In this week’s Q&A, I focused on post-viral recovery, hormone optimization, heavy metal detoxification, and gallbladder health. We covered some excellent questions from premium subscribers and practice members.
As always, this is for general education. It’s not medical advice. I’m not practicing medicine via Q&A.
Here’s what we covered…
Low Dose Nicotine for Post-Viral Symptoms
Nicotine patches can work as a bridge therapy for post-viral symptoms, but you need to be aware it’s addictive. The key is fixing the underlying physiology responsible for the symptoms.
In my view, post-viral issues stem from three root causes; nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances, toxins, and infectious agents like parasites, fungi, and molds.
When the body doesn’t have what it needs to repair and heal, it develops lingering symptoms. So we nourish, we detoxify, and we purify the body of uninvited guests.
Seven Keto DHEA Dosing
Seven keto DHEA has a structure that prevents it from metabolizing into other hormones. Some doctors say we shouldn’t use it because it’s not the real thing. I disagree based on clinical experience.
I had a patient who went up to 200 milligrams daily with remarkable results. She had cancer and very abnormal physiology. I don’t usually dose anyone above 50 milligrams a day. But extreme cases sometimes require breaking rules.
When treating patients with hormones, I’m not treating numbers. I’m treating patients. For women, I target DHEA levels around 250. In men, around 500. But the real question is always, are they responding? Are they feeling better?
I want patients to have more energy, drive, better sleep, better mood. Many report better libido and improvements in hair, skin, and nails. Individual results vary.
DHEA is coming to the online supplement store soon because it is one of my absolute favorite supplements.
Blood Filtration Treatments
The evidence on treatments like aphaeresis is accumulating and I’m excited about it. These treatments can meaningfully reduce toxin levels. I’ve had patients quoted twenty to thirty thousand dollars for them.
If I were really sick and had the money, I would consider it. But here’s what I see overwhelmingly. People underestimate the power of executing the fundamentals religiously and intensely every single day.
I packed a lot into the 14 day reset, which is the first thing I share with patients. When I think about what moves the needle, it’s sauna, daily walks outside, X39 patches, proper nutrition, getting diet dialed in.
You can find my 14 day reset here…
People are going to chase blood filtration as a shiny object. That’s fine. It will do good for many people. But never forget, it’s always about the fundamentals.
Serious execution of the fundamentals over a long enough period often yields better results than expensive treatments in a short period. Sometimes you have cancer or serious autoimmune disease and you need results fast. That’s when these treatments make sense.
But I just see people underestimating the power of fundamentals executed with intensity over time.
Melatonin and Heart Failure Studies
Recent studies claim melatonin use is associated with heart failure. I’m not concerned.
All that study showed was that people who use melatonin are more likely to develop heart failure. That’s like saying people who call ambulances are more likely to have heart problems. It doesn’t mean ambulances cause heart attacks.
Sick people take more supplements to feel better. The study confused correlation with causation.
Do flies cause garbage? Do fire trucks cause fires? No. You find fire trucks where there are fires. But it doesn’t mean fire trucks cause the fires. Unfortunately, study authors did not present this in a balanced way.
Bile Acids for Gallbladder Health
If you walk into a hospital and ask doctors if it’s possible to have an overactive gallbladder, they’ll say no. Here’s how I look at it.
The gallbladder is powerful for overall wellness because bile is necessary for absorbing fat soluble vitamins. It’s also necessary for regulating the microbiome.
I frequently see patients told they have SIBO, IBS, or weird bowel infections. We put them on a bile acid containing enzyme and see amazing results.
Dr. Stillman’s Digestive Enzymes + has bile acids in it because they are one of my favorite ingredients. They regulate gut microbiome, help absorb fat soluble vitamins, and help excrete toxins from the liver and gallbladder.
Every single patient coming through the practice gets a recommendation to take them. I just stocked this in the online supplement store where premium subscribers and practice members get 25% off.
Choline is another favorite. Choline citrate helps with magnesium absorption and neurotransmitter production. When I see low magnesium despite supplementation, I go straight to choline. Choline also helps thin the bile so the gallbladder can expel it.
Anyone who’s had their gallbladder removed should take bile acids for life. One of my very few lifelong supplement recommendations. You push out huge quantities of toxins through bile. Without a gallbladder, the body starts accumulating toxins.
