Functional Medicine

Prato, I am glad that most of us have a choice as to the type of medical care we want to partake of. That said, I am old enough, as are most of us here, to have seen numerous "movements" come along over the years, all suggesting they are the next solution to what ails us. Back in the later-70s I worked in place where the hypoglycemia fad took many of the employees by storm. (Who knew it was contagious?) Since then we have seen the low-carb thing along, the gluten thing, the lyme disease thing, the pH blood thing, and who knows what else, all blamed for contributing to our mortality.

I am a distance runner and, before retirement, a high school cross country coach. I had an administrator in my face one day telling me how I was killing myself and damaging by runners if I didn't get us all on a low-carb diet. I have a friend who got so caught up in the lyme disease thing that she quit her job as an engineer and went to naturopathic school to become a doctor and a full-time evangelist for everything is about lyme disease. An acquaintance is into the functional medicine thing and tells me how it's all scientifically-based yet he also touts homeopathy as part of it.

Again, I suppose that it's great that we are free enough to have all these options but like everything else it's caveat emptor.

@Vince. ... i agree with you in theory. Fads come and go. Whats sort of got me, was that my TriGlyceride, which has been a problem all of my life, since i was in my 30's, was completely resolved when i eliminated wheat and reduced carbs per their program. Not oly resolved, but lower than ever, at 83.

@Andrew ... EXACTAMUNDO. I feel the same way. As much as i believe my PCP cares, he is always rushed. Based on reimbursement rates, i am sure he has to see 80 patients a day. In fact i was told that by another Dr. That doesnt help him help me very well.
Functional Medicine is not Medicare approved (nor approved by other insurance) not SOC. So while standard testing and cardio visits would be covered, the FM part of the visit is out of pocket, so they see less patients i assume.

I have had periodic GI issues for quite some time and saw an older GI doctor a while back since my GP was out of ideas. After the upper and lower investigations were completed, he said there was nothing found of consequence that would explain anything. He said that I have what they call a ”functional” disorder since there is no medical cause that they can find and that’s what they call them. So he prescribed a low dose of nortriptyline which is for insomnia, depression, etc. and I was doing much better after a couple of weeks. He said they don’t know how it works but have found it to work for functional GI issues in some people. Not quite the same as the functional medicine described above but indicates how much medical science does not understand and that there is not always a clear cause and effect relationship that doctors and patients are always looking for.

My triglycerides were never in the warning range, but since going low carb they've been excellent...anywhere from 69 to 90. I have been on 10 mg of atorvastatin (with the exception of when I was on Zytiga) and while mushed my triglycerides down a bit, it was the low carb diet that really did the trick.

I'm fortunate to have a PCP that doesn't rush me...that said, I'm not sure if I'll ever get any out of the box thinking from him. (Not that I've ever asked for that.)

Yeh I googled it...ain't it da trute...Im looking for a medico who knows how to read hardcore endurance athletes bloodwork...yes hard core in both meanings of the word...Id give ya more info about my regimen but then I would feel the look...the dis believing look...it greats... ya'll got it as you read...Id quote Walt Whitman right now...but...as he would say...Ya know.... thanks for the vent...I guess Id have to say...if it is a duck...

Here's to quacks...all or none...just don't drown in the shallows...let it run...in oblivion...off your back


Resting pulse 42...BP 116/65 avg early morn daily....benign proteinuria.... rare that a basic medico gets this even when you point it out...they mostly all have a script it varies with quality of Health Ins...mind screams for every test they can muster...yeh blessed...or cursed...depends on the..blah blah umm did I hijack...oh Im sorry...I'll try (frack yoda) to do better...

Pratoman,

Here is an article from the For-What-It's-Worth Department about 'P4 Medicine' that may tie in with your interest in Functional Medicine.

https://academic.oup.com/jalm/article/4/1/108/5603054

I have not personally used a Functional Medicine doctor, but have had some tests run on my own related to heart issues. The results didn't help clarify things or suggest a clear path forward.

