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Sponaugle wellness

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Lyme Disease
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knice
New Member
Joined : Oct 2009
Posts : 2
Posted 5/20/2013 4:54 PM (GMT -7)
Does anyone have any information on dr. Sponaugle's wellness center in Florida?
Positive or negative

Knice
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Shabbychic
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2012
Posts : 395
Posted 5/21/2013 1:32 PM (GMT -7)
I have never heard of it until now. I looked it up and it seems alot like Envita Medical Center in AZ without the use of antibiotics. The patients seem to have to commit to an unknown period of time however. They also don't give an inkling as to how much it costs which is always a little worrisome. I understand they tailor treatment to each patient and not all patients will need the same amount of treatment etc., but it would still be nice if they listed a ballpark figure.

I've been on this forum for a year and I have never even heard this name before so it will be interesting to see if anyone else pipes in on this. Great question, glad you asked!
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bdoc
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 127
Posted 5/21/2013 9:42 PM (GMT -7)
Knice
I looked into Sponaugle after seeing the YouTube video of Yolanda Foster and her dealing with Lyme. She went to Sponaugle and specifically thanked them. Look up her video. Sorry that I don't have more info. They do sound expensive, but I don't know for sure
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justascarf2
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2012
Posts : 128
Posted 5/31/2013 5:57 PM (GMT -7)
Hey all -
I just got back from Sponaugle Wellness and was actually there while Yolanda was there. I can tell you that the program is ever evolving so things are constantly changing based on new research and new protocols that they develop. From when I started until when I ended, people coming in were on different payment plans and in some cases treatment plans. It is expensive but from the people I met who left before me, most all seem to be doing really well and those who took off early seem to be struggling more then others.

Here is what I can tell you... about 80% of the patients have the HLA genes for multi-suceptibility (Sponaugle's group refers to it as Mold and Lyme gene) or the Mold gene. These genes keep you from being able to build antibodies to mold, lyme and other toxins depending on which genes you have. Because of this, your body stores these toxins into your tissues, muscles and organs and over time it adds to your biofilm. The big focus at Sponaugle Wellness is on your brain gut connection and how to balance out your hormones and imbalances in your brain chemistry so that you can then clean up your gut to build up your immune system since the majority of your immune system is in your gut. If you break up enough of the biofilm with an improved immune system, you too can fight lyme, mold, and other tb illnesses that come along for the ride.

There is a big look into mold at this center which has been a huge eye opener for me and my family. We have had mold in the past but were unaware that how we remediatied it likely only opened up our lives to more micotoxins from mold spores. The belief here is that if you don't get rid of the mold in your body and break up the biofilm that you will never get better. So the focus seems to be more on that first and then the lyme and some of the other treatments will get the rest that you have brewing in you. It turns out that after having my family tests, we all have mold levels higher then the CDC allowed levels so we are clearly living in a moldy environment.

There is a misnomer about this clinci... they do use a small dose of iv antibiotics if you have certain issues like bartonella. They will also use mepron if you have babesia (I think that's it but I don't babesia so I can't speak to that). They will also use some prescription drugs when you need them like those to block the over electrification of the brain. Because of their use of supplements, herbal protecols, prescriptions and vitamins and minerals, they seem to keep the herxing to a minimum which is pretty nice. Everything is used for a temporary bit of time and based on you and only your needs. They will use bioidentical hormones to help with plummeting hormones during a killing cycle and they watch you like a hawk. It is outpatient, everything at the clinic is basically via IV and a lot of proprietary IVs with lots of good things in them. I can tell you that as someone with a huge science and brain background, they have done their research. I have seen and read some of the same research and they are really pretty ahead of the curve in a lot of areas compared to some of the other LLMDs out there.

This is not for everyone but it seems to work for a lot of people. They have about a 9% failure or relapse rate which is pretty impressive for the over 12,000+ patients that have walked through those doors. While there I saw many people who were wheeled in and were on their last leg with things like organ failure in addition to lyme and mold and the rest of it. Many walked out or moondanced out and it was quite amazing. From what I have found from staying in touch with about 50+ people that after leaving the program and being home for about 4-5 weeks, they are feeling amazing and their post treatment testing is showing that they have done a massive job at getting rid of most of the lyme/mold/etc. at least to the point that we can say we've gotten rid of it.

As for cost for the program I would contact them and talk to a patient coordinator who can answer what their current plan is. From what I heard it's $3000 a week including the majority of the supplements and doctors visits as well as daily nurse visits and all of your IVs. You do get multiple IVs on most days and are on a lot of supplements while in the program. When I started we were doing weekly blood draws, weekly external kits to test for mold and weekly amino acid testing and seeing the doctor with your nurse weekly. I was also seen by a nurse daily who checked my symptoms and was able to work with the doctor on the spot to change up my IVs and add or subtract what was needed. The majority of the patients I met were there for 7-9 weeks.