The number of patients who say I was healthy, then I had my gallbladder out, since then it’s been downhill. Very common story.
Heavy Metal Detoxification
For arsenic and other heavy metals, pushing the right minerals in is very powerful.
I picked our multivitamin multi-mineral because I’ve seen so many labs deranged by supplements people didn’t realize were wrong for them.
Here’s a common example. A woman doesn’t realize she has problems eliminating copper because she has disrupted bile flow from gallbladder removal or toxin accumulation. She’s not eliminating copper through bile. It bioaccumulates. She winds up with copper toxicity.
When we start someone detoxing, their hair copper level skyrockets. While detoxing that inorganic copper, they feel worlds better. Better mental clarity, focus, mood, energy, sleep.
The multivitamin I picked doesn’t have copper because of this concern. But I had a patient this week with a copper level of only 48. Rock bottom record. He needs beef liver and copper-rich foods every day.
You’re all different. You all need different things. This is why I love testing.
The multivitamin also has very high levels of B6 because people need huge doses to adequately detoxify things ruining their health. Namely, arsenic.
The other big thing for all heavy metals is sauna. Sauna, sauna, sauna.
Female Hormones and Progesterone
We live in a world with lots of estrogen mimicking chemicals. What’s paradoxical is women sometimes have low estrogen levels but all the symptoms of estrogen excess.
Patients don’t have enough actual bioidentical product to do the job, and at the same time they have an overabundance of toxins that mimic hormones but not in a good way.
Imagine cars stalled at stop lights clogging traffic flow. Are there lots of cars on the road? Yes. But not all are working. Some are getting in the way of normal traffic.
The vast majority of women have symptoms that relate back to low progesterone. It’s the first female hormone I tend to give. There are no progesterone mimicking hormones in our environment.
Body fat contains an enzyme called aromatase which turns testosterone and DHEA into estrogen. We’re living in a very estrogen dominant world.
Across the board, women today tend to have low or insufficient progesterone, excess estrogenic endocrine disruptors, and may have low or high bioidentical estrogen.
Recovery from Acute Injury
We have a clear playbook for acute injuries or surgery recovery.
Number one, I use the X39 patch right on the injury. Case after case, patients are amazed with results. Individual results vary. Some don’t get a response. I still encourage them to continue because they’re doing something long term under the hood.
I love ice wave patches for any kind of discomfort, acute or chronic. My favorite placement is on the bubbling springs or kidney one point on the bottom of the foot. White patch on the right, tan patch on the left.
Aeon patches help reduce discomfort and improve function. People report better mobility.
Vitamin C is essential because you need to produce collagen and cross link it. Vitamin C is the rate limiting step.
MSM helps with pain. Very well studied for reducing pain. People also use DMSO, which I call a wrecking ball while MSM is more like a sledgehammer.
Magnesium is good for reducing pain, essential for stress response, helps keep you relaxed. Any stress increases magnesium wasting. You’ll wind up in a low mag state without supplementation during acute illness.
The full stack is X39s, ice waves, AONs, multivitamin multimineral, vitamin C, MSM, and magnesium. Those are my key things for optimal healing after any insult injury or surgery.
I’m a huge fan of bioidentical hormones in these cases because hormones powerfully heal the body. Most are by prescription. The only one that’s not is DHEA.
Final Thoughts
If you want a deeper understanding of these protocols and how to pinpoint your own triggers, you can join me for my Light For Longevity Masterclass.
Thank you, as always, for your questions and your support. Your memberships and supplement purchases make this work possible and allow me to keep sharing what actually helps rather than adding to the noise in the wellness world.
If you are ready to work with me, apply to join my practice.
Submit Your Questions
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You can find the supplements mentioned in this week’s Q&A in my supplement store.
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Until next time, be well,
Dr. Stillman
Executive Summary
Low dose nicotine patches can help with post-viral symptoms.
DHEA dosage should be tailored to individual responses.
Blood filtration treatments show promise in reducing toxins.
New testing technologies like Lego scans are being explored.
Melatonin use is not linked to heart issues according to current studies.
Lowering cholesterol below 200 may increase cancer risk.
Probiotics are not always necessary for gut health.
Sweeteners should be chosen based on individual health needs.
Supplements can often be combined, but caution is advised.
Grounding mats may offer benefits, but more research is needed.