This article from Runner's World magazine (2016) helped my understanding of heart disease and fitness and the desire for more testing.

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20823544/i-running/

Post Edited (Tim G) : 2/28/2020 4:23:06 PM (GMT-7)

Pratoman said...
Billybob, yes we have discussed the TG/Carb connection before. And, as far as my PCP/Cardio, he does talk VERY BRIEFLY about diet then leaves it to me, if that doesnt work, he prescribes meds. In fact the TV ads you are seeing for TG meds, are for a newly approved drug, aproved for Very high TG and more recently, approved for anyone at high risk of a cardiovascular event. I have been on it for about 8 months.

As an aside, having reduced my carb intake, but not drastically, my TG came back today at 212, not great, but down from 312 two months ago.

I wonder what the % is of non-quack doctors who tell patients "what you need to do the kick the butt of that 400 TGL # is very significantly cut carbs", before prescribing a med? I have not known many that did, but maybe I just missed them. Here is an article from Web MD (about the first one that came up. I see loosing weight nd more exercise recommended, but I'm not seeing any mention of lowering carbs. Except a sort of general "cut down on sugary foods like sodas", but this comes after recommending a diet high in fruit and low fat dairy, which is not going to lower TGLs. https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/high-triglycerides-what-you-need-to-know#2
"Get more physical activity. Exercise can have a big impact on triglyceride levels. Experts recommend that everybody get at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. If you're out of shape, start slowly. Begin with a quick walk three times a week and then build up from there.
Lose some weight. If you're heavy, shed a few pounds and try to maintain an ideal body weight. Exercise will help, but you also need to focus on diet. The key is to eat fewer calories -- whether they come from fats, carbs, or protein. Focus on a diet that's high in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. Cutting down on sugary foods -- like sodas -- could really help, too.
Choose better fats. Pay more attention to the fats you eat. Eat fewer foods with unhealthy fats (found in meat, butter, and cheese) and trans fats (in processed foods and margarines), as well as cholesterol. Boost your intake of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, nuts, and some fish. Studies have found that the omega-3s in fatty fish -- like tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines -- are particularly good at lowering triglyceride levels. Because even healthy fats are high in calories, you still need to eat these foods in moderation.
Cut down on alcohol. Even small amounts of alcohol seem to cause big spikes in triglyceride levels. Limit alcohol intake to one drink a day.........". Ouch!

See that rec above to "Eat fewer foods with unhealthy fats (found in meat, butter, and cheese)"? I have known more than a few folks, including myself, who after 6 months of eating plenty of saturated fat(but, very few carbs) saw TGLs fall from something like over 200 down into the 40s. Thing is, I have seen that sort of thing more than once over the years. I seem to remember that didn't work for you(you had to cut the fat as well as the carbs? Did you cut the fat in the last 2 months for that TGL drop?)

Do you think the recent carb cut did more than the meds for the TGLs? Or not? (too bad I love carbs so much!)

Billybob, i think the meds did a lot to get me from 500 TG to 300 TG, but i believe that getting down to 200 TG was, i believe, largely due to change in diet. I will know more in a month or two when i retest, as i have ramped up my efforts as i did 3 months ago, to another level, both in terms of diet and exercise. Working particularly hard at the gym.
Weight is starting to come off, although I've got a way to go, probably another 10 pounds at least.

Lots of sources (like the WebMD article you cite), have just not got onto the low carb idea, yet, which is very surprising.
The Mayo website however, is a good source.

Billybob, i think the meds did a lot to get me from 500 TG to 300 TG, but i believe that getting down to 200 TG was, i believe, largely due to change in diet. I will know more in a month or two when i retest, as i have ramped up my efforts as i did 3 months ago, to another level, both in terms of diet and exercise. Working particularly hard at the gym.
Weight is starting to come off, although I've got a way to go, probably another 10 pounds at least.

Lots of sources (like the WebMD article you cite), have just not got onto the low carb idea, yet, which is very surprising.
The Mayo website however, is a good source.