It's a big time and money commitment and I will have to see how I feel as time goes on. I've only been home for a few days so I can't say how I'm going to be but I'll let you know in a month or so. I would say that this group was able to identify issues that I've been having for a long time, show or tell me why (which other docs have not been able to) and were able to provide me with some different testing that showed my assumed diagnosis like bartonella and lyme. My doctors were treating me based on symptoms but could never get a positive antibody test for these, not even Igenix. When I saw all of my biofilm and then saw the spirochetes in it I realized why. As I've broken up the biofilm, I've been able to get some positive antibodies which is pretty cool so I'm finally getting the validation that my science based mind needed.

I thought the doctors were great, the nurses were pretty good and all in all, I had a great experience and as we go through follow ups I hope to find more results from my blood testing as well as just feeling better that show that I'm on the road to healing after 20+ years of struggling. And as for Envita, I don't know much about this center but there were at least 5 or 6 former patients from there, two of which were local to the Envita area in AZ and they were all being treated here after unsuccessful treatment at Envita. I am sure you can say this about any program but I liked to listen to them complain about what didn't work there. I think Envita sounds great but from the chatter I heard, I think their program is slightly different, treatments are less aggressive at Envita and they don't spend much time focusing on some of the same mind/body connections or enough on the mold connection at Envita. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing but that's what I heard.

I hope this has helped. I will gladly share with you more as the time goes by. Right now I am trying to get readjusted to life after being away for a while and trying to figure out how to remmediate the mold in my house. And one thing I did learn was that Candida is interpreted as a mold in your body. IF you have have the mold or lyme and mold/multisuceptible genes that you have to get your candida under control for the rest of your life. They do focus on candida cleanses to help with that as well at Sponaugle Wellness. Just something for others to think about. I know I've fought candida for the past 10 years and had an uphill battle so hope I can get that under control!
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wellbeautifulspirit
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 671
Posted 5/31/2013 6:38 PM (GMT -7)
I am going to try it,

I have spoke to some people there

it is expensive, that is the thing for me

every body is different, that is the problem with this disease

and different regimes,

it is a shame, but that is what I have been doing

dr to dr...  living in hotels, cabs,  I am so sick of that,

it is expensive, for hotel stay, and all,  I know that my body may not respond....

but worth a shot

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wellbeautifulspirit
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 671
Posted 5/31/2013 6:49 PM (GMT -7)
just a scarf, thanks for the info

the way you write, you seem clear, you wrote a lot so that is a good sign
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justascarf2
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2012
Posts : 128
Posted 5/31/2013 7:51 PM (GMT -7)
Hey wellbeautifulspirit -
Thanks for your kind words. Let me be completely honest. I have been battling this for a long time (like many) but I did have some testing done at Sponaugle and they said I was one of their top 1% sickest patients based on my tests and the fact that my biofilm was so bad that it was one of the worst they'd ever seen. They said I'm more biofilm then blood. When I met with the doctor, his comment to me was 'how are you sitting here talking to me?'. But I could walk and talk and there were plenty who were there with Parkinson's, MS, in really really bad shape so I was lucky. But in some cases I am sicker then some of them.

The truth is that we all are different. With my bad genes have also come some good ones. It looks like I've inherited my mother's family trait of looking young well into life. My grandmother who's 86 appears to be in her early 70s and still has about 40% of her natural hair color. The reason this is important is that high levels of human growth factor seem to be the cause for many people looking younger. I have high HGF and that is what helps your body continually heal.

So as my body is being destroyed by lyme, protozoa rhumatica, bartonella, mycoplasma and mold, I'm also working hard to heal. That seems to have helped me get to where I am in life but I also believe that the biofilm is also at a tipping point and without breaking it up and getting rid of it I can never get fully better. I also don't detox easily, don't sweat easily and don't have a gallbladder so these are all issues that make me one of the sicker patients.

I am a grass is green right where I am type of gal. I don't believe in the coulda/shoulda/woulda game. I am here and this is what I have to contend with now. I can't go back and change the fact that this should have been addressed decades ago. I've got to deal with today and ensure that there will be many more todays in the future.

As for why I still have my whits about me, my hubby would say that I've got one of the most amazing brains he's ever seen. He's in the brain world and I might even say he fell in love with my brain more then my body! Lucky for me. Now I just have to keep it working. When I get brain fog, in his words, 'you become normal.' For me it's frustrating but others can't tell as much. I can though!

