Podcast Drop Date: 6/26/2024
In this episode of the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast host, Amber Warren, PA-C, has a conversation with Shelby Stoddard, FNP-C, a seasoned family nurse practitioner with extensive experience in cardiology, rural medicine, and functional medicine. The conversation explores Shelby's holistic approach to healthcare, integrating mind-body systems to address root causes of symptoms. They discuss her expertise in chronic illnesses, immune system dysfunction, and IV therapies. The episode also delves into the impact of chronic viruses on health, emphasizing their often overlooked effects on the immune system.
Transcript:
Amber Warren, PA-C: Welcome to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast, where we explore root cause medicine, engage in conversation with functional and integrative medicine experts, and build community with like minded health seekers. I'm your host, Amber Warren. Let's dig deeper. Okay. Welcome back everybody. Um, thanks so much for joining us today. This evening, whenever you're listening to it, I'm here with Shelby Stoddard. She's one of our newest nurse practitioners, local Idaho girl, which I love so much.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Well 20 last 22 years. I'm from Pennsylvania, originally.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You did not have to share that. You've been here for two decades. You are my local Idaho girl.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Okay, I'm a local. I love that I want to be local.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Before we start talking and have too much fun, I'm going to go ahead and just read your bio. So Shelby Stoddard, family nurse practitioner, found inspiration through the FMI email list and FMF podcast. This podcast today, which aligned with her belief in addressing root cause of symptoms. Yay! A committed nurse practitioner, Shelby implements small changes for long term improvements and has extensive experience in adult cardiology, rural family medicine, and nutritional functional medicine. Her journey began as a CNA in Pennsylvania, advancing through various nursing programs to become a board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Shelby has received training from renowned professionals and has participated in FDA clinical research and studies on chronic pain and illness. Shelby emphasizes the integration of mind, brain, nerves, and immune systems for overall well-being well-being, understanding that sickness can result from trauma and toxins. Inspired by Doctor Marcio Amato's water experiment, she believes in the healing power of words and diverse healing practices. Her expertise includes mitochondrial optimization, chronic illnesses, immune system dysfunction, oxygen, ozone therapies and neurofeedback, hormone optimization, and more. Shelby's compassionate, compassionate approach and dedication makes her a vital part of the FMI team and our personal life. She enjoys nature, engaging activities like fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and competing in NRL 22 matches. I don't know if I know what that is. Finding relaxation, enjoying the outdoors. What is that? We talked about this.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: That is, uh, 22 long range 22 competition.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. I knew you were a bad Idaho girl. I love it so much.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes, my husband got me into that,
Amber Warren, PA-C: So that's awesome. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you. We're so glad to have you here.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I'm so glad to be here. Thank you.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So oh, my gosh, you're so welcome. So we wanted to spend some time um, today talking through kind of like viruses, chronic viruses, reactivation of viruses, how they impact the immune system, how the body deals with them. Right. Um, because I think it's something it's kind of like its own little silent epidemic. Right? Right. These viruses that we're interacting with. And, you know, I think right now you say the word virus as a buzzword and all people think about is like Covid 19. Yes. Right.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Exactly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And, um, let's like
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Forgetting about all the other viruses.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We're forgetting about the tens of thousands of millions of viruses that we're bombarded with every day.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And we have been for beginning of time.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely. So, um, let's break it down and start with a little, you know, 411. What's a virus?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So a virus, a virus technically is an infectious molecule microbe that has DNA and RNA on it, or it's kind of strung up like that, make up like that, and then it's bound by a protein. And so, um, that's what gives it. It gives it its like virality. And so you've got a protection and then as it evolves, so then it envelopes on, on itself and that those little areas of enveloping or overlapping then that is protected by a lipid. Um, and so then it gets more. That's where things start to get more virulent. When you get more enveloping of viruses or overlapping of these viruses.
