Testimonials – Dr. Norm’s Consultation

I am 80% better in 4-6 weeks

Like many others, I had consulted with my Internist, but to little avail. He directed me to a Gastroenterologist who not only failed to determine my condition, far less treat it, and  after all kinds of expensive tests I decided to move on. Another GI followed, similarly unsuccessful, and then a naturopath who to her credit identified SIBO but sadly did not have the experience to fix it.

In the end, after a lot of internet sleuthing, I came across Dr Norman Robillard. He had an impressive resume, and a wealth of experience in working with patients with a host of  gut-related issues. He’s a microbiologist by training, a scientist by orientation and a researcher by nature.

He is also incredibly kind and warm, making me feel at ease and comforted. After reviewing my blood and stool tests and as much medical data as I could provide him, he suggested an approach to my diet that, within 4-6 weeks, improved my situation, I would estimate by 80%.

I cannot truly express my gratitude for Dr Norman’s dedication and scholarship. I now know precisely how to change my diet to continue the healing and to prevent recurrence. Dr Norman succeeded where many others failed. Have faith; there is someone who understands why you are in distress and has the experience and research skills to provide solid solutions.

All the best,

Jeremy – England

I Actually Understand the Root Cause(s) of My LPR Now

After 7 years and 4 different doctors, I haven’t been able to solve my LPR. All they wanted to do was prescribe me PPIs and tell me not to eat spicy food/coffee (despite my insistence that it wasn’t just this that caused symptoms).

If not for the annoying throat-clearing that drove my wife and me nuts, I would’ve given up.

Enter Dr. Norm’s consultation program. He took a scientific approach based on a verbal assessment, bloodwork, and stool sample. With just these three sets of data, we were able to reduce symptoms by 70% in 4 months, and they continue to get better!

What’s most important is that I actually understand the root cause(s) of my LPR now and can control it. Most importantly, I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rob S – IN

Confidence Based On Solid Research and Solutions

Thank you for your life-changing consultations and observations.

I will review all notes carefully.

You have given me confidence that I can move forward symptom-free by following what you have discovered based on solid research.

My deepest thanks.

F. R. – FL

I Am Extremely Grateful

I’m in my sixties and wanted to tell my story in case it might help to convince someone to get more help.

Over ten years ago I went from a lifetime of chronic constipation to uncontrollable diarrhea which got worse over time. I had accidents a lot which initially was demoralizing, but eventually, I felt less emotional about it because it became so common.

The cramping and chronic pain bothered me more.

I did the SCD diet which really helped for a while, but after two years of such a limited diet, I was still having some trouble. I tried keto, FODMAP, and many more diets.

I was tested and came back positive for SIBO. I took Xifaxan 6 different times, but with each time the improvement would last for a shorter time. I just kept getting worse. I retested, and the SIBO remained over the course of 6 months. I lost 20 lbs and got down to 97 pounds – I’m 5’6” tall. Over the years three different gastroenterologists couldn’t seem to help me.

I had tried so many diets but could not solve the problem. I believed I might die because I couldn’t stop diarrhea and I kept losing weight. One evening in 2017, I came across the Fast Tract Diet. I added it as my new diet to try. It was a miracle for me. The fermentable thinking was the difference. There were foods I could eat on SCD, but they were not allowed on  Fast Tract and the opposite was also true.

Within a week I was down to a few episodes a day, and within a year I had slowly gained back the 20 lbs I had lost. I was doing really well if I kept on the diet and so I did. After a few years, I expanded my diet to allow some smaller amounts of carbs and certain sugars. Things were good. But in the last few years even though I was following the diet, my diarrhea seemed to be coming back.

I tried harder and got stricter with my food. The diet didn’t seem to help so well anymore. I finally made a decision to enroll in his individual consultation program. He arranged for a stool test, and he worked with me after reviewing the results, and he suggested a couple of ideas. One thought was to have my SIBO tested again. It came back negative. I now believe that all that time on his diet had fixed the SIBO. So SIBO wasn’t the cause anymore. Amazing! I just assumed I’d be on the diet forever because I would never be able to cure SIBO.