I do wish you the best of luck with this clinic. It is expensive but if it works it's not a bad deal in the long run. I do wish it was more affordable for everyone. When are you going? I may be able to give you patient's names who can help guide you. I passed along the torch when I left but I too can give you lots of tips and resources before you go. Just let me know if you're interested! Happy Healing and I do hope that this works for you.
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wellbeautifulspirit
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 671
Posted 6/1/2013 7:59 AM (GMT -7)
Knice, I will let u know later on.

hang in there. gentle hugs
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Missmarymack
New Member
Joined : Jan 2013
Posts : 3
Posted 6/24/2013 2:11 PM (GMT -7)
I have to agree with everything justascarf2 said.

My husband has just finished 9 weeks and yest it was expensive, but ultimately less expensive than what we spent last year and he is feeling great. There are people there who stay as long as they can afford. Some have lamboroginis and some live in an RV. Some stay for a few months (depending on their symptoms) others stay 3 weeks and then return the following year to build upon their progress.

My husbands issues were all neurological (tremors, shaking, depression). They got him off 4 psych meds because he had been pyschologically misdiagnosed. No shakes, no anxiety, no isolation, no exhaustion. Incredible.

I walked out of our appointment with the nurse and wept for 4 hours. How could we have spent so much resources listening to doctors who didn't know what the hell they were doing! And I have a doctor, who on paper, is a genius. The doctor we saw there was the best I have ever seen and I have seen a lot of "great" integrative doctors who don't understand the first thing about methylation.

I just saw a little 14 year old girl leave last week. She was in a wheelchair to begin with and then one day she stood, the next day she was walking, and the third day she was walking as if she had never had a problem.

There are mixed reviews on the internet. I was discussing this with a Mom whose son had been wheelchair bound from an accident where he feel 30 feet. Sponaugle also treats brain injury. The young man had undergone years of physical and occupational therapy but after the several weeks he was at Sponaugles, he was able to stand on his own. He was able to understand what he was seeing on the television. He still had a ways to go, but they were thrilled with the progress. They are taking a break and returning in three months. This woman's doctor had warned her about the reviews but she said, "there were just as many good," and like us, was at the end of our options.

I think the hardest part is that you don't know how long it will take to heal. We had already booked a flight when the doc warned us that we should stay another two weeks, otherwise he would backslide. We are so glad we did.

Blessings to you all,



I know the plans that I have for you,
plans of good and not of evil,
plans of prosperity and not of calamity
to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29
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lyme2012
New Member
Joined : Jun 2013
Posts : 4
Posted 7/29/2013 9:15 AM (GMT -7)
Justascarf,

How are you feeling? I am starting at Sponaugle this week for chronic lyme. Please let me know how you are feeling. Healing hugs sent your way.
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bdoc
Regular Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 127
Posted 8/10/2013 1:08 PM (GMT -7)
Does anyone have any more information on Sponaugle- specifically how are you doing after returning from the clinic, or if you are there now, what are your opinions?
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SuperLuke
New Member
Joined : Feb 2013
Posts : 19
Posted 8/11/2013 11:52 AM (GMT -7)
up
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sheva
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2012
Posts : 55
Posted 8/15/2013 11:20 AM (GMT -7)
@agallant - how long did you have to wait to set up your visit to the clinic. I first made contact 6 weeks ago. Ive sent in a bunch of test results and such that they askes for, they also asked for a short video clip to show how youre doing, i did that a few weeks ago. Ive called a few times since and all they say is that theyre extremely busy, that im on the waiting list, waiting for the doc to evaluate my case. So just curious, how long did it take for you to get in?
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LymeMeNot
New Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 3
Posted 9/4/2013 7:59 PM (GMT -7)
I just finished reading all of the thread on the Sponaugle Center. Someone I know is down there now and I spoke with his wife and got the impression that it is $3,000 per MONTH, not per WEEK. Can someone clarify this? Also, if one has insurance does insurance pick up any of the cost? I am sure like most other specialty practices they don't accept insurance but can I file out-of-network?

Can I file labs and other tests with my insurance? Or, is it a flat fee for everything? I am not giving up on my doc up here in the DC area but he has a different approach, treat symptomatically and does very little labs. I have MTHFR which makes it hard for my immune system to fight off Lyme and co-infections. I have not been tested for mold. Is there a specific test that I can do up here in Virginia for mold without having to come all the way down to FL?

How much a night does the hotel cost? Is there a shuttle to the clinic? How much time a day does a patient spend at the clinic?

Sorry for all the questions but I have been very sick for 17 years and gone from wheel chair, to walker, to walking, to bed rest every day. I have all the co-infections, parasites, protozoans, etc.... I do detox but have trouble clearing biofilms. My Lyme is very neurological and I am permanently disabled....pretty much NO LIFE from age 20-46. I am upbeat but want to get better before all the abx kill me!
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tonesg
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2009
Posts : 58
Posted 9/5/2013 10:30 AM (GMT -7)
What protocols, therapys does Sponaugle use, specifically? I saw

some u-tube videos promoting this clinic, and it seems odd

that they would be claiming so much success without apparantly waiting

long enough to evaluate their therapy outcomes. It takes many monthes after

treatment to even approach getting a handle on whether or not the lyme and co-infections are temporarilly at bay or one has achieved real lasting relief. Also, what is the explanation for charging so much?

