This week on Calling in Sick — it’s EPISODE 100!!! And for this milestone, we brought back the MOST REQUESTED guest in the history of this podcast… Dr. Zach Spiritos. He’s a double board-certified neurogastroenterologist at EverBetter Medicine and this week we’re getting into his zone of expertise. Come back on Wednesday for our discussion on GLP-1s as a new treatment option!
But today, we’re diving into:
🫀 POTS — what is actually happening in the body when you stand up, why only 15-20% of patients actually faint, the POTS subtypes, and the full treatment toolkit
🦴 hEDS — the TLDR on EDS and the subtypes that exist, the groundbreaking Norris Lab research linking hEDS to the immune system's complement pathway, the "loose yet tight" paradox that explains why hEDS patients have such rigid tense muscles, and new cutting-edge treatments
🦠 MCAS — why mast cell activation syndrome is so much broader than hives and anaphylaxis, the comorbidities of MCAS, medication trauma, and the epithelial barrier theory that explains why modern industrial environments are making this community sicker (and explains the vacation phenomenon!!)
🔗 Why these three travel together — the upstream immune and nervous system drivers that connect all three, why the fragmented medical specialty system keeps failing this population, and what it actually takes to find a quarterback provider who can treat all three simultaneously
🤍
xx, Alex
💬 Comment: Do you have one, two, or all three of the trifecta? If so, how long did it take you to get diagnosed?
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Intro:
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
00:00:31 Introduction of Guest Dr. Zack Spiritos
The 411 on POTS:
00:02:55 Deep Dive into POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
00:04:40 Subtypes & Mechanisms of POTS
00:07:43 POTS Diagnostic Testing (Nasaline vs. Tilt Table Test)
00:11:17 Treatment & Lifestyle Changes for POTS Patients
The 411 on EDS & hEDS:
00:19:13 Demystifying hEDS (Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome)
00:26:42 Treatment Strategies
00:34:01 Fragmented Healthcare & Finding a "Unicorn" Provider
The 411 on MCAS:
00:37:54 Unpacking MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) & Barrier Theory
00:43:10 The Connection Between MCAS and Endometriosis
00:46:24 The "Vacation Phenomenon" & Environmental Factors
The Trifecta:
00:53:59 Identifying Less Obvious Symptoms (Brain Fog & Severe Bloating)
00:56:36 Medical PTSD & Formulating Compound Medication
Conclusion:
00:58:59 One Brain Cell Segment: Shrinking (Apple TV)
01:04:08 Thank you for listening!
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• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/
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Connect with our Guest, Dr. Spiritos!
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drzacspiritos/?hl=en
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.zac.spiritos
• EverBetter Medicine - https://everbettermedicine.health/
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
#MCAS #POTS #EDS #hEDS #Trifecta #MastCellActivationSyndrome #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #ChronicIllness #SpoonieLife #InvisibleIllness #DrZachSpiritos #EverBetterMedicine #EpithelialBarrier #ChronicIllnessTrifecta #Dysautonomia #ConnectiveTissue #AutoimmuneDisease #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson
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