339: Resiliency Radio with Dr. Jill: TPE: Myths and Facts with Dr. Nafysa Parpia & Dr. Eric Gordon

Is Therapeutic Plasma Exchange the breakthrough it's sometimes made out to be—or is the reality more nuanced? Dr. Jill welcomes Dr. Nafysa Parpia and Dr. Eric Gordon to separate the myths from the facts about TPE, exploring how it works, who may benefit, why preparation matters, and its emerging role in complex chronic illness. 🔑 5 Key Discussions ① 🩸 What TPE Actually Does TPE removes and replaces plasma, temporarily reducing circulating inflammatory substances and giving the immune system and liver a break from an ongoing inflammatory burden. ② 🧬 TPE & Complex Chronic Illness The doctors explore its use in patients with interconnected issues including autoimmunity, PANS/PANDAS, tick-borne illness, MCAS, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. ③ ⚠️ Why Preparation Matters TPE isn't necessarily the first step. Highly sensitive patients may need support for nutrition, gut health, mast cells, hormones, detoxification, and mitochondrial function beforehand. ④ 🦠 Bartonella, Autoantibodies & IVIG For conditions involving autoantibodies or Bartonella, multiple TPE treatments may be needed, with treatments such as IVIG considered as part of an individualized strategy. ⑤ 🌎 Toxins, Longevity & Emerging Uses TPE is increasingly discussed in relation to environmental exposures, PFAS, plastics, and longevity—but the doctors emphasize reducing overall toxic burden rather than viewing it as a complete detox solution. ⭐ Key Takeaways 🔹 TPE is a plasma-removal and replacement procedure—not a universal cure or simple "detox." 🔹 Chronic illness often involves multiple interconnected systems that need to be addressed together. 🔹 Preparing highly sensitive or depleted patients before TPE may be critical to tolerability. 🔹 Peptides and bioregulators may be incorporated to support immune regulation, gut health, and cellular function. 🔹 TPE works best as part of a comprehensive, individualized treatment strategy guided by experienced clinicians. 👩‍⚕️ Guest Biographies Dr. Nafysa Parpia is a board-certified naturopathic doctor and Director of Naturopathic Medicine at Gordon Medical, specializing in complex chronic illness, including Lyme and tick-borne disease, mold illness, autoimmunity, long COVID, ME/CFS, and MCAS. Dr. Eric Gordon is an internationally recognized expert in complex chronic illness with more than 45 years of clinical experience. He is President of the Gordon Medical Research Center and has collaborated extensively on research involving ME/CFS, Lyme disease, autoimmunity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Gordon Medical: https://gordonmedical.com/ Learn more about Plasmapheresis at www.plasmapheresiswest.com Gordon Medical Forums: https://gordonmedical.com/gma-events/