Success Stories

These case studies and testimonials are taken from Dr. Monk's 50 FIX Guidebook. The ingredients of 90% of the supplements described below are found in Core4Powder. So, now you can get the same benefits as these patients without needing to take a handful of pills. 

 

Digestive Issues and Migraines

At a local health food store, a woman was crying in the supplement aisle. "I don't know what will help my son. We have tried so many things and there are too many things here to try," she told the clerk sobbing. "Doctors have found nothing and the medicine they gave him doesn’t do anything." For eight months her son went without help. She was referred to me. After two weeks and two office visits, her son's debilitating migraine headaches and painful digestive issues that “came out of nowhere” were gone. So was his trouble falling asleep and the frequent “growing pains” in his legs.

For this eleven-year-old young man named Jake, no lab tests or invasive diagnostic procedures were required. I recommended the 50 FIX Plan for three weeks while taking the supplements, betaine HCl, calcium citrate, potassium citrate, and a large intestine probiotic at the same time.

Jake’s recovery is not unusual. It is common. The number of children with complaints like Jake’s who have been helped with this straightforward protocol, from my office alone is in the hundreds.

 

Anxiety, Hormonal Imbalances and Infertility

Clarise, age 34, had been trying to get pregnant for over 3 years. Blood testing showed low levels of estradiol and progesterone, but the fertility medicine Clomid with hormonal injections had not been successful. Clarise and her husband were reluctant to try natural medicine but did make an appointment after two other women in her family with long-standing infertility were able to become pregnant within a couple of months after following my recommendations.

My consultation with Clarise revealed that she had a regular cycle each month, ate healthy foods and rarely was sick. However, Clarise only had around 5 hours of sleep per night, she ran three or four times per week for exercise, and she only drank water. Although Clarise rated her stress levels at a 3 out of 10, it was clear from her lifestyle that she was a high achiever, borderline perfectionist, and had a hard time shutting down her mind in the evenings. These facts all suggested that some amount of adrenaline dominance was present. Her lack of sleep and exercising with too high of a heart rate likely led to adrenaline surges and blood sugar imbalances, which strongly disrupt proper hormone levels and rhythm. Also, in this state, only drinking water further strips away key electrolytes that are necessary to calm fight-or-flight.

Clarise was an obvious candidate for the 50 FIX Plan. To the astonishment of herself and her husband, after 3 months, she was pregnant with their daughter. Their son was born two years later.

Note: I am not the first person a want-to-be mother thinks of for help with her infertility. Despite that, twenty-nine women have come to my office over the years for this reason after previous medical interventions failed. Not surprisingly, each woman had the same basic combination of underlying conditions: anxiety, adrenaline dominance, blood sugar imbalances and digestive issues. These are the promoters of hormonal imbalance and instability. I am happy to report that by addressing the needs of the whole person with the 7 STEPS, my success rate among this group of ladies stands at 89%.

 

High Glucose, High Blood Pressure and Headaches

“About a year ago I went to the doctor with terrible headaches. The doctor prescribed four daily medications for headaches, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides. At 46, I wasn't prepared to give in to a lifestyle of pills. Instead, I went to see Dr. Monk. He showed me what foods to eat and avoid and gave me supplements to help my body correct itself. Within a few weeks I was headache-free and I did not need any prescriptions. A year later I am still feeling great and my blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol numbers are all looking good.”    Su Roberts

 

Migraines and Chronic Loose Stools

Amy, a 28-year-old female, complained of anxiety, regular migraines, sleeping all of the time, dry skin, allergies, tension headaches caused by stress or by missing meals, and fatigue so severe that she was not driving her car anymore for fear of crashing.

My consultation revealed that Amy had not had a formed stool her entire life. She truly thought it was normal for stools to be loose and watery. However, she became concerned recently because she began noticing some blood with elimination. In the last month, just eating or drinking would cause pain and for the last two months she experienced horrible bloating and was gaining weight.

Despite her fatigue, Amy regularly exercised by running or doing thirty minutes of cross fit with low weights and a high heart rate. She was also a practicing vegetarian for the last six years. Her diet included yogurt, eggs, nuts, protein shakes, raw vegetables, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and stir-fried rice.

