location: Mechanicsville, MD

Your Question: Dear Dr. Roby,

I have stumbled upon your website in an attempt to find out what is causing my problems. I have been sick for years, most likely starting from early childhood. It has, however, really caught up worse now. I am 52 and have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thryoiditis. For years before dealing with many different doctors and specialists in search of answers yeilding nothing. My adrenals have essentially quit on me. not just fatigue it seems. A sonogram of my thyroid revealed a cyst. I have cysts throughout my body. I use natural progesterone cream and am also on Levothyroxine to manage my thyroid. I also use cortisol cream and adrenal support supplements.

For years, anytime I would come down with any sort of infection, I would go into adrenal crisis and be rushed off to the ER. After being pumped full of IV fluids I would feel better…nothing was ever revealed about anything else, they would send me on my way. I stay in some form pf dehydration all the time. I could drink 12 glasses of water a day and still be dehydrated. In Oct 08, my own menstrual cycle set off adrenal crisis and also then it seemed I stayed in crisis mode until I keyed in that it was my adrenals and so I started
using the cream and supplements. This has stabilized me but the moment I go off this protocol I go into crisis within 24 hours. This happened after being on the thyroid meds for 8 months. I was hoping fixing the thyroid would also address my adrenals. It apparently has not. Now for the last 2 years, my hair has been falling out, breaking off with thin patches; my weight has increased even though my diet has not changed; I am retaining water (edema) and I look about 6 months pregnant.

It seems it is mostly my nightime levels of cortisol are the lowest. I can feel badly, then if I “cream up” within mintues I feel better. Since using the cream, I sleep thorughout the night mostly, but it is a crap shoot as to how I will feel the next day. So, I do feel something else is going on.

I started doing things for my health back in 2001 and saw phenominal improvements. Since then, I have had setbacks (9/11, the anthrax scare, the DC sniper events) all attributing to my decline. I have never fully recovered, yet when I attempt something new that I have discovered, it works for a short time. I see improvement, I feel hope, then after a few days, I suffer some form of setback again and lose hope again. This also happened with starting the thyroid meds. I saw my hair stop falling out and stop breaking, but it only lasted a for about 2 weeks, then back to square one.

There is SO MUCH more to my background that I should share with you, but I don’t have the time to type all of it in. The above is the most recent within 2 years of my health history.

I am scheduled to see another endocrinologist but I am not expecting much since I have been this route before. I believe I have more than one autoimmune disease…yet only the Hashimoto’s has been diagnosed. I am sure now that all of these cysts I have in various places all over my body, some external, some internal are a direct symtpom of something
going on. I suffer from exhausitng fatigue along with muscle pain if I even climb the stairs. Then the next day, I have all kinds of energy and can do heavy yard work without skipping a beat as if I am in the best of health. Somedays I can wake up feeling fine, then it can turn on a dime and I spiral down.

Your thoughts about all of this would be greatly appreciated and if you require more info or have any more questions, please let me know. I cannot stand being like this anymore. i feel I am dying a slow living death and this not only affects me, but also my family too. Anytime I feel badly, they are in a panic as to whether I will be okay or not. I cannot stand what it does to them. I would be okay with leaving this world right now if it wasn’t for them, so my writing to you is for them, not me.
Thanks,

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Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. But let’s just try make up for it now.

The very first thing that I want you to do, is go back on the website, and take advantage of the free download that Dr. Roby is offering of the first chapter of his new book, “Maybe It Is All In Your Head … And You Are NOT Crazy!”. This chapter will introduce you to the role that hormones play in our live, in general, and will give you a great amount of insight on what is happening in your own body with your own hormones, why it is happening, and what can be done about it. You will certainly know more than most doctors you’ve ever been to when you are finished reading it. If you have more questions, just email them to me.

Randomly, I want to remind you that plain water is a natural diuretic, and if you drink too much of it, will cause dehydration and an imbalance in your electrolytes. We suggest that you should also drink a couple of Club Sodas (6 oz. bottles) everyday, to avoid this.

Edema. If you are having an allergic reaction, to anything, you will be over producing mucus, and you will have soft tissue swelling. Your brain is soft tissue. Depending on where the swelling is most pronounced in your brain, will determine which part of the body is going to swell the most, as well. Your body swells, and you can feel really awful. But keep in mind, that it is just an allergic reaction. Sometimes, taking an OTC antihistamine, will do you more good than anything else. A reaction doesn’t mean that you are sick, it just means that you r body is hypersensitive.

Adrenals. Your adrenals are fatigued because you are too low on cortisol (almost anyone born in 1941 forward was born that way), which is supposed to help provide the energy to get through allergy, and fend off minor infections. You are forced to use adrenaline, the really big emergency hormone, for the energy to do everything. This is not good for you, over long periods of time, as you have discovered.