Amber Warren, PA-C: What do you mean by virulent?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So more, um, you get sicker
Amber Warren, PA-C: More pathogenic.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: More pathogenic.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah, exactly. More pathogenic, depending on your terrain and what other things are going on with you and those things. But it can be pretty. It can be life altering at times.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And I think that's what we're seeing. Like when you hear the buzz, can I say. Covid?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes, I already said it. You can say it.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: When you when we talk about Covid 19, SARS, Covid 19. Yeah. Um, it is a more virulent virus that we know that and that that's it's turning on a lot of different things for people that may have already had some issues, like with diabetes and inflammation and cardiovascular disease. And so these, these things that these viruses release are causing us to be sicker. Right. And especially to now that, um, we have a lot of, uh, people more in the probably 40 to 60 range that have been on omeprazole or Zantac or some sort of acid reducer for years and years. And I'm just seeing that you're losing your first line of defense. And so we are getting sicker.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Break that down, how? So these PPIs, proton pump inhibitors. You just mentioned a lot of the generic names of them. Yes. Why are they so problematic for our immune system?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Well, over time they're good for short term. That's all they were ever meant for. Long term use changes the pH in the stomach, so it makes you more alkaline. And you have to have an acidic stomach to be able to break down the proteins. So in proteolytic enzymes for to get rid of the virus or bacteria or other parasites, parasites or pathogens.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And so when that is altered then those things are getting through to the gut. And so then you have this virus that's, you know, all in its natural form. And then it gets to the small intestine and, um, should be able to be, um, taken care of there because that's where lipids are more, um, digested. Right. Um, but as you take these, these medications, it, it alters the pH of the whole digestive tract the longer you're on them. And so you're not getting even your second line of defense, which would be your small intestine.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So that's one root cause of why you think maybe we're dealing with this, like viral bombardment, if you will. What are some others?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I think also it has to do with our environment.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So more talk or more of like a toxic soup if we've talked about that before. Um, EMFs, chemicals, pollution, um, more people. I mean, that's in general.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, and our food, uh, to our food sources, um. So yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So what viruses if we let's dig into like because there's a lot of viruses we can test for. Like when someone comes, well we can go a lot of different directions here. So we, we look at in functional medicine, you and I've talked about this viruses being like a root cause of autoimmune disease.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Hashimoto's rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, and maybe even some more inflammatory disorders. Not just full blown autoimmune diseases.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, what are what are what do you think as far as these viruses, what are the most common offenders or at least the ones we can test for? Because a lot we can't test for.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. I would say the most prominent one that I have experienced with and have tested for is Epstein-Barr virus or mononucleosis, like the virus for mononucleosis.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Known as mono. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So a lot of patients will you say, well, have you ever had EBV, Epstein-Barr? And they're like, well, no. But and then you say, well, have you ever had mono? And they're like, oh yeah. And I'm like, okay. And then you kind of explain that because, you know, it's just something that we're not all familiar with, right?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, but yeah, then looking at that, you know, Epstein-Barr panel, so looking at more of an acute infection. So you look at, you know, different protein for that and then you are antibodies. And then you look at um, a different a different way you look at it to see if they've been exposed to it. Um, and so there's a school of thought saying, well, you if you don't have an acute infection. So those antibodies are low. You know, I'm markers are low then they're, oh well you don't have an infection but yet you're also having all these thyroid issues hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, your immune system is off, your white blood cells are low. You know, your lymphocytes are low. And so, uh, you look at their chronic markers and they're sky high. And so I believe that even though it's a past infection, by definition, it still causes issues today. So it's turning on it's turning on a pathway for your for immunity or for these things to turn on thyroid disease.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And it's based off your immune system whether it's acute or chronic especially with that one. Maybe there's other ones that may that may be how it really presents itself. But with EBV, I feel like it's doesn't matter if it's. Acute or past infection markers, you have to look at it all.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And do you think with with Epstein-Barr, do you think it's just that it's more studied, or do you think it's more prevalent because there is definitely more awareness of that virus. Like you go listen to any health podcast, you know, and EBV has talked about a lot.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It is talked about a lot. But I, I, we have a lot of thyroiditis right now. We do I mean especially since 2020. Mhm. We have a lot of things that are going on since then. But I just really feel that even before that you if you look at people that would come in with thyroid symptoms, if you look at that panel, which we didn't always do in the past. Right. Um, you're seeing it more and more. Mhm.