Hi there, I'm wondering if anybody knows of/has any experience of autoimmune specialist or functional doctor?
My family clearly have autoimmune problem at the root of our health issues; myself and my daughters have hashis/graves and are at least managing to function but my brother and sister have all sorts of symptoms - chronic fatigue, pain, cold, cyclical 'crashing' , depression, memory fog ... I could go on, but neither of them have responded to thyroid treatment.
I read so much about autoimmune protocols and functional doctors but can't seem to find any in London so am considering trying to find someone in states to treat via Skype but would obviously prefer not to
Any advice? thanks!
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Jacs
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There is an American website IFM - Institute of Functional Medicine. It lists all the practitioners in the US and even some in the UK. Datis Kharrazian trains people in Functional Medicine - maybe he knows of someone in the UK that could help.
Dr Neil Nathan - has written an excellent book - Healing is Possible - in which he describes his protocol as a Functional Practitioner when healing people. I think if I remember correctly he starts with Adrenals - whatever the illness.... A worthwhile read.
With Auto-immune issues it seems that working on the health of the gut is very important and many people are helped by going gluten free.....
Sorry to butt in, but I wondered if it is worth getting Healing is Possible by Neil Nathan for those with Hashimoto's, it lists other conditions but not that. I discounted it a while back but starting to wonder after seeing your post, Marz.
I bought it based on the advice of someone else on this forum. It was an excellent read. My feelings are that if you learn just one new thing from any book then it IS worthwhile. Go on - have a read
I have Hashimoto and like Marz it was recommended to me by someone here on the board, I think it was our lovely and knowledgeable Rosetrees She did say that it wasn't specific to Hashi but it does have a lot of information that I found both interesting and useful.
Oh yes you're right Marz, it was janeb not rose trees. Two equally helpful and knowledgeable ladies if I remember correctly Jane has also visited Dr Nathan and has been helping her daughter.
To me it seems that the UK lacks doctors that specialize in autoimmune disorders. Most GPs (and Endos apparently) are completely clueless when it comes to thyroid issues nevermind autoimmune problems. It is very depressing when you are sitting there and you feel that you know more about the subject than they do. They only seem to look at your TFTs and if they are normal you are left untreated or if you are lucky enough to find someone who will give you T4 you'll find that it helps but doesn't fix everything. By taking T4 replacement you are not actually looking at the root cause of your high antibodies. What Marz says about gut health is totally true. Heal your gut to start healing and supporting the rest of your body. If you have any joy in finding someone in the UK please let me know!
Oh and I also totally agree with Marz about Dr Nathan's book. It's the most comforting book I have read on the subject. I just wish I had the funds to travel to the US to see him. I got my book from Amazon marketplace a few months ago and I often go back to it to remind myself that I am not crazy...there is a reason why I feel rubbish!!
Chihiro, did you ever find a specialist of auto immune in London? I'm searching but have been so unhappy with the private doctors I've seen. To all your points above, they look at one number and prefer to just keep upping the thyroid medicine which doesn't solve the root issue.
Thanks for your replies. I 'll definitely buy the book - but it's frustrating that the more I read the more disenchanted I become with the lack of access to these specialists we have.
I'm almost finished STTM II which highlights how far behind we are.
I got back to fairly good health following dr p's advice a few years ago, but find that I'm not feeling as well as I did; I've been concentrating on adrenals & thyroid though.
It's just so exhausting trying to get to the bottom of it!
Also Izabella Wentz deals with Hashimotos well in her book - Hashimotos The Root Cause. There is also a website and you can sign up for a newsletter. Datis Kharrazians book Why Isn't My Thyroid Working - also covers auto-immune issues and how to resolve them. Dr Alexander Haskell's book - Hope for Hashimotos - also very good. They all have websites so google their names....
Am afraid it is all about learning and reading as much as possible to make headway.... the immune system lies in close proximity to the gut lining - hence the connection between a healthy gut and auto-immune issues. Leaky Gut Syndrome may give you a few leads....
It's worth having a look at Dr Susan Blum's book "immune system recovery plan". OK, it's intended to help sell her recovery programmes in the US, but what she says make a lot of sense, especially the dietary influence.
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