Functional medicine, other alternative strategies and traditional medicine

[Mamabug]

At my request, my functional medicine doctor (Dr. J) told me about Dr. Kenneth Steven Sharlin, MD, MPH. He intrgrates the tools integrates the tools of conventional neurology with the skillset of functional medicine.

He is the only physician in the world to be certified by Dr. Terry Wahls as a Wahls Protocol Health Professional and the only practicing neurologist (M.D.) to be certified by IFM.

He uses a comprehensive program call "Brain Tune Up". He is located in Springfield Missouri and does some virtual appointments but also requires some in person visits.

I'm currently not happy with my MS specialist's disdain for alternative treatments. I might consider this but it appears to require a bug commitment.

Has anybody heard of him?

https://sharlinhealth.wpengine.com/f...al-medicine-2/

https://functionalmedicine.doctor/

I'm certainly somewhat interested. They require 3 visits to Springfield Missouri within 6-12 months. Much of hubby's vacation time and sick time is already committed, so we'll have to think about it.

[Pistachio]

My update:
(It's long. But, just skim the bolded titles and decide which sections you want to read.)

- Dr. G, DC, Functional Medicine: I last saw him in spring. He did another IgG Food Sensitivity test. The number of food sensitivities that I have continues to decrease, which is a good thing. The results indicate that I am continuing to become healthier, even though I don't necessarily notice a decrease in MS symptoms.

I haven't been back to him since spring, and I may not return. I continue to appreciate the stability that the GF, DF, mostly SF diet that I eat has afforded me. But, he has said that, if I don't take Tecfidera, that he has no additional help to offer. So, I looked into another functional medicine doctor and have seen Dr. J 3x.

Dr. G is a chiropractor by training, a very highly educated chiropractor, functional medicine doctor, educated at Harvard but also much post-doctoral training at Yale. But, because he is not an MD, he is unable to rx medications. He also tends to be somewhat anti-traditional health solutions. My approach for the last 4 or so years has very much been trying to find a healthy combination of traditional and complementary/alternative strategies.



12.465 views on 1/28/22

Thanks for the update. My husband is a chiropractor. His knowledge and expertise has been instrumental in my care. It was my husband who got me my Lyme test (Armin labs out of Germany). He was able to draw the blood (chiropractors have phlebotomy training) and understand the results. He also got me started on an herbal Lyme protocol. This all happened while I waited over a YEAR to see an infectious disease doctor (who, thank God, believed me and has subsequently diagnosed me with Lyme disease and a PICC line and IV antibiotics). My husband, through routine adjustment keeps me mobile.

At my last neuro visit the doc officially gave me an MS diagnosis based on new lesions on MRI. I have a spinal tap for March to also see if I have active Lyme or if it's post-Lyme. It was my neuro that wants to rule out neuro-lyme. It took a year and a half in our Canadian "health" care system to finally get answers. But, I'll admit that my care team seems great, now that I have one. They all correspond with one another so they're all on the same page.

[Mamabug]

Impressive Mamabug

Thanks.

[REG53]

Impressive Mamabug

[Mamabug]

Hey Mamabug!

Exceptionally interesting post of your various doctors and the treatments and changes that are recommended for ultimate healthy living.

I admire your willingness to explore these things!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Thanks. I feel like our health is everything! When I am not healthy, there is so much of life which is impacted.

As someone with MS, my health and abilities are very definitely compromised. Whatever I can pursue that might slow progression or reverse symptoms seems worth the expense and effort

[KoKo]

Hey Mamabug!

Exceptionally interesting post of your various doctors and the treatments and changes that are recommended for ultimate healthy living.

I admire your willingness to explore these things!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[Mamabug]

Oh. One important addition.

BR, Buteyko Instructor: Buteyko breathing emphasizes replacing Mouth Breathing with Nose Breathing. Both day and night.

The mouth is for eating and drinking and talking. The nose is for breathing.

[Mamabug]

My update:
(It's long. But, just skim the bolded titles and decide which sections you want to read.)