Amy was taking vitamin D and vitamin B12 based on previous blood tests but felt no improvement from them. Even though Amy was doing everything she could according to the conventional health-wisdom, she was miserable. My recommendation was to balance Amy’s CORE 4 using the 50 FIX Plan—a nearly opposite approach to Amy’s life-long “health” routine.

After two weeks, Amy no longer had pain in her stomach. At her six-week check-up, Amy reported that for the first time in her life she had been able to have a normal bowel movement. Her headaches had also improved “tremendously,” her migraines no longer occurred, and her energy went from a 3 to a 7 on a scale of 10. Amy continues to make great progress. She now says she is “normal.”

 

Hormonal Imbalance & Slow Bone Tissue Healing

Three days after her wisdom tooth removal, a young lady with PMS, anxiety and blood sugar issues was experiencing extreme post-surgical pain. The oral surgeon could not explain the pain since he did not find any signs of a dry socket. Her mother brought her in to try the laser I have in my office, which works almost immediately for tissue pain with or without trauma. After the laser session, she had no relief. I asked about her diet and learned that for three days she was eating yogurt and ice cream because she was told she could.

I immediately took her off all dairy products and gave her calcium citrate (a form she could absorb) and some fish oils, which aid in calcium utilization, to take right then and going forward. Her mother called two hours later to say the pain was down 50 percent. The next morning, we were informed that all her pain was gone.

 

Emotional and Physical Trauma

Sarah came into my office with the complaint of dizziness and nausea, which came on suddenly after a trip out of town one year prior. There were several other functional illnesses happening all at the same time including: PMS, Migraines, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, hypoglycemia and irritable bowel.

During our consultation I learned that Sarah had been the survivor of attempted murder by her abusive partner, which occurred eight months before the symptoms of dizziness and nausea began. Her trip out of town was a get-away with friends one day after she testified at the trial of her partner, who was found guilty, convicted, and sent to prison.

Sarah began the 50 FIX Plan and felt an immediate difference including the cessation of her dizziness and nausea in less than two weeks. As part of her recovery plan, I also performed the tapping technique for suppressed emotions.

Note: Sarah was surprised that her symptoms came on so suddenly and knew that they were somehow related to the finality of her very traumatic experience. She was right. The body is a master compensator when it feels threatened and uses the fight-or-flight response to keep us functioning as effectively as possible until the threat has abated. When an extreme stress is suddenly removed and the mind determines that the fight-or-flight response can be turned off, the abrupt withdrawal of the once elevated chemicals can be a stress of its own.

This is sometimes called “Executive Syndrome.” An example is when an executive who has worked 16-hour days for months finally completes his task and takes a vacation to the beach. After only a few days in paradise, he suddenly gets very ill and stays that way for weeks. His adrenaline radically dropped at a rate too fast for his body to compensate and his immune system took the greatest hit. This is what happened in Sarah’s case (nausea and dizziness often come from the gut/small intestine where 70% of the immune system is located).

 

Migraines with Neurological Sensations

When Kevin first came in, he stated that “I haven't been feeling very well for the past year, I have gone to about every doctor, and they are having trouble pinpointing a diagnosis. I have achiness all over body (random or brought on by sensitivity to temp), stiffness in joints, numbness here and there, headaches, and major fatigue. It feels like I am stepping on pins and needles in the morning, stomach area is sensitive, pinched nerves, shaky, muscle weakness, no appetite, dizziness with blackouts, fatigue, no energy, blurred vision, eyes sensitive to light, bloated, severely dry skin, nauseous, trouble sleeping, severe muscle cramps. The Rheumatologist thinks I might have Sjogren’s Syndrome [an autoimmune disease]”

If that weren’t enough, Kevin was also experiencing occasional migraines, had to clear his throat often in the morning, had seasonal allergies, dry skin, and significant hypoglycemia symptoms, where he would shake or get lightheaded when missing a meal.

I asked Kevin about his health as a child. He told me that he often experienced growing pains, was always sick with some sort of cold, his body was achy all the time, and he never had lots of energy and had strep throat several years in a row.

Kevin had many classic symptoms of dairy intolerance. He was placed on a dairy-free diet and a supplement routine designed to restore his calcium levels, balance his blood sugar, acidify his digestive tract, and calm the fight-or-flight response.

