Are Functional Medicine Tests Worth It or Not?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 5. 03. 2023
- Let's dive into a popular question, "are functional medicine tests worth it?".
I had a recent (and frustrating) case. "Jane" came into the clinic having spent over $2000 on functional medicine lab tests. But she was still experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of bloating, brain fog, IBS, and more.
So tune in to hear why this costly investment didn't work and how you can avoid spending time and money where it isn't needed.
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Iâm a clinician, clinical researcher, and author working fervently to reform and improve the field of functional and integrative healthcare. My primary focus areas are digestive health and its impact on other facets of health, including energy, sleep, mood, thyroid function, and more.
My clinical and research team has published our research and clinical experience in peer-reviewed medical journals. We use this experience and research to inform the talks I give at integrative health conferences as well as the free resources available at drruscio.com/
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment.
Music featured in this video: "Modern Technology" by Andrew G, audiojungle.net/user/andrew_g - VÄda a technologie
Another crucial step in improving your mental health is to address your gut health. Hereâs why: drruscio.com/the-mind-gut-connection/
Conversely, if a patient has been gaslit by conventional medicine, (gastroenterologist yells, " I don't know what you want me to do for you!") having functional testing that shows SIBO, abnormal cortisol response, etc, is really helpful to know that there is an explanation for one's symptoms and a way to move forward towards healing.
Oh my gosh! This podcast is God-send! The mental/emotional part of the functional medicine experience sent me into a huge tailspin where I'm now doing Employee Assistance counseling sessions to try to find myself again.
I was 45 days into a program and I developed severe stomach issues which left me sitting straight up on the couch for 2 days and nights straight w-stomach pains, nausea & vomiting. (Unbeknownst to me, my assigned "coach" from the program was enjoying her Thanksgiving break and was "off the grid" for 14 days straight and I received no help, answers, suggestions, compassion, direction.)
I drove myself to the ER where, (at Christmas time) had to pay for a gamut of tests (including an EDG the next morning). Gall Bladder had stones but was not angry or inflamed - blood work was all normal - GI cocktail helped with the pain for a while, suggesting it was somewhere in my GI tract. They did 2 biopsies during the EDG and I had inflammation & also tested positive for H-Pylori. I was weening off Omeprazole (from the program) and was really suffering! They kept telling me to do it slowly and then in the next breathe, would assign me to taper less every week! I missed a lot of work!
I held off on the double antibiotic treatment & PPI 2x's/day because they created so much fear in me about MD's, Rxâs & the negative effects of PPIâs which I needed to double. After a few weeks of them not helping me and still suffering, I finally resorted to the antibiotics & PPI treatment because I just wanted to get rid of my horrible stomach aches! (No one informed me that it is expected to feel worse before it gets better so I kept wondering what was really wrong with me? Was I dying? The stress certainly made my stomach much worse AND the exorbitant amount of money that I pulled from my 401K to pay for the program didn't help either.
I commented, to many people, that I felt like the tennis ball in a match between an MD & Functional program - giving me opposing opinions on treatment and I'm in the middle with no medical knowledge AND SUFFERING but have to hurry and make the BEST decision for my healing and recovery and to get some much-needed relief. Even while doing the protocol from the MD, I have felt so much stress that my gut is going to be adversely affected by this treatment.
I have a 15 min consult with your office this Friday, before jumping into another Functional Med program from a great doc here in my town. This podcast might have sealed the deal for me! You say so many things that are a breath of fresh air - *too many supplements - *don't have to be on such a restrictive diet the rest of your life - *way too many expensive tests that aren't helpful - *a blend of probiotics is so important - but maybe what really sold me is the *compassion about the MENTAL/EMOTION side of things! Thank you for understanding what it feels like on the other end - as a sick patient that starts to wonder if it's just a make-money tactic first & foremost.
BTW: After I laid out my concerns and screen shots of the lack of communication for 14 days and expectations for help that their contract gave as expectations, I was told that, "If I cannot trust their program, it would never work for me" (I now believe their care caused my issues!) I was then FIRED from my functional medicine program! He said, "after speaking to my coach and the staff, they have decided I'm no longer a good fit for their program!" OUCH!
My therapist was horrified by this experience and said that I was very strong in the way that I handled it and that a healthy person would have cracked under this pressure. She told me to get my self-esteem back right now and that she believes I was a threat because I had so much documentation. He then said he would do a kind thing and remove the 3% cancellation fee when refunding the remainder. Ya think? I'm not a horrible patient! I did everything they asked me to do and yet I got VERY, VERY ill - and paid a pretty penny to do so! (Iâm crying as I type this!) Such PTSD!
Looking forward to meeting SOON! (Thanks for all you do - in advance!)
Can't wait to work with you!
