01/17/2026
Food for thought. How Functional Medicine can make you "more sick"!!
A number of physicians discussed this concept the other day in my study group and I whole-heartedly agree that it can make you feel worse.
I also will say that there is a place for this kind of diagnostic medicine but functional medicine is really blurring the lines with alopathic medicine and can ramp up the diagnosis and treatment to an over-welhming place.
Many people seeking treatment are already in an overwehlming place. Often depleted.
Take for example a stool test/microbiome test. GI Map is one that is often used by natropaths and functional medicine docs. Genova is another.
What will the results tell you? Every species of bacteria you can test: Ones that you have a HIGH level of and LOW level of. So the general protocol is to kill the bacteria that is HIGH and repopulate the bacteria that is LOW. Trouble is - this formula rarely works long-term.
Specialists/Scientists working in the area of the gut microbiome know that bacteria doesn't re-establish itself. You can take probiotics and eat fermented foods which at best will temporarily give you a transient population of bacteria.
NOT EVERYONE does well with probiotics nor with fermented foods.
We do know that a certain bacteria is very helpful with traveller's diarrehea and diarrehea caused by antibiotic use. But does taking this probiotic while taking anti-biotics make any sense? That really is a question for the ages at this point. You are adding and killing at the same time. Then you may be advised to add in pre-biotics and post-biotics. It can feel like MADNESS!
A GI MAP or Genova Stool test will also give you a whole host of other information to worry about that may not even be relevant to the "state" of your well-being.
This is one test and most functional medicine doctors will give you a test load - hence so much infomation about what is "not great - not "right" - not healthy" and you will be given herbs, hormones, prescriptions, dietary guidelines, etc. And this will cost you a great deal of money and when you are slammed with all of it at once (which is usually the approach), your already vulnerable system can get slammed into a high stress state.
Interesting.
There is some logic to working on one element at a time before adding in another.
Asking your provider perinent questions like:
What can I expect to get from this test?
How will you attempt to address the results of the test?
You may be quoted $300 for a test and now shipping that test si another $80.
Know the cost of what is being sold. As an example: I have been presrcibed approx. $8000 in anti-biotics and herbs to address SIBO to no avail and then add in about $3000 in testing.
Spoiler alert: It didn't work!
There is also great logic in making sure that you are covering the basics of health:
Nutrition
Hydration
Movement
Getting outdoors (grounding and getting natural sunlight))
Sleep (I can tell you that if your gut isn't happy, your sleep will not be optinal)
Start slowly and gently. Don't try to fix the priceless violin with a slegehammer.
