I now provide a menu of clinical services for you to select from. We created the menu to give you more options. In the past, patients had only two options: phone consultations and full metabolic evaluations followed by metabolic rehab. But you can now choose one or more services that were previously all bundled into full evaluations and rehab.

We now also provide other services. Previously, all long-distance consultations were only by telephone. This made it difficult for patients in countries like Australia whose times of day and night differ so much from ours. Now, if you choose, you and I can consult through secured email communications.

After you read the brief description of each type of service, you can get details by using the links under the description. For answers to your questions or to make an appointment, please phone the Tammy at 603-391-6061, or write to her at Tammy@drlowe.com.

For the services we offer you, please use the links below.

| Metabolic Evaluations | Metabolic Treatment |
 | Telephone & Secured Email Consultations | Long-distance Lab Test Orders |

Metabolic Evaluations

I offers a state-of-the-art evaluation of your metabolic status. My protocol evaluating your metabolic status will be the same as that I've in studies of patients' and healthy control subjects' metabolic rates. (For free downloads of reports of two studies, see Thyroid Science, and Medical Science Monitor. At the latter journal, scroll down to "Clinical Research" and it's the 2nd report.)

Some patients undergo the metabolic evaluation to learn whether their thyroid hormone dosages are providing them with normal metabolism. Others do so to learn whether or not their symptoms are related to abnormally slow metabolism. Regardless of the reason a person undergoes the evaluation, the testing provides objective evidence that his/her metabolism is normal or abnormally slow or fast.

The evaluation involves several measurements: your resting metabolic rate, body composition, metabolism-related blood chemical and hormone levels, basal body temperature, and basal pulse rate. Dr. Lowe interprets results of these tests in light of a metabolism-related physical exam and your health history.

You may want to learn what your resting metabolic rate is and whether it is normal or abnormal. If so, you have two options. You can undergo the necessary physiological tests, or you can have these and metabolism-related biochemical lab tests. From the physiological tests you'll learn whether you have a normal or an abnormal resting metabolic rate. From both the physiological and laboratory tests, we can learn the most likely cause of an abnormal metabolic rate. For details, use the links below.

| Physiological Tests & Exams | Lab Tests |

Physiological Testing and Exams. If you choose, you can undergo only physiological testing. This involves (a) measurement of your resting metabolic rate with indirect calorimetry, (b) measurement of your body composition with bioelectrical impedance, (c) a physical examination, and (d) an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG). The physical exam will include measurement of your blood pressure, pulse rate, Achilles reflex speed, pupil response to light exposure, and pressure/pain threshold with algometry. For the fee for physiological testing, please phone or write to Tammy Lowe.

Lab Tests. You can also choose for me to order metabolism-related lab tests. If your resting metabolic rate is abnormally low or high, these tests can help me determine the most likely cause. Of course, the value in knowing the most likely cause is that it clarifies what treatment, if any, is appropriate. The lab tests include the following:

• Chem-Screen Panel • Lipid Panel • CBC with differential • TSH
• Free T3 • Free T4 • Thyroglobulin antibodies • Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies • Free Testosterone • Insulin-like Growth Factor-1

How to Arrange a Metabolic Evaluation

Metabolic Treatment

Your Options for Metabolic Treatment After Your Metabolic Evaluation. You have two options for undergoing metabolic treatment: (1) You can undergo treatment by another doctor with whom you have a collaborative relationship, or (2) you can undergo metabolic rehab with me and possibly a prescribing doctor who cotreats with me. For details about your treatment options, use the links below.

When Another Doctor Will Guide You Through Metabolic Treatment. After your metabolic testing and my interpretation of the results, it's time for you to begin treatment if it's indicated. You have the option, of course, of undergoing treatment by any doctor of your choice. If you have a cooperative doctor, we’ll provide him or her with copies of all your test results with my interpretations. If the doctor wants to talk with me on your behalf, the usual consultation fee will apply. We'll give you a Superbill, of course, so that you can apply for reimbursement from your insurance company. While undergoing treatment with the other doctor, you're free to consult with me at any time about your progress. Again, the usual consulting fee will apply.

You may choose not to undergo metabolic rehab with my guidance but still want an in-office, face-to-face consultation. I'm usually available for such consultations. For the fee for in-office consultations, please communicate with Tammy Lowe.

When You Opt for Me to Guide You through Metabolic Rehab. You may, of course, choose for me to guide you through metabolic rehab. If so, after all your testing is completed and I’ve interpreted the results, I’ll give you my impressions and recommendations. If you use a high-speed computer service, we can communicate by live computer interaction. However, if this isn't possible for you, we can communicate by phone. I usually record telephone consultations. We will provide you with a copy of the recording for a modest fee. Please communicate with Tammy about the fee.

Before and/or during our time together for your evaluation, I will verify examine you physically, conduct physiological tests, and you and I will get to know one another. I'll also learn what your health objectives are. Then I’ll formulate for you an individualized treatment regimen. The regimen will be based on my understanding of your health history, metabolic status, test results, and your health objectives. 

After our initial consultation, our future, intermittent consultations will be charged at the current hourly rate. Please communicate with Tammy about fees.

Telephone & Secured Email Consultations

Dr. Lowe does long-distance consultations by telephone. The consultations are an educational process. Through it, he can help you understand the nature of your health problem(s), what your test results mean, and what you must do to improve or recover your health.

Working With A Cooperative Local Doctor. If you have a cooperative local doctor who writes your prescriptions, Dr. Lowe can help steer your treatment long-distance by providing you and/or the doctor with educational assistance. If you want, they'll also consult long-distance with your local doctor.

Working Without A Local Doctor and With OTC Medications. If you don't have a cooperative local doctor, Dr. Lowe can educate you about treatment with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The availability of thyroid and adrenal OTC medications is a boon to patients who can't come to Boulder and can't find a cooperative local doctor. Many hypothyroid patients fully recover using OTC medications. This enables them to escape the symptom-sustaining effects of T4-replacement.

Email Consultations. Before now, your only option for long-distance consultations was to do them by telephone. Now, however, if you choose, you and I can consult long distance by secured email. This option, however, entails more time of Dr. Lowe and may be somewhat more expensive overall. For details about this option, please communicate with Tammy. You can phone her at 603-391-6061, or you can write to her at Tammy@drlowe.com.

On other pages, you can read details about long-distance consulting.

Long-distance Lab Test Orders

I can order lab tests for most patients long distance. This enables the patients to get lab tests they believe the need but aren't able to get a local doctor to order. Details About Long-distance Lab Orders