After just one month, Kevin reported that he was 80% improved overall. His headaches were gone, there was no longer any stomach pain or joint pain. The pins and needles in his feet were gone and his energy was the highest since he could remember.

Kevin’s case is not unusual. It is a common set of classic symptoms for someone with adrenaline dominance and an unbalanced CORE 4.

 

Breathing Issues and Autoimmunity

Joey came in to see me for complications related to Dercum's Disease - an extremely rare disorder characterized by multiple, painful growths consisting of fatty tissue (lipomas), which caused her to be immobile for three years in a wheelchair. 

Her main complaints were shortness of breath, improper lung diffusion, chest tightness, and loss of voice. All of these were exacerbated by activity, talking and going up in altitude (anything above 6500 ft caused severe symptoms). She also complained of fatigue, tremors, tingling, right-sided body weakness, intermittent gait issues and inability to eat normal portions, which led to a 40 lb weight loss in the last year. Also, Joey, “felt like I got a cold two years ago and they never went away.”

She was placed on a supplement routine to control adrenaline dominance and balance her immune system as described in the 50 FIX Plan.

At Joey’s four-week check-up she stated that, “after three days I felt better than I had in many years. My energy is now an 8 out of 10, up from a 3 and my pain is almost nil. The pressure in my lungs was a 10 and now only creeps in occasionally and does not get worse than a 2. Also, I continue to have intermittent issues with lack of adequate oxygen and experience lung pressure.  However, I do not experience voice loss now and was even able to sing in church for the first time in 2 years!”

 

Food Sensitivities

“When I saw you for the first time several months ago, you confirmed my suspicion that I have a tomato intolerance.  You said especially when combined with dairy/lactose.  I haven’t eaten lasagna or spaghetti in almost 2 years, because the last 3 times I did, it made me extremely sick.  The 3 sickest times of my life. 

Last Friday, there was an event at church for the kids to raise money to go to summer camp.  The only option was lasagna.  I was so scared to try it, because of how sick it made me almost 2 years ago, but I didn’t want to let the kids down.  So, I went ahead and ate it, reluctantly.  

I’m pleased to tell you I ate it with little to no problem.  I had a little gas afterwards, but that’s it.  I thought you’d like to know the progress I’ve made thanks to you.  This wouldn’t be possible with allopathic MDs.”  

Craig W.

 

Migraines with Muscle and Nerve Pain

“I have had pain in neck and hips for two years and nerve pain in feet, mainly in my toes. Worse, depending on the position of my body.  The tightness of my muscles causes other pain and sets my feet on fire. 

This all started after a fall while carrying something heavy back in April 2015. In June I was hiking with a child on my back and woke up the next day with pain in my hip flexors and by midday, severe pain in my right hip that caused sweating, tunnel vision, and a trip to the ER. They found nothing, but a PT thought I ruptured the bursa sac. I feel like my muscles have not functioned properly since then.

For over a year, when I flex my head downward, my feet produce a buzzing feeling. Every month I get at least one migraine.

I went on a strict diet 8 months ago because whenever I ate sugar, I would get a headache and then caffeine would immediately make me jittery.”

--- Melissa was suffering from many functional issues including adrenaline dominance, PMS, PCOS, anxiety, and blood sugar imbalances. These all led to significant inflammation in her soft tissues. She was put on the 50 FIX Plan.

At her follow-up visit four weeks later, Melissa stated that her muscles were more relaxed than she could remember in a long time, she no longer had any buzzing in her feet, and her anxiety was greatly reduced. However, if she stayed up too late or was under heavy stress, then she would start to feel her symptoms returning. I told her that she would continue to improve if she remained on the program.

One year later Melissa came into the office to purchase a supplement. She told me she was migraine-free, and all her symptoms were either gone or only minimal if she let her body get too tired. Best of all she knew how to control her anxiety on her own.

 

Amenorrhea and Stomach Shut Off (Gastroperesis)

Holly lived out of state and was too sick to travel to my office to see me. She couldn’t keep down any food for the last few months and now weighed ninety-nine pounds. Every time she ate, she would experience severe stomach pain and would eventually vomit. Her official diagnosis was Gastroparesis, a severe condition where the stomach has nearly lost all of its capacity to digest food and patients often end up needing a feeding tube.