The other idea he had was to check for a newly suspected underlying cause. And that was it! I had fixed the SIBO through the diet but had independently developed something else. My doctors never thought to retest for SIBO or to test for anything else.  My point is that Dr. Norm spent time thinking about my history and gave me options to follow which did lead to a correct and helpful diagnosis.

This was more than my doctor had done and I love my current gastroenterologist. He always gives me a hug and is so kind to me. I feel he really does care, but I think most doctors just don’t have enough time to spend on their patients and rely on Xifaxan. He was suggesting a 7th course of Xifaxan along with neomycin. I had been stuck on the SIBO path and would have remained chasing the wrong issue indefinitely, had Dr. Norm not gotten involved.

There are treatments for what I have.  I really can not praise him enough for being so thorough, helpful and thoughtful. It’s not possible to fully express my gratitude for his helping me. It feels really unbelievable to me- I can look forward to eating food that I want to eat. It’s been a decade of not being able to feel comfortable about eating. Making that initial appointment was the best decision I could have made.

Amy K – PA

Warm, Compassionate, and Wise All in One

I am so happy that I found Doctor Norm.  He is someone who listens, understands my condition, and uses research-based principles to help me heal.

I was 26 years old when I had a ruptured appendix that resulted in peritonitis. The gangrene made a perforation in my large bowel resulting in a transverse colostomy, hysterectomy, removal of my ovaries, and removal of the ileocecal valve. I was one very sick woman.  Since that time, I had surgery to reverse the colostomy, surgery to repair a bowel obstruction and food poisoning. Later, I was diagnosed with Fructose Malabsorption, small bacterial overgrowth. (SIBO), GERD and chronic duodenitis.

I am now 73 years old. Over the years, I have been to numerous gastroenterologists, naturopathic doctors, and primary care physicians.  Some were helpful, many were not and SIBO, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation continued to occur.   It wasn’t until I consulted with Dr. Norm that I have been pain-free most of the time and no recurrence of SIBO.  We are still working on getting me off the PPIs.

Dr. Norm has given me so much hope. His soft, caring approach and his immense knowledge make me feel safe. It can be difficult at times to follow his recommendation when it comes to diet, but every time he consults with me, I feel motivated and know that in the end, I will feel better….because I am better.

Thank you, Doctor Norm, for being there for me.  Thank you for addressing all my concerns at each consultation and for being thorough with your recommendations that are specific for me. It feels like finally, after all these years, someone’s watching my back!

Marion Karpinski – Retired RN

Results have been nothing short of a miracle

It’s nothing short of a miracle, and while there are still occasional days where I’m dragging, I think that has more to do with circumstances and age, and I can take that in stride — no more days of crippling fatigue and the ensuing depression from feeling like I’m barely living.

Overall, I have almost the same energy I had in my 20s when I was a runner and before I had my thyroid gland ablated.

I’m able to do some cardiovascular workouts now, for the first time in decades, and I don’t have to climb into bed at 7 pm with no energy and feeling hopeless.

Heaps of thanks go out to you, and I thank you every day for feeling this much better (at the tender age of 65)!

Warm regards

Meg – VA

I can tell people that miracles DO happen

Hello Dr Norm,

I just wanted to drop you a note to say thanks for the help you gave me over a year ago. Also, I have something amazing to report.

I was someone who was suffering from reflux for over 5 years. After many tests, many procedures I was very close to getting surgery to attempt to get relief from the terrible suffering.

I worked with your book for a few months and found it to be helpful but even then I was still suffering.

I then had a consultation with you but still, I moved closer to getting surgery. I had seen a surgeon in Seattle and been evaluated and deemed a candidate for fundoplication.

During this crucial time, I received an email from you relating the story of someone who had surgery and still had LPR and was revisiting the diet.

I put off scheduling the surgery and within a period of about 3 weeks found that I was doing better than I had for many years. I thought it was a fluke of some sort and expected to return to having reflux soon.

Then a few weeks passed, then a few months, and NOW after more than a year. I can say I have been totally reflux-free for the whole time.

Kirk – Washington

I could not be happier with my decision to work with Dr. Norm!

I have suffered from digestive issues for what seems like forever. Thirty years ago a well-meaning doctor put me on PPI’s for acid reflux.

