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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by FourFeathers on March 4, 2009, at 13:53:30
I am very interested in further exploring the cofactors related to the methylation process in me. I had a rather "interesting" response to Deplin which I posted over on the medication board. I discussed this with my pdoc and he is at a loss, and frankly I feel that my discussion with him of folate deficiencies and potential MTHFR gene abnormalities was more than he cared to explore.
So, I would like to explore this on my own. Specifically I would like to get some blood tests done for folate, vitamin b, and homocysteine levels. Additionally, I would be interested in gene testing related to the MTHFR gene abnormality. My pdoc is not going to assist with this and I have a feeling this may be out of my primary care physician's league as well. What kind of physician would you recommend that I contact to pursue this type of testing?
Posted by janejane on March 5, 2009, at 12:49:32
In reply to Type of physician to work with for blood tests?, posted by FourFeathers on March 4, 2009, at 13:53:30
Depending on how open-minded your regular doc is, she should be able to order the tests for you, even though she may not be able to help much with the interpretation. I've been looking for a physician who practices functional medicine, and I can tell you, it hasn't been easy. It seems like a good number of specialists in the area have self-filing policies for insurance, and since I'm specifically looking for someone who participates with my plan, I've found that I've really got my work cut out for me!
There are some testing labs that you can get services from directly, but I haven't looked into them much myself. Some labs offer lists of practitioners who use their services, so you may be able to find some candidates that way. I think you'll uncover the most possibilities by googling "functional medicine" along with your location. I'd avoid simply searching for "holistic" practitioners since they will not necessarily know about this stuff. Make sure to check insurance coverage if that's important to you. You'll probably get a lot of hits for naturopathic physicians, for example, but depending what state you live in, and your insurance policy, they will probably be completely self-pay.
Another place worth looking:
http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp
The list is very limited, but I did find some names there that didn't immediately pop up in a google search so I think it's worth checking out.
Posted by janejane on March 5, 2009, at 13:18:43
In reply to Re: Type of physician to work with for blood tests, posted by janejane on March 5, 2009, at 12:49:32
Just wanted to mention that although there is some controversy about functional medicine and some of its proponents, I think it offers a fresh perspective in medicine that is often overlooked (we are made up of chemicals so it makes sense that imbalances would greatly affect health). I don't want to appear to be a blind advocate of the practice, and was afraid that it might seem that way in the above post. Just wanted to clarify, I guess. For me, the ideal doctor would be who looks for correctable causes to a condition before prescribing drugs to fix a problem that might be better addressed more directly.
Posted by FourFeathers on March 5, 2009, at 13:44:23
In reply to Re: Type of physician to work with for blood tests, posted by janejane on March 5, 2009, at 13:18:43
I completely agree janejane. I currently take prescription medicatoin that has helped me tremendously, however, I am definitely a believer in the ability of the body to "heal" itself of certain conditions when given the proper tools. Whether those be vitamins, aminos, or other supplements I feel that these are valid items to consider in my treatment plan. I wish that more physicians had an integrative mind set.
I will check out the link that you provided as well as do some additional searching. Thank you for the information.
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