Dr. Max Dula, Digestive Functional Medicine, San Diego, CA (2026)

01/02/2026

Phone scrolling isn’t just wasting your time. It’s dysregulating your neurotransmitters.

**What are neurotransmitters?**

Chemical messengers that regulate mood, focus, sleep, digestion, and libido. The main ones: dopamine, serotonin, GABA, norepinephrine.

**Dopamine** controls motivation, pleasure, and s*xual desire. Every scroll gives you a dopamine hit. Do it 200 times a day and you desensitize your dopamine receptors. Result? Nothing feels rewarding anymore—including s*x.

**Serotonin** regulates mood and sleep. Imbalanced = depression, anxiety, insomnia, IBS.

**GABA** calms your nervous system. Low GABA = constant anxiety, can’t relax.

**Common conditions when neurotransmitters are imbalanced:**

Depression, anxiety, ADHD, insomnia, low libido, brain fog, IBS, chronic fatigue.

**How I help:**

I assess what’s depleting your neurotransmitters: chronic stress, gut dysbiosis (90% of serotonin is made in the gut), nutrient deficiencies, excessive screen time.

Then I create protocols to restore balance: amino acid precursors, adaptogenic herbs, gut repair, lifestyle modifications.

Your brain chemistry affects everything. Fix the imbalance, fix the symptoms.

Link in bio to work with me.

*xualhealth

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment protocol.

12/28/2025

I get SIBO patients who’ve already tried everything.

Antibiotics, herbs, low-FODMAP diet. Felt better for a few months, then it came back.

Here’s what I’ve learned: most SIBO treatments are close. They just miss the critical pieces that prevent relapse.

The missing pieces are different for everyone:

For some, it’s motility issues that were never addressed.
For others, it’s low stomach acid or impaired bile flow.
Sometimes it’s hormonal—thyroid affecting transit time, or cortisol disrupting the gut barrier.
Often it’s multiple systems failing at once.

That’s why I don’t just kill bacteria. I assess the entire digestive ecosystem and identify what’s broken in YOUR specific case.

Cookie-cutter protocols don’t work for SIBO. Individualized assessment does.

DM “SIBO READY” to learn about working with me.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment protocol.

12/28/2025

SIBO has a 44% recurrence rate within one year.

I’ve never had a patient have recurrent SIBO.

Here’s the problem with DIY SIBO treatment:

You kill the bacteria, feel better for 3-6 months, then it comes back. Why?

You never fixed the motility issues, low stomach acid, bile flow problems, pancreatic insufficiency, or hormonal imbalances that caused it in the first place.

Most people treat SIBO like an infection. I treat it like an ecosystem failure.

Kill the overgrowth, yes. But then restore motility, optimize every organ involved in digestion, and balance the hormones that affect gut function.

That’s why my patients don’t relapse.

DM me “SIBO READY” to learn about the first steps in working with me.

12/25/2025

The Grinch lived alone in his cave. And he hated everything.

Mood swings. Irritability. Brain fog. Bloating after meals.

“He’s just mean,” the Whos said.
But the Grinch knew something was wrong.

Primary Care:
“You’re depressed. Here’s Prozac.”
“But I also have digestive issues—”
“That’s IBS. Here’s fiber. Try therapy.”

Psychiatrist:
“Depression with possible personality disorder. Let’s increase your SSRI.”
“The brain fog is getting worse—”
“Give the meds more time.”

Dr. Max:
Ran mycotoxin testing, stool test, organic acids test.

Results:
Mycotoxins through the roof. His cave was full of mold. Gut dysbiosis—bad bacteria dominating, good bacteria gone.

Here’s what was happening: Mold mycotoxins crossed into his brain (mood swings, irritability, brain fog) and destroyed his gut (bloating, digestive issues).

Prozac wasn’t working because this wasn’t depression. It was mold poisoning.

Protocol:
Activated charcoal (binders), NAC and glutathione (detox), spore-based probiotics, EMDR therapy. Move out of the moldy cave.

3 Months Later:
Mood stabilized. Brain fog lifted. Digestive issues gone. The Grinch’s heart grew three sizes.

He didn’t steal Christmas.
He wasn’t “just mean.” He was poisoned by his environment.

If you’re irritable, foggy, and bloated this holiday season—hating everything like the Grinch—it might not be your personality.

Your doctor said “it’s depression” but never tested for mold or gut dysbiosis.

Most mood issues have a root cause.

Link in bio.

12/23/2025

The Elves never stopped working. Santa’s workshop ran 24/7.

Coffee at 6 AM. Sugar cookies at 10 AM. More coffee at 2 PM. Crash by 4 PM. Push through anyway.

“This is normal during the holidays.”

But the insomnia was getting worse. The irritability. The crashes after every energy burst.

Primary Care:

“You’re stressed. Try melatonin. Maybe cut back on coffee.”

“But we can’t sleep even when we’re exhausted—”

“That’s anxiety. Here’s an SSRI.”

Therapist:

“You need work-life balance. Have you tried meditation?”