I was on them for way too long before someone suggested I get off them.  At one point, I was only eating gluten-free oatmeal.

Everything made me sick.  I was told I had IBS-C and to eat a low residue diet!  I looked at my husband and said, “What does that mean?”

I was way too thin, too tired, and too sick to even care anymore.  My daughter encouraged me to see a “real” doctor in the Boston area.  After having tubes down my nose and a breath test, I finally had a diagnosis of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

After five rounds of Rifaximin (Xifaxan) from April 2015 – July 2017, I finally realized antibiotics were not the answer.

No one at the “major” hospital told me how hard SIBO was to cure and that most of the time, it was a chronic, lifetime condition.  Their well-meaning nutritionists kept pushing the Monash diet on me.  Way too many carbs, fruits, and sugars!!!

One night after dinner I actually looked up if I could be allergic to potatoes!! I didn’t understand what was going on, but I had the worst pain after eating potatoes and rice.  I believe that people were thinking I was crazy.

I still had reflux and upper abdominal pain, with no idea how to help myself.

Fast forward to my last visit with the GI at the “major” Boston Hospital.  The doctor, clearly frustrated with me, offered me Nortriptyline for the pain and a PPI for the reflux.

I knew enough that extended use of PPIs is a strong contributor to SIBO!  Didn’t she know it also?  I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

That day, I realized I was going to have to find my own answers.  I got online and researched books on my condition.  I bought two books and one, thankfully, was Dr. Norm’s book, “Fast Track Digestion – IBS”.

As I read it, it was everything I was feeling.  It was as if he wrote the book for me.  I immediately started implementing his recommendations and started feeling relief.

Shortly thereafter, I started with his consultation services.  I learned about foods I did not know existed (fat bombs and cloud bread) and his recommendations were clear and easy to follow.

What I love the most is that, other than a short use of digestive enzymes, the whole process was natural and used healthy foods to heal my gut.

The FTD mobile app allowed me to always know the point value of any food, no matter where I was.

I continue to follow the protocol.  Occasionally, I test my system and have come to respect its limitations.  I know how to get myself back on track and feel great again.

No more Miralax, no more reflux, no more bloating and upper abdominal pain.  Dr. Norm was the answer to many prayers!!

Carol S – Charlestown, RI

I was SO glad I decided to be a part of his consultation program

Following is a part of her longer testimonial:

I chose to consult with Dr. Norm, as without an ileocecal valve I feared I would be facing future issues with excess bacterial growth.

He was a tremendous help in helping me dig deep into all potential underlying causes and ruling out all other detrimental considerations.

I felt armed with knowledge and a full list of approaches I had never considered and even though I am a nurse I received the information I had never thought about and which later came in handy when I had a couple of setbacks.

I was SO glad I decided to be a part of his consultation program. I highly recommend it for those struggling with difficult issues also.

Lastly, I continue to revel in the power that this has given me, and the new freedom. I have had ZERO IBS attacks since this diet…

Judy H – OR

I have my life back… GERD, heartburn, and esophagitis

I had been dealing with GERD, heartburn and esophagitis for 6 years and was about to have surgery on my hiatal hernia as a last resort when I ran across Dr. Norm’s article on how to stop heartburn without drugs by implementing the FAST TRACT DIET.

After reading the article I decided to stop taking Nexium cold turkey (it wasn’t helping anyway). After reading his book and consulting with him, I began eating the foods recommended and began feeling better within 24 hours.

My symptoms rapidly improved and after 1 month my symptoms have gone.

In one session with Dr. Norm, he changed everything for me

I have had severe IBS-D for over twenty years. I’ve seen numerous doctors and specialists. I had two colonoscopies, an endoscopy, and a litany of tests over the years.

No one was able to get me closer to figuring out what was going on. I’ve experienced quite a bit of anxiety and depression due to feeling like there was no hope for ever-improving my symptoms.

Changed my life forever

Just want to thank Dr. Norm Robillard for the private sessions I had with him late in 2015. I was having symptoms of LPR and shortness of breath. When I made the appointment to consult with him, I filled out a form with my history.