- Dr. G, DC, Functional Medicine: I last saw him in spring. He did another IgG Food Sensitivity test. The number of food sensitivities that I have continues to decrease, which is a good thing. The results indicate that I am continuing to become healthier, even though I don't necessarily notice a decrease in MS symptoms.

I haven't been back to him since spring, and I may not return. I continue to appreciate the stability that the GF, DF, mostly SF diet that I eat has afforded me. But, he has said that, if I don't take Tecfidera, that he has no additional help to offer. So, I looked into another functional medicine doctor and have seen Dr. J 3x.

Dr. G is a chiropractor by training, a very highly educated chiropractor, functional medicine doctor, educated at Harvard but also much post-doctoral training at Yale. But, because he is not an MD, he is unable to rx medications. He also tends to be somewhat anti-traditional health solutions. My approach for the last 4 or so years has very much been trying to find a healthy combination of traditional and complementary/alternative strategies.

- Dr. J, MD, Functional Medicine: I first saw her in August. Unlike Dr. G, Dr. J is a functional medicine doctor with MD training. I really like that she has that combination.

Dr. J recommended beginning with 2 additional changes. She wants me to have all of my amalgam (metal) fillings removed and replaced. Some alternative practitioners believe that the mercury in those fillings are very toxic. The second strategy she wanted me to pursue was to obtain and install an all-house water filter. We already have a good water filter on our refrigerator and use that water for all of our drinking and cooking uses. But, she is also concerned about the toxins in water that are in contact with skin during bathing.

Regarding the dental work, Dr. J gave me a short list of dentists that she recommended for this procedure. If not done properly and carefully, there is a risk that the removal will allow the patient to swallow some of the toxins that are being removed, which would be even worse than leaving the amalgam fillings intact. I went to Dr. F.

- Dr. F, Dentist:
- My first appointment with Dr. F was a consultation. He indicated that there were two very old fillings (likely from childhood) on the bottom left that needed to be removed and replaced. And one filling and one crown on the upper right. The filling would need to be removed and replaced by a crown. And, the crown would also need to be removed and replaced. He was especially concerned about these two because they were located next to each other and they used two different metals, which he said added to the toxicity.
- I am currently in the process of Invisaligns on my teeth with my regular dentist because my teeth come together "in a traumatic way" -- front teeth are chipping, back teeth are cracking, and bottom front teeth are so crowded that it makes it difficult to brush properly. Dr. F needs to wait until this process is complete (could be another 6+ months) before he does the work on the top right because the crowns would change the fit needed for my Invisalign plates. And, he'll need to do these in two separate appointments.

During my second (November) appointment with Dr. J (functional medicine), I updated her on the completion of the bottom teeth with Dr. F and the need to wait for the remainder. We looked at the options for water filters. Because we have old pipes in our old house (I forger what kind but hubby knows), the pipes also leek toxins into our water. So, installing a all-house water filter before the source, wouldn't protect our water from the toxins that are added after the water goes through that filter. So, hubby added a good shower-head water filter to our bathtub. (In the main floor bathroom, we have a bathtub but no shower. In the basement bathroom, we have a shower but no bathtub. I use only the bathtub.)

It still doesn't treat the water that we use to wash dishes in either the kitchen sink or the dishwasher. I guess we'll see how she feels about that in the future.

During my third appointment (January), I updated her on the bathtub water filter. Mostly, we looked at the 23AndMe results, which I did a couple of years ago. She appeared very knowledgeable and very comfortable navigating the website and the information. The main take-away that I got from that was that I have a MTHRFR mutation that affects my ability to remove toxins from my body. She recommended a specific supplement (I'll update this after i look it up; I don't remember what it is) to help with this. It is on order. She also recommended that I use my FAR Infrared dome sauna at least 30 minutes 4x per week. She said that a full body sauna would be better; I may, or may not pursue obtaining a different sauna.