Dr. Roby has been researching this subject for years, and has found, that it has been published in various medical journals, dating back to 1921. It just so happened that the earlier research did not go far enough to explain the phenomena. He took it several steps forward, and today, is able to demonstrate what had been left out.

We think, for example, that auto immune disorders and diseases, are simply a constellation of what we call the “symptoms of hormone imbalance”, and are given a name by traditional medicine. I’ve been right where you are. Diagnosed with multiple autoimmune disorders, treated with vicious drugs, which I really would not take, and informed that I was dying. Nothing traditional worked for me, because they were looking for disease, as they are trained to do, and I didn’t have one. Just an imbalance, which they couldn’t recognize. Then I found Dr. Roby, and was (miraculously, I suppose) cured of the incurable, within 10 seconds of the first testing procedure that he did. If he could do that, who was right? Since I can do the same thing, using his methods, am I a miracle worker? Or is Dr. Roby correct? They do not recognize (although it’s getting better) hormonal issues, and are taught next to nothing about them in medical school.

Your symptoms are classic in our clinics. We see them over and over, every day. All indications from your email, are that you have, at the least, a hormone imbalance, and perhaps, a true allergy to one or more, of your own hormones. I’m sure that we can help you, but you would have to come here for the first visit, and an annual retesting. By law, Texas doctors are not allowed to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any patient they have not seen in person. After the first visit, almost everything can be handled by phone or email. Our phone number is: 800-842-6349, if you need information on making an appointment, or about the practice..

When you go back to the website, try and read the sections on Allergies. Hormone, food and airbornes. They all work together for you, or against you. We can help you to help your body to work the way it should. It starts, with the low cortisol, involves, almost always, progesterone, and adrenaline. We can fix it. If you have to have a diagnosis, hormone imbalance/allergy, is the one to hope for. Easy to diagnose, easy to fix and keep fixed.

One of the best, and the only really safe way to handle your adrenaline, is what we call LDS. Looong, Slooow Dissstance walking. We all do it here. 1 hour, every morning, of slow walking, on a treadmill. Treadmills are relatively cheap here, so most of us have one at home. We don’t want you to be breathless, tired or sweaty. Keep your pulse rate at 90 or below. Then do the same thing again, at night, just before going to bed. This night time walk is for the purpose of dissipating the adrenaline build up of the day. Allows you to get to the 4th level of sleep, which is where the ‘relax and repair’ of the ravages that have occurred because of the adrenaline, are fixed, while you sleep.

Please let me know if I have not answered your questions, or if I can be of more help.

Best regards,

Dorothy Dreux
Roby Institute

Dear Dr. Roby

Hello. I spoke with your assistant Laurie today and she gave me your email address so I could explain my situation and ask any questions of you. I really appreciate your time:

I’m 47 years old. I started my period at 10 or 11. I’ve always had irregular periods, but began having two periods each month since my early 20’s after I gave birth to my 1st son. In the years following, my doctors tried to put me on birth control pills (estrogen) to fix the “period problem” and this led to extreme nausea and immediate weight gain of 15lbs. each time (My weight hovered around 140-155 during those years; I’m 5ft 7in) so I could only tolerate the pills for a few weeks. This pattern lasted through my mid 30’s, including the weight fluctuations. I also started having seasonal allergy symptoms at the age of 19 (itchy/watery eyes, scratchy throat, stuffy or runny nose). At age 25 I started to have some allergy induced asthma. I have always been active – loved to run, bike, even worked at a gym, etc…

I had my last son in 1998 (I was 36) and two years later still had not lost all of the weight from pregnancy (I was up to 175lbs), my hands/feet were cold, skin very dry, extreme tiredness all of the time but esp. in the mid afternoon and I felt grumpy more often.(I’m usually a “glass half-full” kind of a girl). Oh yes, and I’ve always struggled with sugar cravings and low blood sugar (confirmed by a 6hr. glucose tolerance test). I went to a doctor the local health food store recommended who said that I needed to take Armour thyroid based on my 5 day basal temperature readings and my symptoms (my labs were “normal”). He also prescribed progesterone cream for the 2 periods. I lost 10lbs within a month and finally had normal periods for the first time in my life. I stayed on this regime for about 4 years until Kaiser lowered my thyroid meds.

After Kaiser got a hold of me, I gained 15lbs. and stopped using progesterone after reading that it could accumulate in fatty tissue stores and cause problems. Since I had no way of knowing what my hormone levels were (and had never had them tested before) I was nervous about the side effects. Fast forward to today (and 2 more thyroid lowering acts from Kaiser with weight gain following each time- arggggh!) and I weigh 195lbs.

