I Was Always an Inflamed Person. But Once Menopause Hit…
Three real patients. Three different stories. The same pattern.
This Week in Practice
These are drawn from real visits in our practice. Quotes are verbatim. Details are changed to protect privacy. These are examples, not promises. These patients were willing to change and stick with a plan. Many people are not.
All three started with the same step, an Inflammation and Autoimmunity Assessment with myself or a member of my team.
Pain All Over After Menopause
“I’ve always been an inflamed person. Menopause made it worse.”
Maybe this sounds familiar.
You eat clean
You stay off sugar
You get labs
You still have pain, stiffness, and fatigue
Your tests say “inflammation everywhere”
That was this patient.
What we found
Lifelong “inflamed” feeling that got much worse two years after menopause
Advanced lab testing (beyond “routine”) that told a more complex story
Cardiac CRP was high- this is one of our best early warnings for heart attack, stroke, and cancer risk
Copper was high and zinc was low, driving oxidative stress and with it more inflammation
DHEA had dropped into the double digits - for her age, I wanted it much higher
Fibrinogen activity was elevated, which increases clotting and “sticky” blood
What We Did
Started DHEA at a low dose and gradually increased it
Added MSM powder and vitamin C to support sulfur pathways and detox
Used a targeted detox powder
Built sauna time into her week
Planned regular blood donation to reduce iron-overload
I see this all the time. In this kind of case, I expect significant progress within three months.
This is how the Inflammation and Autoimmunity Assessment works. We map what is actually driving your numbers and place it in a clear sequence instead of guessing.
Four Hair Tests, Two Years, and Stubborn Mercury
He had mercury amalgams for years. He finally had them removed.
Three months later, he did not feel dramatically different.
Blood pressure was over 180 (systolic) when he woke up
After CrossFit it dropped into the 120’s
“When I work out hard, my body calms down. When I stop, it jumps right back up.”
We reviewed his hair tissue mineral analysis.
What we found
Four consecutive HTMA tests with a very depleted pattern
Mercury barely moved at first
Selenium slowly climbed from the mid 60s to the 120s - selenium is the mineral that helps the body bind and move mercury
As selenium rose, mercury on the test started to creep up - that meant his body was finally mobilizing it
He was not stuck. His body was trying to detox. His pattern showed early progress.
The problem was consistency.
He took his supplements two or three days a week and forgot the rest. That is enough for a short boost. It is not enough for deep healing.
What we did
Revised his mineral protocol based on his new results
Set a repeat HTMA for four months
Ordered a small blood panel to trend important markers until they are in the “optimal” range
Adjusted his medications based on how he felt and his lab results
This is what practicing medicine looks like when you’re guiding patients on the journey from “I’m broken” to “optimal.” He’s at 7 out of 10 right now, with 0 being where we started and 10 being where he’d like to be. The heavy lifting is over. The mercury is starting to move out. Now, we are optimizing for performance and longevity.
A journey like this starts with our Inflammation and Autoimmunity Assessment.
Three Cycles of Trying, Low Ferritin, and Low Thyroid
She wanted to get pregnant.
Three cycles. No success.
The thing she kept coming back to was the same line.
“My ferritin has always been low. I have said it many times. No one has really answered it.”
What we found
Ferritin was low - you need iron for a healthy pregnancy
Free T3 in the mid-range, which often contributes to infertility
She had light breakthrough bleeding mid cycle, which was new, and fits with a lack of progesterone
What this means for pregnancy:
Lack of iron can impair conception and pregnancy
Thyroid hormone is required for progesterone to work
Lack of progesterone or thyroid hormone can result in mid cycle bleeding
She did not have one isolated problem. Iron, thyroid, and progesterone were all involved.
What we did
Added progesterone support in the second half of her cycle
Planned a full thyroid recheck
Tracked ferritin, free T3, and progesterone together, not as separate issues
And focused on diet and lifestyle changes to support both without supplements or new prescriptions
If you are working on fertility and you do not have a complete thyroid panel with free T3, a full mineral panel, and progesterone, you are working with an incomplete picture. This is where we start.
The Inflammation and Autoimmunity Assessment is where we build that picture.
A Thought Before I Go
All of these patients are working harder on their wellness than the average person.
They were eating better than most people they know. They were taking supplements. They were trying different things from books, podcasts, and friends.
In many cases we see, the problem is not effort on the part of the patient. It’s identifying what is most important, and drawing your plans accordingly. Things like:
A copper to zinc ratio no one talked about
Hormones in the sub-optimal, but “normal” range
Slightly low ferritin that gets dismissed
Mercury toxicity that’s subtle, and needs to be resolved
These patients left each consult with a clear analysis of why they were sick, and what to do about it.
If you see yourself in any of these stories and you’re tired of do-it-yourself wellness, we start with an Inflammation and Autoimmunity Assessment.
As always, discuss any changes with your own licensed clinician. Read our full disclaimers, disclosures, and our position on health freedom here.
Until next time, be well,
Dr. Stillman
Educational content only. Not medical advice. See full disclaimers.