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You're seeing more of those chronic markers.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes. You're seeing chronic markers and it likely is because we are testing for them. But the symptoms don't I mean the symptoms. Even if you look back in the history of symptoms.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Not the same.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Not the same.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So there's this. And we talked about this a lot during Covid right. That this concept and the argument it's pretty controversial germ theory versus terrain theory. And you're saying it's really kind of both. Yeah. We need to evaluate both. The germ is important. Whatever germ that is. In this case we're talking about EBV. Right. But you listed all the reasons that terrain allows the germ to become that much more of a problem. Do you think I'm saying that right. Would you agree with that?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I would totally agree with that. So yeah. So you know why a reason why it could happen. But then looking at the terrain as to how it's moving through. So it's passing through the gut, you know, those inner layers of the gut lining get as they get inflamed because of other things. Um, then those viruses have more of a they're more permeable. So they and there's bigger holes for them to come out. And so they, they get into your blood, your system.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And that's when they really start wreaking.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. And that's when they start wreaking havoc.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You think they wreak havoc when they hang out in the gut?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I don't think they cause as much havoc.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay, I would agree, but I've never. I'm putting you on the spot here that I've never really thought about that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah, I don't and I mean, I don't feel you see as big of an issue with people if their gut is healthy or not permeable or inflamed.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I've talked about this a lot on our podcast, and I think, I think we get into trouble because I think we have patients that come to us asking for that one. What's the one reason I can't lose weight? Or what's the one reason I'm so tired? And a lot of times you will include like some of these viral panels in your initial workup. And yes. Some of the more chronic, um, IgG IGA markers will be high, but that might not be the one the one thing it might be part of this.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes, this is definitely part of it. Because it the longer that is under looked at then those other other things that come along with that too, or is it something else coming along first and then stimulating this? Sometimes we don't know that, but that's why we get all those, that information so we can put the pieces together.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So a lot of times it's more your generalized inflammation or they have metabolic disease meaning insulin resistance or type two diabetes or cardiovascular disease endothelial dysfunction. They're not sleeping. So their oxygen or their oxygen is super low. Then low oxygen then leads to, you know, things happening in the blood cell themselves. Yeah. So you have these viruses that are causing issues, and then you have all these other things that are making that even more virulent. And then your cell energy, your mitochondria of the cell is not as optimal. Or sometimes it's just. They're barely.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So let's talk about that, because I think that's another thing that's not talked about enough in of course in medicine, but even functional medicine. Right. Mitochondrial toxicity. What are mitochondria.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So mitochondria are the power the powerhouse of your cell. So they're like little nucleus in the cell. Little nuclei are correct term.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah for sure. Yeah I'm so proud of you.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Go in there and those that is what causes or helps your cell have energy. If you don't have mitochondria functioning in your cell you don't have energy. And so also if you're the integrity of your cell is off, which happens a lot with chronic illness and viruses and chronic inflammation and diabetes and all those things, then the cell integrity is is lost. And so you're losing that even more ability for that cell to give you energy.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So you got to there's all sorts of different processes and, and proteins and molecules that are, that play a part in that mitochondrial function. But any, any one of those pieces that's disrupted interrupts that energy of the cell. And that at the basic level, that is why we get tired.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And that's and we know viruses, any kind of a virus damages the mitochondria. Yes.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Okay. Yes. And the more virulent the more damage.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I was going to say. What do how do we know which ones are more damaging, more virulent, more pathogenic.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And, you know, you have to do a lot of testing and do you know all of those? But I feel like, um, you know, as we evolve more, we are our viruses are more virulent. That's what we see.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Another, I think, controversial topic testing for mitochondrial damage, toxicity. Do you think we have good tests to be able to assess a person's mitochondrial health?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Well, you look at someone's oxygen level, so that's true oximetry.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. That's true.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, if and I would love everyone in their house to have one and to, you know, when you're doing things and you're feeling short of breath or you're feeling just run down, like, what is your oxygen doing?
