Calling all Aussies! Anyone tried Dr Richard Schloeffel?

[CFSNZ]

I came across this article recently:

http://www.mindfood.com/at-health-mind-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.seo

It's an interview with a holistic practitioner, Dr Schloeffel, about CFS. A few things about the article struck me:

• Dr Schloeffel says 50% of his patients fully recover, and 20% significantly improve. He does not specify what time frame this is over, or whether any of these patients are severe / complex cases. However, this seemed like a good prognosis from what I understand about CFS
• He doesn't consider CFS to be a final diagnosis, and makes an effort to ascertain what 'type of CFS' a patient has. I think this is logical idea given that CFS is often a diagnosis by exception and different patients have reported different triggers (e.g. viral, chemical exposure, severe stress). Therefore, it seems plausible that two CFS patients may have a completely different illness, but get lumped together in this diagnosis by exclusion. Dr Schloeffel says he was trained as a 'diagnostic physician', so one would hope he is not too quick to throw everyone in the CFS basket!
• He appears strongly against the view that CFS is a psychological illness. Great quote copied below

So I suppose I would like to ask two things:

• If you have seen Dr Schloeffel, could you please share your experience? I live in New Zealand, and would be very interested to know whether it may be worth a trip to Australia for a consultation
• If you haven't seen Dr Schloeffel, what is your impression? Is this worth further investigation or am I being sucked in (...again)

A quote from the article:
"Anyone who tells someone with CFS that it’s in their mind, has made a huge diagnostic error – it’s a criminal, negligent offense against the patient."

 

[merylg]

I have sent you a PM/"Conversation" ...

 

[SanDiego#1]

I came across this article recently:

http://www.mindfood.com/at-health-mind-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.seo

It's an interview with a holistic practitioner, Dr Schloeffel, about CFS. A few things about the article struck me:

• Dr Schloeffel says 50% of his patients fully recover, and 20% significantly improve. He does not specify what time frame this is over, or whether any of these patients are severe / complex cases. However, this seemed like a good prognosis from what I understand about CFS
• He doesn't consider CFS to be a final diagnosis, and makes an effort to ascertain what 'type of CFS' a patient has. I think this is logical idea given that CFS is often a diagnosis by exception and different patients have reported different triggers (e.g. viral, chemical exposure, severe stress). Therefore, it seems plausible that two CFS patients may have a completely different illness, but get lumped together in this diagnosis by exclusion. Dr Schloeffel says he was trained as a 'diagnostic physician', so one would hope he is not too quick to throw everyone in the CFS basket!
• He appears strongly against the view that CFS is a psychological illness. Great quote copied below

So I suppose I would like to ask two things:

• If you have seen Dr Schloeffel, could you please share your experience? I live in New Zealand, and would be very interested to know whether it may be worth a trip to Australia for a consultation
• If you haven't seen Dr Schloeffel, what is your impression? Is this worth further investigation or am I being sucked in (...again)

A quote from the article:
"Anyone who tells someone with CFS that it’s in their mind, has made a huge diagnostic error – it’s a criminal, negligent offense against the patient."

 

[SanDiego#1]

Sounds great in theory. Hope he is legitimate. However. Even with Cheney-We are being lumped together.
Very few variables in treatment. Even if you get the right tests done-some will not interpret?????
Let me know any info you find out. May be worth the trip!!!

Thanks,

San Diego

 

[CFSNZ]

Sounds great in theory. Hope he is legitimate. However. Even with Cheney-We are being lumped together.
Very few variables in treatment. Even if you get the right tests done-some will not interpret?????
Let me know any info you find out. May be worth the trip!!!

Thanks,

San Diego

Hi San Diego,

Thanks for your comment. I heard that Dr S. may have stopped taking new patients for a while, since he's too busy. Also I think he specialises in under-25's, so that may rule a few people out!

I will let you know if I do a consultation with him, but that may be a little way away!

 

[SanDiego#1]

Hi San Diego,

Thanks for your comment. I heard that Dr S. may have stopped taking new patients for a while, since he's too busy. Also I think he specialises in under-25's, so that may rule a few people out!

I will let you know if I do a consultation with him, but that may be a little way away!

Well the under 25 takes me out. Maybe that is so they can make sure they have a fighting chance and can treat them longer???Ha!

Let me know what you find out.

Take care of yourself.

San Diego

 

[ukxmrv]

If he specialises in that group it makes me suspicious that he is after the easy picking of the post-glandular fever group.

 

[SanDiego#1]

If he specialises in that group it makes me suspicious that he is after the easy picking of the post-glandular fever group.

I am suspicious of all of them now.

San Diego

 

[Jane Robson]

We have been travelling across Australia on a regular basis to see Dr Schloeffel for my daugher and he has been wonderful, thorough and never gives up. The last year has shown huge success and improvements and I would highly recommend him. He is incredibly hard to get in to see but once you get onto his books then he will give you the best available treatment and search for diagnosis thoroughly. It costs us a lot as a family to get to Sydney but it is worth it.

 

[CFSNZ]

We have been travelling across Australia on a regular basis to see Dr Schloeffel for my daugher and he has been wonderful, thorough and never gives up. The last year has shown huge success and improvements and I would highly recommend him. He is incredibly hard to get in to see but once you get onto his books then he will give you the best available treatment and search for diagnosis thoroughly. It costs us a lot as a family to get to Sydney but it is worth it.

Thanks Jane! I appreciate your testimonial.

I don't suppose you could tell me a bit about the specific treatments he uses for your daughter?

I'm based in New Zealand and have tried a lot of things (and spent a lot of money!). I would like to try and see Dr Schloeffel, but my concern is spending more money and time travelling, only to end up with no new ideas.

