Finding A Doctor To Help

[tcmgpt13]

I know it can be hard to find a doctor to help treat the symptoms of Morgellons. It is definitely not an easy task.

Probably one of the first ways to find a doctor is to ask Carla if any doctor on lists she maintains might be a doctor located near you. There are lists for Morgellons and Lyme doctors (some Lyme doctors are willing to help those with Morgellons symptoms but this may not always be the case).

Please keep in mind that doctors are not always located in every state of the US or county of UK or province of Canada. There are a few doctors listed in other countries too. If anyone one has additional suggestion for doctors who might be added to these lists please contact Carla.

UK Doctors (who may be more open to treating those with unrecognized diseases):

“The Biolab referral list is a list of medical doctors specialising in nutritional and environmental medicine, and allergy. All doctors on the list are familiar with Biolab investigations and welcome patients who may benefit from our laboratory investigations. These doctors are members of professional organisations for doctors working in this field of medicine and / or they regularly attend Biolab workshops for doctors (lectures and general discussions about nutritional and environmental medicine). “

UK List from BioLab:

Doctor referral list

Additional contact site for UK:

Morgellons UK - Campaign 2009 - Raising awareness to the Public and Professionals


Infectious Disease Doctors by state in the US:

Infectious Disease Doctors by State (Infectious Disease Physicians)

ISTM - Clinic Search

Lyme Disease Doctors US

Doctor referral available from Lyme Association, register and you may view doctors near your zip, again not every state or area has these doctors. Not all lyme doctors see Morgellons patients (updated link):

Welcome to the NEW Lyme Disease Association Website!

Tropical Medicine Doctor Locator--Worldwide

American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene - Lists


Free doctor rating sites:

I know that not every infectious disease doctor will be THE doctor to help, but it may be a place to start looking. One of the things I have found which helps to learn about some doctors in the US is to use this free site (one of two free sites posted here) which lists patients' ratings of at least some doctors:

RateMDs:

RateMDs.com | Doctor ratings and reviews

One way to find a doctor who will spend time with you on that first doctor visit is to talk to the people who work in his office. If no one has much time to talk with you on the phone then often that can be a clue the doctor is also hurried and harried with patients.

The doctor I found and use currently is listed under my state on both the web sites I have given here. He is a wonderful person, kind and concerned. He does listen. Before I went to him I talked with the person in his office. She spent quite a bit of time on the phone with me. It was in this way I learned that he spent an hour with each patient on the first visit. Another thing which in a way shows he was not the ordinary doctor was the fact that although I can file for insurance repayment I have to pay him up front. That is because while most of his fee is covered by insurance not quite all of it is covered. However I find that small out of pocket expense to me to be well worth it. He knows that his care is good and so he does charge somewhat more than insurance will pay, but not what I consider excessively so. I like the fact that this small additional amount allows him to treat me without the insurance company dictating what he can do.

Thanks to this doctor I am receiving help and the medications I need to treat my most of my symptoms, but the best part for me is that I no longer feel I am alone in this mess. He honestly feels I can get well. I have a health care provider who is working with me to find solutions to the symptoms I have. He knows what he is treating and does not rely only on tests. I think it is worth a try to call around to find this type of doctor. BTW I do have to travel to see my doctor, but at least he is in the same state. Looking around and calling around may yield unexpected help.

Another thing, once I decided to go I googled this doctor's name and found more information which indicated I wanted to see him, for it turns out that at one point he had even written a book about parasites and treating them. The internet is a wonderful tool and I am thankful, as by using it I was able to find help. I think others can find help too, and wanted to share these two resources.

Today I am adding another site where you may also check for doctor information which is free (US doctors). It even has the doctor's schooling and hospital affiliations (these two are also rated--such as, is it a good medical school) as well as some patient comments for some of the doctors. Not every doctor will be on these lists, but if you are lucky the one you are looking for will be listed and maybe will even be rated by a patient:

Vitals.com:

Find A Doctor | Free Doctor Reviews & Ratings | Vitals.com | Rate MDs & Review Doctors


Another site which rates doctors: healthgrades.com

Here is the AMA links to state medical boards.

Depending on what is allowed to be viewed by the public in your state (some states are better than others about disclosing information about doctors) you may be able to find out if your doctor has a clear license, what schools he attended, if he teaches in a medical school, has other awards, or has had lawsuits or other disciplinary actions taken.