Holly told me that she was an anxious person and had been so her whole life. She had not had a menstrual cycle in 5 months, but her cycles used to be heavy and painful with PMS symptoms. She ate very little protein and consisted mostly on sweet carbs and salty snacks. Her sleep was broken and totaled only a few hours per night.

I put her on the Gentle GI Diet with plenty of protein and no dairy products. A supplement routine was designed to help her stomach start working again and to calm the fight-or-flight response. Potassium, hydrochloric acid, calcium, gut-healing herbs, and adrenal gland support were all prescribed. She also had to avoid as much stress as possible.

After four days, Holly stopped vomiting. After two months she was able to eat full meals and she began to gain weight. At four months her menstrual cycles returned. Soon thereafter she began a blog helping other young ladies overcome gastroparesis and anxiety.

 

Migraines and Breathing Issues

“I can’t do this anymore!” That was the reason my new patient, JJ, gave for why she left her last well-known and respected, functional medicine doctor a few months before.

For two years, JJ had been prescribed over a dozen ever-changing supplements, costing roughly $400 a month. None of her symptoms were improving for the long-term and her list of foods she was not “allergic” to was getting short.

Also, the prescribed life routine was expensive, time-consuming, ineffective, and emotionally overwhelming. She had “had enough.”

Four months earlier, JJ was diagnosed with an abscess in the right middle lobe of her lung and was battling chronic pneumonia. In high school, she was often on antibiotics for illnesses and respiratory ailments and needed “a lot” of dental amalgams.

Digestive issues were a daily concern. Bloating and gas were common, as was pain and tightness in her diaphragm. A one-centimeter stone was also found in her gallbladder. JJ often managed chronic fungal issues and experienced seasonal allergies.

In an attempt to heal herself, she had not done any grains for the last six years and she was intentional about prayer and relaxation to calm her anxious personality.

Treatment - JJ had several classic symptoms associated with low hydrochloric acid and resultant calcium malabsorption (the large intestine and lungs are teetered together). I put her on the 50 FIX Plan, acidified her stomach, and gave her potassium and a cortisol-booster to help manage adrenaline as well gallbladder support and a probiotic specific for the large intestine (all found in Core4Powder). She was also instructed to slow down her exercise routine (high intensity interval training spikes adrenaline). Here is what happened:

7/24/2017 – First visit.

8/1/2017 – Gallbladder issues have been helped, “amazing!” No gas, no bloating. I am getting stronger every day. “I feel very little stress on my diaphragm.”

8/30/2017 – [high stress events in life] Experienced a severe migraine the other day. I began Lexapro for depression and MD recommended that I take Aadvin at the same time. Emotionally - feel like I cannot think very deeply "my head is not with me.” Have had a heart flutter. Digestion is still “pretty awesome” Although, any additional fats aggravate my gallbladder. There is no foot itching and minimal fungal issues. [ I explained to JJ that the Lexapro likely increased the serotonin levels in her brain causing the migraine. I told her I could help and gave her nutrients to process excess neurotransmitters].

9/21/2017 – “My headaches are none or minimal and I am off all medications now.” My digestion was off a week ago because of stress (when she started Lexapro); Feet were amazing on the probiotics (no itching from fungal infections); No gallbladder issues at all. I am able to eat more foods now. My gut can handle things that I never thought I would be able to eat. And, if something does bother me, I rebound well. It feels great to breathe again. For twenty-five years I have had lung restriction and now, nothing. I am also much calmer. I will try gluten soon.

JJ continues to see me for wellness care. All her symptoms have greatly improved, and she can eat gluten a few times a week without issue. She has learned how and when to balance her teeter-totters. JJ is now, in many ways, her own physician.