Many thanks. I hope your daughter is continuing to do well

 

[Recoverygirl2828]

I see Dr Richard Schloeffel, He is one extremely intelligent man!
I have been diagnosed with CFS, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), fibromyalgia, MTHFR defects, leaky gut syndrome etc etc Prior to seeing Dr Schloeffel.
Dr Schloeffel looks at these conditions differently, he looks at it as a symptom to something else rather than a final diagnosis.
When i saw him he did more blood work to find what else i have going on in my system. He uncovered I have Multiple Chronic bacterial infections/parasitic infections/virus' that can in fact cause CFS, POTS etc
The List of Chronic infection/parasite/virus' were:
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Chlamydophilia Pneumoniae
Babesia Duncani
HGE
Epstein barr virus
Brucelliosis
Borrelia (also know as Lyme disease)
Helicobacter pylori

After seeing my results he told me i have chronic neurological Lyme disease/coinfections and he knew exactly how to treat, We started Intravenous Antibiotics and within 4 weeks i started to see significant improvement.
Im still on IV antibiotics as Ive just completed my 8th week but so far so good.

 

[ukxmrv]

How did he do the tests for the infections Recoverygirl. Was it through blood tests to a lab or did he use something like dark field microscopy?

Glad to hear of your improvement.

 

[CFSNZ]

I see Dr Richard Schloeffel, He is one extremely intelligent man!
I have been diagnosed with CFS, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), fibromyalgia, MTHFR defects, leaky gut syndrome etc etc Prior to seeing Dr Schloeffel.
Dr Schloeffel looks at these conditions differently, he looks at it as a symptom to something else rather than a final diagnosis.
When i saw him he did more blood work to find what else i have going on in my system. He uncovered I have Multiple Chronic bacterial infections/parasitic infections/virus' that can in fact cause CFS, POTS etc
The List of Chronic infection/parasite/virus' were:
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Chlamydophilia Pneumoniae
Babesia Duncani
HGE
Epstein barr virus
Brucelliosis
Borrelia (also know as Lyme disease)
Helicobacter pylori

After seeing my results he told me i have chronic neurological Lyme disease/coinfections and he knew exactly how to treat, We started Intravenous Antibiotics and within 4 weeks i started to see significant improvement.
Im still on IV antibiotics as Ive just completed my 8th week but so far so good.

Very helpful reply, thanks so much! I appreciate the detail you provided on the infections, parasites and viruses that the testing uncovered.

I hope you don't mind if I bother you with a few follow-up questions? I would like to undergo some sophisticated bacterial and parasitic infection myself, so I'd be interested to hear a bit more.

• Did you undergo many other tests? If so, what did these focus on?
• Did you have to use any special diagnostic testing facilities (e.g. PCR lab)? Or were these done through standard blood testing?
• How much did the testing cost?
• It's great to hear you're improving. May I ask how you would you rate your energy level before and after Dr Schloeffel's treatments (e.g. 2/10 before, 4/10 after)?
• Was it difficult to get an initial consultation with Dr Schloeffel? I hear he's very popular!
• How was your leaky gut diagnosed (prior to Dr Schloeffel)?

Once again, thanks for your very helpful reply. On an unrelated note, welcome to the forum!

 

[knackers323]

I tried to get in to see this guy and was told he doesnt see people over 25 so i was told to write a letter to him outlining why I wanted to see him and why I thought he could help. Basically made to beg. I was then told, no he wouldn't see me. I guess at 26 I wasn't worth trying to help.

 

[Snow Leopard]

I guess at 26 I wasn't worth trying to help.

Seriously? That is a real shame.

 

[knackers323]

Seriously? That is a real shame.

A shame! ? Ha yeah. I guess that's one word for it.

 

[concepcion]

A dear friend of mine in Sydney just sent me a success story for Dr Richard Schloeffel in Sydney. He also sent me a link to this article - http://www.drgregemerson.com/fact-file/mycoplasma - which I guess outlines the basis for Dr Shloeffel's approach, although it is from another pracitioner, Dr. Greg Emerson in Queensland. The success story is a 28 year-old woman who was very sick for 6 years, bedridden for 3 of those, with symptoms just like those of my 24 year-old daughter with ME/CFS and Hashimoto's. She is now 90% recovered.

 

[knackers323]

A dear friend of mine in Sydney just sent me a success story for Dr Richard Schloeffel in Sydney. He also sent me a link to this article - http://www.drgregemerson.com/fact-file/mycoplasma - which I guess outlines the basis for Dr Shloeffel's approach, although it is from another pracitioner, Dr. Greg Emerson in Queensland. The success story is a 28 year-old woman who was very sick for 6 years, bedridden for 3 of those, with symptoms just like those of my 24 year-old daughter with ME/CFS and Hashimoto's. She is now 90% recovered.

Hi what is the Shloeffel story, if you don't mind

 

[concepcion]

I'm waiting to speak directly with the people involved, but my friend took notes during his conversation with his friends whose daughter had symptoms much the same as my own daughter who has ME/CFS and Hashimoto's. Their daughter is 28, required a wheelchair outside the house, was bedroom bound for 3 years, all up suffered about 6 years before coming across Dr Shloeffel. She is now 90% recovered.

After DNA testing, Dr S diagnosed her with mycoplasma infection. The treatment involves rotating antibiotics, which she took for about 12 months. For the first few weeks as the antibiotics started to work, she felt quite sick as the toxins were released from body ('Herxheimer reaction'). But progressively the reaction grew less and she got better. Last night she went out with her friends, drove her own car and soon will be starting a part time job.

Here is a link my friend sent me at the suggestion of the mother: http://www.drgregemerson.com/fact-file/mycoplasma

 

[knackers323]

Ok thanks I am really interested to hear the story and the doses, meds etc. that are involved.