Such a great video. Iâm an RD, I donât run labs, I actually refuse and suggest using insurance if we need blood work or diagnostics. I however have seen lots of these labs and I donât think they help much. I see so much misinformation being spread and I see so much frustration from patients and disordered eating. Plus they never build a toolkit and figure out how to support themselves. I so appreciate everything you and your team do. While Iâve strayed from much of the âfunctionalâ world, I know I can refer to your work, find a middle ground and consider the integrative approach along with foundations.
Thank you!
Well what about a 67 markers blood test and stool test? Do you think rhose are necessary?
You say that you have seen lots of these labs. Would you mind sharing with us specific labs you have seen and think they donât help much? Also, if you donât run labs, then how can you draw the conclusion that they donât help much when you canât possibly understand the interpretation of any of these specific labs?
â @@guthealth2010to clarify I chose not to run labs for my practice. I was in the functional and lab space for 7 years. I worked closely with functional providers because I thought if it I wanted to run these labs on my own one day. So I do know how to âinterpret themâ but honestly even the interpretation is misleading for example people make all these claims with stool tests but what are we comparing to, what is the patients baseline. Many of the microbiota markers and limits are created by the lab companies and are not verified in research. Iâve used Dutch, Genoa GI effects, GI map, adrenal tests, ions, organic acids, nutristat etc. most of the time if you have a high quality intake process you can ID what the patient needs rather than run them through some cookie cutter bs program just so you can then sell labs and supplements to keep them on the functional medicine hamster wheel always seeking something else. I do t believe they are the first step in supporting people, Iâm open to stool tests after weâve done other foundational work but if I think there is some imbalance Iâd rather save them money and trial herbal antimicrobials. Itâs so nuanced and these labs are misleading but this is all my own opinion.
Multiple coworkers of mine have ditched their PCP in favor of functional medicine.
One has been struggling with heartburn for 35 years and was eating tums like candy. Acid test showed low acid production, got an all natural acid pill, gone. With the correct amount of acid production, he was actually digesting all his food and his bowel movements became normal for the first time in decades. His joints stopped hurting. His wife saw the same doctor who suggested changes to their eating, both dropped 40lbs in 4-5 months.
They were HAPPY to pay the price out of pocket since big pharma doesn't want to fund the research that would show the merits of functional medicine, therefore insurance mostly doesn't cover these doctors (due to insufficient research). Imagine that, evidence that would allow people to be free of prescriptions, big pharma can't have that.
I'm about to sign up for a functional medicine doctor.
Right. Functional medicine is in a tough spot as far as funding and being widely understood. It often takes people like yourself and friends sharing their experience, so thanks for doing so!
Great video Dr.Ruscio as always! âJaneâ deserved better and now she can get that care and guidance
100% Spot on with Dr-gastrologist experiences, diet restrictions, psychological-medical trauma, wasted $ on tests ... and general frustration dealing with the wrong doctors.
How my daughter went from a size 31 to having to buy new clothing for a 11/12 yr old.
This was so good!! I learned a lot of pearls from this. Thank you Dr. Ruscio for the invaluable info and breaking down the studies, especially meta-analyses.
I love functional medicine, but definitely it has often become so supplement heavy and test-heavy for many, that as you said, few patients feel like they are able to move forward.
Thanks for your kind words! And I hear you. I think it all started with good intent, so hopefully shifting away from that test-heavy, supplement-heavy model won't take too long.
I agree whole heartedly, I almost never run these tests. And I practice functional medicine no problem at all. An ocassional stool test (inflammatory markers , occult blood) and that's about it for functional tests. Functional ranges applied to standard tests is plenty helpful. Sibo breath test is a complete waste of time, food allergy testing waste of time, dry urine tests...waste of time.
Great explanation of the problem with ordering random tests. Thank you!
Wow amazing video. This absolutely confirms what my intuition has been telling me but I was about 1 week away from âinvestingâ in the full kit and kaboodle of testing to get my gut in check. So glad I saw this đ
Thank you so very much! Blessings all around!!
My mentor taught me the same. Less test. Treat the patient.
Absolutely! Sounds like a great mentor :)
Awesome Dr Michael. Thanks a lot đ
Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you very very much for such valuable informations GOD BLESS YOU đđđđđđđâ
Hi there Dr đ Thank you for such an informative video⊠I was just about to do a bunch of expensive testing like âJane.â I guess my question is, what probiotic do you recommend taking? Iâm definitely willing to give it a shot before going into this testing process. Thank you for your advice đ€
See if this helps answer your question:
drruscio.com/probiotic-qa/
Dear Dr Ruscio,
You mentioned âSIBO breath test wasnât necessaryâ. But I guess breath test proposed that the patient have SIBO so itâs seems at least a good hint to take the probiotics. Do you mean that you would recommend people with any gastrointestinal symptoms to just take probiotics without any test because probiotics help always and almost never have side affects?