 

Stomach Pain and Stunted Growth

“My 12-year-old daughter had been having stomach issues for over 2 months. She often felt tired and nauseous.  It started out being only occasionally and got progressively more frequent and more debilitating.  At that point we took her to her pediatrician. We discovered that she had not gained any weight since her annual visit the year before and she also had low blood pressure. The pediatrician immediately scheduled an appointment at Children’s Hospital with a Gastroenterologist. Her recommendation was a gastroscopy, which she admitted to thinking she wouldn’t find anything and she wanted us to make an appointment with the eating disorder specialist. At this time I had been talking to a friend about my daughter, and she recommended Dr. Monk. I scheduled an appointment for the following week. He recommended supplements for our daughter and The Gentle GI Diet. Within the 1st week we started seeing improvement and she was able to eat a full meal. By the second week we had our girl back, she was running and playing and felt like herself again. Two weeks later her pediatrician called to ask why we had not scheduled an appointment with the Eating Disorder specialist. I told her that we had found Dr. Monk and that Annie was on the mend. She asked if I could bring our daughter in for a weight check. I took her in that day and not only did they discover that she had gained 4 lbs, but her blood pressure was also completely normal. The pediatrician wanted to know what we were doing. I gave her the list of supplements our daughter was taking and printed out the Gentle GI Diet for her. She said she was going to share the info as well. Our daughter continues to thrive and I have since recommended Dr. Monk to many of my friends.”    Tina J.

 

Fight-or-flight and Protein Deficiency

A young lady was experiencing intermittent extreme jaw pain for several weeks. No dental issues were found related to the jaw, but she did have one of her front teeth die for “no reason” a few months before.

She did not commonly consume dairy products, the most common culprit with bones issues, but she did have an anxious personality, regular stomach pain, she skipped meals and only ate meat at dinner.

The adrenaline surges from hormonal imbalances in her body were taking their toll on her mineral levels to the point where her body was neglecting her teeth and mandible. She needed HCl, the minerals calcium and potassium (both in a citrate form), the adrenaline calming herb, ashwaganda, and a great deal more protein, which has a critical role to play for bone health and, of course, for blood sugar stability. I recommended regular protein meals and a non-dairy protein shake between meals. After three days her jaw pain was gone, and her anxiety was reduced to the point that she now slept through the night.

 

Muscle Spasms, and Chemical Sensitivities

Jason was an athletic sixteen-year-old basketball player who came into my office with the complaint of persistent pain in his middle back. He ate well, exercised regularly and did well in school, but was a bit socially awkward and withdrawn.

Jason’s Functional Health Assessment showed that it took him sixty to ninety minutes to fall asleep, he had headaches once or twice a week, was experiencing midday fatigue that often required naps after school, for six months his hands and feet were often sweaty for “no reason;” he often had bad gas and occasional diarrhea; and he had been taking the pharmaceutical Accutane for acne, which is a high-dose, synthetic version of vitamin A

The pain in his back would become severe at times and felt like a big knot. Massage therapy helped for a day or two, but the pain would always come back. Testing showed that Jason needed the minerals potassium and calcium; an adrenal gland supplement to calm excess adrenaline, a digestive aid containing hydrochloric acid, and the fat-soluble vitamins D and E. He also needed to avoid milk-based products.

When I saw Jason again six weeks later, he told me his energy was significantly better, he fell asleep in five or ten minutes, his headaches were gone, his hands and feet were normal, and he no longer had digestive issues. He was also pain free unless he stopped taking his vitamins D and E. If he did, the pain would return in one or two days. I told him the Accutane was significantly unbalancing the teeter-totter associated with his fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and would continue to do if he was taking the medicine. He agreed to stop it and hoped his skin would stay clear because the rest of his body was doing so much better. To his amazement, It did. Jason is now off Accutane and no longer has skin issues or digestive problems unless he eats too much dairy.

 

Medications Forever?

“I came in to see Dr. Monk for lower back pain that I have had for years and to get help getting off of my anti-depressants. I was also hungry all the time and my hormones were causing me to cry or want to run people over with my car.  

Dr. Monk put me on the diet in his book and gave me supplements for low dopamine and for my stomach and adrenal glands. After a week my anti-depressant ran out. In the past getting off of them was a terrible experience, but I was feeling pretty good, so I did not refill the prescription. Another week went by and I felt fine. It was amazing. My mood was great. I was no longer hungry all the time and my back pain was gone!”        Robin L. 