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Yeah. You know, and that, that, that is actually very telling on why sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea is so damaging to the body.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Because you're spending a third of your life not adequately oxygenated. Yeah. It's mind boggling how hard it is to get people to test for sleep apnea. I'm like, no, you don't understand. This is a if you have it, I can't miss this as a diagnosis.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Like this is a big deal.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It is a big deal. And if you're not getting that reversed or corrected, you can only do so much even with nutrition therapy, medications, IV therapy, all these things.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. And then if your oxygen is in the tank, what do we know that's high. Yeah. Cortisol.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. Exactly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And we know what cortisol does to the body into the brain into the mitochondria.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. It just alters it even more.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Like you're just losing all these protective mechanisms.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So someone comes to you with a new diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis or an old diagnosis that you've recently caught?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We know it's one of the two. Right. Um. You find that they have astronomically high markers indicating a chronic or a reactivated, which we should talk about. Also, the reactivation of viruses.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: How do you define that?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So you're looking at well it really it's a little bit sometimes it's a little hard. Um because they don't have they don't have a lot of history of those IgM and IgG markers. Yeah. So you're looking at um, I would say that if it's a reactivated virus, you go by symptoms and then you go by the IgG response.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, so if it's high then I would say it's a reactivated, a reactivated virus.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So we know these viruses can lay dormant and not really cause issues. Right?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Kind of like parasites or H. pylori or other things that we find.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Herpes virus.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes. Yes. True. Yeah. Not necessarily causing issues, but we know someone gets stress herpes outbreak. Yeah. Right. The virus gets reactivated and make itself known in your body.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And all of a sudden becomes a bad player.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. So that's just a good a good thing to to remember is like viruses. I mean they do they lay dormant. Yeah. So I mean they that's just how it works.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And so if you, if we're saying that we, they can never be reactivated I don't, I don't feel like that's truthful.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah I would agree. Yeah. So back to the like the clinical case scenario. Yeah. So no, no. Um this is great. I come to you new diagnosis of Hashimoto's. You find these really high antibodies on a viral panel. Um, where do you start? That's a loaded question, because there's probably you have so many other questions on what's going on with that patient. I know, but what are other things you're looking at before you would just say, let's go kill, seek and destroy.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So we're looking we're looking at symptoms. So you know what. What are they how are they eliminating. So bowel movements. What's their hair like. What's their energy like. What's their stress level been like. Are they been around any new um, uh, environmental factors. Um, you know, any new illnesses. But then if everything you know is sort of all pointing to, it's Hashimoto's, we're looking at the immune system and we kind of look at and see, we really look at the balance between T3, T4 and then also reverse T3, because.
Amber Warren, PA-C: As far as a thyroid panel. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Thyroid panel.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um and then how that play and then the thyroid antibodies so TPO antibodies anti-thyroglobulin and antibody and see how high that is too. But sometimes you can have a Hashimoto's where that's normal. And still have a high, high ABV. Which that is, uh, can be mind altering as well.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, that's very confusing.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes, but you have to look at trends.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yep.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And know that not always when you test that they're going to be high and and go from there.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. And just be that's where kind of the magic of functional medicine is just casting a wide net. No stone left unturned. Yep. Right. So treatment how do we how do we set up the body to not only fight these viruses but also be preventative, right. We really like I talk about that a lot with gut cleaning and parasite cleansing. Like let's let's make sure all the work you've done doesn't become undone.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So that's where we get would get making sure looking at medicines. So if there have been on Omeprazole or Zantac or PPI is anything that's kind of changing that the stomach pH, we want to we want to change that. So we want to wean that off of those. And we can do that by cleaning, doing some gut health support with nutrition. And we can wean that off. Um, and then we want to do nutrition support. So that's where we bring in nutrition which is amazing. We have that here.
Amber Warren, PA-C: A great team.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah a wonderful team. Yeah. Good. Um because a lot of times we want to avoid those immune system stimulating things that we're eating or.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Around. Um, we're doing, uh, pH balance, stomach health and we're doing nutrition. Um, and we're doing balancing the thyroid, the TSH. Do we need to add any medications? Maybe not, but we can do a lot with, um, supplements too. Um, so adding thyroid tissue, uh, adding some l-tyrosine, l-theanine different things to help with the thyroid support, but you wouldn't necessarily have to go right to medications.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right. Do you think once I get this question all the time, I'm sure you do too, because I do think a lot of patients need thyroid medication.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I do so.
Amber Warren, PA-C: There T3 is in the tank. Yeah. They're symptomatic. They're frustrated. They've been fighting this for years. But the biggest question I get is will I have to be on it for life?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I don't necessarily think you have to.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You don't. You think that your own endogenous T4 to T3 conversion continues to happen, and you just continue to try and support that and find root cause?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes. And also supporting the liver. So nutritionally supporting the liver with supplements. Um, you know, rather than you not doing medications obviously, but supporting the liver nutritionally with nutritional support because that helps with your T4 and T3 conversion.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Conversion.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And helping also reduce the the amount of reverse T3 that's not active. That's not your active T3 form of energy on the cell. It helps get rid of that. It helps that kind of like insulin resistance or insulin thyroid resistance resistance.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Um.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And by supporting the liver.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So that's an important tidbit like. Our community, our listeners need to know.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Go see someone that's going to get a full thyroid panel because I'm blown away. How many providers are just looking at a TSH? Yes, or even just a TSH and T4? It's half the panel, but you're missing.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: You're missing so much.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Your body has to convert. Not only I mean, thyroid stimulating hormone isn't actually a it's a pituitary hormone.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yep.
