I’m a Gut Health Nutritionist… and I Still Get Reflux: My Experience with Bile Reflux
Could Bile Reflux Be Part of Your Digestive Picture Too?
There’s something slightly ironic about waking up with heartburn when you spend your working life helping other people with their digestive health.
But here we are!
Over the past few months, my own digestive system has been asking for a little more attention.
Some mornings I wake up with heartburn or a sore throat. Sometimes there’s a bitter taste in my mouth and, more recently, I’ve been waking up feeling slightly nauseous.
I’ve also noticed more bloating and belching, particularly if I lie down after lunch, along with looser, sometimes more orange-coloured stools. I’ve even noticed changes with my ears, they've been itchier and I've had more ear wax than usual.
None of these symptoms are there all the time. Some days I feel absolutely fine. But there has been enough of a pattern for me to know that something needs a little attention.
And yes, despite being a qualified nutritional therapist with 18 years of clinical experience, constantly doing CPD and spending most of my working week talking about digestive health…
I still get digestive symptoms too.
So, what do I think is going on?
First things first: I haven't simply assumed that because I'm a nutritional therapist I can diagnose myself.
I've been to my GP and had the appropriate investigations, and so far everything has come back "normal".
This is reassuring. But as I often explain to my clients, normal investigations don't necessarily mean that your digestive system is functioning optimally. They are an important part of ruling out medical conditions, but sometimes we then need to look at the bigger picture.
In my case, one of the areas I'm particularly interested in is bile flow and the possibility of bile being involved in my reflux symptoms.
What actually is bile?
We don't talk about bile nearly as much as stomach acid, but it's an incredibly important part of digestion.
Bile is produced by your liver and stored and concentrated in your gallbladder. When you eat, particularly when you eat fats, your gallbladder releases bile into your small intestine, where it helps you digest and absorb fats.
Normally everything should be travelling in one direction: down.
Sometimes, however, bile can flow backwards from the small intestine into the stomach and potentially further upwards into the oesophagus. This is known as bile reflux.
And this is important because reflux isn't always simply about having "too much stomach acid".
Reflux reaching the throat can contain a mixture of substances, including acid, pepsin and bile salts. This can cause irritation to mucosal tissues in the nose, ears and throat.
My health didn't start this year
This is something I talk about with my clients all the time.
Your current symptoms haven't appeared in isolation.
Your body has a history.
And so does mine.
I grew up in the 90s and experienced the binge-drinking culture that went with that period of my life. I've had two pregnancies. I have a history of thyroid problems. I was vegan for more than 20 years. I've had periods of significant stress.
And now I'm a woman in my 40s experiencing the hormonal changes that come with this stage of life.
None of those things individually gives me a neat explanation for what's happening now, and I don't believe health works like that anyway.
Instead, I look at them as pieces of my health puzzle.
What's happened over the years? What's happening now? How well are my digestive processes working? What has changed?
That's exactly the detective work I do with my clients, and currently I'm having to turn some of that attention onto myself.
Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things!
This might be the most important part of this blog.
I know a lot about digestive health.
That doesn't mean I spend every day eating perfectly, drinking exactly the right amount of water, managing my stress beautifully and going to bed at the perfect time.
I have a family. I run a business. I have clients. I have a house to look after. I get stressed. I get busy.
Sometimes I realise I've hardly drunk any water.
I like coffee.
I really like dark chocolate.
And sometimes I know I should do something for myself…and don't.
Sound familiar?
Knowing what supports our health is one thing. Making those things happen consistently in real life is another.
So what am I doing about it?
I'm going back to the same principle I use with my clients: look at the whole picture and work on things step by step.
I'm currently using some specific nutritional supplements as part of my own individual protocol to support digestion and bile function. I'm deliberately not listing those here because supplements aren't one-size-fits-all, and what is appropriate for me won't necessarily be appropriate—or safe—for somebody else.
But there are plenty of everyday things I'm working on too.
I'm drinking more water. Or at least trying to! This is one of those basic things that's very easy to overlook when life gets busy.
I'm eating more mindfully. Slowing down, chewing properly and giving my digestive system a chance to do its job.
I'm working on stress. The nervous system and digestive system are intimately connected, so supporting one means supporting the other.
I'm eating earlier in the evening. I want my stomach to have had time to empty before I lie down for the night.
I'm paying attention to positioning. If my reflux feels worse, sleeping more upright can help me feel more comfortable.
I'm looking at my personal food triggers. Coffee, chocolate, tomatoes and mint are all things I'm being more conscious of. I'm not necessarily saying "never again". My coffee is in the morning, for example, and if I'm having dark chocolate, I'll try to have a couple of squares after lunch rather than in the evening.
That's the difference between blindly restricting foods and understanding why, when and how something might affect you.
I'm also supporting my thyroid health and making sure I'm getting the nutrients my body needs.
And at night I'm currently using Gaviscon when needed. Alginate-containing reflux products create a physical raft over stomach contents, which can help reduce reflux reaching the oesophagus and throat and causing damage.
None of this is particularly glamorous.
It's consistent, boring-at-times health work.
And that's usually what makes the biggest difference.
I'm not trying to be perfect
I think there's sometimes an expectation that if you work in health, you should somehow have everything sorted.
I don't.
I'm not perfect, and my digestion isn't perfect.
But it is so much better than it was in my 20s.
Back then, digestive symptoms had a huge impact on my life. Pain, bloating, urgency and worrying about what I could eat were part of my normal.
Today I can eat a varied diet. I can eat foods I love. I can go out and enjoy myself without constantly thinking about my stomach.
And when something does start to change, I have the knowledge to recognise it and ask:
What is my body trying to tell me?
Not:
What food do I need to cut out now?
There's a very big difference.
Your symptoms are part of a bigger picture too
If you're experiencing reflux, bloating, belching, nausea or unpredictable bowel movements, there can be many different reasons why.
Bile may be relevant for some people. For others, the picture may be completely different.
That's why I don't believe in handing everyone with reflux the same list of things to do.
We need to understand your history, your symptoms, your digestion, your lifestyle and what might be contributing to the problem.
And, importantly, persistent or changing digestive symptoms should always be discussed with your GP so that appropriate medical investigations can be carried out first.
Once that's been done, there can still be plenty to explore.
If you recognise yourself in some of what I've shared and would like help understanding what's happening with your digestion, get in touch or book a free Connection Call with me.
We can talk about your symptoms, what you've already tried and how I could help you put together a personalised plan, without cutting out everything you enjoy or allowing gut health to take over your life.
Because I know from both sides of the desk just how much difference that can make.
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