Our philosophy at The Spero Clinic is that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism and can usually heal without medications or shots.
Most doctors “treat” EDS/POTS by recommending physical therapy, exercise, drugs, and, in severe cases, surgery.
Drugs or medications (at best) will (somewhat) cover up your symptoms. In the case of EDS and POTS, it’s usually far from the perfect solution, although it may provide some relief.
I have yet to meet any patient who told me that he or she, or someone he or she knew, was “cured” by any drug. Furthermore, every drug has side effects. That being said, I understand that drugs may feel like your only saving grace right now and that, for some of you, they are lifesavers. They may make the difference between you getting out of bed in the morning and (kind of) living a halfway normal life or not.
Because of the vagus nerve malfunction, EDS/POTS patients almost universally will exhibit some form of GI symptoms or conditions.
The overuse of antibiotics causes an imbalance in good versus bad bacteria. Medications also adversely affect the gut. Both may cause digestive symptoms (especially in patients suffering from EDS/POTS).
The health of your digestive system is directly linked to the health of your immune system. Almost 70 percent of the immune system resides in your intestinal tract. This branch of the immune system, made up of billions of friendly bacteria and yeast, is responsible for many functions including production of vital nutrients (produced by the bacteria in your gut), proper nutrient absorption, detoxification and alkalization of the body, and, last but not least, one of the main weapons your body uses in fighting against bad bacteria.
If you find that you have a bacterial infection you must attempt to find the source and then eliminate it. Bacteria live in places that they can access from the outside world to gain entry into the body. What you are looking for is swelling, discomfort, heat, discharge, abnormal smells, and pain. If you cannot pinpoint the exact location, proceed with treatment regardless. As far as treatment goes, I am not a huge fan of antibiotics (with some exceptions).
Why we don’t recommend Antibiotics for treating Bacterial Infections–
Antibiotics have become less effective with bacteria as resistance grows. It is also good to understand that their path of action is to destroy the bacterial cell wall. If you have a bacterium that is intracellular (like mycoplasma pneumonia) that lives in the alveoli of the lungs, or a bacterium that lurks in the cells of muscles like bladder infections where the bacteria get embedded into the muscular bladder wall, antibiotics tend to not work well or completely. Additionally, there is a whole host of bacteria that forms a biofilm, a sort of gel-like matrix that camouflages the bacteria from the immune system, preventing your immune system from recognizing and destroying it, like wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Bacterial Infections Treatment Alternatives to Antibiotics
Instead, work with a good functional medicine doctor who uses different products like biofilm removers to get infections eradicated effectively.
Viral infections are much different from bacterial infections. Instead of asking where (like with bacterial infections) we ask what phase of infection you are in. Is this a new infection or is this a chronic infection that has weakened your immune system?
First things first. Understand that viruses cannot be killed. There is no “eradicating” a viral infection. In short, the virus itself is not your problem, it is what your body does with this virus that is the problem. Healthy immune systems can quickly identify and overcome the infection with minimal symptoms, moving the virus to the latent phase and staying alert for future exposure. Abnormal immune systems get trapped in this ongoing infection phase where the virus either causes low-level damage and inflammation on an ongoing level, or pops up as re-infections/reactivations every so often.
In practice, I do not care for the identification of what virus specifically caused the trouble. This is true for a couple of reasons, the main reason is that the virus is not your problem, remember? Your immune system is. Thus, I am not treating the infection, I am treating the host.
It often upsets patients when I tell them their long COVID-19 is not the problem but rather their immune systems are. However, it is a golden rule.
We must fix you, not the virus.
This is true for all viruses. Again, work with a good functional medicine doctor that adheres to the general philosophy that immune systems can be strengthened.
As with antibiotics, I think there are better, more natural ways to address viral infections than the drugs currently available on the market. Often, these methods are more effective too.
Both EDS and POTS are now recognized as causing intractable pain. This pain is sharp, stabbing, tingling, burning, bone-crushing, shooting, or aching, and affected by temperature changes. How is that pain managed? I always tell my patients that medicine has a ceiling. Sooner or later, you will hit that ceiling. Pain has no ceiling.
The opioid crisis in the United States (and worldwide) is soaring. Seventy percent of all drug overdoses now involve opioids. Almost half the US population use at least one prescribed medication. Spinal cord stimulators are the implanted medical device of choice, but their results are usually lukewarm in our experience, and the data is clear: They are dangerous. The medical solutions for intractable pain simply aren’t working.
Patients often ask me to assure them that my system, and my team, can heal them. The truth is, no one can heal you, except you. True healing always, always happens from within. The reason you may need outside assistance is to help your nervous system overcome any potential blocks, preventing your body from healing itself.
Much like an athlete. Even with the help of his or her coach, athletes are ultimately responsible for their own physical achievements. Coaches just help athletes to overcome their own bad patterns, as well as mental and physical limitations.
You are not doomed. You are not cursed. This doesn’t have to be the rest of your life. You are magnificent intelligence, temporarily living in a human body. Your body was made to be just as amazing as the universe it occupies, and it was made to survive, against great odds. If you remember that, you will find the strength to fight for your recovery.
Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.