“We wake up at 3 AM wired. We crave sugar constantly—”

“Burnout. Take a vacation.”

Dr. Max:

Finally tested what was actually happening.
Salivary cortisol testing (4 samples throughout the day) and DUTCH test for adrenal hormones.

Results:
Cortisol sky-high all day, crashes at night (but brain stays wired). Classic HPA axis dysfunction.

Here’s what was happening: Chronic stress kept cortisol elevated → sugar cravings → disrupted sleep → crashes when the system couldn’t keep up.

Melatonin and SSRIs weren’t fixing the root problem: dysregulated stress hormones.

Protocol:
Phosphatidylserine, Holy Basil, Magnesium, B Vitamins, St. John’s Wort, Affirmation Journaling.

2 Months Later:
Sleep improved. Sugar cravings gone. Energy stabilized. No more crashes.
Cortisol normalized. They weren’t “just stressed.” Their hormones were stuck in overdrive.

The Point:
If you’re working like the Elves—constant go-go-go, wired but tired, sugar cravings, energy crashes—it’s not just “the holidays.”

Your doctor said “you’re stressed, meditate” but never tested your cortisol rhythm.

Most burnout is fixable.
Link in bio.

12/21/2025

The Nutcracker looked fine on the mantle. But moving? That was a different story.

Stiff joints. Creaking noises. Sharp pains every time he cracked a nut.

“You’re just getting old,” they told him.
But he knew something was off.

Primary Care Doctor:
Ran basic labs. “Everything’s normal. Here’s ibuprofen. Next patient.”

Rheumatologist:
X-ray showed joint wear. “Nothing severe. Keep taking NSAIDs.”

Nutcracker: “What about the fatigue? The muscle tension?”

“That’s separate. Go back to your primary care.”

Functional Medicine:
Dr. Max finally listened.
Ran actual testing: CRP, Magnesium RBC (not serum—that test is useless), Vitamin D, metabolic panel.

Results:
∙ CRP elevated (chronic inflammation)
∙ Magnesium RBC critically low
∙ Vitamin D at 18 ng/mL

Here’s what was happening: Low magnesium was causing muscle tension, joint stiffness, and inflammation. Low Vitamin D made it worse.

Ibuprofen was masking symptoms. Not fixing anything.

Protocol:
Omega-3s, Turmeric/Curcumin, Magnesium Glycinate, Boswellia, Vitamin D3 + K2.

3 Months Later:
No more creaking. Stiffness gone. Pain disappeared.

Labs normalized.

He wasn’t “just getting old.” He was deficient in nutrients that regulate inflammation and joint health.

The Point:
If you’re creaking like the Nutcracker, it’s not just age.

Your doctor said “it’s arthritis, take ibuprofen” but never tested CRP, Magnesium RBC, or Vitamin D.

Most joint pain I see is fixable.

Link in bio to work with me.

12/21/2025

’Twas the Tale of Poor Frosty

Frosty the Snowman was freezing and tired,
His brain was all foggy, his joints felt like wired.

His hair started thinning, he gained unwanted weight

He knew something was wrong, but doctors said “wait.”

He went to his GP, who ran just one test,
“Your TSH is 3.8—you’re doing your best!

It’s normal,” they said, “there’s nothing to see,
Try exercising more, here’s Prozac for free.”

Off to the endo, same story again,
“Your thyroid is perfect, you’re fine, my good friend.

You’re aging, wear socks, it’s all in your head.”
Poor Frosty left crying and went home to bed.

Then one snowy evening, he found Dr. Max,
Who said, “Frosty, let’s get to the facts.

We’ll run the FULL panel—not just TSH,
Free T3, antibodies, and all of the rest.”

“FINALLY!” cried Frosty, “someone who cares!
Someone who listens! Someone who dares

To look past the surface and find what is real—
To give me the answers and help me to heal!”

The results showed Hashimoto’s, low T3, low D, Ferritin at 18, plus Raynaud’s—all three!

Dr. Max made a plan: D3 with K2,
Iron for ferritin, selenium too,

Warming herbs—ginger and cayenne for heat,
No more gluten, and gut testing complete.

Six months down the road, what a sight to behold! Frosty had energy, wasn’t always cold,

His brain fog had lifted, his hands were bright pink,

His antibodies dropped—“Dr. Max, you’re the link!”

The moral: If doctors say “normal” but you’re still not right,

Click the link in my bio—let’s bring back your light!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all—proper thyroid care!

12/19/2025

I’ve treated hundreds of clients with chronic gut infections, SIBO, parasites, and dysbiosis.

And one thing I’ve learned from clinical experience—not from textbooks or Google—is that herbal blends often keep people stuck.

They’re underdosed on the herb that would actually work for them. They’re non-responders to half the herbs in the blend. Or they react to one ingredient and stop the whole protocol, losing progress on the herbs that were helping.

Most people come to me after trying generic antimicrobial blends from their naturopath or health coach. The blends worked a little, but symptoms came back. That’s because they needed therapeutic doses of specific herbs, not low doses of everything.