Amber Warren, PA-C: The thyroid gland has to make T4. But more importantly that has to get made into T3 because that's what acts on your cells. Right. And the, the, the individuals that don't even check a T3. And these patients that are wildly symptomatic and just missing that component.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Oh no.
Amber Warren, PA-C: People can be can feel so much better and their cells can work so much better.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. And then to looking at, um, you know, looking at the liver terrain, looking at the gallbladder like, can that stuff, can everything be cleaned up and can it. Because if the thyroid or if the liver is congested with a bunch of lipids and cholesterol and all these different things that are toxins and you know what's going on there, then.
Amber Warren, PA-C: What's one of your favorite supplements for liver health?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I really like Livaplex.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh, I haven't heard of that one.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: From Standard Process.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh cool.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Okay.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Good.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So whole food nutrition I've used it so for a long time.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Good.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I know we have a lot more other things that we can
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh yeah there is a ton of liver support.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah there is um but it as my go to Livaplex.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Mhm.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. And even to depending on what's going on even adding some liver tissue. So hepato often helps with that too. And then thyrotropin and yep all those things tissues that help balance the thyroid and the liver. And you wouldn't even need to write a prescription.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, I love it. So if you are going to write a prescription because that patient is just desperate or their T3 is 2.2, I mean, in the tank, which I, I digress a little, but I, it is really difficult to see a T3 even close to optimal levels anymore, even just over. Shelby. I don't know if you've seen this, but even just over the last year, um, the low T3 I'm seeing.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes, low T3 is high insulin, high fasting insulins.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And you're right. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's just an inflammatory response.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It could be a yeah. Because more I'm kind of delving into that. I think we're just so like pro inflamed and like so you know, what does that mean. Well that just means that you're, you're not having really good immune function or like our immune system is meant to take care of all the dead cells to or even half dead cells that our bodies naturally do. That just is a red blood cell lifespan, right? But if you're not having that, what they call good apoptosis, you're getting rid of those, those cells, those. You know, half dead cells, I mean, for lack of a better term, are producing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Zombie cells.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Zombie cells. There you go. There's. I mean, it's a real thing. And so they're producing all these other, um, toxins that then turn on all these other inflammatory markers. So I feel like and then low oxygen on top of that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So snowball effect.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Snowballs. Yeah. So there's no wonder they're having all these high resistant type things happening in the body. Mhm. And so where do you start. Well gut looking at the one that's most prominent. Maybe it's thyroid.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And then treating that and going from there.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Cortisol.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Cortisol is
Amber Warren, PA-C: Stress.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It's huge.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I know it's so significant.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It's so big.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And that's such a hard one because.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Just the society and the world we live in and the go go go and the distractions and oh, just to get people to calm down. It's really hard.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It is hard. And, uh. It's very hard for people.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And even, I mean, even for me to, like, sometimes you're just going and going and you're like, what is going on? Why am I so.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I know.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I'm like, oh, well, I didn't go for a walk. I'm not eating right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I'm I didn't breathe today, right,
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I didn't what?