State Medical Board Links:

AMA - Links to State Medical Boards

Alternative Doctors Referral Sites for US:

Here's a link to another thread on the Complimentary and Alternative area. It lists four US organizations to which more alternative physicians and naturopaths belong:

Alternative Physician Associations (permalink 1)

If anyone has additional information or suggestions for locating doctors please add to this thread.

[Natalie]

I just got up so I havent read your site yet, but I will. What a good idea to find ratings on docs! They need some illumination so we can see there true colors, everone of them.

Just like a Pastor or Teacher doctors should be of high integrity and try to be a model human being.

Peace tcm!

[tcmgpt13]

A fee based service found in some US towns to find services you can trust, not just in the area of finding doctors, but also to find repairmen and contractors who are good. This list has both good and bad ratings by consumers in the areas this service is found. None of the reviews are anonymous which means that the reviews are more likely to be responsible and not just made up to make someone look bad (say because there was some sort of dispute). Angie's List costs approximately $7.50 per month (you may join for just one month) for this service or is discounted to about $59 per year. There is a quick tour of the site on this link:

Consumer reviews on contractors, plumbers, dentists, doctors | Angieslist.com | Angie?s List

Angie is featured in this video discussing online doctor reviews. Here she is debating a doctor who is against patient based doctor reviews on a Fox news broadcast:

Medical gag orders on Fox News | www.angiehicksblog.com | Angies List, Angie's List | Angie's List - Angie's Blog

An article about Angie’s list:

Let Angie’s List Turn You Into An Empowered Consumer

Services which are reviewed on her site by consumers. This is only a partial list:

Looking for the best service?
More than 750,000 consumers use
Angie's List to find high quality contractors, service companies and doctors.

Angie's List is better.

* No anonymous reviews
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[tcmgpt13]

Augsburg, Germany:

Dr.Nicolaus and Dr.Schwarzbach Lyme Clinic Augsburg Germany (info from post by Kat)

Teblisi, Georgia (not USA): "Phage Clinic in Teblisi, Georgia (not the USA Georgia!) where I could possibly get iv for antibiotic and fungal. Indeed I had a conference call with their doctors and a team working with them in the US - not sure of the relationship - and they were all ready to go ahead when someone told me about Augsburg which I can reach by car or train. Well, will be my plan B if things fail." Quote from Slovenia (Barrie)

A TCM hospital/clinic I located in Germany: they treat with both Western medicine and the traditional Chinese medicine tradition (TCM). No personal knowledge of this clinic and no comments from any members here:

TCM-Klinik Kötzting

[Sadsack]

This center treats Lyme and Morgellons (among other things):

"Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine".
http://www.coem.com/aboutus.shtml

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine is one of the few resources for the practice of Environmental Medicine in the entire Southeast. We have been providing comprehensive treatment for pediatric and adult patients for nearly 30 years. Since the pioneer days of Louis Pasteur 140 years ago, medicine has been fixated on the role of microorganisms as the cause of disease. Now, as we enter the 21st century, we are more aware of the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the chemicals that pollute our air, food and water as a cause of disease. Included in these environmental factors are also all forms of radiation.

We find environmental factors to be especially important in chronic illness. People are often astounded to learn that their chronic pain and their
multiple signs and symptoms involving almost every organ and tissue in their body was being caused by foods they were eating, pollens or molds they were breathing, and other environmental triggers. The age old questions asked by all patients, “Why me?” and “Why now?”, do have answers.

Environmental Medicine encompasses three important segments of medicine: allergy/immunology, toxicology, and nutrition. Identification and treatment of food and inhalant allergies, infections, nutritional deficiencies, and toxicity are just some of the many facets of our comprehensive treatment programs. The majority of our patients have been previously evaluated and treated by multiple other specialists, without relief of their symptoms. We take the time to develop and monitor individualized treatment plans designed to heal the whole body, not just relieve symptoms.

Dr. Allan Lieberman, our founder, the medical director and a former pediatrician, is board certified by the American Board of Environmental Medicine (ABEM) and a member in good standing of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. He has been practicing medicine for 48 years.

Our doctors are supported by a team of 15 professionals who staff our in-house services: medical laboratory, allergy testing department, allergy extract mixing lab, thermography lab, Biodetoxification Center, administrative staff, and clinical and health education support for our patients. In addition, we have a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Massage Therapist available by separate appointments.

The Center is housed in 10,000 square feet of environmentally safe medical offices, making it a restful haven for the chemically sensitive.

