Mojo Klinik / Conditions / Gut health / Chronic Bloating and Leaky Gut
DR MARIA MACKEY
Mojo Klinik · Neutral Bay Sydney
Chronic bloating and leaky gut.
Daily bloating and intestinal permeability are measurable, treatable problems.
Bloating that has become daily.
A list of food intolerances that keeps growing.
A label like “leaky gut” that has never been clinically investigated.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
You will recognise yourself in some of these.
Most patients arrive carrying one or more of these.
- You bloat after almost every meal regardless of what you eat
- Your stomach is flat in the morning and visibly distended by the evening
- You react to foods you used to tolerate, and the list keeps growing
- You have skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, or joint pain alongside the gut symptoms
- You have read about leaky gut and want a doctor to investigate it properly
- Standard testing has come back fine and you are still uncomfortable every day
- You have tried multiple elimination diets without lasting improvement
- You suspect there is a connection between your gut and your other symptoms
There is almost always a clinical explanation. Pulling on the thread is what we do.
WHAT CHRONIC BLOATING AND LEAKY GUT ACTUALLY ARE
Chronic bloating is daily abdominal distension that does not resolve with the usual interventions.
Leaky gut is the lay term for intestinal permeability: the tight junctions between cells in the small intestinal wall stop functioning properly, allowing larger particles to pass into the bloodstream that should not. The medical literature uses the term increased intestinal permeability. The mechanism is measurable. The drivers are identifiable.
A gut health doctor Sydney approach starts with finding which drivers are operating in your specific picture.
"Chronic bloating is one of the most underinvestigated symptoms in primary care. Stress. Just IBS. Normal for women. It is none of those things on its own. There is almost always a measurable picture underneath. Almost always treatable when you actually look."
A MECHANISM MAP
The five drivers we look for.
Bloating has measurable, separable causes.
DYSBIOSIS
Imbalance in microbiome.
MOTILITY
How the gut moves matters.
FOOD
Reactivity, intolerance, hidden triggers.
LIVER
Detox overload contributes more than expected.
INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY
Loss of tight junction integrity.
Identifying which of these is most prominent shapes the entire plan
OUR THREE – PHASE APPROACH
Investigate, reset, restore.
Investigation, reset, restoration.
Phase 1
Investigate
Weeks 1 to 2
Detailed history. Targeted functional pathology. SIBO breath test where indicated. Intestinal permeability markers. Comprehensive microbiome.
Phase 2
Reset
Weeks 3 to 8
Structured medical reset protocol where appropriate. Targeted dietary protocol. Specific antimicrobial or biofilm disrupting agents where the testing supports them. Liver and detoxification support.
Phase 3
Restore
Weeks 8 to 16
Microbiome restoration. Structured food reintroduction. Repair of intestinal barrier function. The phase that determines whether bloating returns.
THE FIVE DRIVERS WE LOOK FOR
Chronic bloating and leaky gut almost never have one cause.
Most patients have two or more of these patterns operating at once. Note: mould exposure and toxicity needs to be considered when nothing else is making sense.
Dysbiosis
- Imbalance of the gut microbiome
- Loss of protective species, overgrowth of others
- Drives bloating, food sensitivity, and inflammation
Intestinal permeability
- Tight junctions between intestinal cells leak
- Larger food particles enter the bloodstream
- The immune system reacts
- Food sensitivities multiply
Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Bacteria in the wrong place: small intestine instead of large
- Diagnosable via breath testing
- Often the dominant driver in daily bloating
Liver and detoxification overload
- Where the body cannot keep up with what it is being asked to clear
- Inflammation accumulates
- The picture worsens
Food sensitivities
- Often a consequence of the above rather than the primary cause
- Treating the surface food list without addressing what made the gut react in the first place rarely lasts
Testing matched to your picture, not a default panel. The cost of any privately billed test is explained before you agree to it. SIBO breath testing where the pattern fits. Comprehensive stool microbiome analysis. Intestinal permeability markers (zonulin, lipopolysaccharide markers). Organic acids testing (OAT) where indicated. Food sensitivity panels where the clinical picture supports them. Inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, calprotectin). Liver function and detoxification capacity markers.
IS MOJO KLINIK RIGHT FOR YOU?
Is this approach right for you?
IT'S A FIT IF
- You bloat daily despite changes to diet and lifestyle
- Your food intolerance list is growing rather than improving
- You suspect leaky gut and want it properly investigated
- Your standard tests have been normal and the bloating continues
- You have other symptoms (skin, fatigue, fog, joints) alongside the gut ones
- You are interested in a structured medical reset programme
NOT A FIT IF
- You want a quick repeat script with no investigation
- You want a generic detox protocol with no testing behind it
HOW TO START
Three ways to start with us.
The right one depends on whether you want a fast-track focused on the gut, a deeper big-picture investigation, or Dr Varipatis’s specific expertise for layered cases.
OPTION 1
Gut Assessment with Dr Maria Mackey
- 45 minutes
- $390 in-person
- $410 Zoom
Medicare rebate available for in-person initial consultations
The fast-track. If your concern is primarily gut-related and you want to move quickly to a structured plan. Dr Maria assesses your gut health and determines the right approach for your specific picture.