Amber Warren, PA-C: I didn't take a deep breath today. Yeah. I didn't take a deep breath. Breathe.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Exactly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah I didn't yeah you're right I didn't I didn't step outside. Yes. Shame on me.So I didn't fuel my body with the right things.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It's, you know, no one's perfect. And yeah, we get it and we all need help. And so I'm really fortunate to be here and be able to help that too.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So we're so glad to have you.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So, um, I think we digressed again four times.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: But I think we did two. But that's okay.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I was back on. Yeah. Because I really do want to know. I don't know your answer to this. Um, if you are going to use I went to the really low T3 levels we're seeing in our clients. Yes. If you are going to choose to use a medication to get them euthyroid and replete that to get them feeling better. And I think there's decent data too, on getting somebody euthyroid and how that can slow the progression of antibodies. I know that can be controversial, but I'm like, I, I see it if we get them their thyroid balanced, I, we do start to see the slow, although we're doing so many different things that what's actually working. But what medication would you choose to do to replace your patients. What are some of your favorites?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So I like Armour Thyroid because it's got, you know, T3, T4, the good, the great or the normal or it's like our body's normal ratio. Normal ratio.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I can't say that. Yeah. Um I like NP thyroid. It kind of is the same thing. Um, and I also like when pharmacies we have the bioidentical like T3, T4 where they compounded.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Compounds. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um I like that too because then you can just really know what you're getting. Yeah. And there's not a lot of fillers to it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yes, I love that. You can be really specific.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yep. You can be.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And some of our patients want to avoid the porcine like a lot of our patients like to avoid the animal products. So that's another way because the NP and Armour, as much as I love them they.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: They are animal products.
Amber Warren, PA-C: They're animal-based.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And even to like the standard processed thyroid thyrotropin. So that's, you know, animal tissue. Yeah. Um, so if you're averse to that, that's fine. And you just get it compounded.
Amber Warren, PA-C: There's other options.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah, there's other options.
Amber Warren, PA-C: What do you think are the problems with the synthetic thyroid replacement on the market. The Synthroid, the levothyroxine, even the liothyronine. What do you think?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I think I. I just feel that there's too many fillers to it. Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, like. Oh. And gluten and dairy, by the way.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You madam patients are like, oh I avoid gluten. I'm like, well you're on a medication that has gluten in it. They're like, what? I'm like, I know, I hate to tell you that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And that's the thing. Like, you got to just educating patients.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Like, I don't know. I mean, if some people are been on it and they're and they're doing great, like, you know, no problem.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Don't pull the rug out from it. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Don't absolutely don't be like, oh, well that you're, you know, eventually it's not going to work for you. Yeah. We don't know that. Yeah. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But if they're fine and stable happy to help them with that.
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Amber Warren, PA-C: I think you make a really good point. And I don't want to get, like, too political here, but, um, it's it's the fillers and toxins that we see in these manufactured medications and in big pharma. And we, we think that it's no big deal. But when you're on a medication and you're taking one tab twice a day or three tabs a day for 20 years, that can be pretty significant.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: With some of these dyes and fillers and stuff that are in that are in these, these medications, I think you're you're spot on. Like we wouldn't necessarily encourage you to go have three glasses of wine every day, right? Right. As far as what it does to your liver and to your system. But we're popping pills or popping NSAIDs, you know, over the counter stuff. Let's not even talk about pharmacological stuff. Let's talk about over the counter stuff.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That is really wreaking havoc on our bodies.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. I agree, and that's where the I think my passion for getting people off PPIs that have been on them for a long time is because they just they're over the counter. So you think that they're no big deal?
Amber Warren, PA-C: I know they do. You're right. They they they, um, acknowledge because they're over the counter. They identify with the fact that it's probably totally benign and they're not.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: If I can get it over the counter, it's fine.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah, you're so right. But they were never intended for more than 14 days of use. Let's be honest.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Exactly. Never, never. And it's still that way. If you look up at the window, I'm going to order a Omeprazole. Well, it says 14 days. Yeah. That's it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I know it does.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So anyway, it's just another digression. But there is a also I really, I really like using for the immune system and helping balance thyroid balance any sort of immune system problem. When you have a gut issue or a pH is off is using IV therapy. So intravenous therapy.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. You're you're very educated and well versed. You actually taught a training session for some of our providers a month ago. And you were fabulous. So helpful.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Thank you.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I learned so much.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. I, um, I just love I love IV therapy. I don't necessarily feel that people need to do it forever. I don't want them to be dependent on an IV for their whole life.