He approached everything extremely scientifically and is an expert on scientific research and then pulls it all together for the individual person.

For me, he totally led me in the right direction of what I needed to do to heal, and it has changed my life forever.

Meryl – Florida

I highly recommend anyone suffering from IBS/SIBO symptoms

I’m an individual with a complex health history that includes cancer treatment and numerous surgeries in the abdominal and intestinal area.  As you might expect, I’ve also been treated with a variety of antibiotics post-surgery to prevent or address infection that occurred.

About 10 months ago, without warning, I found myself suddenly faced with the severe, confusing, and overwhelming symptoms of IBS/SIBO.

Because I did not want to throw any new drugs at my digestive system, I searched online for holistic/natural ways to treat these symptoms which included severe stomach rumbling, gas, bloating, cramping, severe constipation, and severe diarrhea.

I was thrilled to discover the “Fast Tract Digestion IBS” book and adopted the diet and practices almost immediately.

I also scheduled a series of consultations with Dr. Robillard because my symptoms were so severe and greatly impacted my quality of life as a result.

The consults provided another turning point, beyond reading the book. Because each person’s medical history and symptom patterns are different, following the diet outlined in the book together with consultation, allowed me to make more progress.

At the suggestion of Dr. Robillard, I made a number of additional dietary changes and I’m in the process of weaning myself off proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) at Dr. Robillard’s suggestion and with my doctor’s consent.  I’ve also made the decision to avoid both pure cane sugar and artificial sweeteners since they seem to promote symptoms.

After just a couple of months of this stricter diet, I’ve seen a huge change in my symptoms.

They are less severe and less frequent.  I also rarely ever struggle with the pain I was having — it only seems to appear when I eat things that are not part of the low FP diet/routine.

Before introducing prescription drugs or antibiotics, I highly recommend that anyone suffering from IBS/SIBO symptoms read this book, follow the diet, and consult with Dr. Robillard to customize/personalize the diet for your speedy recovery.

You’ll find Dr. Robillard and his team to be very caring, knowledgeable, and committed to seeing you improve, so you spend a lot more time on the things that matter to you, and way less time worrying about and trying to control your IBS/SIBO symptoms.

Gail Snow Moraski – MA

There is light at the end of the tunnel and I am getting my life back!

I was 38 years old and healthy. I was running marathons, eating a near vegan diet and had never had any issues with my weight, digestive health or foods (other than a shellfish allergy).

That all changed on Jan. 4th 2013.

I noticed lower belly swelling and a really full, tight feeling in my stomach. I thought I must have eaten too much the day before or maybe I was starting my period. The swelling that started that day never stopped, and over 3 years, it would fluctuate daily, sometimes as much as 7 cm (almost 3 inches) which made wearing pants with buttons impossible.

Over the course of 3 years, I have seen:

• 2 family doctors
• 5 naturopaths
• An endocrinologist
• A dermatologist
• 4 GIs

I have had countless tests done including:

• Stool
• Blood
• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopy
• Muscle testing
• Saliva testing, etc.

And everything came back normal.

Doctors looked at me like they thought I was crazy. I knew I wasn’t. I eliminated this food and that, went on a 4-day rotation diet and was at one point eating only meat. I lost 12 pounds off an already thin frame. My hair fell out (I had to wear a wig), and I had dark circles under my eyes.

Something was wrong with my body, and I would not accept the doctors with their comments of “it’s stress, you’re fine.” My family doctor finally sent me to a digestive clinic where they tested for SIBO with the lactulose breath test.

I was positive. Finally, a diagnosis! I was ecstatic. I got my prescription for flagyl and was sure this digestive nightmare would be over.

10 days of flagyl antibiotic didn’t help.

So I was prescribed another antibiotic, rifaximin and flagyl. 10 days of that didn’t help. I was still testing positive. Flagyl and rifaximin for 14 days were prescribed. Slight improvement for 2 weeks and then the symptoms returned. I was losing sleep, devastated and desperate for help.

I found Dr. Norm’s website and at 2 am I set up a consultation with him.

I have had 6 Skype consults with Dr. Norm. He is warm and friendly, and I felt like he was on my team, not going to give up until we figured this out. I followed the Fast Tract Diet and the other written recommendations he sent after each Skype session being sure to stay in compliance with his advice.