- Dr. L, MS Specialist: I have been seeing Dr. L since 2008. I switched to her after seeing a general neurologist for 5 years. For the most part, I have been very happy with her over the years. However, since I have begun pursuing some alternative strategies, particularly since 2018, I've felt less content. She is not only not very open to alternative strategies but often even tends to believe that they might be dangerous (for example, eliminating gluten and dairy).

My most recent appointment with her was in July last summer. I've been off Copaxone for a year or two. It no longer appeared to be necessary, due to progressing to SPMS. I was able, after a very lengthy conversation, to convince her to rx LDN for me in July. She finally agreed, because she decided "it will probably work for you because of the placebo effect".

My next appointment was scheduled for February, but they agreed to postpone it until summer. I really didn't want to go to KC, with the virus being more prevalent again. I wonder, sometimes, if I should look for another MS doctor that would be a better fit for me and my traditional medicine/alternative medicine combinations. It could mean not having to drive 3 hours to KC twice a year, but would also likely mean going from an MS Specialist back to a neuro. I've considered asking my pPCP or, Dr. G, or Dr. J if they have any recommendations.

- BR, Buteyko Instructor: I have met with her 3x for breathing instruction. Buteyko breathing recommends breathing slow , relaxed and easy. It recommends breathing exercises that intentionally reduce our breathing and create "air hunger". There are all kinds of scientific reasons why this is good for our health for so many reasons. My initial reason for looking into it is because I suspect that I have undiagnosed sleep apnea. In the first three weeks, I have begun to notice some positive changes, including reduced awakening during the night and fewer nighttime bathroom trips. I have two more sessions scheduled.

If you're interested in learning more about Buteyko, try searching on YouTube or Spotify for: Buteyko Patrick. Patrick McKeown is a knowledgeable, experienced trainer. There are tons of videos about him and by him.

- CG, Masters of Chinese medicine: I continue to go to CG semi-regularly. About once every 2-4 months. She does kinesiology and acupuncture. And, when I had trouble with allergies, she treated me for those. Her supplement recommendations usually help to alleviate whatever current symptoms I might be having. Her allergy treatments helped me overcome what seemed to be a temporary, but very noticeable, coconut allergy.

- BE, Health consultant: I alternate muscle testing consultant visits with BE between kinesiology visits with CG. Although muscle and kinesiology are similar, CG and BE have different approaches and methodologies. i suspect that they each have their own uniques strengths and that what one might miss, the other might catch.

I also see BE every other week for an In.Form Health Maintenance group. We are a group of health conscious people who meet regularly for a book study related to health and diet, etc. We've been through a variety of books since I began meeting with them in 2018.

She also has a bio-tracker scale (very cool; lots of info) that we can weigh in with.
The BioTracker Scale measures:
- Weight
- Hydration
- Body Fat %
- Bone Mass
- Daily Caloric Intake
- Muscle Mass
- Visceral Fat

She is just beginning to do reflexology. I've had two appointments. They were prior to my start with Buteyko. They helped temporarily. But, it was out of conversations at these reflexology appointments that BE referred my to BR.

- MW, Peer Counselor: I don't remember if I've mentioned her before. A certified peer Counselor is trained in communication, active listening, problem solving, etc. I have a standing once per month appointment with her. I adore her. This is a "pamper visit" for me.

- Dr. W, PCP: I don't usually mention him. He's been my primary doc since about 2003 or 2004, I think. He is easy to talk to, is concerned and knowledgeable enough about how diet relates to health that he had some YouTube cooking sessions at some point. He understands anxiety issues, both related to me, and when my hubby experience some a couple of years ago. i really like him. I see him once a year, and if something else comes up.

12.465 views on 1/28/22

[Mamabug]

...
This is such a topsy-turvy time in my life. It is one thing to be diagnosed with MS but quite another to also be diagnosed with neuro-lyme and have to wait 6 months to see the neurologist for some real answers. I started this craziness back in July 202 so in reality it will be 9 months from my first MD visit to getting the expert opinion at my first neuro visit.

Thanks for the update.

Being in limbo is such an awful place to be. A diagnosis, even if it is a diagnosis that you don't want, is better, I think, than no diagnosis at all. Then, at least you know what you're dealing with and begin to be better at managing it.

