Sponaugle Wellness Institute

Hi,
Has anybody actually been a patient at Sponaugle on this forum? I'd love to hear from those who have actually been a long term patient there and those who have had brain issues/cognitive, anxiety, depression from Chronic Lyme and other infections and may have a genetic predisposition to immuo-neuro- psych issues. .

There are plenty of positive and negative reviews and I'm sure it doesn't help for some but it seems they have a good rate of allowing people to start feeling better and understand some of the many symptoms we all go through. I'm just at my wits end, and feel like I would love to have more supportive comprehensive care under one roof at this point with brain scans to see what is actually happening in my brain. Can't keep going into remission and exacerbations.

The depression...or flight flight, or anxiety, or increased brain electrical excitement feels like my heads going to explode. Or whatever is going on in there is not Ok. I have a Lyme doc, a Psych doc, a therapist, a bodywork repatterining person, gluten free, diary free, low sugar, and just feel there is so much more to this complicated disease whether it is depression or Lyme or both in my brain. But doing things outpatient and seeing the doctor every two months is not working. I can feel the frontal part of my brain is not clicking. sorry for the rant here.

Thank you goshawk ... that this will keep it bumped up. Shall I keep posting possibly to keep it active?

Sean.scott787 said...
Anyone know how they treat lyme? I couldn't find out on there website.

You might check their YouTube channel for clues in some of their videos:

/www.youtube.com/user/floridadetox

Here's an older thread

/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3219094



and another one:

/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3773223

This is a very recent and detailed post by someone who was there. It is quite shocking.

/www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4012991

thank you...No I have never been tested for mold. What is CIRS? I had my bathroom replaced about 6-7 years ago and behind the shower was black mold. I also live in an old house where the basement used to flood and there was mold down there, too. I believe that is Dr Sponaugle's big thing too.... Is mold.

I am just wondering how much is me and anxiety/depression (causing my nervous system to be in flight and flight)vs brain infections, mold, and inflammation. My brain MRI is normal, had an EEG and that is ok. The last time I tested positive for Lyme disease was a while back many years ago, I did test positive for Ana-plasma and mycoplasma pneumonia last year and had low grade fevers for a few months last year. I get H/A, HUGE anxiety 24/7, depressed, vey fatigued, night sweats, sometimes chills, nausea, almost like I can't talk in sentences and don't want to be social. I also do homeopathy and she says that viruses go along with anxiety and I take Gemo's.... they are herbs with homeopathy.

Hi Carl,
I just spoke to Debra one of the patient care coordinators today. Thank you for your post. It all really makes sense to me. They say you must first get the toxins out of the brain, then get the immune system working, then break up the biofilms, and then kill the bugs and toxins in the blood and body, and do that over and over if necessary. I like the fact that it is a daily IV treatments and you are assessed daily, and have weekly testing done to see how things are working.You are first given a PET scan, correct? I understand this isn't a cure especially when it's all been in your system for many many years like mine has (almost 20).

I can remember being sensitive to scents like exhaust fumes, perfume, bleach, as a kid and got instant headaches and nausea. She said it is never one thing. I always thought it's really about the whole toxic load. It seems like they can put all the pieces to the puzzle together. Also, depending how you methylize (which I also have two genes for not doing that very well) I would imagine you MUST keep up the protocol and possibly go back for detoxing when necessary.

There are some negative reviews and I think it is because he started out as an addiction detox clinic and there is alway a stigma associated with addiction for some reason, but most use to calm their brain which is similar to what happens when the brain is effected by whether Lyme, or other infections.

Debra also said that he spoke at the ILADS conference this year and when he finished, 30 Lyme doctors lined up in the hall afterwards to ask him questions about his protocol and were very interested in what he is doing at the center.

It just seems daunting to be there for that long, the expense, and no guarantee that things are going to get better but I am so anxious and hopeless by going into these episodes now 6-8 times since I was 40, now 62.

