Doctor In The House

In each episode of this ground-breaking documentary series, a family invites Dr. Chatterjee into their home to investigate every aspect of their lives.

When he arrives, they are worried about their health, well-being and hope that he can solve their problems. By the time he leaves, they have hope and a plan to live a healthy and happy life.

I had no great expectations about what Dr Chatterjee might do.

He gave me a breath test for something called SIBO, an overgrowth of bacteria in the small part of your bowel that can cause bloating. I tested positive so he gave me antibiotics, and the bloating improved.

He also gave me various supplements — probiotics and vitamin D (as my levels were low) as well as others such as B vitamins to help with energy. And he suggested a new diet — I called it the no-fun diet: no gluten, no wheat, no added sugar, no alcohol.

He advised me to stop going to the gym and, for a short while, to stop my walks, too — I needed to allow my body to heal.

I began to make the changes in October last year and by the third week of November, I was feeling much better — less pain, more energy.

The hardest thing was coming off pregabalin. I had been taking it for six months and when I stopped, even with a tapering dose, I had constant headaches for a week every time I cut down. I’ll never take it again.

I’ve lost 2 st 5 lb and am sticking to the diet. I walk every evening without problems, as well as doing meditation and yoga. Over Easter, I managed to walk up Rivington Pike, a hill in the Pennines. It’s hard to explain how happy that made me feel.

I take co-codamol once a day and naproxen occasionally. I now have the pieces of the jigsaw I need to make myself better.