Millions of people are suffering from chronic illnesses that, unbeknownst to them, are the result of exposure to environmental toxins and infectious agents such as mold and Borrelia, which causes Lyme disease. Millions. Because the symptoms of these illnesses are so varied and unusual, many of these individuals have sought medical care only to be dismissed, as if what they are experiencing is “in their head.” Many (if not most) have tried to tough it out and continue to function without hope of improvement. Unfortunately, their illnesses are very real.

Toxic is a book of hope for these individuals, their loved ones, and the physicians who provide their care. Over many years of helping thousands of patients recover their health (even after their previous doctors had given up on them), Dr. Neil Nathan has come to understand some of the most common causes for these debilitating illnesses, which allows for the utilization of more precise and effective forms of treatment.

The goal of this book is to shed light on these complex illnesses so that suffering patients and their families can get the help they so desperately need. Inside, you will find:

• Information about how extreme sensitivity and toxicity develop in the body, how sensitivity and toxicity differ, and how they often overlap.

• Detailed descriptions of each of the five major causes of extreme sensitivity and toxicity: mold, Bartonella (a co-infection of Lyme disease), mast cell activation, porphyria, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

• An outline of the cell danger response, a revolutionary model developed by Dr. Robert Naviaux that explains how the body essentially gets “stuck” fighting a threat even after the danger has passed.

• A system-by-system plan for “rebooting” the body to break the cycle of illness and allow healing to begin.

• Information about coping with stress and embracing an emotional and/or spiritual awakening on the path to wellness.

Neil Nathan, MD, has been practicing medicine for forty-seven years. He has been Board Certified in Family Practice and Pain Management and is a Founding Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine and a board member of the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness (ISEAI). For many years, he has worked primarily with patients who had not received a diagnosis from conventional medical sources, and especially with patients whose illness has made them unusually sensitive and toxic (hence difficult to treat). This book has grown out of his experience in this field, and it is his hope that it will enable many patients, currently suffering and without a diagnosis, to begin to find their way toward health.

Dr. Nathan has lectured to medical audiences both nationally and internationally. He has written several books, including Healing Is Possible: New Hope for Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Persistent Pain, and Other Chronic Illnesses; On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through the Medical Cracks; and Mold and Mycotoxins: Current Evaluation and Treatment 2016. He has hosted an internationally syndicated radio program/podcast on VoiceAmerica called The Cutting Edge of Health and Wellness Today. He also is a researcher and has published several papers, the most important being “Metabolic Features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” with Dr. Robert Naviaux.

Dr. Nathan’s medical practice is the Redwood Valley Clinic in northern California. He can be contacted through his website, www.neilnathanmd.com.