Could we somehow email? I would love to get more info from you. TY again.

betsym71 said...
Please stay FAR away from Sponaugle. He has an administrative complaint from the Florida Department of Health, as well as a pending lawsuit for the death of a beautiful 18 year old girl.

https://appsmqa.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/Document/MzM4Nzc4NTM%3D

He makes up all sorts of wierd diagnosis after having you spend thousands of dollars on useless tests. Everyone will come back as positive for lyme, mold toxicity, possibly bartonella. When the brain scan comes back, the tech from the place you order it doesn't find anything on the report, but he will find squigly lines and say they are brain damage due to mosquito bites (completely unproven). He then proceeds to pump you full of medications without telling you what they are. Some patients come in a wheelchair and after a couple of days of treatment, he tries to get a testimonial video of them walking. This is usually because the patients have been pumped full of percocet and pain killer narcotics so their pain has been lowered significantly for a brief period of time, without a care for their long term effect. He prescribed my family member 90 percocet pills the first week she was there! His patients become a cult and believe whatever nonsense he tells them because they are clinging to any hope that they can get better. Of course he tells them it will take time and they have to keep paying him 3-4k per week for months/years and if they don't that's why they don't get better. It's a major scam.

You can search for his malpractice lawsuits at this page.


https://ccmspa.pinellascounty.org/PublicAccess/Search.aspx enter his last name and select Malpractice. He's had 5 already!

Hi, betsym71:

Please tell us about yourself.

thanks but I don't see a wrongful death complaint...looks like a 27 year old man in 2014. Can you tell me more about your family member, too. Do you have Chronic Lyme disease

betsym71 said...
https://ccmspa.pinellascounty.org/PublicAccess/Search.aspx Enter Sponaugle as last name and then select Malpractice. The first result is for the wrongful death suit. My family member has improved after treating her chronic diarrhea due to bacterial overgrowth of the "bad" bacteria in her gut. This is what would cause her severe muscle spasms. Having been on long term antibiotics of 6 months had only made this condition worst. The "rashes" she would get are not bartonella, and instead is a severe skin allergy called dermographism. She also went to a psychiatrist and treated her severe anxiety and panic attacks. which would also cause all sorts of severe symptoms (severe enough to end in ER at least a dozen times). She is much better now than before once she got these issues treated

I hope this helps and that your health can improve, but I strongly advise against your stay at Sponaugle.

I'm sorry to hear your about your family member, and glad to hear she is now doing better.

Although your family member had a bad experience, there are others who have done well at Sponaugle.

When I looked up dermographism - some of the answers I got:

"The exact cause of dermographic urticaria is unknown. Histamine is the main chemical released by mast cells when the skin is stroked, but other chemical mediators may also be involved."



"The exact causes of dermatographia aren’t known. The condition is thought to be triggered by:

stress
a history of allergies
excessive rubbing from clothing or bedding
infections
certain medications, including penicillin
exercises that cause excessive skin rubbing (such as wrestling)"


/www.healthline.com/health/dermatographia#causes

"The exact cause of dermographism remains unclear while several factors are being considered to contribute to the incidence. The exact mechanism of how dermographism is being provoked by the factors considered remains unknown as well."
Factors considered to trigger dermographism include the following:

Histamine
Histamine released by the mast cell in the surface of the skin is the most implicated in the onset of dermographism. The histamine is released in the absence of an antigen and as a result of the existence of a weak membrane that envelops the mast cells. The swelling of the skin affected by dermographism is believed to be due to the released histamine.

Allergic reaction
Allergic reaction to certain medication such as penicillin and other stimulants are considered to the onset of dermographism although the exact mechanism is not clearly understood.

Infection
Infection from certain microbes or harmful pathogens is believed to trigger the onset of dermographism. Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium and usually causes peptic ulcer and other digestive illnesses are also among the implicated to the onset of dermographism.

Genetic factor
The skin condition is believed to be an inherited disease which is passed on in an autosomal dominant pattern. A genetic factor is strongly suggested to the onset of dermographism although this factor still remains
unclear."



/mddk.com/dermographism.html