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ABOUT ME
One month into my Family Medicine Residency Training Program (August 2004), I met my amazing wife, Stacy. She was full of life, social with friends, a great cook, traveler, small business owner and committed to growth through self-examination. Four months later, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and I had no tools to help her. She had adrenal fatigue, her cortisol levels (the main adrenal hormone) were non-existent and she was told to rest up and she would be better within one to two years. She purchased a sauna, took adrenal supplements and coffee enemas and worked on her psycho-spiritual side and she was mostly better in 3 years. I felt powerless and began my path learning everything I could about fatigue.
After I graduated residency in 2007, I started my own practice. I realized that my energy wasn’t like it was prior to residency. I was able to function, but I was tired. I didn’t have much energy for exercise, nor did I prioritize it. I had worked long and hard for my opportunity to create the kind of integrative medical practice that I wanted, so I pushed ahead. I thought it was a post residency issue that would resolve on its own in a few months.
Unfortunately, it didn’t get better, and with the birth of our daughter in 2008, my energy and brain fog worsened.
I could only see clients part time – four days per week, six hours per day. I realized that I needed an administrative staff person to help me. At the same time, my wife and a colleague purchased a medical building in 2010 and I moved my practice into that shared space.
My brain fog was so bad that I couldn’t remember much without making a list. I wasn’t able to help at home which made me feel guilty since my wife was running her own business and taking care of our toddler. I couldn’t provide management for my employees and I couldn’t afford to hire someone to help. When my wife closed her consulting practice, I increased the number of clients I was seeing to help cover our expenses, but I knew it wasn’t sustainable. I hired other providers hoping to decrease the number of clients that I was seeing. Everyday was a struggle just to get to work and ensure that I still provided the best client care. When I got home, I didn’t have any energy left for family. It wasn’t the existence I wanted for myself or my family.
As I went to conferences, read books and evaluated the research, I began to compile my list of the causes of chronic fatigue. In medical school I was taught, “If you don’t think of it, you won’t diagnose it.” I broadened my differential diagnosis to include all potential causes. Many of these causes I was able to find in conventional textbooks, however, the testing methods to determine which causes were present were lacking.
With Functional Medicine, however, I found the testing methods I needed to assess these potential causes. I implemented what I was learning with my clients and was very pleased with the success.
I learned Functional Medicine after residency as a complement to the Holistic and Integrative Medicine that I was already practicing. Functional Medicine looks for the cause of disease and dysfunction and areas of imbalance. It looks at where the processes have become abnormal and removes the problem or replaces the deficiency so the body can heal itself. As I implemented new concepts in my clients, I began to treat myself as well. I began replacing my vitamin and hormone deficiencies and moved my energy from a 3/10 (10 being ideal energy) to a 5/10. However, it wasn’t until I learned more about infections, heavy metals, chemicals and molds (through additional Environmental Medicine training) that my energy improved to a 7-8/10.
But I realized that it was more than just my physical health that needed fixing, my business was broken.
Sure, I was profitable and making good money, but I didn't have a bigger vision for my life and my practice.
So, I started training in business & mindset and learned how to create a successful virtual practice. That was 2018.
Now, I am making more money than I ever have, seeing less 1-on-1 clients than I ever have, and I'm happier than I ever have been.
With the pandemic of 2020, I was overwhelmed with requests for support in going virtual. I realized that there were many functional medicine providers out there just like me who needed to take the opportunity of quarantine to transition their practices to a more sustainable (and more fun) model.
Now, I help burned-out, functional medicine, licensed providers (like I was) transition to a successful virtual practice, so they can work less, make more, have a greater impact on the world and achieve a greater sense of wellbeing and happiness.
If this is you, join our waiting list to be notified when our program opens again.
Evan Hirsch, MD
Evan Hirsch with his family
Evan with his parents
Evan Hirsch, MD
Evan Hirsch with his family
Evan with his parents
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Treating Sex Hormone Imbalances
Sex hormones are that are involved in the regulation of sexual development and reproduction. The primary sex hormones are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Men and women have all of these, just in different amounts and ratios...
When men and women have low energy caused by an imbalance in their sex hormones, it is usually from different hormones. For men, it is usually due to a testosterone deficiency. For women, it is usually due to estrogen and/or progesterone imbalances.
Sex Hormones & Low Energy
The symptoms of menopause are no joke. They are incredibly uncomfortable and can change the quality of your life significantly. When a woman comes to me with menopausal symptoms, she is usually pretty desperate for relief. I use both natural and pharmaceutical therapies to get her that relief.
Treating Thyroid Disease
I am a big believer in natural medicine. It can be very powerful and work very well. I prefer to use it as long as the natural treatment is safe and strong. Unfortunately, when treating low thyroid, we usually need both the natural and the prescription treatments. In college, I learned from playing the card game euchre not to “send a boy to do a man’s job.” In medicine, this means using the treatment that you know will work. If I think a natural treatment will work, but I know that a medication will work, I should use the medication as long as there are no significant side effects. This is because I want to make sure you get results right away so that you can get your life back
Treating Thyroid Disease
Thyroid disease is one of the most common health problems we face today. The majority of people with thyroid dysfunction have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism (“hypo” means low) is a condition where the amount of thyroid hormone in your body is less than what is needed for optimal function. According to the American Thyroid Association, more than 12 percent of the US population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetimes, and more than half will be unaware that they have a problem. Women are five to eight times as likely as men to develop thyroid problems.
Advanced Adrenal Recommendations
Last week, I went over the recommended supplements to treat Adrenal Fatigue. This week I’ll go over adrenal recommendations as well as a plan to reduce stressors.
Treating the physical symptoms is only the first step. Once you start to feel better, it’s important to begin addressing the causes of the problem: the sources of stress that compromised your adrenals in the first place.
Testing & Supplement Options for Adrenal Fatigue
Last week we discussed the main symptoms as well as the causes of adrenal fatigue. This week, I will focus on testing and supplement options for treatment.
If you have most of the symptoms listed last week, you probably have adrenal fatigue. However, how do we test for adrenal dysfunction?
How Adrenal Fatigue Causes Chronic Fatigue
This week I will discuss how adrenal fatigue is a primary cause of chronic fatigue.
It's estimated that up to 80% of adults experience adrenal fatigue during their lifetimes, yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses in the United States. Conventional medicine does not yet recognize adrenal fatigue as a distinct syndrome
Food Allergies & Low Energy
Food allergies can cause almost any symptom the body can manifest, including low energy. The gastrointestinal tract maintains a delicate balance of good bacteria, specialized immune cells, and various neurological and hormonal activities. In fact, 80% of your immune system resides in your gut, so anything you put in your mouth can trigger a reaction. Once your digestive system detects what it considers a “foreign particle,” your immune system reacts, and the inflammation that follows creates pain and dysfunction.
Food and Your Energy
Food is a touchy subject, especially if you’re not feeling well. We have a lot of emotional attachments to it, and it can give us joy at times when nothing else can. However, food allergies play a significant role as a cause and contributor to fatigue and, as a doctor, I have seen amazing improvements in the health of my patients when they change their food choices.