In this episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Dr. Eric D. Gordon — globally recognized expert in Lyme disease, ME/CFS, mold toxicity, MCAS, mitochondrial dysfunction, and complex chronic illness — explains why chronic illness is never caused by a single factor and why recovery requires a strategic “order of operations.”
Recorded after meeting at Project Lab Coat during NYFW, this conversation dives into chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, why some people stay sick for years, why certain treatments backfire, how metabolomics reveals dysfunction that standard tests miss, and the future of individualized chronic illness care.
Guest Bio
Medical Director, Gordon Medical Associates, and President, Gordon Medical Research Center
Dr. Gordon has 45+ years of experience treating the most complex chronic illness cases. He specializes in:
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Lyme disease and tick-borne infections
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ME/CFS and post-infectious illness
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Mold and mycotoxin exposure
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Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
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Autoimmune disease
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Environmental illness
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Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic collapse
He co-authored the landmark 2016 PNAS metabolomics study with Dr. Robert Naviaux, which reshaped global understanding of ME/CFS and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Key Topics Covered
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How Dr. Gordon became one of the world’s leading chronic illness clinicians
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Why patient belief and validation are foundational to healing
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Why chronic illness cases don’t fit conventional medical models
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Why herbs often worsen symptoms in MCAS or inflamed patients
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When pharmaceuticals help stabilize sensitive patients
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How chronic inflammation blocks trace mineral absorption
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The link between minerals, B vitamins, mitochondria, and NAD/NADH
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When detoxification helps — and when it causes more harm
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How childhood infections and environment shape lifelong immunity
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The massive impact of modern microbiome disruption
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Mold illness as the “great derailer” of Lyme treatment
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Why genetics like MTHFR and HLA are not destiny
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Why some people heal from Lyme without treatment
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How metabolomics and AI will usher in precision medicine
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What actually keeps people sick — accumulated compensations, not the tick bite
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What intuitive patients get right (and wrong) about their symptoms
Timestamps
0:02 – Meeting Dr. Gordon at Project Labcoat
1:08 – Who he is and how he entered complex illness medicine
2:30 – Realizing conventional medicine fails chronic patients
5:45 – Why chronic illness doesn’t fit standard algorithms
8:10 – Herbs vs antibiotics: what most people misunderstand
11:28 – Inflammation and why sensitive patients react to everything
13:45 – MCAS and immune overactivation
16:25 – Why herbal formulas can trigger flares
19:30 – Pharmaceuticals that calm inflammation
20:50 – Trace minerals, mitochondrial function, and NAD pathways
23:55 – Why standard labs can’t see cellular dysfunction
26:10 – How childhood immune experiences shape resilience
28:40 – Environmental changes and microbiome decline
30:30 – Shoes, posture, fascia, lymphatics
36:35 – Structural healing and hypersensitive patients
41:20 – Founding Gordon Medical Associates
43:00 – Early discoveries with Lyme disease patients
48:30 – Detoxification, herbal protocols, and mold models
52:10 – Mold’s ability to halt all progress
55:30 – Why mold affects some family members and not others
57:20 – How food supply antibiotics disrupt immunity
59:50 – Genetics are possibilities, not fate
1:03:20 – Why some people recover after a tick bite and others don’t
1:07:00 – How AI and metabolomics will transform treatment
1:10:40 – Genes vs environment
1:13:30 – Chronic illness requires many small steps
1:16:00 – How to work with Dr. Gordon
1:18:30 – Final message of hope
Pull Quotes
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“Chronic illness is not caused by one thing — and it’s never healed by one thing.”
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“Herbs depend on your body’s ability to modulate inflammation. If you can’t dampen the fire, herbs feel like gasoline.”
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“Genetics are not destiny. They’re possibilities.”
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“Mold makes every other treatment look like it’s failing.”
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“You can absolutely get well — but there is no single magic bullet.”
Call to Action
If this episode brought you clarity or hope, please share it with someone navigating chronic Lyme, mold illness, MCAS, or ME/CFS.
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