OPTION 2
Mojo New Patient Appointment with Dr Maria Mackey
- 1 Hour
- $490 in-person
- $510 Zoom
Medicare rebate available for in-person initial consultations
The deep dive. If you want a full big-picture investigation, including hormones, fatigue, inflammation, and other systems alongside the gut.
OPTION 3
Mojo New Patient Appointment with Dr Emmanuel Varipatis
- 1 Hour
- $480 in-person
- $500 Zoom
Medicare rebate available for in-person initial consultations
Dr Varipatis brings 40+ years of experience and a deep environmental medicine perspective. Best if your gut history is tangled with chronic infections, suspected heavy metal or chemical exposures, or other complex multisystem contributors.
For full pricing, see Consultation Fees. Telehealth available Australia-wide for followups. Medicare rebates apply for in-person initial consultations (except Heavy Metal Initial Appointment). For your first appointment, in-person at our Neutral Bay clinic is strongly recommended.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions.
How much does a chronic bloating or leaky gut consultation cost at Mojo Klinik?
The fastest path is the Gut Assessment with Dr Maria Mackey: 45 minutes,
$390 in-person or $410 by Zoom, with a Medicare rebate available for inperson initial consultations. The deeper investigation is the Mojo New
Patient Appointment: 1 hour, $490 with Dr Mackey or $480 with Dr Varipatis.
Functional pathology (microbiome, intestinal permeability, food sensitivity
testing) is billed separately by the lab.
"For daily bloating and a growing food intolerance list, the Gut Assessment is the right entry point. When the picture is layered with hormones, fatigue, or inflammation across multiple systems, the Mojo New Patient Appointment is the better investment."
A 2024 Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey reported that approximately one in seven Australian adults experiences functional gastrointestinal symptoms severe enough to affect daily life.
Is leaky gut a real diagnosis?
The lay term is contested. The clinical concept is not. Increased intestinal permeability is the medical term, and it is measurable through specific markers (zonulin, lipopolysaccharide markers). The mechanism is well-described in the scientific literature. The disagreement is largely about terminology.
"A leaky gut or increased intestinal permeability is a real, measurable, well-described physiological state. The gut lining is a wall. When it leaks, things cross it that should not. We can measure that. Whether we call it leaky gut or not, the picture is the same and the testing identifies it."
A 2024 review in the journal Gut documented intestinal permeability as a measurable physiological state with reproducible biomarkers and a clear role in the pathogenesis of multiple chronic conditions.
How is leaky gut different from IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome)?
IBS is a label for a symptom pattern (bloating, pain, altered bowel habit).
Leaky gut is one of the underlying drivers that can produce IBS-like
symptoms. They overlap heavily. Many patients with an IBS label also have
measurable intestinal permeability. We test what is actually operating in
your picture rather than relying on the surface label.
"IBS and leaky gut overlap so heavily in clinical practice that the distinction matters less than what is actually driving your specific picture. Mechanism before label. The work is to identify which patterns are operating, not which name to write at the top of the file."
A 2024 review in Toxics documented that structured chelation protocols with concurrent
monitoring have an acceptable safety profile when performed under medical supervision in
appropriately-screened patients.
How long until the bloating improves?
For most patients, noticeable reduction in bloating happens within 2 to 3
weeks of starting a structured plan. The active treatment phase runs 4 to 8
weeks. The full programme including microbiome restoration is 12 to 16
weeks. Most patients are stable on a maintenance plan by month 4 to 6.
"Patients are often surprised how quickly the daily bloating begins to settle once we have a clear picture of the driver. The eradication and restoration work that follows is what determines whether the bloating stays gone."
A 2024 retrospective audit of metal toxicology referrals in Environmental Health Perspectives
found that approximately 50 to 60% of patients referred for suspected metal toxicity did not have testing to confirm elevated burden, and were appropriately managed without chelation.
Should I just eliminate gluten and dairy?
Sometimes, but rarely as a first step and rarely on a permanent basis without investigation. Long elimination diets without supervised reintroduction can narrow the diet to the point of nutritional inadequacy and microbiome impoverishment. We use elimination strategically as a diagnostic tool, then reintroduce systematically based on the picture.
"The patients who have eliminated everything they reacted to over the past five years are usually on the most restricted diet of their lives. Smallest microbiome. Longest intolerance list. Elimination is a tool, not a destination."
A 2024 review in Nutrients confirmed that prolonged restrictive elimination dieting beyond 6 to 8 weeks is associated with reduced microbial diversity and is not recommended as a long-term
dietary pattern.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly with Dr Mackey or Dr Varipatis at Mojo Klinik. You
are welcome to keep your GP for acute care and general health. We can write
to your GP with our findings and plan where useful. We do not replace your
GP and we do not assume that relationship.
AN INVITATION
Ready to be properly investigated?
One hour. Your full history. The right tests. A real plan. Book your
first appointment online, or call reception on 02 9133 8500.
WHERE
Suite 11, 40 Yeo Street
Neutral Bay NSW 2089
HOURS
Mon – Fri 8:30am – 5:00pm
Selected Saturdays by arrangement