What if the symptoms you ignored today turned into a life-threatening health crisis tomorrow?
That’s exactly what happened to me. As a doctor, I thought I knew my body well enough to brush off shortness of breath and a racing heart. But what started as a minor inconvenience turned into a harrowing journey through the healthcare system—one that almost cost me my life.
This is my cautionary tale for patients and practitioners alike—and a reminder that sometimes, the answers we need are right in front of us. (Watch the video of this story here.)
The First Signs: When Fatigue Isn’t Just Fatigue
April 27, 2024, was the day my life changed. But in hindsight, the warning signs had been there for weeks.
I was getting winded—easily. A short walk to the mailbox left me gasping for air. My wife and I have a long-running joke about how I tend to outpace her on walks without realizing it. Suddenly, I was the one struggling to keep up.
I chalked it up to stress—long hours, big projects. It would pass, I told myself.
Then came the night my heart woke me up.
A Heart Racing Out of Control
At 2 a.m., I bolted awake. My heart was pounding—200 beats per minute. My usual resting heart rate? Mid-60s. I couldn’t catch my breath.
I called my primary care practitioner, and she told me what any good doctor would: Go to the ER.
But in typical doctor fashion, my first thought was:
"I can’t go to the ER—I have patients to see in the morning."
The next day, I felt a little better. I got up, fed the dogs, fed the horses—until I barely made it back inside. I looked at my wife and said the words no one wants to hear from their spouse:
"Take me to the hospital."
Trapped in the System: When Tests Come Back ‘Normal’
At the ER, they ran every test. Heart scans. Lung scans. Bloodwork.
Nothing.
Except for high blood pressure, I was a medical mystery. They sent me home with a heart monitor and a prescription for beta blockers.
And that’s when things got worse.
Medication Roulette: Feeling Worse, Not Better
I don’t take prescription meds. But since my doctor was holistically minded, I trusted her.
Within days, I felt like a shell of myself. No energy. No appetite. Losing a pound a day. The heart monitor results? Still normal.
I went to the cardiologist, hoping for answers. Another EKG—normal. He prescribed a calcium channel blocker and told me to switch meds.
Two doses in, I felt like I had been poisoned.
The Missing Puzzle Piece: A Simple Question That Changed Everything
A friend suggested I get a Myers’ Cocktail IV—a mix of high-dose vitamin C, magnesium, and minerals. Something I’d normally recommend to patients, but in “patient mode”, I wasn’t thinking clearly.
It helped—a little.
Then my wife asked a simple question:
"Have you called Michael?"
Michael Galitzer, MD, is a nationally renowned energy medicine and anti-aging doctor—a good friend and former colleague. I left him a voicemail.
He called me back immediately.
I explained everything—the heart symptoms, the ER, the meds, the exhaustion. His first question?
"Has anyone checked your thyroid?"
Not one doctor had.
The Diagnosis Allopathic Medicine Didn’t Consider
Michael overnighted me some homeopathic remedies and ordered thyroid labs.
The results? I was hyperthyroid.
I never would have guessed it. I didn’t match the typical hyperthyroid profile. But there it was—clear as day.
Michael sent me for an ultrasound to rule out a tumor—thankfully, negative.
Still, every doctor I saw had been laser-focused on my heart, never thinking to look upstream at my thyroid.
This oversight is not uncommon. Hyperthyroidism often masquerades as a heart condition, with symptoms like palpitations, shortness of breath, and rapid heart rate—which is exactly what led me to the ER in the first place. In fact, according to Harvard Health,
“The symptoms often include nervousness, shortness of breath, palpitations caused by a fast heart rate, feeling hot when others are comfortable, trouble sleeping, and weight loss despite being hungry all the time.”
Despite these well-documented links, thyroid function is often overlooked in cardiovascular cases. A 2022 study published in Cureus found that hyperthyroidism directly impacts the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of complications like atrial fibrillation, high blood pressure, and even heart failure [PMC]. Another study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology emphasized that untreated hyperthyroidism significantly increases cardiovascular mortality, particularly in older adults [ScienceDirect].
Yet not one of my allopathic doctors considered this possibility.
I was referred to an endocrinologist—but the earliest appointment was six months away. Six months?! I could be dead in six months.
Then it hit me.
The Bioformula I Forgot I Created
For years, I had been developing bioformulas—natural, doctor-formulated remedies that integrate gemmotherapy, lithotherapy, and organotherapy.
One of them? A formula for hyperthyroidism.
I had developed it for practitioners, so it wasn’t even listed on my website. It’s similar to Thyro Support, but is designed to downregulate the thyroid, support the adrenals, and improve overall resistance. I was so caught up in “patient mode” that it hadn’t even crossed my mind to take this formula I’d created.
I immediately started taking it, along with the homeopathic remedies Michael sent.
Healing Beyond the Prescription Pad
Over the next few months:
✔️ My thyroid levels normalized
✔️ My blood pressure stabilized
✔️ I weaned off all prescription meds
✔️ I got my life back
I am living proof that pharmaceuticals aren’t the only option—and that treating symptoms in isolation often misses the bigger picture.
Lessons for Patients & Practitioners
- When you’re sick, you’re not thinking clearly. Have a trusted advocate come along to appointments. Or, record the conversation and play it back to someone you trust.
- Doctors shouldn’t treat themselves. Run your plan by a colleague.
- Work stress can be a silent killer. Listen when someone tells you to slow down.
- Have a plan to get off medications when possible. Many are only meant to be temporary!
- All drugs have risks. If something doesn’t feel right, speak up.
- Non-pharmaceutical solutions exist. Find a holistic, integrative practitioner.
- Specialists know their stuff—but they miss the big picture. Find a primary care doctor who takes a holistic approach to your health.
The right diagnosis changes everything.
Final Thoughts: A Call for Smarter Healthcare
My experience wasn’t unique. Millions of people are misdiagnosed or given symptom-suppressing treatments instead of root-cause solutions.
We need a new approach—one that blends conventional medicine with holistic, patient-centered care.
💡 If you or a loved one are struggling with unexplained symptoms, don’t stop asking questions. The answer might be simpler than you think.
