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When "Low Dose" Is Still Too Much: LDN for Complex, Sensitive Clients
Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician About Dr. Kim Dr. Yoon Hang Kim is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience in integrative and functional medicine. He completed fellowship training at the University of Arizona under Dr. Andrew Weil and holds certifications in Preventive Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Integrative & Holistic Medicine. He specializes in LDN, autoimmune disease, ch

John Kim
1 day ago5 min read


Low-Dose Naltrexone for Nerve Pain
What the evidence says about CRPS, trigeminal neuralgia, and post-herpetic neuralgia By Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician About Dr. Kim Dr. Kim is board-certified in Preventive Medicine with more than 20 years of experience in integrative and functional medicine. He completed the University of Arizona fellowship under Dr. Andrew Weil, holds UCLA medical acupuncture certification, and has served as Enter

John Kim
Sep 308 min read


The Cowden+ Support Program: A Comprehensive Guide to Herbal-Based Lyme Disease Management
INTEGRATIVE INFECTIOUS DISEASE Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Dr. Yoon Hang Kim is board-certified in Preventive Medicine and practices integrative & functional medicine. He completed the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine Osher Fellowship under Dr. Andrew Weil and holds certifications in preventive medicine, medical acupuncture, and integrative and functional medicine. He is an IF

John Kim
Sep 2825 min read


You're Probably Supplementing Blind: Why Micronutrient Testing Should Come Before the Pill Bottle
Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. All testing and supplementation decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. You're Probably Supplementing Blind: Why Micronutrient Testing Should Come Before the Pill Bottle Let me ask you a question most supplement companies hope

John Kim
Sep 610 min read


When LDN Hits a Wall: Advanced Strategies for MCAS, Dosing Plateaus, and Chronic Illness
When LDN Hits a Wall: Advanced Strategies for MCAS, Dosing Plateaus, and Chronic Illness Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) is used off-label for the conditions discussed below. All treatment decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Do n

John Kim
Sep 59 min read


Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA): What the Evidence Actually Shows
An endogenous lipid mediator for neuroinflammation and chronic pain — mechanism, trial data, and where it belongs in an integrative plan Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Most supplements marketed for pain have a story but no trial data. Palmitoylethanolamide is unusual: it has both. It is a molecule the human body already makes, it has a defined nuclear receptor target, and it has now been through more

John Kim
Sep 310 min read


Association Is Not CausationLooking Deeper into the Melatonin–Heart Failure Study
Association Is Not Causation Looking Deeper into the Melatonin–Heart Failure Study Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Meet Yoon Hang Kim MD Important: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your supplement regimen. The H

John Kim
Sep 15 min read


Creatine vs Creatinine: What a Creatine Supplement Actually Does — and Why Your Kidney Labs Can Look "Off"
By Yoon Hang "John" Kim, MD, MPH — Board-Certified Preventive Medicine Physician specializing in Integrative and Functional Medicine | www.directintegrativecare.com Abstract Creatine monohydrate is one of the most extensively studied dietary supplements available, with over three decades of clinical trial data supporting its role in improving strength, lean mass, and high-intensity exercise capacity. Despite this, confusion between creatine (the supplement) and creatinine (it

John Kim
Aug 309 min read


LDN Q&A: Neuropathic Pain, MCAS, Insomnia, Microdosing, and What to Do When LDN Causes Side Effects
By Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Low dose naltrexone (LDN) is often discussed as though there is one standard dose, one predictable response, and one straightforward way to use it. In clinical practice, it is rarely that simple. People differ dramatically in sensitivity, diagnosis, immune function, nervous system reactivity, medication tolerance, and response to dose changes. This becomes especially

John Kim
Aug 2910 min read


Saffron for Sleep: What the Research Says — and Why It Might Work Better Than Melatonin
By Yoon Hang "John" Kim, MD, MPH I can't tell you how many patients walk into my office already taking melatonin — sometimes way more than they need — and still not sleeping. They're frustrated. They did the "natural" thing. It didn't work. Now what? That's usually when I bring up saffron, and I get the look. The cooking spice? Sort of. We're not talking about pinching threads into your rice. We're talking about a concentrated, standardized extract that's been put through leg