 

Overtraining and Missing Minerals

In 2002, my family moved from Florida to Colorado. Back in Florida, I was very active with sports and weightlifting. I regularly ran three to five miles and played basketball nearly every week. This was not the case in Colorado. Just climbing the stairs quickly would make me short of breath. At first, I thought I was just getting used to the altitude change. But after six months, I knew something was wrong.

I did a blood test and it showed that my iron was too high. This did not surprise me since high iron often results in nosebleeds, which I experienced every month or so for no apparent reason (nosebleeds also happen from too much dairy consumption). I knew about the teeter-totter effect, and after testing, I decided to try taking copper. Within three days I felt like I was back in Florida. My energy returned, and I was no longer short of breath running up the stairs. After three weeks I redid my blood test, and the iron levels were now perfectly normal.            Dr. Monk

Note: My experience fortified the power of the teeter-totters in my mind. I now check every patient for them because when balanced, significant changes happen quickly, and when not balanced, severe symptoms often occur. In my case, the high iron was inflaming my body by generating an overload of free radicals through a process called oxygenation.

 

Hormonal Mood Swings with Body Pain

“You had asked that I email you a week out from starting the hormone supplements. They worked almost immediately (30-45 minutes!) to relieve the joint and body pain I've been having. I've still been tender, but the horrid, intense pain was 95% gone! Amazing!  (I did skip one dose; I was having what I thought was a crazy reaction—because I feel like crazy reactions are just my thing—and it turned out that it was just my body telling me it was time for my next dose. The insane headache I dealt with was relieved soon after resuming the supplements. 

Thank you for hanging in there with me. The supplements are working so well it has been incredible. It also makes me a little sleepy, but mostly very chilled out.”        Mindy S.

 

Hypoglycemia = Hormonal Imbalances

Ashley was seventeen-year-old active student and cheerleader when she was brought in to see me for help with a significant case of acne. I explained that acne in a young person is often the result of several factors including diet, gut health, stress, hormones, and liver detoxification.

As I asked about these areas, I learned that Ashley was an anxious child and since the age of twelve, she complained of migraine headaches, extreme cramping, and heavy bleeding with her cycles. Her parents tried to keep her off medicines, but her symptoms were so bad that at age fourteen, Ashley began taking a birth control pill with estrodiol and progestin, which helped her cramps and bleeding to a large degree, but her migraines were the same. Ahley’s acne began after six months on the pill.

She had also taken antibiotics for her skin, which helped for a while, but the acne always came back. For two years she had been gluten free, but still experienced intermittent loose stools and stomach pains.

Ashley’s diet was heavy on carbohydrates. She usually skipped breakfast or had a piece of toast with jelly. Ashley consumed dairy products in the form of cheese, ice cream, and chocolate. She used to be a milk drinker but began to get stomach pains from it, so she switched to Lactaid^TM milk instead.

Ashley also complained of not falling asleep for at least sixty minutes each night and feeling tired all the time.

Testing revealed a need for calcium citrate, hydrochloric acid, potassium, liver detoxification herbs, and a probiotic for large intestine support. Ashley was also very sensitive to estrogen and required a supplement containing methylation b-vitamins and estrogen cleansing compounds. Because of this, I told her and her parents that it would be best if Ashley stopped the birth control pill. They were worried about the pain of her cycles but agreed after I explained the long-term negative effects.

Ashley was told to support her blood sugar by not skipping meals, to eat protein at all meals, strictly avoid dairy products and chocolate, and drink at least one-half gallon of water per day.

At her three-week check-up, Ashley said she was sleeping great, and her energy was getting better. Her stomach no longer hurt either, but her skin seemed a bit worse. I told her that was not uncommon because her body was still cleansing itself. I assured her it would get better based on her other improvements.

At her three-month check-up, Ashley’s acne was barely visible. She also said that she had two cycles so far. The first was heavy and painful, but the second one happened without any pain or moodiness at all. It was the easiest cycle she had ever had. To top it off, for three months she had not had even a hint of her normal monthly migraine. Needless to say, Ashley and her family were more than delighted.