One disease is bad enough; I sincerely hope that you don't have more than one going on.

[Pistachio]

Pistachio -- Any updates? Have you made any steps towards using some more natural strategies?

I am currently being treated for Lyme as well. And, since I don't have my neuro appointment until April (that would be 6 months from the time of the MRI) I haven't had the opportunity to be suggested any DMTs anyway. So, the short answer is, YES, for now I am focusing on diet and stress relief (or prevention).

My MD has cautioned me to not get my hopes up that I have neuro-Lyme and not MS. He said I probably have both. I really wanted to JUST have Lyme but he seems to think that is not likely. The MRI report also said it is indicative of MS. I've done a ton of research on the different lesions present in both Lyme and MS and I will admit that I do think the MD is probably correct. My lesions DO seem indicative of MS.

This is such a topsy-turvy time in my life. It is one thing to be diagnosed with MS but quite another to also be diagnosed with neuro-lyme and have to wait 6 months to see the neurologist for some real answers. I started this craziness back in July 202 so in reality it will be 9 months from my first MD visit to getting the expert opinion at my first neuro visit.

*** Moderator's note - Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. ***

[Mamabug]

MamaBug, I will say I have enjoyed reading your two threads on your journey. Thank you for sharing. I am leaning toward trying to do this as naturally as possible. Thank you for your insight.

Pistachio -- Any updates? Have you made any steps towards using some more natural strategies?

[Mamabug]

i realize that I haven't posted any updates on here for almost a year.

Currently, I continue my protocols. GF, DF, healthy diet similar to Wahls Protocol. Exercising at home now, occasional appointments with my other health professionals.

I think my MS has progressed a little bit since COVID. I attribute that to many months with very little exercise. I did start attending group exercise again briefly when COVID numbers were down, and that helped to motivate me to begin exercising at home when I quit going again.

I am somewhat disappointed that this diet hasn't reversed some symptoms but it still feels like progression, even if it happened again, has been much slower since I began than it was prior to beginning this diet.

I've chosen to see Dr. G much less frequently, since I don't expect him to have new advice for me. He surprised me in summer with a recommendation to do a protocol that included Techifedera. However, since I am in what looks like non active, progressing SPMS, my MS Specialist didn't expect that it would help.

I'll likely make a spring appointment with Dr. G. I've still been doing the IgG food sensitivity tests about once every eight months. Every time, I've had improved results and been sensitive to fewer foods. He might also continue to research and look for something else that might help me. He has not had a lot of other patients with MS, but reports 100% success at reversing some MS symptoms with them. Since I have not had that result, he has, over the time that I've seen him, tried other things, such as a Vitamin D protocol and the techifidera suggestion. So maybe he'll keep looking. It does sound like I've had MS much longer than his other patients so that could account for my slow results.

I've also seen somewhere, I think in a group somewhere that I occasionally posted on, that someone with MS experienced improvements after 7 years doing this.

I'm still grateful for the relative stability that I've experienced.

[Pistachio]

MamaBug, I will say I have enjoyed reading your two threads on your journey. Thank you for sharing. I am leaning toward trying to do this as naturally as possible. Thank you for your insight.

[Mamabug]

To Blue IsTheBest

Thanks so much for responding, and for your tips! It's nice to share this journey with someone.

I like this new doctor a lot and I am cautiously optimistic. I've done the Wahls protocol before too, I try to implement some of the major things like being gluten free but my adherence varies. The new functional medicine doctor would like me to do the Level 2 version.

I'm probably between a level one and level two. I've decided that I'm ok with where I am on level one.
1. 9 cups:
Although I'm not there every day, I'm 5'2", 120-125 lbs. I've decided that, based on her protocol, the days that I'm only 6 cups is ok.
2. GF. DF:
I'm there.
3. Organic / Grass fed / wild caught protein:
Yeah, sort of; like I said in my last post. I am trying to increase that by adding more fish.