John Kim
Aug 285 min read


When Eating Feels Like a Minefield: A Story of MCAS, Ketotifen, and Low-Dose Naltrexone
When Eating Feels Like a Minefield: A Story of MCAS, Ketotifen, and Low-Dose Naltrexone By Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician 🎥 Watch the short version: MCAS, Ketotifen & LDN — a client story For people living with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), eating can feel like a minefield. A food that was fine last month triggers flushing, hives, gut pain, or brain fog today. Over time, many people respond

John Kim
Aug 184 min read


Discovering San Antonio Functional Medicine with Dr. Kim
Functional Medicine in San Antonio: A Root-Cause Approach with Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician If you've spent years cycling through specialists, tests, and prescriptions — and you still don't feel well — the problem may not be you. It may be the model of care. Conventional medicine excels at acute crises, but chronic, complex illness often demands a different question: not "What is the diagnosis?" bu

John Kim
Aug 174 min read


Do Libido Supplements Actually Work for Women?
An Evidence-Graded Review of Over-the-Counter Botanicals and the Two FDA-Approved Prescription Options Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not a substitute for individualized care. Supplements and prescription medications carry real risks and intera

John Kim
Aug 118 min read


Dr. Kim’s Approach: LDN Therapy San Antonio, Texas
Low Dose Naltrexone in San Antonio: Why It Works, and Why Dr. Kim Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Living with a chronic condition can feel like working through a to-do list that never quite ends. You try a medication, a symptom quiets down for a while, and the thing underneath it never really moves. If that sounds familiar, Low Dose Naltrexone — usually just called LDN — is worth understanding, beca

John Kim
Aug 104 min read


Functional Medicine in San Antonio: A Root-Cause Approach to Chronic Illness
Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician www.directintegrativecare.com Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information presented reflects general principles of integrative and functional medicine and is not intended as a substitute for individualized care from a qualified healthcare provider. Al

John Kim
Aug 413 min read


Should You Power Through LDN Side Effects? Why the Answer Is Almost Always No
Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician www.directintegrativecare.com Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Low dose naltrexone (LDN) is used off-label for essentially all of the conditions discussed below; it is not FDA-approved for any of them. Always consult with a qualified clinician before st

John Kim
Aug 46 min read


Effective Integrative MCAS Treatments: A Path to Lasting Relief
www.directintegrativecare.com The Layered Approach to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Integrating Dr. Afrin's Framework with Functional Medicine Therapeutics LDN, Ketotifen, Methylene Blue, Quercetin, and Luteolin in a Stepwise Clinical Model Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Medical Disclaimer This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

John Kim
Aug 314 min read


Finding Functional Medicine Expertise in San Antonio, TX: Your Guide to san antonio functional doctors
Why Choose Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH for Functional Medicine in San Antonio Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician www.directintegrativecare.com If you have been searching for a functional medicine doctor in San Antonio, you have probably noticed that every clinic's website sounds the same: root cause, personalized care, advanced testing. Those are the right words — but words alone do not tell you whether a provider will actually del

John Kim
Jul 278 min read


Why Work With Dr. Yoon Hang Kim for LDN Therapy: The Membership Model Advantage for Complex Conditions
Why Work With Dr. Yoon Hang Kim for LDN Therapy: The Membership Model Advantage for Complex Conditions Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician If you're living with a complex, multi-system condition — Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, POTS, autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, chronic Lyme, CRPS, or a cancer diagnosis where you're looking for evidence-informed adjunctive support — you've probably already learned a hard truth: conventiona

John Kim
Jul 216 min read
Beyond the Blue Pill:A Functional Medicine Approach to Erectile Dysfunction
Beyond the Blue Pill: A Functional Medicine Approach to Erectile Dysfunction Yoon Hang Kim, MD, MPH Board-Certified in Preventive Medicine | Integrative & Functional Medicine Physician Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Erectile dysfunction can be a sign of serious underlying health conditions, including cardiovascular disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before star

John Kim
Jul 710 min read
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