What if a person has a specific bacteria, fungi, virus parasite overgrowth in his/her small/large intestine or anywhere else? What if the person has increased level of toxins, specific metabolites, hormons in his/her guts or blood? Would you recommend only probiotics for those cases as well? If not, what other therapies would you suggest in those cases?
very informative video.. I have my first functional care appointment in a few days. My question in response to your video is: what test(s) would you say are needed to develop a solid baseline for a patient's health? Essentially what are the core tests that are worth it..
Reach out to our clinic so we can help!! Here is the link:
drruscio.com/virtual-clinic/
Wow it takes an honest and brave clinician to admit when it's time to leave previous practices behind. I wish all doctors practiced Science in this way. It's ok to be wrong, but fix it. Evolve. That's how progress works.
Exactly, evolving is so important.
@@DrRuscioDC I want to just mention something that was missed in me for a good decade. My Fibroids got so big they were pressing on my digestive system. I'm about to get a full hysterectomy. This was a lightbulb moment for me because my SIbo was caused by GYN issues. If you've got women, in their 40s with distention etc check this. I was shocked to find I was 4 months pregnant. The gyns really don't understand the digestive system so this will 100% be missed.
Helpful! So what if there is leaky gut (got tons of tested followed strict diet for months) and when probiotics are taken it makes my husband feel off in his brain. I think stuff must be getting through to his blood stream. Heâs super sensitive to supplements
Im suffering from lbs, I didnât even know what Sibo is. I appreciate your work so much. You canât imagine how good it feels if seeing a doctor really wanna help and understand the whole system. Especially psychologically I have been told All my life I have depression etc. doctors gave me anti-depressant all the time. You are the hero people with gut diseases needed.
I just recently heard that many probiotics seem to be less effective or not effective at all because the acid in the stomach kills them. Therefore a friend of mine who is in research send me a new probiotic which is called âBacillus subtilis.â these are basically spores which are way more efficient. What do you think Dr. Ruscio ?
What are some of your symptoms? Has anything you've tried helped?
@@DR19346 im currently trying to get a more specific diagnosis than LBS. Leaky gut, or hopefully Sibo (probiotics work better). My Symptoms are all of the LBS typical ones: diarrhoea, bloating, less energy, needed more sleep, brain fog, mood swings.
I got 100% symptom free by following the Lions-Diet. I'm currently eating now 59 days just meat. I can't even put in words what is has done to me. I am literally reborn and live to my fullest potential I could ever dream of. Just to put that into perspective. I currently sleep maximum of 6 hours and I go to the gym twice a day. My mood is like I am on cocain all day. But ofc socially I am pretty akward and meat only is dull as hell. That's why my aim is to heal the disease. I won't accept to lower the symptoms. Since it's working with meat only there is a way to reintroduce food. I will start to take the new probiotic in 10 days. Then I start all over again Low FodMap. I will make a CZcams video about it as soon as I healed my type of LBS - mark my words.
How will you know what is wrong ta patient unless you test? My doc said ue just wants mento take tow test, blood test and stool test. All together $1000, he said that should pretty much tell him mostly every thing đ€·đŸââïž should i run from?
Thank for your informative videos. I think Food sensitivities tests are different than food allergy tests. Some food cannot be digested well by certain individual at the moment dont mean that they are sensitive. I want to share my limited great experience on those functional medicine tests. I admit that some practitioners may overdo the tests, esp ND. Gut test can show a lot of good information to guide the practitioners to give more effective treatment. My husband tried many expensive probiotics without success until he followed the gut test result recommendation. Then, he saw the result within a day. For toxicity test, it helps us to remove the sources of toxicity and find out the possible root causes of our serious illnesses. We have immediate improvement within a day again. For nutrient test, my husband took many general vitamin supplements without obvious result until we follow the nutrient test recommdnation. For food sensitivity test, i am not sure how accurate those sensitivity tests because they can take snap shot of your body and change frequently based on your diet and health conditions. I am still investigating on those food sensitivity test. Some tests like SIBO, wheat zoomer or adrenal tests may not be necessary. Some labs offer special a few each year, and some practitioners do not add service fee on the top of lab charge. That may help a lot to reduce the cost. Currently, one lab is offering $300-700 discount on 3 bundle tests, so $600-700 for three tests.
So what would you recommend. I have 3 autoimmune diseases, celiac, hypothyroidism and stills. Blood test diagnosed all of these. I ask all drs about diet and exercise and all drs say âit wonât helpâ. So my only option in my opinion is to find a functional md who will spend time with me and understand my health needs. Thamks
Was it the 'P88 dietary antigen test' that they did, which tests both IgE and IgG?
exactly, plus igg4. An annoying miss.
So, is the Vibrant Wellness Wheat Zoomer test the one you talk about being called IgG?
