We have considered going there (Both my husband and I have Lyme) but don't want to waste money if they're not good.

Thanks!
Naomi
 

If it's the same.....then I would say NO.

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oops!
Lymetutu

 

After a year of 7 doctors, 3 hospitals, cat scans, MRI, cancer tests and basically being a guinea pig for every test (all to come back normal)and my health continuing to disingrate...my husband and I did try Sierra Intergrative Medical Center in Reno.

We did this based on a suggestion of a family member who is a ER nurse in Reno, and had heard of all the problems we were having. She had heard of this place and knew they did work with people that had been ill for awhile and hadn't found any answers, or told that they had fibro, MS, Lupus etc...well, that fit us pretty tightly.

I'm sorry to say the experience I had was mixed. First, they do spend alot of time with you asking questions, doing blood tests etc...that was very good on it's own merit. However, right away, they want to start giving you IV drips for vitamins and such, before they find out what it is you have.

This was a flag for me...I appreciate IV supplements (I use Mg and B12 myself still...), but they want you to do one each day, usually with a "push" of some sort to help with muscle fatigue etc...and the costs of these were VERY high, if I remember, it was $150 and up...that was pretty steep I thought for a bag of vitamin supplements.

Also, they have consultant charges that were a bit spendy too...my insurance covered a good part of this, but we had to pay alot out of pocket. They want you to stay with the program for a few weeks....I thought it was rather expensive, so opted for waiting for results of lab tests before committing.

As for the good news, THIS clinic and it's doctors are the ones who diagnosed I had lyme...they had me fill out a questionaire,which upon reviewing, asked about if I had any strange "bites" or rashes that I remembered. Nobody had ever asked this before, and I was abit skeptical. But the strange thing is I had...and when asked to describe it, they showed me pictures asking if it had looked anything like those in the slides. Mine was identical to two of them. BINGO. Then came the checklist of symptoms...I had 90% of them.

The doctor there also asked how I'd heard of the clinic noticing where I lived. After explaining, she said they get people from all over....but as happy as they were to help me, she asked if I was aware of a great Natural Path College in my own city that has trained many of the ND's she's worked with(I had told her my exteme annoyance with MD docs). I wasn't aware of this and she gave the address and a person to contact for when I got home.

To wrap this up, I decided to conclude further testing with Sierra based on expense and IMO, needless IV/supplement protocol..and went to the Naturalpath College here in my city. I gave them the tests results I had with Sierra, the diagnoses and what tests they suggested be completed (Western Blot IgG and IgM).

My ND was more than happy to help, though I was their first lyme patient, and sent the test to LabQuest in Seatlle, who verify the WB as positive, who sent it to CDC, who then contact my local county health bureau, who then contacted me.

I should also add here Naomi, that Sierra USED to be Century Wellness. When I started reading up on them before I went, I found that the two establishing docs had gone their separate ways...each taking their protocols with them. I found some patients that had gone in the past...and the majority had said that Century Wellness was not the same as it use to be...that procedures and treatments had changed dramatically, and they were no longer going there. The hadn't heard anything regarding the new service at Sierra.

I check the BBB on both centers and found nothing to give me concern...but I did take prior patients info into consideration before committing myself very deep.

Sorry this was abit long...but that was the beginning of the end for me. I did find them to0 expensive for long-term needs...but they did give me the diagnosis I needed, and help to follow here at home...and for that I am grateful.

Hope this is of some help to you...please use your own discretion and do some futher investigation on your own to be sure. Can't hurt to do another check with BBB to see if anything has changed with their standing.

It felt abit like a "IV-farm" to me, and they work with alot of cancer patients as well, so I felt like it was catering to people who felt they had no other options (which lyme folks can feel like too...)So, procede using your own good judgement and research. Again, this is just my own opinion.

Best of luck to you.
Health and Healing,
JavaBeing