I write this review for the benefit of others, so they do not waste their time and money here.
Overview:
I have been seeing Dr. Tuchinsky for about four weeks now. The initial consultation is free, then there is a pricey, extensive blood test required to move forward. I had it done and it had some interesting findings, but ultimately, the test was not much different compared to what an MD would order during an annual physical. During the appointment when the results were to be reviewed, Dr. Tuchinsky didn't go into much clinical specificity and quickly slapped a piece of paper on the desk with all of the supplements he recommended for me. I looked at a few of them and had heard of their benefits through prior research, so I thought, why not.
I started taking the supplements and kept to my normal diet the first week. I naturally did not consume most of the allergens he asked that I stay away from (dairy, eggs, refined sugar, etc.). The second week, I was to eliminate all allergens, including wheat. For the following two weeks, I did not consume wheat/gluten and I can honestly say, I feel so much better than I ever have. This was my hypothesis when I first met him, but we really didn't discuss that (see "Clinical Acumen" below).
Ultimately, I cannot validate that the supplements made me feel better or if it was cutting out gluten. I also declined to take the supplements for week three since Dr. Tuchinsky could not articulate their intended effects. He did offer to email me details about the supplements, but I would rather my provider know what he was giving me to put into my body. I cannot put that trust in someone blindly.
I would not recommend this practice to others. The second star has been given because they were flexible with scheduling appointments.
BEWARE that you will have to sign a waiver that your payment (and it is QUITE a lot) is non-refundable. He did not offer to reimburse me the cost of the supplements I declined to take. And to me, this says a lot about the motives of a business.
Clinical Acumen:
This was my first warning sign. When I asked Dr. Tuchinsky about the clinical impact for one of the supplements, he was only able to tell me, "I am resetting your entire gut microbiome." Yes, thank you, but that does not tell me what role, for instance, a glutathione supplement plays and which organ it is targeting. He never fully listened to me, and was very insistent on only focusing on the supplements.
Supplements:
One of the supplements gave me heartburn. When I revealed this to him at my most recent visit, Dr. Tuchinsky stated that he knew about this side effect and didn't want to tell me about so as not to deter me from the program. This is unacceptable. What if I didn't stop taking it and had other serious side effects? Luckily, I stopped immediately.
I explained that for religious reasons, I would not take supplements with gelatin or fish oil in them. I really had to push back despite his persistence with trying to get me to take them. Ultimately, he did find an alternative for one of the supplements and the other one he did not. The cost of this latter supplement was not reimbursed even though I never took it.
Diet:
This was the only part of the regiment that made sense. All of the allergens he wanted me to eliminate are commonly known. In fact, I would encourage everyone to read the books written by Medical Medium (Anthony William) and implement those dietary changes before you head into the murky and highly unregulated world of supplements.
Take away:
STEER CLEAR and save your hard earned money for organic fruits and veggies! read more
