A Staffordshire teacher who experienced years of unexplained and agonising stomach pains has found relief during a family holiday in Cape Verde, thanks to a local doctor's recommendation of a probiotic supplement. Louise Wheatley, 48, from Stone, had suffered recurrent stomach flare-ups for several years without a definitive diagnosis, with doctors attributing her symptoms largely to the stresses of her teaching career.
Louise, who has worked in both primary and secondary education, had long accepted the condition as an intermittent but limiting part of her life. "The doctors seemed to want to just put me on medications which had a limited effect. I do have a stressful job so I thought that this was the cause. It did get me down but I just thought that it was something that I was going to have to live with," she explained.
To mark the 16th birthday of her daughter Katie and the 18th birthday of her niece Hannah, the family planned a luxury holiday to Cape Verde, anticipating a special celebration. "The holiday was so needed and we had looked forward to it for months. It was for two very special birthdays so we were so excited for a perfect getaway with all of us together," Louise said.
However, soon after their arrival, Louise’s stomach issues worsened, leaving her bedridden for several days and jeopardising their holiday enjoyment. Seeking assistance, she consulted a doctor locally who diagnosed her condition as a depletion of the beneficial bacteria in her gut. The doctor administered a probiotic supplement, which led to a swift and complete alleviation of her symptoms. "It was like night and day, all of a sudden I could enjoy the holiday again and felt better than I ever had," Louise recalled.
Upon returning to the UK, Louise sought out a similar probiotic and began taking Nature’s Zest Saccharomyces Boulardii, a supplement produced by a family-run company specialising in gut health. She now uses it regularly to manage her symptoms and encourages others to consider probiotics, particularly when travelling. “Who would have thought that something natural would work better than any medication,” she remarked.
Jake Shaw, development manager at Nature’s Zest, commented on Louise’s experience, noting the growing awareness of probiotics’ benefits: "It’s amazing to hear stories like this, and Louise’s experience really does help to spread the word about the benefits that probiotics have. So many people in the UK have resigned themselves to conditions that they simply don’t need to, and gut health has such an important role in overall mental and physical wellbeing."
Probiotics, which include live bacteria and yeasts, are recognised for their supportive role in gut health and can contribute to other functions such as enhancing the immune system. Louise’s case highlights the potential of these natural supplements in addressing chronic digestive conditions that have proved resistant to traditional medication.
Source: Noah Wire Services