Amber Warren, PA-C: We don't want them to be dependent on anything.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: No.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Right?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. We want your innate body. We want your body to, like, innately work. Like that's our goal.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Our beautifully. Designed. Yeah. Let's let it do that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And that's the thing I love because we're not here just to, you know, suggest these things to take your money. We're here to help you. We don't want you to be on these things forever if you don't have to. But there also has to be some work on patient side, too. And so, you know, however that looks for them is fine. But we're just here to guide them. So IV therapy I love for the immune system to um because IV therapy, so especially like vitamin C it's an electron electron donor. So it's going to help attract things that shouldn't be in the body. And it's going to help take it out. Um, it's like a, your natural everyone needs vitamin C.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I would agree.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, some people have if depending on dose dependent on vitamin C, they might have an adverse reaction. But you can do blood tests to check before you do it and see and then you adjust dose accordingly. But it's a super good thing for immune system. And to help even balance that hashimoto's, if you're having a flare up or a reactivation.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Mhm I love that. Mhm.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: And then do an even vitamin C with some ozone therapy. So not ozone like in the air but ozone pure O3. So three oxygen molecules together. Once it's in the body then it breaks down into O2 which is oxygen which we need because we're all we've got this chronic hypoxia. Right. And then the other molecule is um, is will go and pick up things that should go out of the body. So these half dead cells, it'll help take, you know, help get rid of them in the body.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So ozone helps to clear the zombie cells that are just drivers of inflammation. So then everybody needs ozone too, as well as vitamin C.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah. So do a little a little, uh, ozone therapy follow up with some vitamin C. Amazing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. So cool. So are you using a lot of that in your practice? Both ozone and C.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And you see good results.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Oh amazing results.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Really.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes. It's but it's not a one and done thing. You want to do it. You know, for 5 to 10 treatments.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Up front. And then after that like.
Amber Warren, PA-C: A maintenance plan.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: You want to do maintenance.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, how about phosphatidylcholine for detox? Do you use a lot of that?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I don't use a lot of that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, I've. I've had experience with it. I just haven't used it a ton.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Well, probably because I was on so much more powerful. That's probably you probably don't. You use so much ozone that you probably don't see a huge need for that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Right. And that's the thing like over the years you're trying all these different things. And I'm not opposed to, you know, trying things as long as it's not harmful. But you just I've just seen the benefits of using, uh, you know, ozone for treatment. So not only IV, but other ways you can do it, and it works so well.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So what are some of the other modalities? What are the ways you're using ozone in the body.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So you can do ozone. You can have ozone water. You can make ozone water and drink it. So that would be that's another good way to help with the gut healing. You can use ozone in the ears and the nose for sinus infections. So doing a few treatments like that really cleans up your sinuses, especially if you have chronic. Sinus issues and then doing ozone vaginally for vaginal health.
Amber Warren, PA-C: I've heard incredible testimony.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It helps with libido. It helps.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It helps with libido.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes!
Amber Warren, PA-C: How?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It just it helps to oxygenate. It helps oxygenate that the the vaginal vault okay. So then it's you're just getting that that mucus. Um, so the bartholin's glands are just getting more secreted and, and in those enzymes that are there, it just transfers to, you know, that gut kind of gut brain barrier, it helps to stimulate that libido again.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That's amazing. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Because it really it will help. Like it'll help the pituitary. It also will help the liver. So it helps to clean out that liver. So you're getting that detox. So whether you do it vaginally or rectally you do it rectally.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. Rectally it's more potent right if you drink.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Rectally is more potent for liver. If you want to really help to support the liver.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That makes sense. Mhm.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It has an affinity for the liver. And there's not a real clear answer as to why that is. They just did all the studies and the way they've tested and stuff. It just it's that way.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So do you use rectal ozone for a lot of your like detox protocols.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Mhm. Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh my gosh. So cool. I have so much more to learn from you.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That's amazing.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: So amazing. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: We could do a whole week's worth of ozone.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And we will we will. Okay let's let's plan it. So you're so back to the virus. Virus and the just the autoimmune connection. IV ozone. You're doing that for Hashimoto's. You're doing it for these chronic viruses. Yes. And seeing really good results with that. Yes. So how is it killing the virus?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So it helps to, um, what it does, it helps to envelop the virus.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So you know what we talked about before, kind of all these envelopes, it'll help envelope that virus. And then it allows your immune system to kind of take get rid of the virus itself. So it kind of creates more of a, of a apoptosis for the virus.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That makes so much sense. And same thing. You need to do some back to back treatments to get success with that. Yes. So are you putting people on liver support and other supplements while you're doing these ozone therapies?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yes.
