processing speed. She also suffers from anxiety.
She has allergies to eggs and milk and carries an EpiPen. Since 2019, she has had an extreme sensitivity to gluten, which triggers vomiting and diarrhoea.
When she first came to me, Lottie was anxious and emotionally volatile. She was easily frustrated, for example, when doing homework, and struggled to remain calm. She had problems sleeping, some sensory issues and a persistent dry barking cough that improved when she took Gaviscon. Lottie was using a nasal spray and antihistamines regularly to manage her allergies. She also reported that she often felt unhappy without knowing why.
How were these symptoms impacting her life?
Lottie’s anxiety and volatility had been steadily worsening for several years. She was putting a lot of pressure on herself. She is a perfectionist, and teachers’ feedback was that she was often tense and would panic if she didn’t have the right equipment or missed some work. Lottie’s Mum had a feeling that Lottie may also be autistic as she had always been socially awkward and struggled to form friendships. The family’s home life was impacted: Lottie had daily emotional outbursts due to mental exhaustion from putting in so much effort to concentrate and mask her condition at school.
What were your initial steps in helping Lottie?
I started Lottie on a low-histamine gluten-free, dairy-free diet to calm her body’s inflammatory response and support her gut health. I recommended Epsom salt baths to boost her magnesium levels and help with detoxification and sleep.
I gave her some homoeopathic formulations initially to support the clearance of toxins and to calm the stress response. I then added Invivo Bio Revive Mucin to improve the integrity of Lottie's gut lining and support a healthy microbiome, alongside MegaMag Calmeze from Nutri Advanced for nervous system support, a calcium-magnesium complex and a herbal anti-histamine.
I also referred Lottie for EFT tapping and behavioural optometry.
What lab tests did you do? What did the tests reveal, and how did that shape your therapeutic approach?
We carried out a stool test to investigate gut health and digestive function. This revealed significant dysbiosis (out-of-balance microbiome) and the presence of several pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
A urine organic acid test revealed evidence of oxidative stress, toxicity, issues with essential fatty acid metabolism, nutrient depletions and evidence of yeast overgrowth.
Hair mineral analysis revealed high levels of mercury, as well as signs of adrenal depletion and compromised blood sugar balance.
A blood-spot test for food sensitivities revealed an immune response to many dietary triggers, notably anchovies and other fish, nuts, chickpeas, coconut, soybeans and gluten.
As a result of the findings, we removed all seafood from Lottie’s diet to reduce mercury exposure and avoid triggering an immune response. I suggested she add liver support juice to her diet to aid detoxification. We also removed all other foods triggering an immune response for a trial period of eight weeks.
Supplements-wise, I added Beyond Balance ToxEase GL alongside a binder to support detoxification. I also added a glandular supplement to nourish Lottie’s adrenal glands and a liquid mineral complex to replenish depleted minerals.
How long did it take before seeing positive changes in symptoms?
Eight weeks after her initial appointment, Lottie’s anxiety was greatly reduced, and her sleep improved. Sensory issues had diminished significantly. The dry cough and reflux had become infrequent, and she no longer needed Gaviscon. She was also more open and willing to try new foods and flavours.
How long have you been working together now?
Eight months
What has been the biggest ‘breakthrough’ moment on Lottie’s journey?
The dietary changes alongside the EFT/tapping have made a huge difference to Lottie. Making the connection between emotional stress and her health has been a big breakthrough for her.
How is Lottie doing now?
Lottie no longer needs to take antihistamines regularly. Her anxiety has improved, especially at school. Emotional outbursts are still happening but are passing more quickly. Her sleep has significantly improved: she falls asleep more easily and wakes happy and well-rested. Her Mum describes Lottie as more self-aware, able to identify her feelings, and more able to manage herself.
*The patient's name has been changed in this report to protect their privacy.
Please note that we do not diagnose or treat illnesses at Brainstorm Health, but we can help you advocate for the right medical diagnosis from qualified doctors if necessary.
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