Telemedicine & Virtual Consultations
Distance shouldn't stand between you and the care you need. We offer secure virtual visits alongside our in-person care, for patients across the country and beyond.
Is Telemedicine for You?
Some patients aren't able to drive to our office, don't have a schedule that allows an in-person visit, or live in another part of the country. We don't think distance should stand between you and the care you need.
For patient convenience, we offer both in-person visits and virtual health consultations, also called “telemedicine.” We currently see patients across the country and even outside the United States. Contact us with any questions — we're here to help.
970-532-2755
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I communicate with the doctor?
Communication happens by phone or through the secure video platform built into our HIPAA-compliant electronic health record (EHR) system — not consumer apps like Skype or FaceTime — so your health information stays private and protected.
What if I need labs or natural medicine products?
We work with labs across the United States, and many tests can be run at home using take-home kits we provide. Any natural medicine products ship directly to your door — or wherever you're staying, including a hotel while traveling.
What if I want to fly out for one of my visits?
We're located about 50 minutes north of Denver International Airport, just off I-25, with plenty of lodging options nearby in Longmont or Loveland.
More About Virtual Health Consultations
Our HIPAA-protected EHR video platform lets us do more than talk — we can visually examine your concerns, share lab results, and walk through diagrams to help you understand your condition. We use secure screen sharing so you can see exactly what we're looking at.
Many patients choose telemedicine when they can't make it into the office — whether they're out of state, traveling, or working around a scheduling conflict. It's also helped us stay connected with patients and avoid gaps in care during natural disasters and other emergencies.
Many of the labs we use offer take-home versions of their tests that are just as accurate as what we'd run in-office. For diagnostics like bloodwork, we're networked with laboratories nationwide, so convenient access is available in nearly any state.
Telemedicine appointments are treated the same as our in-office visits. Your first appointment typically runs 60–90 minutes depending on the complexity of your case, with follow-ups from 15–60 minutes. Please have any old labs ready in advance, and a written timeline of your symptoms or a food diary can help us too.
Ready to Schedule a Virtual Visit?
Reach out and we'll help you find the right fit — whether that's an in-person appointment or a virtual consultation from wherever you are. Call 970-532-2755
Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine is a relatively common condition that can be present for years before it is detected. That’s because despite overuse of antibiotics, antacids, and other medications that wipe out friendly intestinal bacteria, many physicians don’t test their patients for it.
Instead, people with chronic digestive problems such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation are often told they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when the underlying problem is actually small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Given that IBS is the number one gastrointestinal diagnosis, bacterial overgrowth could be greatly under-diagnosed.
For instance, a study by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in California examined 202 people who met the diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome and gave them a test for bacterial overgrowth called the lactulose hydrogen test.
Researchers found that 157 of the 202 people (78%) had bacterial overgrowth. When the unwanted intestinal bacteria were eradicated, symptoms of IBS improved in 48% of the subjects, particularly diarrhea and abdominal pain.
It’s not just people with IBS-like symptoms that have bacterial overgrowth. Bacterial overgrowth can also present with non-digestive symptoms such as fatigue. It’s believed to be involved in chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, allergies, arthritis, lupus, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions.
What is Bacterial Overgrowth?
It’s not an overstatement to say that the small intestine is the most important segment of the entire digestive tract, which starts at the mouth and ends at the rectum. Nutrients we eat — carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals — are absorbed in the small intestine. If anything interferes with the absorption here, nutrient deficiencies can result.
The small intestine normally contains relatively small numbers of bacteria. However, certain factors can cause the growth of excess bacteria.
Through a process called bile acid deconjugation, the unwanted bacteria causes fat malabsorption. It also blocks carbohydrates from being absorbed. Intead, they’re left to ferment in the intestines, resulting in gas, bloating, pain, mucus in stools, foul-smelling gas and stools, and diarrhea. Sweets and starchy foods cause the worst symptoms.
Toxic metabolic substances produced by the bacteria injures intestinal cells and impairs absorption, resulting in nutrient deficiencies, food allergies and intolerances, and poorly functioning digestive enzymes.
What Causes Bacterial Overgrowth?
Decreased motility in the small intestine – caused by excess dietary sugar, chronic stress, and conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, and scleroderma. In the United States, up to 40% of chronic diarrhea in people with diabetes is associated with bacterial overgrowth.
Hypochlorhydria – as people get older, the amount of stomach acid they secrete decline. Because stomach acid is acidic and helps to kill bacteria in the small intestine, if there is less stomach acid, bacteria are more likely to proliferate. Another very common cause of hypochlorhydria is due to excessive use of antacids.
Structural abnormalities in the small intestine – gastric bypass surgery, small intestinal diverticula, blind loop, intestinal obstruction, and Crohn’s disease fistula are some of the structural causes of bacterial overgrowth.
Other causes include immune deficiency, stress, certain medications such as steroids, antibiotics, and birth control pills, inadequate dietary fiber, and pancreatic enzyme deficiency.
Symptoms
- abdominal bloating and gas after meals
- pain
- constipation
- chronic loose stools or diarrhea – studies have found 48% to 67% of people with chronic diarrhea had bacterial overgrowth
- soft, foul-smelling stools that stick to the bowl
- fatigue – megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 malabsorption
- depression
- nutritional deficiency despite taking supplements
- weight loss
- abdominal pain
- mucus in stools
- bloating worse with carbs, fiber, and sugar
Natural Remedies for Bacterial Overgrowth
It can be difficult to get proper testing and treatment for bacterial overgrowth, because some doctors don’t understand this condition. The conventional treatment for bacterial overgrowth is antimicrobial drugs.
There are three parts to the natural treatment of bacterial overgrowth:
Diet – low carbohydrate diet
Eradicate unfriendly bacteria in the small intestine using herbs and natural anti-microbial angents
Replace – Bacterial overgrowth impairs friendly bacteria (“probiotics”) and digestive enzymes