Why can't a conventional doctor order a micronutrient test? Does this violate the insurance requirement?
These types of tests are done through specific labs. It's not that conventional doctors can't order a micronutrient test, it's just that it's not a routine test they typically order because they labs they have access to do not perform these type of specific and in-depth tests. It's always a good idea to discuss your specific concerns with your doctor and see if they think a micronutrient test would be beneficial for you.
Some people have spent more than $
7.5k
Totally. And I get it. When you aren't feeling well, you'll do whatever it takes to feel better.
So what your saying is food intolerances or sensitivities are not really a thing then. Because thatâs what the Everlywell test is for along with some other food tests. Not allergies, but intolerances that show up later in other forms like brain fog, joint muscle aches, fatigue, etc. Itâs a delayed response as opposed to an immediate allergic reaction. An allergic reaction isnât the same as an intolerance. So yes, why wouldnât you avoid what the test says if thatâs what causing the non-immediate symptoms. Am I missing something here? Please let me know I am because Lord have mercy! I miss my eggs and diary!! But I also have Hashimotoâs thyroid. But itâs nerve wrecking because everyone sounds like they know what they are talking about.
Sensitivities are a thing, but I've found testing for them is not that accurate. I find it's better to do an elimination diet and reintroduce foods slowly to see how your body reacts symptomatically, rather than rely on testing.
If I am someone just interested in what my body needs to be nurtured with, what kind of test should I do?
You can get normal labs done with your health care practitioner to determine your basic levels.
For one thing this is sparse on information specifics like âelimination dietâ wtf does that imply?? Also food allergies test could be picking up oxalates and body reaction to them which are not readily apparent to the person! But I agree the approach does seem counter to getting better
Can you do one on all the genetic testing functional medicine offers. I'm sick of my doctor recommending this stuff
You're right on the money! I have a video on the way about this exact topic. Stay tuned and let me know your thoughts.
@@DrRuscioDC I can't wait
@@JH-lz4dh Just wanted to make sure you saw that it's out! czcams.com/video/feXQBF6TWgU/video.html
There's no safeguards around DNA data. Drug companies and other countries are buying the data.
@@DrRuscioDC I'm curious if that video covers MCAS and it's validity for gene testing in regards to D.A.O enzymes etc. Be well :)
Have you heard of meticross labs?
So, the lab couldn't test each of these things from one draw and an analysis for each separate thing?
Years ago when I was first diagnosed with hbp, I went to a doctor who practices holistic medicine. I got powders, potions, lotions, and chiropractic. Thousands of dollars later, "Testing" showed allergies to grapes and oatmeal. My bp continued to spike. I found an internist who put me on a diuretic which regulated my bp. As most often happens I'm on 7 medications now, joint pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis. I have worked with only 2 doctors who focused on lifestyle change. One retired, the other relocated. My current doctor is pressuring me to join an MDVIP hustle. He doesn't realize that my lack of response means he's fired. I get calls and letter to sign on to the scam. My last appointment he spent less than minutes rushing through my visit before asking if I had received TheLetter and a call. I said I hadn't looked in to it. He rushed me down the hall to a separate room. Suddenly I across the desk from a man running a timeshare style presentation. Did I say my doctor is fired?
So frustrating! Sorry you've had to go through this.
I fired my PCP after years of going to her because she billed Medicare wrong and was showing one charge on my statement but when I would get my Medicare paperwork the money they paid out for one phone call to refill a prescription Iâd been on for years net her over $9,000.00!!!! I put in a fraud claim with Medicare and they said I had to get her to bill it right and return the Iâll gotten money. Iâm thinking why am I doing the job they get paid for? I mentioned it to her and she said she returned the money. I checked a few months later with a phone call to Medicare, they never received the money back, nor a correction. So I fired her. I am really thinking about turning her into whomever takes care of fraud, apparently, Medicare doesnât. Iâm not the only patient she has done this to. I have moved to another state now and the PCP cannot prescribe the pain meds I have been on for years, that actually work without killing my liver and kidneys. He said gov guidelines mandate we have to go to a pain clinic now to get those meds. I went, they offered a great grandma, exercises, a depression med, and other options that I know for a fact will not help what I was born with. Iâve been dealing with this horrible disease my whole life and had a great protocol set up with a very mild pain med, that worked to keep my pain level at a manageable 6. I now live in a world of 8 on the pain scale, and over the counter pain meds are killing my liver and kidneys. Itâs almost as if the gov wants us gone earlier than we need to be. Iâve also been tested for depression and I do not have it. In fact, I am a very positive, person considering what I go through each day. Not everyone on pain meds is depressed. And why is our gov dictating how our health should be ???? They are not doctors!!!! There is something really wrong with this.
Vibrant Testing hay? Hmmm...đ€đĄ