We invite you to review our entire website and/or feel free to personally call us at (843) 572-1600 and ask questions. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in gaining optimal health.The Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine is one of the few resources for the practice of Environmental Medicine in the entire Southeast. We have been providing comprehensive treatment for pediatric and adult patients for nearly 30 years. Since the pioneer days of Louis Pasteur 140 years ago, medicine has been fixated on the role of microorganisms as the cause of disease. Now, as we enter the 21st century, we are more aware of the air we breathe, the foods we eat, and the chemicals that pollute our air, food and water as a cause of disease. Included in these environmental factors are also all forms of radiation.

We find environmental factors to be especially important in chronic illness. People are often astounded to learn that their chronic pain and their
multiple signs and symptoms involving almost every organ and tissue in their body was being caused by foods they were eating, pollens or molds they were breathing, and other environmental triggers. The age old questions asked by all patients, “Why me?” and “Why now?”, do have answers.

Environmental Medicine encompasses three important segments of medicine: allergy/immunology, toxicology, and nutrition. Identification and treatment of food and inhalant allergies, infections, nutritional deficiencies, and toxicity are just some of the many facets of our comprehensive treatment programs. The majority of our patients have been previously evaluated and treated by multiple other specialists, without relief of their symptoms. We take the time to develop and monitor individualized treatment plans designed to heal the whole body, not just relieve symptoms.

Dr. Allan Lieberman, our founder, the medical director and a former pediatrician, is board certified by the American Board of Environmental Medicine (ABEM) and a member in good standing of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. He has been practicing medicine for 48 years.

Our doctors are supported by a team of 15 professionals who staff our in-house services: medical laboratory, allergy testing department, allergy extract mixing lab, thermography lab, Biodetoxification Center, administrative staff, and clinical and health education support for our patients. In addition, we have a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Massage Therapist available by separate appointments.

The Center is housed in 10,000 square feet of environmentally safe medical offices, making it a restful haven for the chemically sensitive.

We invite you to review our entire website and/or feel free to personally call us at (843) 572-1600 and ask questions. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you in gaining optimal health.

SS

[tcmgpt13]

Posting this information (from link in permalink 1 of this thread) to make access to this information more visible to those interested in seeking alternative care:

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

Some alternative physician organizations have free practitioner finders on their sites. Quite often these physicians are more open to more natural protocols not found among those doctors who practice only traditional Western medicine.

The first organization listed often has allergists who may look at your sinus symptoms as related to your environment and chemical sensitivities rather than only to pollen/mold (about all traditional allergists treat). Search located on home page, left hand side, under Find AAEM Member. There are also members in some countries outside the US. I recently started going to my environmental allergist again for shots as I felt it would take some of the inflammatory burden off my body. My allergist does a different type of testing which for me is good since traditional allergy testing does not reveal my mold/dust allergies:

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM)

Many alternative doctors belong to these associations:

Physician+Link (Find a Doctor) - American College for Advancement in Medicine

American Holistic Medical Association: Practitioner Finder

To locate a naturopathic physician in US:

http://www.naturopathic.org/AF_Membe....asp?version=2

[tcmgpt13]

Naturopathic Doctor Locator Information:

Canada:

The Board of Directors of Drugless Therapy - Naturopathy (BDDT-N)

Find an ND

Complementary Medicine Locator--Canada

http://www.alive.com/docs/Complement..._in_Canada.pdf

By province:

British Columbia:

the BCNA - British Columbia Naturopathic Association

Quebec:

Contact the Association of Naturopathic Medicine Doctors of Quebec and Montreal



UK Registered Naturopaths- (search under "find member", searches may be done by location):

GCRN - The General Council and Register of Naturopaths



US:

ANCB Directory

By State:

Arizona:

AZNMA

California:

Find a Naturopathic Doctor in California

New Hampshire:

NHAND: Find a Naturopathic Doctor

Montana:

Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians

Washington state:

Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians - Search Results

[whrk]

just as a sidenote...has anyone had any success with finding a good naturopath in the uk?? i'm a little bit nervous about venturing into that territory and i'm scared to go back to my doctor because she thinks im crazy so i dont want to have to go down that route if i don't have to

[belle9]

Two of the doctors on the list turned me down here in Savannah, tcm. Of course at the time, I thought I had scabies. Thanks for the links. It is interesting to note how cruel medical personnel can be. I hope I never treated my patients in that manner.

[fracty]

I know what you mean Belle. Word of mouth is always the best way to find a good doctor for this. If you find someone in your area w a good doctor find out who they went to. That is what I had tried to do at first, but it's pretty hard to find ppl to do that.