A 59-year-old menopause coach from Hampshire says years of embarrassing digestive problems eased within weeks of taking a daily probiotic supplement that costs roughly 55p a day with an introductory offer.
Claire Hattrick, who now works as The Executive Menopause Coach, told the Express that bloating and trapped wind during menopause became so severe that she abandoned her jeans for elasticated waistbands, and joked she could “fart from the top of the stairs to the bottom”.
A symptom nobody talks about
Hot flushes and night sweats dominate the public conversation about menopause. The quieter symptoms, digestive trouble among them, receive far less attention despite affecting large numbers of women. Hattrick’s experience, first reported by the Express on 21 October, is a case in point.
Alongside joint pain and severe sleep disruption, she developed bloating, trapped wind, constipation and diarrhoea. The discomfort reached the point where ordinary routines, such as choosing clothes in the morning, became a daily negotiation.
“You can't do your jeans up because you're so bloated. You're looking through your wardrobe thinking, well, I can't get into that. I've got to wear something elasticated, or gym stuff.”
She also recalled a sensation that her “tummy button was going to explode”. It is the sort of detail that will be wearily familiar to millions of women of a certain age, and which the health establishment has been slow to address with any seriousness.
What she took, and what it costs
After years of discomfort, Hattrick says she noticed a change after adding DRV+'s Gut Works supplement to her daily routine. The Mirror, which covered her story earlier this week, reports the product combines live bacterial cultures, fibre and a prebiotic.
The supplement is vegan and combines six strains of live bacteria with two types of fibre: prebiotic inulin derived from chicory root, and psyllium husk. Each capsule contains 50 billion live bacteria at the time of manufacture, including strains such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12. The brand notes that specific strains matter, because research into probiotics often relates to individual strains rather than probiotics as a whole.
Gut Works normally costs £32.99 for a month's supply. A standard 15% subscription saving reduces that to £28.04, but new customers using the code DRVPLUS50 on their first subscription order pay £16.27, which works out at around 55p a day. After three payments the price returns to the standard subscription rate. One-time purchases of a 30-day supply cost £32.99, and the discount code does not apply to them.
For those comparison shopping, Holland & Barrett sells its own Friendly Bacteria 50 Billion capsules for £29.99. Yorkshire Live notes that Boots shoppers can find the Jerms Daily Gut powder at £16.49, down from £32.99.
“I noticed it straight away”
Hattrick says the difference appeared quickly.
“I noticed it straight away, literally within two or three weeks. I thought, I can go out and not have to worry about a cup of tea with milk going straight through me.”
She has continued taking the supplement since, and says she is back in her usual clothes without the bloating that once ruled her wardrobe.
Other users report similar experiences. One shopper aged 45 to 54 wrote that after two weeks they could eat foods that previously caused bloating, and described the results after three months as a marked improvement. Another called the capsules “nothing short of a miracle” after 20 years of discomfort and numerous specialist visits, with a difference noticed within four weeks.
The enthusiasm is not universal. One reviewer praised the results but questioned the price, writing that the product “may not be sustainable” at its cost. A customer aged 65 and over reported more regular bowel habits after a couple of months of daily use.
A word of caution before you buy
Results from supplements vary from person to person, and Gut Works is a food supplement, not a medicine. Anyone with persistent or worsening bloating, abdominal pain or changes in bowel habits should see a doctor rather than reach for the checkout. The brand advises taking the capsule daily for at least 60 days, away from hot food and drinks, since heat can kill the live cultures.
There is also a wider lesson here, and it is an old one: this country has never been good at discussing the unglamorous realities of women's health, preferring to sweep them under the carpet. Hattrick's willingness to speak plainly about trapped wind and bowel trouble does more for public understanding than a shelf full of glossy awareness campaigns. A stiff upper lip has its place, but so does honesty.
Frequently asked questions
How much does DRV+ Gut Works cost with the discount?
New customers using the code DRVPLUS50 pay £16.27 for their first one-pouch subscription order, around 55p a day. The standard subscription price afterwards is £28.04 per month.
How quickly did Claire Hattrick notice a difference?
She reported a change within two to three weeks of taking the supplement daily, according to the Express.
Is Gut Works a medicine?
No. It is a food supplement and not a replacement for medical treatment. Persistent digestive symptoms should be checked by a healthcare professional.