I Tried Everything. I Mean That Literally.
My name is Sandra. I'm 51, from Ottawa.
I'm not a wellness blogger. I'm not a doctor.
I'm someone who spent three years and $380 trying to fix a problem that was quietly hollowing out my life.
Here's what I tried. In order. With real money and real hope behind each one:
The FODMAP diet. Three strict weeks. Reduced bloating by 40% while I was on it. The moment I reintroduced any normal food — even a small amount — every symptom returned within 48 hours. I can't live like that forever.
A pharmacy probiotic. Six weeks. Maybe slightly less gas. Not enough to call a result.
Magnesium citrate every night. It worked — unpredictably. I was late for work twice. Once I ended a client call abruptly. You know why.
Psyllium husk alone at a higher dose. It made things worse. More bloating, more heaviness. I didn't understand why until much later.
A popular subscription cleanse I saw advertised on TikTok. Day 4 brought cramping so bad I called in sick. Three months later I discovered I was still being charged monthly. Total paid: $115. Total benefit: zero.
A prescription laxative from my GP. It worked — with urgency so severe I had to schedule my entire day around a single bathroom window. Used it twice. Stopped.
A herbal detox tea. Made me feel like I was doing something. I wasn't.
$380. Three years. Seven products. Same stomach.