Are You Taking 20+ Supplements but Still Feeling Terrible?
If you’re staring at a shelf full of pills, powders, and potions every morning and still not feeling any better, you’re not alone. I see it all the time here in my Adelaide clinic. People come in exhausted, bloated, foggy, frustrated, and often carrying shopping bags filled with supplements.
You might have been told these would boost your energy, fix your gut, balance your hormones, or help you sleep. You were hopeful. Maybe even desperate. But despite doing “all the right things”, nothing’s really changed.
Or worse, things have gone downhill.
That kind of frustration is real, and you’re not imagining it. More doesn’t always mean better. In fact, when it comes to supplements, more can sometimes mean a whole lot worse.
The Supplement Industry is Overflowing With Hype
We are absolutely swamped with wellness products right now. Every health food shop, pharmacy, and social media feed is loaded with quick-fix solutions and trendy new ingredients. One day it’s ashwagandha. Next day it’s berberine. Then lion’s mane, magnesium threonate, or activated B vitamins.
Some of these may have genuine benefits. Others are just noise. And when you stack them on top of each other without any kind of plan or testing, you end up playing what I call “supplement roulette.”
The marketing is clever. It’s designed to make you feel like if you’re not taking this or that, you’re missing out. But jumping from one recommendation to the next, hoping something sticks, often leads to overwhelm, not healing.
A Real Patient Story: Sarah’s Supplement Overload
Let me tell you about Sarah. (Her name’s been changed for privacy.)
When Sarah first came to see me in my clinic at Adelaide, she was completely burnt out. Her energy was gone, digestion was sluggish, sleep was broken, and she’d lost all confidence in her body. She showed me a list of everything she was taking—over 25 different supplements every day!
She’d seen multiple naturopaths and practitioners over the years, each one adding something new. No one had stopped to ask whether any of it was helping or whether it was even necessary anymore.
When we did some proper testing, it was clear that a few of those supplements were not just unnecessary, they were contributing to the problem. Some nutrients were interfering with others, her liver was under pressure from trying to metabolise it all, and her gut was reacting badly to a few of the ingredients.
Within a few weeks of cutting her protocol right back and giving her only what her body actually needed, she started to feel better. Energy returned, digestion settled, and that heavy mental fog began to lift.
What Can Go Wrong With Random Supplementation?
Supplements can absolutely support your health—but not when taken without direction. Here’s why too many can backfire:
- Nutrients Compete With Each Other
High doses of zinc, for example, can lower your copper levels. Too much calcium can block magnesium. Taking B vitamins at the wrong time of day can affect sleep. - Burden on Detox Pathways
Your liver and kidneys have to process all those capsules and powders. Too many can actually slow detoxification instead of supporting it. - Masking the Real Problem
When you only chase symptoms, you might feel short-term relief. But if you never get to the root cause, the same issue keeps coming back. - Wasted Time and Money
Supplements aren’t cheap. Most people taking 15 or 20 products every day are spending hundreds of dollars a month with very little to show for it. - Worsening Symptoms
Sometimes people feel worse, not better, because they are taking the wrong things or taking the right things at the wrong time or dose.
Your body is complex and dynamic. More pills won’t fix the underlying issue if you don’t first know what’s going on inside.
Testing Before Supplementing is the Game-Changer
If you’ve ever felt like you’re just guessing with your health, that’s probably because you are. Without data, you’re relying on hope and marketing.
That’s why I start by testing. Instead of guessing which supplements might help, I look at what your body is actually doing. This includes:
- Nutrient testing to see where you’re deficient or overloaded
- Hormone testing to understand stress patterns, sleep disruption, or energy crashes
- Gut health panels to explore bloating, irregular bowel movements, or food sensitivities
- Inflammatory markers to detect underlying dysfunction
Once we have that information, I can recommend exactly what your body needs—and just as importantly, what it doesn’t.
This removes the guesswork. It saves money. And it gives you a clear path forward.
Supplements Can Work—But They Need Strategy
Supplements aren’t bad. I use them in clinic every day. They can be powerful, especially when you get the timing, dose, and combinations right.
But they should never be your only strategy.
They are just one tool. If you’ve been using supplements as your main treatment plan, it might be time to look deeper.
True healing often starts when you stop covering up symptoms and begin addressing the cause underneath.
My Approach in Clinic
Here’s how I help people move from supplement chaos to clarity:
1. Testing First, Always
We start by running the right functional tests to figure out what your body actually needs. No assumptions, no guesswork.
2. Minimal But Targeted Supplementation
I only recommend what’s truly necessary based on your results. Most people end up taking far less, not more.
3. Addressing the Root Cause
Whether it’s a sluggish gut, adrenal fatigue, chronic inflammation, or poor nutrient absorption, we look at why the symptoms are there in the first place.
4. Ongoing Support and Reassessment
Your health isn’t static. We keep checking in, updating your plan as things change, and adjusting your supplements to match your progress.
Sarah’s story isn’t unique. Once she stopped the overwhelming supplement routine and focused on the basics, she felt better within weeks. And she saved a lot of money.
Less Really Can Be More
In a world where we’re constantly told to “add more”—more pills, more protocols, more products, it can feel odd to step back.
But your body doesn’t need a million things. It needs the right things.
Healing isn’t about chasing every symptom or trying every new product. It’s about understanding what’s really going on, giving your body the right support, and letting it do what it’s designed to do—heal.
Let’s Stop the Supplement Spiral
If you’re in Adelaide and feeling overwhelmed by supplements that aren’t working, I’d love to help you find a clearer path forward.
Let’s run the right tests, figure out exactly what your body needs, and build a targeted strategy that supports true healing—not just more pills.
Ready to Get Some Answers?
Book a consultation today and take the first step towards simplifying your supplement routine and reclaiming your health.