A couple things I did that might help; I put kelp or dulse (seaweed) in my fruit smoothies. You can buy Dulse as dried flakes and Kelp I bought as a supplement capsule and just opened the capsule putting the contents in the smoothies.

Level 2:
1. Reduce grains, legumes, potatoes to 2x/ per week:
I'm just starting to think about that. With my fungus problems, it would probably quit feeding the fungus. Some days, I have none. But I suspect that I'm more than 2x per week every week, not just sometimes.
I should be able to manage that if I make the decision. When I had my first IgG food sensitivity test in the summer of 2018, these foods were all on my restricted list so I was doing it then, even before I'd read Wahls protocol.
2. Seaweed, algae, organ meats:
I'm doing a lot of that. I have kelp powder, usually daily. I need to purchase dulce so that I can add that.
I also have organ meat supplements, but they are expensive and I'm already spending money on so many other supplements so I was only taking one capsule per day instead of four. Recently, I started buying canned sardines; they count as organ meats. I've been eating them twice a week, just out of the can. They're sort of ewwww -- these tiny little whole fish. Maybe I'll mash them up and add them to something?
3. Fermented foods, soaked seeds and nuts and more raw foods:
I have a jar of saurkraut in my fridge. I try to remember to eat a little every day, but I don't always.
I don't soak my seeds and nuts. I probably won't; I don't want to mess with it.
I eat raw foods in my smoothies, which I'm starting to have again. I didn't for awhile.

Level 3:
Not my goal. Too restrictive and I'm not even full level two. But I have added a full can of the full fat coconut milk frequently. I put it in my smoothies.

Let me know how you're doing, how your compliance is, if you notice health improvements, etc. 🙂

[BlueIsTheBest]

The I'm focusing more on vegetables and trying to get my nine vegetables daily, not just sometimes. I don't plan to eat as much meat as Dr. Wahl prescribes. I consider myself sort of a flexitarian. I eat meat and fish sometimes, but probably not daily, and certainly not as much as Dr. Wahls suggests. I try to get much of my protein from plant sources. Her diet says no eggs, but the only reason I can discern for that is that she, personally, has a sensitivity to eggs, so the research she did included no eggs with her patients and she has developed the diet that way. I won't restrict eggs in my diet.

I may try to add more fermented foods as Dr. Wahls suggests (I rarely do that and I should -- Dr. G suggests that too), and I've heard that supplements are available for liver or organ meat. Dr. Wahls suggests adding those meats to my diet, and I don't plan to do that, but maybe there's a supplement available. Maybe also supplements for kelp and algae.

7212

Hi Mamabug,
I just started with a new functional medicine doctor too. I saw one about four years ago and stopped going because I just didn't feel like it was helping or that she was really listening to me. I like this new doctor a lot and I am cautiously optimistic. I've done the Wahls protocol before too, I try to implement some of the major things like being gluten free but my adherence varies. The new functional medicine doctor would like me to do the Level 2 version.

A couple things I did that might help; I put kelp or dulse (seaweed) in my fruit smoothies. You can buy Dulse as dried flakes and Kelp I bought as a supplement capsule and just opened the capsule putting the contents in the smoothies. You can buy organ meat as a supplement too. I think she recommends one from New Zealand. I have bought that and didn't find any taste or reaction to that. I stopped buying it because I read somewhere else that you shouldn't take dehydrated organ meat supplements. Sometimes it's so hard to know what to do. I tried really hard to eat organ meat but if you are not used to the texture it's very off putting. The one thing that I could tolerate eating was the pate recipe that's in the book. If I remember right, you make liver and onions then she uses the left over to make pate. With GF crackers, it wasn't bad.
I also saw an interview with Dr. Wahls; she was asked about eggs and you are right. It's just because she couldn't tolerate them so if they work for you, they can be part of the diet. She also mentioned the 9 cups of fruits and veggies and said eat as much as you can for your calorie intake. I also struggled with eating that much in a day; I found eating 6 cups was more doable.

I hope that helps a little.
Good luck!
Amy