116: Chronic Lyme, Hashimoto’s, and the Hidden Root Causes Keeping You Sick With Melissa Schreibfeder
Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella WentzShow Notes
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Melissa Schreibfeder, registered nurse, board-certified functional medicine practitioner, and founder of the Functional Nurse Academy. Melissa shares her personal story of navigating postpartum thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s, chronic fatigue, and chronic Lyme disease after years of being dismissed by both conventional and functional medicine providers.
Together, they discuss why Lyme disease is often overlooked as a root cause of autoimmune disease and chronic symptoms, how postpartum immune shifts can trigger illness, and why many patients continue struggling despite following restrictive diets and expensive supplement protocols. Melissa also shares the therapies that helped her finally recover and explains why nurses and healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to transform chronic illness care through functional medicine.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why many people with chronic illness feel failed by both conventional and functional medicine. Melissa shares how she was repeatedly told her symptoms were “just anxiety” before eventually being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and chronic Lyme disease. She also opens up about feeling preyed upon by expensive wellness protocols that focused heavily on supplements, without identifying the true root cause of her symptoms.
How postpartum hormone shifts can trigger autoimmune disease and chronic infections. Melissa explains how pregnancy and postpartum immune system changes may activate underlying infections or autoimmune conditions that were previously dormant. We also discuss how nutrient depletions, inflammation, sleep deprivation, and hormonal shifts can create the perfect storm for thyroid issues and chronic illness after pregnancy.
Why Lyme disease is often missed – even by functional practitioners. Melissa shares that many chronic Lyme patients never recall a tick bite or the classic “bullseye rash.” She explains why standard Lyme testing can miss up to half of chronic cases and why more advanced testing methods may be necessary when symptoms persist despite doing “all the right things.”
The surprising symptoms chronic Lyme disease can cause throughout the body. We discuss how Lyme can mimic countless conditions, including chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, joint pain, neurological symptoms, cardiovascular issues, nerve pain, autoimmune disease, and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS).
How Melissa finally got her health back after years of chronic illness. Melissa shares the therapies that helped her recover, including herbal protocols, ozone therapy, and a treatment called LymeStop. She explains how healing Lyme often requires supporting the immune system, calming inflammation, replenishing nutrients, and helping the body recover after years of chronic infection.
Why nurses and healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to change the future of chronic illness care. Melissa discusses how functional medicine allows practitioners to focus on prevention, root causes, nutrition, stress, sleep, and early dysfunction – rather than waiting until patients become severely ill before intervening.
Tune in to learn more about chronic Lyme disease, autoimmune triggers, thyroid healing, and how to uncover hidden root causes that may be keeping you sick.
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