In August of 2008 I started having bouts of insomnia as my husband had been promoted and was sharing his anxieties over his increased responsibilities, his lack of overtime money, and our “financial problems” each night before we went to bed. I ended up in the emergency room in Oct. 2008 with heart palps, trouble breathing, headache, dizziness. The doctors found nothing. They wanted to prescribe anti-anxiety meds, but I knew it wouldn’t fix the root problem so I refused. I went to the ER again the following week terrified by the same symptoms and was given a CAT scan and other blood tests, but they found nothing. (I do pray and love God so I had been praying all along for wisdom re. these conditions.)

In November I believe God led me to a nurse practitioner who suggested that my symptoms were due to some anxieties in my life but seemed also related to my hormones.(That made more sense to me.) She did a hormone panel through Genova Labs on November 24, 2008:

My Results Reference Range

progesterone level 39 0.95-21.00 ng/ml
Sex Hormone binding globulin 46 18-114 nmol/L
estrone sulfate 1.62 0.75-4.28 ng/mL
estrone 60 28-163 pg/mL
Estradiol 98 27-246 pg/mL
Estriol <80 <=80 pg/mL
DHEA-S 136 35-430 mcg/dL
Testosterone .31 0.10-0.80 ng/mL
Free Androgen 2.34 0.43-8.48
2-Hydroxyestrone 226 112-656 pg/ml
16cx-Hydroxyestrone 580 213-680 pg/mL
2:16cx-Hyroxyestrone Ratio .39 0.40-1.4

The NP put me on progesterone cream (20mg/bid). Then on Dec 9th, 2008 she prescribed 100mg micronized progesterone to be taken on days 8-28 of my cycle. She said to only use the cream during my period. The pills made me feel ill, but with the cream, I started to feel better almost immediately. I took the pills for a few weeks and then discontinued them. I used the cream 2x/day until February of 2009 when my legs, arms started going numb and getting prickly tingles as if they were waking up from having been “asleep”.

The numbness, prickling and tingling continued until it scared me. (We’d changed insurance providers in 2009 so I had to go through Kaiser again and couldn’t go back to the NP). I found a naturopath through Kaiser who ordered another expensive hormone test. This time it was a saliva test. It showed my progesterone levels were very high, but she didn’t seem too alarmed. I asked her what the numbers meant: ( Progesterone 2401H pg/ml and Ratio: Pg/E2 1601H ) but she wouldn’t explain it to me except to say that it was high and that I should cut back to 1x/day with progesterone cream. Then she saw me 2 more times after this and said she didn’t know what was causing my symptoms.

Oh, Dr. Roby, if I’ve kept you this far, I’m nearly 2/3rds finished…

I still have this numbness/tingling in my arms and legs – mostly at night – but when I’m really stressed it shows up at anytime. I have occasional asthma. I have allergies – nasal mostly – and usually May thru July. I have edema everywhere and still have labored breathing about once a day. I have a funny sensation in my throat at times making it difficult to swallow. I’m ½ Puerto Rican, ¼ Filipino and ¼ German if ethnicity has any factor in my healing. (And I’m still kinda cute in spite of all of this, but would sure like to look better while I’m still relatively young! ) My hair is usually very thick, but lately I am seeing some thinness in my scalp and increased facial hair under my chin (yuck!). I’ve also had some increase in acne. (I don’t usually get acne, but my eldest son has been riddled with it since puberty.) I have brown spots all over my hands – this started in my early 30’s).

I do workout about 2-3 times a week – walking, running, bicycling- all indoors. I started a low-glycemic program about 2 months ago and have felt better since doing this. I initially lost around 10lbs after 6 weeks.

I’ve been seen by a chiropractor, Dr JohnEwanyk in Salem, OR since around May, 2009. He has given me many expensive supplements for liver cleansing, candida, etc… and although he seems like a very knowledgeable and patient doctor, none of this has helped. I told Dr Ewaynk about you as he has been unable to figure out how to help me. He said that after he looked at your website that he may call you about the hormone allergy information. Kaiser, in the meantime has given me a brain MRI (normal); sent me to a sleep specialist who told me I might be low in iron and to and endocrinologist whose advice was as helpful as talking to a pre-programmed robot.

I’m several thousand dollars poorer after all these tests (my husband was anxious about money before all of this!). I’m beyond frustrated. I cried out to God and then found your site. I really identified with the hormone allergy information. I have hope for the first time in a long time. I wish that I could fly to Austin today and I guess if I have to do that to get better I’ll try and make it happen. In the meantime, would you please email me with any advice that you might have? What do you think is wrong? Do you want more lab results – I could fax them.