 

Chest Pains and Physical Exhaustion

At our consultation Tim told me “I have been experiencing chest pain, massive brain fog, and fatigue for the last 14 months. I have to take naps every day. I have been to every type of doc out there and no one can figure out what is going on. In February I went to the E.R. thinking I was having a heart attack. I took autoimmune medicine for ten months, prescribed by my MD, and stopped them because they didn’t do any good. If I eat greasy foods, chocolate or dairy the brain fog is terrible and my chest hurts.” Tim was also under very high stress for the last five years.

Looking at Tim and his athletic build, no one would know he was experiencing these debilitating issues. It turns out, Tim was using busyness and intense exercise to “relieve his stress” but was unknowingly making things worse. He was a classic case: adrenaline dominance taking its toll on mind, gut and vitality.

Tim went on adrenaline-calming nutrients and the 50 FIX Plan. His second visit was two weeks later, and Tim reported that he was “75% better overall.” At his six-week check-up, Tim was symptom-free.

 

Gluten Intolerance

“It was March 2008 and I had suffered for 18 years with severe and debilitating joint pain, headaches, fatigue, and brain fog. I had been evaluated by multiple doctors. I was diagnosed with many different medical problems, had many different treatments, I was on many different medications, and been hospitalized multiple times. No doctor was able to help me, and I was at my wits end! I had four children and worked as a part-time firefighter/EMT. It was really interfering with my quality of life. There were days I could barely function. It was heartbreaking as a mom not to be able to enjoy my children like I wanted. A fellow firefighter had recommended Dr. Monk who had greatly helped him and his wife.

I went to see Dr. Monk who discovered my body couldn't tolerate wheat and gluten. Within two weeks of eliminating all wheat & gluten, the pain diminished greatly, my fatigue was less, and brain fog was gone. After a month my life completely changed, I had no more joint pain, and I had energy I hadn't had in years, my headaches disappeared, and I felt like a new person. I was able to eventually go off all my medications.  I have been very strict with my diet and occasionally when I've had an accidental gluten exposure my symptoms will return for a few days but not to the level they were before which reminds me just how sensitive my body is to it. It has been 5 years now I have also lost 30 lbs and I'm in the best shape of my life! People who haven't seen me in years tell me they can't believe it's me and how great I look. I have a very active life now and I can enjoy time with my family & children. This new quality of life also gave me the opportunity to make a lifetime dream come true and go to paramedic school and become a paramedic. I have been a paramedic for two years now and love living my dream! Dr. Monk literally gave me my life back! Now I can save the lives of others!”        Gina C. 

 

Hormone-related Body Aches

Kelli came to my office complaining of body aches all over that had been present for six years. She had regular bouts of depression with irritability for which she took an anti-depressant medication (SSRI). Every month she dealt with painful and heavy menstrual cycles and was “cranky as a wet cat.” She was often short tempered with her kids and lacked any motivation to exercise. She ate “healthy” and drank sixty-four ounces of water per day. Kelli was not a regular sweets eater but did like her chocolate from time to time. She did not eat protein often at breakfast.

Testing showed that Kelli was not processing the hormone estrogen and her dopamine and cortisol levels were low.

Kelli was placed on the Gentle GI Diet and a supplement with estrogen balancing properties, adrenal cortex, potassium citrate, L-tyrosine (to boost dopamine), betaine HCl, and evening primrose oil.

At her six-week follow-up appointment, Kelli reported that her mood was now 75 percent better even during her cycle. All of her body aches were gone by week two of the 50 FIX Plan and she was already able to reduce her anti-depressant SSRI medication by half.

 

Hormones, Brain Fog and Acid Blockers

At 36 years old, Ivanna, had been on an acid blocker for twelve years. She was plagued with digestive and hormonal issues as well as brain fog and muscle weakness. On a 1 to 10 scale, her stress level was an 8, and had been so for most of her life. Her energy levels was a 5 out of 10.

I put her on the 50 FIX Plan along with adrenal cortex, potassium, betaine HCl, calcium citrate, and anti-parasitic supplementation. At three weeks, Ivanna was able to stop her acid-blocker. At six weeks she no longer experienced any of her initial symptoms and her energy was now an 8 out of 10.

Comment: Because of the remarkable healing ability of the human body, even long-standing interventions with the wrong medicine that did more harm than good, can many times be overcome with the proper push.