Your body is designed to heal — but when chronic infections or microbial toxins are disrupting your immune system, that healing can’t happen.
Chronic microbial toxicity refers to a state of long-term immune activation caused by persistent microbes (like Borrelia, Babesia, Candida, Aspergillus, and others) or the toxic byproducts they produce. These biotoxins often evade detection, but their effects are very real — and often debilitating.
The immune system doesn’t simply “get rid of” these microbes the way it might with a cold or flu. Instead, it becomes stuck in a loop — constantly reacting, inflamed, and overwhelmed. This creates a cascade of symptoms that don’t always match textbook definitions, which is why so many people get misdiagnosed.
Misdiagnosed — But Not Imagined
Because chronic microbial toxicity is not typically recognized by conventional medicine, it often gets mislabeled as:
- Autoimmune disease
- Depression or anxiety
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME)
- Fibromyalgia
- Psychosomatic illness
But the truth is, there’s an immune dysfunction at play — it’s just not being picked up on routine lab work.
The Functional Medicine Difference
At Restorative Medicine Center, we don’t chase diagnoses. We dig deeper.
Functional medicine asks why — not just what.
Why is your immune system inflamed?
Why do your symptoms wax and wane?
Why does your body feel stuck in a chronic illness loop, despite clean tests?
We don’t treat symptoms in isolation — we recognize them as clues in a broader story. Whether it’s joint pain, brain fog, hormonal imbalance, or chronic fatigue, we connect the dots back to their root causes — and microbial toxicity is often one of the biggest drivers.
What Is Chronic Microbial Toxicity?
Chronic microbial toxicity doesn’t begin with a diagnosis — it begins with an infection that never fully resolves.
Certain pathogens — often called “stealth pathogens” — have the unique ability to evade the immune system, persist in the body, and continuously release toxins that disrupt your biology over time. This low-level warfare in your body leads to a state of chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction.
Examples of Microbes That Cause Chronic Toxicity:
- Borrelia (Lyme disease)
- Babesia (a malaria-like parasite often co-infecting with Lyme)
- Bartonella (linked to neurological and psychiatric symptoms)
- Mycoplasma (a cell-wall deficient bacterium that affects multiple systems)
- Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) (often reactivates under stress or immune suppression)
- Candida and Aspergillus (fungal overgrowth, especially in the gut or sinuses)
How These Microbes Sabotage Your Health:
- Evade Detection:
They hide inside cells, change forms, or cloak themselves in biofilms — making them nearly invisible to standard immune surveillance and blood testing. - Form Biofilms:
Biofilms are slimy protective barriers that help microbes resist treatment. Think of them like microbial fortresses that antibiotics or antifungals often can’t penetrate. - Suppress or Confuse Immunity:
These pathogens release molecules that suppress immune function or cause the immune system to attack your own tissues — leading to autoimmunity, fatigue, and more. - Release Biotoxins:
The toxins they produce aren’t just waste products — they actively disrupt mitochondria, impair detox pathways, and trigger neuroinflammation, hormonal imbalance, and oxidative stress.
Why Conventional Medicine Misses the Diagnosis
Acute vs. Chronic: A Different Framework
Traditional medicine is built to handle acute infections — the kind that show up with a fever, a positive blood culture, and a short course of antibiotics.
But chronic microbial illness doesn’t behave that way.
These infections are:
- Intracellular — they live inside your cells
- Biofilm-forming — they build protective barriers against detection
- Slow-burning — symptoms develop over time and vary day-to-day
Standard Lab Work Often Misses the Mark
Many of the tests used in conventional practice are simply not designed to detect the kinds of pathogens and immune disruption involved in chronic microbial toxicity.
What’s commonly missed:
- Biofilm-forming organisms (Bartonella, Babesia, Borrelia, Mycoplasma)
- Mycotoxins from mold exposure (not included in routine bloodwork)
- Functional immune panels – like NK cell activity, immunoglobulin subclasses, CD57
- HLA-DR genetic susceptibility – key to understanding chronic biotoxin response
Symptom-Based Treatment = Symptom Suppression
With no clear diagnosis, many patients are treated based on symptoms alone:
- Pain? → NSAIDs, opioids, steroids
- Fatigue? → Stimulants or antidepressants
- Anxiety? → Benzodiazepines
- Autoimmunity? → Immunosuppressants
No Model for Multi-Pathogen, Multi-Toxin Syndromes
Conventional medicine typically looks for one diagnosis at a time. But chronic microbial toxicity is rarely just one thing — it's often:
- Multiple pathogens interacting
- Environmental toxins amplifying inflammation
- Stress and nervous system dysregulation perpetuating illness
Functional Medicine Testing for Chronic Microbial Toxicity
Comprehensive Clinical History Comes First
Every diagnostic workup starts with:
- A thorough intake of your full health timeline
- Symptom pattern tracking (what worsens, when, and why)
- A review of prior testing and what’s been missed
Specialized Screening Tools We Use
- MSIDS Questionnaire
Developed by Dr. Richard Horowitz, this tool screens for multiple infections, toxins, and system involvement. - CIRS Screening
Evaluates symptoms consistent with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), often caused by mold or Lyme-related biotoxins.