Slowly but surely, my symptoms improved. I started implementing Dr. Norm’s advice in November 2015 and 4 months later, I am able to wear pants with buttons without having to worry I will be bursting out of them by the end of the day.

My constipation has improved, and I no longer have that awful full feeling after only a few bites of food. I am not fully healed yet, after all. This has been an over 3 year battle for me, and my intestines have been through a lot.

But, after all the specialists, diets, and meds (pharmaceutical and herbal) I have tried, Dr. Norm’s recommendations and the Fast Tract Diet have helped my symptoms the most. I cannot recommend Dr. Norm enough. I feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel and I am getting my life back.”

Pam, Toronto – Canada

Dr. Robillard has changed my life for the better, much better!

“I have been suffering from SIBO C (Constipation type) for 2 and half years. After years of fighting SIBO, I was losing hope. My symptoms were so severe that I couldn’t even work. Also, I was barely making it through the days.

In searching for answers to my SIBO, I found Dr. Robillard’s book, Fast Tract Digestion IBS. After reading the book, I decided to schedule individual consultations with Dr. Robillard because his very scientific approach appealed to me and I knew I could trust him.

My goal for the consultation was to put my SIBO C at bay and recover my motility.

His consultations have been much more than I expected.

I can say for sure that Dr. Robillard has been the most helpful practitioner thus far providing hope for restoring my digestive health. His attention to detail and the time he spends evaluating how diet and SIBO C relate to my condition is priceless.

After three months with Dr. Robillard, I can say that I’m seeing the light at the end of the SIBO tunnel without drugs and antibiotics. Now I’m back to normal life and enjoying my low FP diet lifestyle. Also, my motility has been steadily improving and a smile is coming back to my face every morning!

I highly recommend consulting with Dr. Robillard because his knowledge is really deep and he understands what is going on behind the scenes of our digestive system and the human microbiome. Dr. Robillard has changed my life for the better, much better!

Hector G. , Tokyo – Japan

Conquering heartburn at 4000 feet on the Chilkoot Trail

Dear Dr. Robillard:

After receiving several nutritional consults from you and reading your newest book, Fast Tract Digestion, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your work addressing heartburn and GERD.

Last December I started your diet after many debilitating months of GERD.  I am a middle-aged, long-distance runner and had to quit running because of the pain from heartburn and the burning sensation in my throat after my work-outs.

My physician prescribed a high dosage of Nexium, but the drug left my stomach feeling bloated and I experienced side effects including rashes.

By December, I was really depressed about having my chronic condition and being forced to end a sport I loved when I came across your first book, Heartburn Cured.   I have to say I was pretty skeptical that reducing carbs in my diet would help, but I tried it and within several days was feeling definite relief.

A week later I started running again.

I’ll admit it took some adjusting to alter my past lifestyle of high-carbs and sugar, but it’s been so worth it in terms of GERD relief and general health!

Also, your second book, Fast Tract Digestion Heartburn, offers many options not articulated in your first book, including an emphasis on green, leafy vegetables along with certain, friendlier carbs such as Jasmine Rice. This past Sunday I completed a very difficult 35 mile mountainous run on the Chilkoot Trail.

It ascends nearly 4000 feet on rock and snow and at the pass crosses into Canada from Alaska.  I ran this strenuous route two years ago; last fall I was certain I would never be able to complete such a rigorous event again, and truly I have you to thank.

regards,

Anne
Juneau, Alaska

Anne’s recipe for Jasmine Energy Balls

This is a tasty option to Energy Bars for athletes.  It’s loosely taken from a Runner’s Magazine, Paleo article recipe.  I modified it with ingredients found in Fast Tract Digestion.  This was my main food intake on the 35 mile Chilkoot run.

Use a slow rice cooker to prepare jasmine rice. Blend ground pecans, walnuts, almonds, chopped dates and a bit of cinnamon into the rice keeping the rice as fluffy as possible.  Form into balls slightly larger than golf balls and roll in a small amount of crushed Special K (NR: you might substitute this for Rice Checks, lower FP). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.