How Childhood Antibiotics Set the Stage for Autoimmune Disease

When Casey Hibbard's optometrist told her the blurry vision in one eye wasn't an eye problem — it was systemic inflammation — she finally had a name for the mystery symptoms that had been unraveling her health for years. In this episode, Dr. Brad sits down with Casey to trace her autoimmune journey back to its true starting point: years of childhood antibiotics, a difficult birth, and the nutritional depletion of nursing that set the stage for arthritis, gut issues, anxiety, and full-body inflammation. Casey and Dr. Brad break down how early gut damage, hormonal depletion after childbirth, and hidden food sensitivities like dairy, gluten, and soy can combine to trigger autoimmune symptoms years later. They also dig into an overlooked connection: how sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone influence digestion in ways most people — and most doctors — never learn. This conversation is for anyone dealing with unexplained inflammation, fatigue, or autoimmune symptoms who suspects their root cause goes deeper than their most recent diagnosis. Part two of this conversation continues later this week. If you're dealing with autoimmune symptoms, gut issues, or hormone imbalances that haven't been explained, book a consult at healthfullyu.com to find out what's really going on. **Topics discussed:** - autoimmune disease root cause - postpartum autoimmune symptoms - gut health and autoimmunity - adrenal fatigue and hormones - estrogen and digestion connection - gluten and autoimmune inflammation - dairy sensitivity and hormones - soy sauce vs tamari - functional medicine for autoimmune disease - hormone imbalance and fatigue - childhood antibiotics and gut health - systemic inflammation causes **Chapter timestamps:** - 00:44 — Casey's health decline begins after childbirth - 09:04 — The diet changes that started turning things around (dairy, gluten, soy vs. tamari) - 14:10 — The hormone-adrenal connection behind fatigue and inflammation Casey Hibbard traces her autoimmune journey back to childhood gut damage, childbirth, and hidden food sensitivities — and reveals the surprising role hormones play in digestion. Struggling with unexplained inflammation, fatigue, or autoimmune symptoms? Book a consult at healthfullyu.com.