Functional Lab Testing Panels
We tailor labs based on your unique clinical picture. Some of the key tools include:
Infection & Pathogen Testing
- Tick-borne pathogen panels (PCR, IFA, and Western blot from trusted labs like Igenex, Galaxy, Vibrant)
- Viral load and reactivation testing (e.g., EBV, CMV, HHV-6)
- Gut pathogen panels (GI-MAP, stool PCR for yeast, parasites, bacteria)
Toxin Identification
- Urine mycotoxin testing to assess mold toxin burden
- Organic Acids Test (OAT) to detect yeast/fungal metabolites, mitochondrial blocks, and detox pathway issues
Immune System Function
- CD57+ NK cell count — often suppressed in chronic Lyme
- Immunoglobulin panels (IgA, IgG, IgM, subclasses)
- NK cell function testing — not just count, but how well they kill
Inflammatory & Regulatory Markers
- TGF-β1 — marker of immune overactivation and tissue fibrosis
- C4a — marker of complement cascade activation (biotoxin inflammation)
- MMP-9 — matrix inflammation and barrier dysfunction
- VEGF & VIP — indicators of oxygen delivery and hypothalamic regulation
Genetic Susceptibility
- HLA-DR Typing — shows if you are genetically prone to retain biotoxins
(Note: not a diagnosis, but a piece of the puzzle)
Functional Treatment Strategies
Phase 1: Stabilize and Support
Before we go after pathogens or toxins, we build your body’s resilience — so you can handle deeper treatment without crashing.
This foundational phase focuses on:
- Nervous system regulation
- Limbic system support (DNRS, meditation, vagal tone work)
- HPA axis repair (adaptogens, cortisol rhythm support)
- Mitochondrial & gut support
- Replenishing key nutrients (CoQ10, B vitamins, carnitine, magnesium)
- Supporting digestive capacity and microbiome balance
- Correcting deficiencies
- Minerals (zinc, selenium, lithium, magnesium)
- Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)
- Essential amino acids, antioxidants, and electrolytes
Phase 2: Reduce Microbial Load
Once your system is more stable, we begin to gently lower the burden of stealth infections and microbial colonizers using targeted therapies.
This may include:
- Herbal antimicrobials
- Botanical blends specific for Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, or viral reactivation
- Gentler than pharmaceuticals, often better tolerated in long-term regimens
- Antivirals
- When EBV, HHV-6, or CMV are persistently reactivated
- Supportive immune modulation alongside antiviral agents
- Antifungals
- For Candida, Aspergillus, or mold colonization (gut, sinuses, lungs)
- Can include botanical or prescription options depending on severity
- Biofilm disruptors
- Enzymes, EDTA, and herbs that help break down protective microbial biofilms
- Makes antimicrobials more effective
- Co-infection targeting
- Babesia (anti-parasitics), Bartonella (vascular support), Mycoplasma (cell membrane repair)
- Co-infections are often the missing piece in complex or relapsing cases
Phase 3: Bind and Eliminate Toxins
At this stage, we support your body’s detoxification and excretion systems in a safe, gentle, and structured way.
Key components may include:
- Binders
- Cholestyramine or Welchol for mold toxins (MARCoNS/mycotoxin patients)
- Activated charcoal, bentonite clay, or zeolite for LPS and microbial metabolites
- Humic/fulvic acids for heavy metals and pesticide residues
- Lymphatic and skin-based detox support
- Far Infrared Sauna (to mobilize fat-soluble toxins)
- Red light therapy (to support mitochondrial resilience during detox)
- Dry brushing, rebounding, and castor oil packs to move the lymph
- Antioxidant and glutathione pathways
- Liposomal or IV glutathione
- NAC, alpha-lipoic acid, Vitamin C
- Nutrient co-factors for methylation and detox (B6, B12, folate, magnesium, selenium)
Phase 4: Rebuild and Restore
This is where we retrain your immune system, repair your cells, and restore your body’s ability to tolerate the world again.
We focus on:
- Vagal nerve rehabilitation
- Tools like breathing exercises, neuroplasticity retraining, cold exposure, and craniosacral therapy
- Rebalances the autonomic nervous system and improves inflammation control
- Mitochondrial repletion
- Targeted supplementation (CoQ10, PQQ, carnitine, NAD+ support)
- Encouraging gentle movement and light exposure to rebuild metabolic flexibility
- Rebuilding immune tolerance
- Addressing immune overreactions to foods, chemicals, and environmental cues
- Using gut-healing, microbiome diversity strategies, and histamine modulation
- Supporting regulatory T-cell function for long-term balance
You’re Not Crazy. You’re Infected, Inflamed, and Ignored.
If you've been told your symptoms are psychological… If your labs are “normal” but you still feel like something is deeply wrong… If you're doing everything right and still not getting better…
You're not broken. You're burdened — by microbes, toxins, and a medical system that doesn’t look for either.
At Restorative Medicine Center, we don’t guess. We test, track, and treat — using advanced functional medicine tools and Dr. Teresa’s Root Cause Triad™ approach to get to the bottom of even the most complex cases.
Contact Information
📍 Restorative Medicine Center
705 Barclay Circle, Suite 115
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
📞 Phone: 248.289.6349
📠 Fax: 248.289.6923
🕘 Office Hours:
Mon–Thurs: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri: Closed
🌐 www.restorativemedcenter.com
📩 Email: drbirkmeier@gmail.com