Silicolgel gave me back my whole life
IT HAD been a dismal decade for Marianne Sloan with one thing after another, particularly long-lasting heartburn and stomach discomfort. Despite being diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disorder six years ago, things never seemed to get better. The worst was the heartburn, which came on roughly twice a month, attacks that generally started in the early evening and built into severe discomfort for anything up to eight hours.
“I tried everything from over-thecounter remedies to peppermint tea in a desperate effort to calm the discomfort,” says Marianne, 40, from Ayrshire. “More commonly though, I suffered weekly stomach aches that grew stronger, like contractions, leaving me extremely lethargic, as if I’d been ill for days.”
Stress and certain foods – particularly melted cheese, creamy sauces and white bread – made matters worse but nothing seemed to make them better.
The problems affected her wellbeing and her life, leading her to give up a job in sales. “I’d be dealing with a customer and feel aches starting,” she says. “I’d start sweating and panicking and end up asking a colleague to step in while I nipped to the loo for upwards of an hour.
“I once missed an interview and I had to leave several other events early. As soon as I felt the triggers it was game over and I needed to get home.”
Family life suffered too. “I missed my father-in-law’s 70th birthday,” she says. “I was ready to leave when it started. I was unwell for four hours, leaving my husband and son to go without me.”
Things started to change when a friend gave her a bottle of Silicolgel after complaining of the symptoms while they were together. Silicolgel is an oral gel whose main ingredient is silicic acid. It coats the stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract with a protective lining of silicic acid gel that attracts and binds with irritants and toxins and absorbs excess acidity and gases before passing them through the body.
Users typically report relief from their symptoms, which in turn helps them feel more in control of their life again.
“Silicolgel has helped all of my symptoms,” says Marianne. “As soon as I feel the heartburn starting, I take it straight away. The first time, I was three hours into a bad night of heartburn. Within 20 minutes I was able to lie down again and slept until the morning. I couldn’t believe it; normally I would spend the whole night pacing the floor trying to get comfortable.”
Marianne used to take Silicolgel as her symptoms occurred but now only takes it before big meals or when going out.
“I tried every product under the sun but never came across anything like Silicolgel,” she says. “It has made daily life more comfortable and I always carry a bottle when I am out just in case.
“When I get warning signs I take it and carry on what I’m doing rather than taking the fastest way home.” INFORMATION: Silicolgel, £8.29 (200ml) or £18.49 (500ml), is available from LloydsPharmacy, Holland & Barrett and Tesco.