I have been suffering from a whole host of seemingly disparate symptoms for the past eight years, ever since I first travelled to India and had a bout of giardia followed by amoebic dysentery. On my return, I developed an intolerance to many foods, and spent the ext few years trying in vain to get to the root of the problem.

I have spent literally thousands on medical bills, naturopathic treatments, herbal upplements, nutritional advice, herbal remedies, exclusion diets, colonic irrigation, ayurvedic and chinese medicine consultations and allergy tests.

My symptoms were largely related to what appeared to be dysbiosis: bloating, poor digestion, alternating bouts of diarrhoea and constipation, depression, mood wings, vicious cravings for starches and sugars and an all-round feeling of lethargy and heaviness. I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, candida-related complex, depression, leaky-gut syndrome and liver dysfunction. I stopped menstruating four years ago, and my libido completely disappeared. The gastrointestinal symptoms would come and go, but worsened over time. I found that the only relief gained from the symptoms was when I cut out reactive foods (the list became longer and longer as the years went by) or if I topped eating altogether. I became hooked on laxatives, and believe that my desperation to halt the ongoing problem was a key factor in my subsequent development of an eating disorder.

The symptoms persisted, to the point that I was compelled to come home in the middle of an overseas trip this year to sort it out. My stomach had allooned to the size of a pregnant woman's, I experienced nausea from time-to-time and I was incredibly low on energy. I was battling severe crying spells and depression, coupled with shocking indigestion. I realised I needed some comprehensive stool tests done, in order to ascertain once and for all what was causing my ill-health.

I contacted an excellent clinic in Melbourne who practise Integrative Medicine, and after a series of parasitology tests, was finally diagnosed with blastocystis hominis. Incredibly, despite all of the reactions I have had to everal foodstuffs over the years, all allergy tests came back negative.

My doctor advised me to try a herbal remedy to begin with, but after two weeks I was ot getting any better, and this is when I found the BadBugs site. After contacting Jackie, she provided me with details of a course of non-herbal anti-parasitic drugs, as 80% of patients report success after treatment. My doctor organised this with me, and it is thanks to Jackie that the little critters are (fingers crossed) ow well and truly gone.

The ten-day treatment was exhausting, but the results have been incredible. My bloating has disappeared entirely, my digestion is normalising, and I am able to tolerate small amounts of foods I previously couldn't touch. What is even more impressive is the complete eradication of all the mental fogginess, mood wings and general lethargy. I have so much more energy, and am so thrilled to be almost back to my usual self! I feel myself very lucky to have been in contact with both my doctor and Jackie.

A prominent Melbourne gastroenterologist I saw was incredulous that lastocystis was the cause of my problems, and simply rescribed me a course of anti-spasmodics. When I reported I was feeling so much better after treatment, he only replied 'hmmmm'. Many doctors evidently feel exactly the same way, which makes it tremendously difficult for people who know they are ill, but cannot find any answers or upport. I am still completely amazed at how rapidly I have returned to a state of health and happiness, and I have no doubt that the blastocystis was a major - if ot the only - cause of my ill-health for so long. The change in the way I feel has been so marked that it's almost too good to be true. Not agonising daily over unresolved health issues has freed up so much energy and time! Thanks a million, Jackie. And the best of luck and health to all those seeking answers to their health problems.