Functional Medicine

By lisaforman

1 min read

Recently watched the film (you tube) by Dr. Tom O'Bryan regarding the negative way most traditional medicine doctors treat auto-immune disorders. There are over 80 million people with these disorders right now in America. They stem from RA to lupus, chronic fatigue, IBS, MS, Myasthenia Gravis and up to 81 others. The five known causes are diet, stress, allergens, microbes and toxins. Yes, mold!
I had a bout of RA back in 2005 and dealt with the whole Prednisone, Celebrex, Plaquenil, methotrexate and Enbrel thing for 5 years. Then I found a functional medicine doctor who literally cured (normal RF, ANA and CCRP antibodies for 6 years.)
This past month, however, pain returned in knees hands and feet. Plus, fatigue, depression, and now I question what is the best method of cleaning out my gut! I went on an elimination diet (as recommended by the institute for functional medicine) now in my fourth week- no gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, beef, corn, soy or peanuts. Lots of organic fresh veggies, lamb and buffalo, chicken and will caught fish. Plenty of water and herbal teas.
Saw a FM doctor last week and he put me on a rigorous protocol to rebuild and close my leaky gut and stop the auto immune cascade. I am hoping this will work as effectively as it did six years ago. If anyone has any questions about functional medicine I strongly urge you to watch Betrayal, or look up the IFM, or Dr.tom O'Bryan website. This is the new paradigm in treating auto immune disorder, among a host of other diseases.
Thank you for listening.

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Lauren Tucker Community Admin
Hi lisaforman, Thanks so much for sharing your RA journey with us and sorry to hear your pain, fatigue and depression came back, but know you certainly are not alone in those symptoms. While different treatments work differently for everyone and since we know no known cure for RA has been found, we are glad there is a treatment plan that has worked for you. Lastly, we always recommend our community members speaking with their physician about any treatment-related decisions, we appreciate your sharing this information! Best wishes to you! Lauren (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member)
L rick Phillips Moderator & Contributor
I hope this round of treatment works as well as the last round.
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Hey Lisaforman! Be careful!! Any treatment method other than those created in a lab by the pharmaceutical companies is purely evil witchery that has no place in treating real diseases!! Just kidding of course! Our society has been trained to believe that the only things that can cure what ails us are pharmaceutical drugs. Strangely enough, there are stories everywhere of people managing, and even potentially curing, serious diseases like MS, FMS, CFS, Lupus, cancer and RA, without the aid of the magic pharmaceutical drugs. And, I have been one of those people. Almost a year ago I became intimately acquainted with RA. I was prescribed Celebrex initially and it made my kidneys feel like they were going to explode. I too saw a functional medicine doctor and treated myself with supplements and some minor diet changes. I now consider myself in remission. I have not used pharma drugs. I have no treatment side effects. I feel healthy. And, so far, the natural path has worked (for me). Funniest part of alternative treatment is that many people really don't believe that alternative medicine works. And, people that you have known all of your life, suddenly look at you a little sideways when you tell them about it. Me, I'm grateful, thankful and in awe of the true healing effects that natural medicines hold. If you want to read my story, it is here: <a href='https://dosomethingoutofthebox.com/?p=330' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>http://dosomethingoutofthebox.com/?p=330</a>
1. gtrevino Member
 could you please tell me what kinds of natural medicines to begin taking or where I can go to find out. I am desperate, Please help
2. lisaforman Member
 If you can find a functional medicine doctor near you, I would highly recommend seeing them. (try searching IFM for a listing of docs in your area) If not, try searching Tom o'Bryan, or Amy Myers MD to start with. They are both extremely knowledgeable about the gut, and auto immune disorders. I was on an "elimination diet" for about 4 months i.e. no sugar, gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, soy. Not easy, but you get used to it. I found after returning to a modified diet that sugar was the worse for my R.A , symptoms of which have returned a bit in the last two years. Sleep is very important as is exercise. I am an open water swimmer and find this immensely helpful for symptoms of RA. I also do yoga, and walk (although lately I have been experiencing urticaria if I walk in the morning).
padram Member
Hi Lisaforman, Thank you for posting your experience with functional medicine. Since I have ITP and RA, and am over sensitive to drugs, I chose to take the diet route after reading a lot about elimination diet. I am a vegetarian, and eliminating all that you were advised to, has helped me bounce back to almost normal life, literally from the bed. It's one year now without any drugs whatsoever, except b complex, vit D when it reduces below 30, and calcium with k2 , magnesium. Am free from joint pains, no more low grade fever, more energetic. Wish all doctors would advise their patients to try the diet route to wellness.
gtrevino Member
I have just been diagnosed with RA and also believe that it could have possibly started with a Leaky Gut. So I would like to know what is the best program/ supplement to take to begin to heal my Gut. How long did you remain of the diet and supplement.