Lupus Functional Medicine Support

Lupus diagnosis and medication management belong with rheumatology, especially when organs are involved. Functional medicine explores triggers — infections, gut health, sunlight sensitivity patterns, stress, and nutrient status — alongside that care.

Mechanistically, systemic lupus involves loss of immune tolerance with autoantibodies that can affect skin, joints, blood counts, kidneys, and other organs. That complexity is exactly why specialty oversight stays essential and why root-cause work focuses on modifiable drivers rather than promising to “clear” antibodies.

We review your antibody history, flare patterns, and digestive or skin clues, then build a root-cause plan that respects your rheumatologist’s treatment.

What testing looks like: ANA and reflex antibodies are interpreted carefully — a positive ANA alone is not a lupus diagnosis. We also review complements, inflammatory markers, kidney notes when relevant, and gut or nutrient labs that may explain fatigue between rheumatology visits.

What to expect: telehealth evaluation from Boulder, coordination with rheumatology, lifestyle and nutrition strategies tailored to your flares, and clear boundaries about emergencies or organ-threatening disease that need in-person specialty care.

It can be frustrating trying to find help with chronic and complex conditions, which is why we have chosen to dedicate our practice to exactly that. Instead of treating the symptoms, our functional medicine approach focuses on finding the causes.

All autoimmune diseases start in the gut. We design custom plans of dietary intervention, supplements and lifestyle recommendations to help heal the gut and support the immune system. In supporting these fundamental functions of the digestive tract we can reduce inflammation and see dramatic changes in symptoms.

Our small intestine consists of 25 feet of tubing, the inside surface area being equivalent to that of a doubles tennis court!

Proteins called “tight junctions” prevent a flood of material into the gut. Low vitamin D levels coupled with inflammation in the gut starts to widen the space between cells, allowing materials (bacteria and food) to start seeping through. This triggers inflammation and as antibodies are formed they begin to target organs. This is why medication may help symptoms but it can never resolve your condition.

Dr. Autoimmune is based in Boulder, Colorado, and delivers care entirely by telehealth so patients across Colorado and the United States can work with the team without travel.

Lab draws are coordinated at a facility convenient to where you live. Discovery calls and evaluations happen by secure video. If you are searching for a lupus specialist in Boulder, start on this page and the homepage. Denver metro patients can read how visits work with the Boulder clinic on the Denver telehealth page, then book a discovery call to confirm fit alongside any specialists you already see.