In this episode of the Functional Medicine Reality Podcast, I sit down again with my friend and colleague Mike Schrantz, an Indoor Environmental Professional I often call the “Doctor of Homes.” I’m the “Doctor of People,” and together we work at the intersection where sick buildings and sick bodies collide.

Today we step into a thorny topic that affects a lot of patients and a lot of practitioners: human mold testing, specifically urine mycotoxin testing.

If you have ever had a urine mycotoxin test, or if you have been told your results prove you “have mold,” you are going to want to hear this conversation. If you are a practitioner using these tests, you may feel challenged by what we say. Our intent is not to criticize, shame, or polarize. Our intent is truth telling and clarity, because the stakes are real. These results can lead to major decisions about treatment, remediation, belongings, and even moving.

We walk through the two major camps we see in the mold illness world today. One is the Shoemaker and CIRS framework, where testing is focused largely on blood-based inflammatory markers and pattern recognition. The other camp is the growing use of urinary mycotoxin testing through labs like RealTime, Vibrant, and Mosaic. We discuss how urine mycotoxin testing is sometimes being used as a standalone diagnostic tool, and why that can become dangerous.

Mike shares what he sees in the field when people come to him with a urine mycotoxin result and a diagnosis that triggers panic, decision fatigue, and expensive next steps. We talk about the hard questions that still need answers, including how labs establish “normal” versus “elevated,” what healthy control data is being used, and why repeatability and interpretation are major concerns.

A key theme is this: mycotoxins can show up in urine even in people who feel well, and mycotoxins can also come from diet and everyday exposures, not only from a moldy home. That does not mean a urine test is useless. It means the results need context. A urine mycotoxin test can be one piece of the puzzle, but it is rarely the whole puzzle.

We also discuss provocation testing, the difference between qualitative and quantitative meaning, and why overconfident conclusions can cost people more than money. They can cost peace of mind.

This episode is for anyone trying to avoid rabbit holes and get real about what these tests can and cannot tell you. Whether you are a patient or a clinician, the goal is the same: make decisions with clarity, not fear.

If you want help navigating mold illness step by step, including testing, interpretation, environment, and treatment sequencing, my team at Root Seek is here to support you.

Let’s get real and get results.

Connect with us:

Root Seek Health: https://rootseekhealth.com/

📊 Got Lab Results But No Real Answers?

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One of the questions I am asked most often by patients is this:

“Don’t doctors get paid to prescribe medications?”

It is a fair question. And if you have ever left a medical visit feeling rushed, unheard, or confused about why a prescription was offered when you wanted to talk about lifestyle change, you are not alone.

The short answer, from my experience, is no. Doctors are not paid directly for writing prescriptions. I have never seen that arrangement in my own career. But the longer and more important answer is where things get complicated, and where a lot of patient frustration actually starts to make sense.

In this episode, I share how modern healthcare really works behind the scenes, specifically the metric driven systems that shape many outpatient medical visits, often without patients ever being told those systems exist.

Insurance contracts commonly withhold a portion of physician reimbursement. That money can only be earned back if certain population level targets are met. These targets include cancer screening rates, blood pressure control, diabetes markers, depression screenings, and age based testing requirements.

These systems were created with good public health intentions. On a population level, they aim to reduce disease, improve outcomes, and lower long term healthcare costs. But in real life, they can unintentionally distort the patient experience.

When metrics drive behavior, office visits can become crowded with checklists, screenings, and documentation that have little to do with the reason you came in that day, whether that is back pain, fatigue, brain fog, or something else entirely.

This helps explain why you may feel frustrated when:

• You are asked the same questions at every visit
• Screenings feel unrelated to your concern
• Lifestyle conversations feel rushed or absent
• Medications are offered before behavior change has time to work

This episode is not about blaming doctors. I speak honestly about the difficult position many clinicians are placed in. They are often caught between wanting to support their patients and being financially penalized if metrics are not met by the end of the calendar year.

I also explain why lifestyle change, while essential, often does not move the numbers fast enough for these systems. That reality can quietly influence medical decisions, especially late in the year, even when a patient is motivated and ready to make change.

This conversation is about clarity, not conspiracy. It is about helping you understand why healthcare can feel transactional, why visits sometimes miss the mark, and how understanding the system can help you advocate for yourself more effectively.

My goal is not to create fear or distrust. It is to offer context, compassion, and empowerment.

If you have ever wondered why your healthcare experience feels the way it does, this episode is for you.

Let’s get real and get results.

Connect with us:

Root Seek Health: https://rootseekhealth.com/

📊 Got Lab Results But No Real Answers?

You're not alone. Many patients are stuck with test results but no clear path forward. I've created a free resource to help you understand what your labs might actually be telling you about your health.

Download your free guide "Lab Results Without Answers: Your Labs Are Only Half the Story"

Hey friends. This is one of those foundational conversations that quietly shapes everything we do in healthcare, yet it’s rarely talked about outside medical training.

In this episode, I walk you through the concept of differential diagnosis, what it is, why it matters, and how overlooking it can delay healing or, in some cases, cause real harm.

Differential diagnosis simply means creating a thoughtful list of all the possible causes of a symptom before jumping to conclusions. It’s not about being overly technical. It’s about being thorough, humble, and clinically responsible.

Using real-world examples like chronic abdominal pain, I explain how symptoms that sound familiar can have very different meanings depending on context:

• How long has it been going on?
• Is it changing?
• Is it associated with food, movement, stress, or time of day?

In functional medicine, we’re trained to think broadly. Lyme, mold, parasites, gut infections, inflammation, and toxicity all matter. That perspective is incredibly valuable. But here’s the nuance: we can’t skip over the conventional “big and bad” possibilities, especially acute or dangerous conditions like infection, obstruction, or cancer.

This episode is especially important for:

• Prescribing clinicians practicing functional or integrative medicine
• Patients with long-standing, complex, or unexplained symptoms
• Anyone who has felt dismissed, or alternatively, overwhelmed by diagnoses

I also talk candidly about a real risk in our space. We can become so focused on chronic, root-cause explanations that we miss something urgent or conventional that still needs to be ruled out first.

The takeaway isn’t fear. It’s balance.

Good medicine, whether functional or conventional, requires:

• Pattern recognition and vigilance
• Curiosity and restraint
• Innovation and respect for fundamentals

If you’ve been on a long health journey, this conversation may help you better understand how your symptoms are being interpreted and how to advocate for yourself more clearly. And if you’re a clinician, my hope is that this serves as a grounding reminder: breadth without prioritization can be just as risky as narrow thinking.

As always, let’s get real and let’s get results.

Connect with us:

Root Seek Health: https://rootseekhealth.com/

Dr. Mark Su's Podcast: Functional Medicine Reality Podcast

True Wellness Clinic (for VO2 max testing, DEXA scans, and more): truwellnessclinic.com

📊 Got Lab Results But No Real Answers? Download your free guide: https://labsoptin.rootseekhealth.com/opt-in-page-landing-page-for-lab-results-without-answers