When she first came to Brainstorm Health, 14-year-old Izzy was suffering from severe anxiety and was hampered by an array of distressing physical symptoms, all of which had developed since the age of 10. Working with Stella, over time, Izzy and her Mum were able to unravel and address the multiple interacting factors that contributed to Izzy's symptoms, and today she is a thriving, healthy and happy young woman.
Hi Stella. Tell us a bit about your patient and the symptoms they first came to you with
Izzy came to us at the age of 14. She described experiencing severe social anxiety, low motivation, sensory processing difficulties and ADD-type symptoms. She also had an array of physical symptoms, including visual snow, frequent headaches, stiff, tense muscles and joint pain, low energy and poor muscle tone, frequent urination, and increased appetite and thirst. Izzy’s pupils were also often very enlarged.
Izzy’s Mum first became concerned about her at the age of 10, when she noticed that Izzy was having problems with balance and coordination. She was diagnosed with dyspraxia at age 11. From age 12, she developed selective mutism.
Before this, Izzy had a history of recurrent ear infections and tonsillitis and had had eight teeth taken out by age 12. She had suffered from intermittent nausea between the ages of six and nine and episodes of painful urination.
How were her symptoms impacting Izzy’s life?
Izzy’s anxiety levels hit an all-time high when she started secondary school. At the time that she came to us, her anxiety was mostly around being the centre of attention or being around people she didn’t know well. As you can imagine, this had a huge negative impact on her experience of school and her ability to engage in academic and social activities.
What were your initial steps in helping Izzy?
We started with lots of support for Izzy’s nervous system and adrenal function - focusing on calming the stress response and regulating cortisol levels. We also added a vitamin D supplement as her vitamin D levels were very low.
What lab tests did you do? What did the tests reveal and how did that shape your therapeutic approach?
We completed a stool analysis, urine organic acid test, hair mineral analysis and a stool histamine test. Tests showed low-functioning thyroid, poor blood sugar balance, adrenal depletion, and low levels of key minerals, including lithium and selenium. Izzy also had very low folate and taurine, indicating poor bile function. The stool test revealed inflammation and permeability of the gastrointestinal tract and imbalance of the gut microbiome. Her histamine level was normal.
Armed with this information, step one of the new plan was to improve gallbladder health to support bile flow and therefore the absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble nutrients. We added in a bile acid supplement as well as Calming Pro Powder by Neurobiologix, which contains taurine and beetroot powder.
As Izzy had developed a UTI, we also gave her D-mannose, which helped enormously.
Izzy’s Mum also mentioned that Izzy had been bitten by a tick before the onset of her symptoms. Testing to establish the presence of Lyme infection was too expensive at the time, but based on Izzy’s symptoms, I decided to put her on Brainstorm Health’s mini-Lyme protocol in the next phase of our work together.
How long did it take before seeing positive changes in symptoms?
Within a few weeks of adding the first supplements, Izzy had better energy and seemed more confident and less anxious. By her second follow-up appointment, Mum reported that Izzy’s depression had gone, anxiety was greatly improved, and selective mutism had improved. Izzy seemed happier and more confident and was widening her circle of friends.
Physically, her visual snow had lifted, muscle pain and stiffness had improved, and headaches had become much less frequent. Despite a brief setback when Izzy contracted Covid, the feedback was that she was doing extremely well.
We then started the mini-Lyme protocol alongside Microimmunotherapy. Over time, we added probiotics to support gut health, amino acids, and a multi-nutrient to support overall health.
We did eventually do the Lyme test and found Bartonella which we addressed using herbal products by Beyond Balance. There was some regression with painful joints when the remedies were titrated up, and it took a while to figure out the right dose for Izzy.
How long have you been working together now?
Two years
What has been the biggest ‘breakthrough’ moment on Izzy’s journey?
It is hard to pinpoint a single moment. The initial interventions that helped calm the stress response were a turning point, as was the introduction of Microimmunotherapy. The Lyme and Bartonella protocols also made a big impact.
How is Izzy doing now? What will you focus on next?
So far, dietary changes have remained impossible to make, so we are trying to introduce some basic healthier swaps, reducing processed sugar and removing highly-processed seed oils as much as possible. We also need to improve Izzy’s working memory. Otherwise, she is doing exceptionally well. Mum described her as a 9 out of 10!
Always consult a qualified practitioner before introducing new supplements. You can book a free 15-minute Discovery Call with a Brainstorm Health practitioner here.
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.
*Names have been changed to protect the patient's identity
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