Thank you so much.

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Dear Lindy,

Thank you for contacting us. We are always pleased to hear from people with our kind of problems.

Before going any further, I am asking that you go back to the website, robyinstitute.com, and take advantage of the free download of the first chapter of Dr. Roby’s new book, “Maybe It Is All In Your Head … And You Are NOT Crazy!”. Then, after you have read it, we can talk more. The excerpt from the book, will tell you more about hormones in general, their function in the body, than you ever imagined. It will also give you an insight into your own hormones, why it’s happening, and what can be done about it. You will know more about hormones, than any physician that you have seen, so far.

Most of the symptoms that you are presenting, are the same symptoms that we see, test for, and successfully treat, every day.

Dr. Roby’s protocol, is actually in two protocols in one. Let’s get you started now, on the nonmedical part. If you will faithfully follow these instructions for 30 days, I can guarantee that you will feel 50% better. We have had prospective patients, who have practiced this for 60 days, and have called back saying that it has worked so well for them, that they no longer have the need to see us. We really like that. Do it for 60 days, yourself, and see. Since we are a holistic practice, we look at it as a total lifestyle change, not a quick weight loss, or feel good for awhile, and go back to the old life, treatment.
These are the steps that I will ask you to follow.

1) DIETARY: Follow on school nights only. Take a break on Friday or Saturday, and eat the food that you miss the most. The diet itself is Low carb, low fat. All diets will work, if followed, we particularly like The South Beach diet, because of the varied choices that it offers. The recipes are easy and tasty. Be sure and stay hydrated, but remember that plain water is a natural diuretic. We would like for you to intersperse plain water with Club Soda, once or twice during your day, to save wear and tear on the electrolytes. NO SUGAR, except on that free day..

2) MOVEMENT: LDS. Looong, Slooow, Dissstance walking. One hour on the treadmill, in the morning, inside your house or a gym, we don’t want you to be breathing real pollen and mold polluted, outside air. If you are doing a regular cardio work out, this will make a good cool down exercise for you. We want you to keep your pulse rate low, not over 90. the reason is that when the pulse rate rises, it sends a signal to your brain, that you are in an emergency situation. You will begin to produce more adrenaline. Your body is hardwired, to NOT burn fat, while spurting out adrenaline. No matter how you try, if you go too fast, you will not be able to burn any of the fat. We don’t want you to sweat, become fatigued, or have any shortness of breath, This walk is the best, and safest way to lose the weight that you have gained. We want you to do the same LDS, just before going to bed every night. Just the slow walk, reading, watching tv, chatting on the phone, whatever you want to do, while relaxing on the treadmill. This walk, is designed purely for the adrenaline dissipation, so that you can sleep deeply enough to reach the 4th level of sleep, which is where the relax and repair takes place. You will begin to feel much better, when you do it. All of these instructions, by the way, can be found in the allergy sections of the website.

3) SPIRITUALITY: Yours, not ours. Whatever is your best way of centering. It is all about “ME”. You can do it with meditation, yoga, relaxation tapes, prayer, whatever you need, for you to be relaxed, and in touch with your inner self.

I would very much like for you to keep in touch with us while you are doing this, so that we can discuss your progress, and sometimes make changes.

Doctors in Texas are prohibited from diagnosing, treating, or prescribing for anyone that haven’t seen in person. this simply means, that if you cannot come for the first visit, he can’t do anything for you. Once that first visit is over, the only requirement is an annual retesting here. Good law, protects patients by assuring that nothing else has crept in, and the doctors are kept up to date, too, on the patient’s progress.

Most of our out of town patients, make it a day trip, depending on how they choose to get here. By plane, usually Southwest Airlines, early in, three to four hours in the clinic, testing and treating, afternoon flight back home in time for dinner, and sleep in their own bed. You will leave our clinic with everything that you will need for a year of treatment. If they drive, and many of them do, it is a bit different, usually because the entire family will come along, and is more leisurely, and vacation like.

We do accept most healthcare plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and Military. We exclude Humana. We also offer a satisfaction guarantee. If you come in, and we find that we cannot help you, there is no charge for the visit. It’s free. If you decide to become a patient, and after a while conclude that it isn’t working as well as you had thought, just let us know, and we will promptly refund any money that you have paid to us.

Although Dr. Roby likes for prospective patients to go through the nonmed protocol before making the long trek to Texas, should you decide that you want to come and see us, right away, call us at: 800-842-6349 for scheduling.

Please let me know if I can be of any more help to you.

Best regards,

Dorothy Dreux
Roby Institute