My experience treating hundreds of cases has given me the confidence to use single herb remedies when people are stuck. I know which herbs work for which pathogens. I know what therapeutic dosing actually looks like. And I know how to isolate what’s working versus what’s wasting your money.

Blends have their place—early phases when I’m casting a wider net, or when synergy matters at lower doses. But defaulting to blends because they’re convenient is guessing. And guessing keeps you stuck in treatment loops that don’t resolve the root issue.

Clinical experience teaches you what textbooks can’t: individual response patterns, dosing nuances, and when to pivot strategies based on what’s actually working.

📣📢If your herbal protocols aren’t working, or you don’t want to guess, click the link in my bio to schedule a connection call with me.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any herbal protocol

12/15/2025

Here’s what we do for people who test negative for celiac but are clearly gluten-intolerant:

We don’t just tell you to avoid gluten forever. We investigate WHY you became reactive in the first place.

We test for intestinal permeability using zonulin and gut barrier markers to see if glyphosate or other toxins damaged your tight junctions.

We run comprehensive stool analysis to identify gut infections, dysbiosis, and inflammatory markers like calprotectin that are keeping your immune system activated.

We assess inflammatory cytokines to understand if your gut inflammation is making you reactive to gluten—not because of the gluten itself, but because your gut is already on fire.

Then we heal the root cause.

We restore gut barrier integrity, eliminate infections, reduce systemic inflammation, and rebuild your microbiome.

We work on drainage pathways to clear glyphosate and other environmental toxins.

And we identify cross-reactive foods that are keeping the inflammatory cascade active even when you avoid gluten.

We’ve helped dozens of people with food sensitivities go from reacting to everything they eat to being able to reintroduce foods they thought they’d never tolerate again—including gluten. Not everyone can reintroduce it, but many can once we fix the underlying gut dysfunction.

You don’t have celiac disease. You have a broken gut barrier, chronic inflammation, and environmental toxin exposure. And that’s fixable.

If you test negative for celiac but still react to gluten, or you’re dealing with multiple food sensitivities, DM me “GLUTEN” and I’ll send you info on how we work together.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new health protocol.

12/07/2025

You have Crohn’s or UC and you’re on biologics like Humira—which suppress TNF-α systemically throughout your entire body.

KPV is a tripeptide being researched for IBD that blocks NF-κB and reduces gut inflammation locally when used orally or rectally.

One approach is systemic immunosuppression. The other targets intestinal tissue specifically.
Biologics save lives. But systemic immunosuppression comes with consequences:
• Increased infection risk (respiratory, skin, opportunistic infections)
• Reactivated viral infections (EBV, shingles, hepatitis 😎
• Elevated cancer risk (lymphoma, skin cancer)
• Impaired wound healing
• Suppressed vaccine response
• Progressive immune exhaustion

I specialize in IBD, autoimmune conditions, and chronic gut inflammation using targeted approaches that don’t require shutting down your entire immune system—peptides, barrier repair, microbiome restoration, and identifying root inflammatory triggers.

If you’re dealing with IBD or autoimmune conditions and want to explore options beyond systemic immunosuppression, link in bio to work with me.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Never stop prescribed medications without consulting your physician. Always work with your healthcare provider before starting any new protocol.

12/06/2025

One reason why I see so many people feel terrible detoxing is insufficient drainage and poor mitochondrial health.

Lymphatic flow, bile secretion, and renal clearance are ATP-dependent.

You can’t drain conjugated toxins without functional mitochondria.

Fix energy production before you mobilize stored toxins.

Here’s what’s happening: You’re on glutathione, binders, sauna protocols, chelators—and you feel worse. Brain fog intensifies. Fatigue crashes. Anxiety spikes.

They call it “herxing.” But you’re actually mobilizing toxins faster than your body can eliminate them.

Phase 1 and Phase 2 are running, but Phase 3 elimination is broken because your mitochondria can’t produce enough ATP to fuel lymphatic flow, bile secretion, and renal clearance.

You’re not detoxing. You’re relocating poison.

The fix isn’t more binders. It’s supporting mitochondrial function and opening drainage pathways BEFORE you mobilize toxins.

If detox protocols made you crash, this is why.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new health protocol.

12/03/2025

Seeing clear, white, or yellow jelly-like mucus in your stool?

Your body is trying to tell you something. Your intestinal lining is under attack—parasites, pathogenic bacteria, or yeast are triggering excess mucus production as a protective defense mechanism.

But here’s the problem: your doctor’s standard stool test probably missed what’s causing it. Standard O&P tests have only a ~30% detection rate for parasites.

Most mucus-producing infections go completely undetected. I use DNA-based comprehensive stool analysis to find what conventional testing misses—then address it with targeted antimicrobial protocols.

If you’re dealing with unexplained mucus in your stool, chronic bloating, or persistent digestive issues despite negative tests, link in bio to work with me.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new health protocol.

Dr. Max Dula, Digestive Functional Medicine

01/02/2026

12/28/2025

12/28/2025

12/25/2025

12/23/2025

12/21/2025

12/21/2025

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