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Ravensgirl
New Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 5
Posted 9/27/2013 5:45 AM (GMT -7)
Hi All,

I am new to this site.  I was recently diagnosed with Lyme and had already been diagnosed with Protomyxzoa.  I called Sponaugle and spoke to a patient coordinator.   When I asked about the price, he said it was $3000 a week.  He also said that the cost for the initial testing they do is about $4500.  He named some other costs for tests along the way.  He said that the average stay was 8-12 weeks but you should stay until you are better.  The hotel they recommend costs $65 a night.  So I estimated it would cost me close to $50,000 for a 10 week stay there..  I told the person I spoke to I would have to think about this. 

I live in Maryland and was also wondering if the mold testing could be done here in the DC area instead of going to Florida.  I have a doctor I like in VA but I don't know if he does that testing or not.

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namaste44
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2010
Posts : 24
Posted 10/3/2013 3:54 PM (GMT -7)
Justascarf - can you give a review of the Sponaugle treatment you received? Have you improved? Was it worth the time/money? Thanks idea
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davidteddy
New Member
Joined : Nov 2012
Posts : 8
Posted 10/10/2013 9:54 AM (GMT -7)
this message is for justascarf2 above. I am interested in talking to you in more depth about the spunaugle clinic as at one time I was looking into this for my wife but got scared off by negative chatter but am looking at them again and was very encouraged by your post...I do not know much about how to personally talk to someone on here but I am desperate to get some help for my wife...how can we talk? david
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davidteddy
New Member
Joined : Nov 2012
Posts : 8
Posted 10/10/2013 4:51 PM (GMT -7)
for lymemenot....just wondering if you have any reports from the person you know who is at spunaugle clinic?
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Soaring Free
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 714
Posted 10/10/2013 5:44 PM (GMT -7)
Ravensgirl ~

There's a company that tests for mold. You need to have a Dr's signature. This might be what your doctor could take care of for you.

http://www.realtimelab.com/home

Good luck and all the best, and welcome!!
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Deejavu
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2005
Posts : 4771
Posted 10/11/2013 2:56 AM (GMT -7)
Hi all,

I know nothing about this clinic or any other clinic for that matter.  I became well using a protocol at home that consisted of taking botanicals and incorporating detoxing and diet changes.  I also learned (the hard way) how to lower my stress levels.

What I would like to say is that a person could go to any clinic but when they get home if they don't detox on a daily basis (detox baths, dry skin brushing, food detox baths, infrared sauna, etc.), eat the right foods, reduce their stress levels, etc. then any clinic in my opinion is a waste of money. 

I know people are desperate to get well as I was.  But if a person doesn't look at the big picture (every aspect of their life) then no matter what clinic they go to (in my opinion) will be a waste unless the clinic teaches that person what I mentioned above.

Getting well is more than taking antibiotics or herbs, it's about taking a good hard look at the way one is living their life and making changes.  Again, I'm talking about detoxing, diet, lowering stress, etc.

Just my opinion,

Denise 

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AngelSB
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2013
Posts : 30
Posted 10/14/2013 4:55 PM (GMT -7)
Does anyone have any updates on how they fared after going to Sponaugle? I am going Nov 2 and am nervous about the treatment, cost, if it will work. If someone could let me know I would so appreciate it!
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sareiob
New Member
Joined : Oct 2013
Posts : 11
Posted 10/15/2013 10:36 AM (GMT -7)
I would love to know about sponagle as well. I am considering this.
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Deejavu
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2005
Posts : 4771
Posted 10/15/2013 4:57 PM (GMT -7)
Hi AngelSB and sareiob,

From what I have researched this clinic uses holistic medicine which I am all for.  Have you read books so you know what to expect if you go and what to expect when you get home?   I suggest reading:

Stephen Buhner's book called "Healing Lyme" (www.amazon.com) and

Dr. Jernigan's book "Beating Lyme" (www.hansacenter.com) and click on store.

Please do your research and learn as much as you can about lyme disease because I get scared that people will go to these clinics and expect to walk out 100% better which is usually not the case.   Getting better from chronic lyme entails so many different aspects, not just taking botanicals..   

Once again, I believe a person should educate themselves before committing to any type of clinic or treatment protocol.

Best of luck!

Denise

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LaLaFisher
New Member
Joined : Oct 2013
Posts : 1
Posted 10/16/2013 6:41 PM (GMT -7)
I was hoping to get in touch with the person in MD,DC,VA area about Spinaugle. I have Lymes and just gave them a deposit to go. I ws curious who the doctors were in the DC area you went to.
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