Amber Warren, PA-C: They probably need that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: A lot of times we're starting with supplement therapy and then working our way into ozone or IV therapy.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That's so amazing.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Just so your body wants it's because you're going to create it. You're going to recreate a response. If you're doing higher vitamin C and you're doing ozone, you're going to create an immune response or it's what you want.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Absolutely.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: But people are like or patients are kind of like, oh, I don't feel good. Well, we talk about that. You're not going to feel good. Yeah. But we're going to do these other things first to help mitigate how awful you feel.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. So that's great. Yeah. I think it's interesting. You know, just to think out loud here, we talked a lot about like how Epstein-Barr you've seen it as such a virulent issue and virus in the body. But the more I think about it the more I'm like, well, that's a great one because we do have some pretty sensitive testing we can do for that virus. But inevitably, if that one's awakened or reactivated or pretty significant in the body, guaranteed, there's hundreds if not thousands of other ones. And so those treatment protocols are putting patients on, are going to take care of the other reactivated chronic viruses as well. And really toxins as well. I mean, you're.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It's kind of a one stop shop.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Exactly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Like I tell people when you're putting someone on a mold detox, because that's another whole issue and a whole other separate podcast. We've talked about that a lot. But, um, when you're I'm like, hey, we're going to focus on mold because it's such a bad bugaboo. But inevitably through this protocol, we're going to kill heavy metals and environmental toxins. Finally, get that glyphosate out of your system that we all need to work on. So it's yes. Yeah, it's kind of a one stop shop when you really talk about kind of the protocols you're probably using.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Mhm. Yeah. It's a, it's an amazing thing. And then and too like people sometimes people want to know what virus it is or what their numbers are. And that's fine. It just costs a lot of money to, to get those tests. Right?
Amber Warren, PA-C: To give them the very specific.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: But I'm happy to do that. It's just I am.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Curious, um, Vibrant Wellness, they're a company. I think I can say specific names or company. We do a lot of toxins in different testing through them, nutrient deficiencies and stuff. They have a viral panel that I've ordered a few times. Have you seen that?
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I have not seen that.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Go look at it. I'd be really curious to get your thoughts. It captures there's probably 35-40 viruses on that.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Okay.
Amber Warren, PA-C: And so instead of doing it in the blood, getting all the IgG, IGA. Yeah it's interesting. It's like a panel. And I think it would probably make it more affordable than having to check it.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I would yes I'm gonna look.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah. So look at that vibrant vibrant um take a look at their panel because I'm curious.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Okay.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Um, I haven't ran it enough to really have a good sense on it, but I'm very intrigued by it.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: There's another panel, too, that since we've talked about mitochondrial.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Um, support is through, um, diagnostic, um, mosaic diagnostics.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: It's the mycotoxin panel with mitochondrial dysfunction evaluation.
Amber Warren, PA-C: No.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: So I'm going to I've really been delving into that lately. And that's going to be my another test that I'm going to be looking at a lot.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Okay, share some of those. So sure. Yeah.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Share some results and see how that kind of plays out with symptoms and how it helps, you know, treatment and stuff too.
Amber Warren, PA-C: That's so cool. Yeah. I mean when we talk about testing for mitrochondrial damage, right? Yeah. I'm running these these tests looking for mold, looking for heavy metals, looking for viruses, looking for nutrient deficiencies.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Checking cortisol through your saliva or your urine, like. That's right there. We can look at it kind of in a secondary way.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah.
Amber Warren, PA-C: You are so wise and so brilliant. And you have such a kind, compassionate heart. And it's just been so fun to spend time with you as you come and practice with us. So thank you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. We'll get you on for part two. Let's let's dive deeper into the IV therapy ozone things. I think there's so many tidbits there.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Let's do.
Amber Warren, PA-C: But um, yeah, we're excited for you to bring that added kind of yeah. Um, side to our practice.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: I'm excited to bring it to share it and help people feel better.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Oh, absolutely. Isn't that what we're here for? Yeah. Help them regain their energy, their life, their vitality, so they can be the best version of of them.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Exactly.
Amber Warren, PA-C: At work. At home with their spouse, with their loved ones, with everything.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Yeah, I love it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: It's awesome. Thank you. Shelby.
Shelby L. Stoddard, FNP-C: Thank you. Thanks for having me. Of course. Appreciate it.
Amber Warren, PA-C: Thank you for listening to the Functional Medicine Foundations podcast. For more information on topics covered today. Specialties available at the FMI center for Optimal Health and the highest Quality of supplements and more go to funmedfoundations.com.
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