• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Know a great doc that (preferably) takes insurance in DC, Maryland or Virginia?

Messages
53
Location
Washington, DC
Hello all,

I'm seeking a smart, open minded, compassionate, out-of-the-box thinking doctor. A medical detective!
That takes insurance. (I know, laughs.). And if they don't take insurance, then just a great doc.
One versed in ME/CFS would be great, but they don't have to be a "CFS" doc.

Preferably a doctor not too caught up in their own protocol, but as I said---a medical detective. An open minded mainstream doc even. Primary Care, Infectious Diseases, a specialist...I'm open.

I've seen Vinitsky, Blackman, and Jaller. They were all good and perhaps I could revisit, but looking for a fresh perspective on my case.

Any recommendations?

THANK YOU!
 
Messages
53
Location
Washington, DC
Thanks for the reply ggingues.

I've poured over those doc lists on co-cure quite a few times. I've seen a few of them.
There's one I'd like to see but he doesn't take insurance. $1700 for the initial visit. Yow.

I'm hoping there's a doc under the radar that perhaps I haven't heard of.

best,
P
 

CindyWillis

Senior Member
Messages
116
I live in the DC area and use Dr. Sharp since he works with patients from a distance

Hello all,

I'm seeking a smart, open minded, compassionate, out-of-the-box thinking doctor. A medical detective!
That takes insurance. (I know, laughs.). And if they don't take insurance, then just a great doc.
One versed in ME/CFS would be great, but they don't have to be a "CFS" doc.

Preferably a doctor not too caught up in their own protocol, but as I said---a medical detective. An open minded mainstream doc even. Primary Care, Infectious Diseases, a specialist...I'm open.

I've seen Vinitsky, Blackman, and Jaller. They were all good and perhaps I could revisit, but looking for a fresh perspective on my case.

Any recommendations?

THANK YOU!

I live in the DC area and use Dr. Sharp in Fort Worth Texas since he works with patients from a distance and takes insurance. He has you come in for two partial days and then treats thereafter from a distance. It is worth a try since he got me back to work in 3 weeks.
 

CindyWillis

Senior Member
Messages
116
No. But they are always short like 30 minutes so cheap. If you have CFS, I would go to him. Look up Dr. Sharp under the search function and see my story of recovery. I swear I owe Dr. Sharp and Dr. Cheney my life.
 

gag

Messages
10

Real new here to all of this and appreciate the forums. Not dx yet,but think i may have cfs. I was searching youtube once, and came across Teitelbaum whose name is frequent on the phoenix home site. Obviously, you guys must not think he's anything of an expert because doesn't he practice in Annapolis and no one is mentioning him here as a local DC area doc. of choice. What's the scoop on Dr. T. ? i read some posts about some of his doc's are not too good.
 
Messages
2
Cindy:Dr Sharp doesn't require at least one visit per yr?

Cindy- Does Dr Sharp require at least one face to face visit per yr after the initial office visit? (I am curious, because I think most drs do, esp if they are prescribing meds)
Is he primarily into an alternative approach now, or does he use both allopathic and alterntative treatments (integrative), depending on the need? Thx, Les



I live in the DC area and use Dr. Sharp in Fort Worth Texas since he works with patients from a distance and takes insurance. He has you come in for two partial days and then treats thereafter from a distance. It is worth a try since he got me back to work in 3 weeks.
 

maddietod

Senior Member
Messages
2,859
Just found this thread. I live in Annapolis, and have seen both Dr Teitelbaum and Dr Weiss, albeit 10 and 12 years ago. Dr. Weiss and Dr. Teitelbaum worked in the same group practice before Dr. T wrote his first book. I haven't seen a doctor in 5 years because I don't have insurance.

Dr. T has his whole system mapped out, and he works within his "SHINE protocol." I haven't heard that he does any of the testing being talked about on this forum. He didn't help me long term. Short term I got a lot of relief from taking Cortef, but I weaned myself off it because of side effects.

I'm curious about Dr. Weiss's current incarnation. I liked him a lot as a person - kind and a little jokey, good listener. I think his practice is just him. He doesn't take insurance; you submit it yourself. If anybody local is curious about his practice, I could go over there and ask some questions.

Halo, what did you end up doing?
 
Messages
53
Location
Washington, DC
Just found this thread. I live in Annapolis, and have seen both Dr Teitelbaum and Dr Weiss, albeit 10 and 12 years ago. Dr. Weiss and Dr. Teitelbaum worked in the same group practice before Dr. T wrote his first book. I haven't seen a doctor in 5 years because I don't have insurance.

Dr. T has his whole system mapped out, and he works within his "SHINE protocol." I haven't heard that he does any of the testing being talked about on this forum. He didn't help me long term. Short term I got a lot of relief from taking Cortef, but I weaned myself off it because of side effects.

I'm curious about Dr. Weiss's current incarnation. I liked him a lot as a person - kind and a little jokey, good listener. I think his practice is just him. He doesn't take insurance; you submit it yourself. If anybody local is curious about his practice, I could go over there and ask some questions.

Halo, what did you end up doing?

I've heard Dr. Weiss is a very kind man. I have not seen him.
I've been doing the doctor bounce for quite a while, but just today met with
the sharpest practioner I've met in a long time, a Naturopath. Does not take insurance.
I'm very hopeful and excited.
If anyone in the area wants her name, feel free to PM me.
I never know how much these docs want their names publicized :)
 
Messages
98
Halo,

What was your experience with Dr. Vinitsky? I've seen him a few times in the past and just had an appointment with him a couple of months ago. He wants me to do the B12-folic acid protocol (he puts everyone on that). When I tried it about 4 years ago, it seriously interfered with my sleep (which was already very bad), so I didn't continue it. Plus there were lots of side effects (palpitations, hot flashes, etc.) He says that if you keep taking more of the B12-folic the side effects go away, but I never lasted more than a few days on it. He said I was the only patient he's had who couldn't take it. So, I'm curious as to what your experience was with him.

As for other MD-DC-VA CFS practitioners, you could check into the Fibro and Fatigue Center in Baltimore. You have to submit your own insurance with them, but their website says there is an option to pay a monthly fee which covers all of your office visits, supplements and IV's. I haven't been there yet, but have been thinking about going. They do the SHINE protocol, which I tried about 14 years ago with Dr. Teitelbaum. It didn't really help (although I'm not able to tolerate most drugs and it uses quite a few), but I know that they've expanded the protocol in recent years. Someone in an earlier post said something about Dr. Teitelbaum's doctors (he's the Medical Director of the Fibro and Fatigue Centers) not being that great. I'm interested to hear more about that, if anyone knows anything (especially about the doctor in the Baltimore office).

I think Dr. Weiss does the same SHINE protocol as Dr. Teitelbaum (they are good friends), so I don't know if he would be any better than the Fibro and Fatigue Center doctor in Baltimore. I saw Dr. Weiss briefly in 1997, after Dr. Teitelbaum left the practice. But Dr. Weiss then left practicing medicine completely for about 6 years to do something unrelated. He started doing medicine again in 1995.

You might consider one of the holistic doctors at National Integrated Health Associates in D.C. (near Chevy Chase). I think doctor Garson is supposed to be pretty good, but I don't know for sure.