The Marty Ross MD Clinic Approach to Tick-Borne Illnesses
Reclaiming Your Life from Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella
At The Marty Ross MD Clinic in Seattle, we see and hear you. We know it’s not in your head.
With over 20 years of experience managing Lyme disease, Babesia and Bartonella, we have developed an approach that moves beyond simply suppressing symptoms. Our goal is not just to manage your illness, but to help you recover and reclaim your life. Our method is based in functional medicine. We look for root causes of your illness while blending the best of natural and prescription medicines, diet, sleep, movement, and brain training to get you well.
We wish it was as simple as only killing germs with antibiotics to get you well, but over 20 years of experience has shown us that antibiotics alone are not enough.
New Tools We Use (and Don’t Use)
Before discussing our comprehensive approach to getting you well, let’s look at some new therapies that many people are interested in.
Novel Antibimicrobials
We work with many supplements and prescription medicines. Our treatments may include oral or IV prescription antibiotics or herbal antibiotics. Some novel antibiotics we use include methylene blue and fluconazole for Borrelia and Bartonella and tafenoquine for Babesia. We offer a whole host of herbal antibiotics like Cryptolepis as well. See all the antimicrobials we may use in:
Peptide Supplement Therapies
At times we offer oral peptide therapies found in nutritional supplements. These peptides may support immune system health or aid in injury repair. To learn more, see: The Best Oral Peptide Guide for Lyme, Tick-borne Infections, & Mold Toxicity
GLP-1 Agonists
People living with Lyme disease or mold toxicity receiving GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes medications (semaglutide and tirzepatide) are reporting improvements regarding body pain and inflammation. Some of this may be due to losing fat or due to lower sugar; both are sources of inflammation. But some of this may also be due to the immune modulation effects of these drugs. We are offering low dose GLP-1s to modulate the immune system.
A Word About SOT
We do not offer supportive oligonucleotide therapy (SOT) here. We have seen people injured by this novel genetic therapy. There is insufficient scientific evidence to support efficacy claims. There are no human safety studies regarding the long-term effects of injecting laboratory-derived genetic material into a person during SOT. For more information, see: Is SOT for Lyme & Tick-borne Infections a Scam?
Making The Diagnosis
Making a diagnosis of Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, and other tick-borne infections requires symptom consideration and supportive testing. Sometimes, even when testing is negative, we may choose to treat based on risks of tick-bites and whether the symptoms suggest Bartonella, Babesia, or Borrelia.
The best tests for tick-borne infections are the immunoblot antibody detection methods through IGenex. At times, we also rely on microscope exams through TLabs. Read more about testing in: The Best Lab & Test for Borrelia, Bartonella, & Babesia
The Foundation: Why Conventional Approaches Often Fail
The “assembly-line” approach to medicine often fails complex chronic illness patients because it views the body as a collection of isolated parts. If you have joint pain, you see one specialist; if you have brain fog, you see another. However, chronic Lyme is a total systems illness.
To truly heal, we must adopt a systems-based framework. Our approach is built on two primary pillars:
1. Functional Medicine
This provides the “why.” We perform deep root-cause analysis using a detailed timeline of your health in order to identify every possible influence, from genetic predispositions to environmental toxins like mold. Intestinal yeast overgrowth or mold toxicity may be primary causes of a person’s problems, even when they have positive test results for a tick-borne infection. Sometimes, based on this careful history, we decide to address mold toxicity or yeast first. For many, this is all we need to do to get them well without treating tick-borne infections.
2. Integrative Medicine
This provides the “how.” We use every tool in the toolbox and combine the best of conventional prescription medicine with science-based natural and holistic therapies.
The Roadmap to Recovery
The heart of our approach is found in the Ross Lyme & Tick-borne Diseases Protocol. This protocol is more comprehensive than standard guidelines because it addresses the underlying problems that cause ongoing symptoms, rather than just focusing on the germs. Its various components are designed to improve immune function.
Stabilizing the Internal Environment: Lifestyle and Support
Recovery cannot happen in a body that is constantly in “crisis mode.” We begin by addressing the foundational elements that allow your immune system to function.
Sleep: Chronic infection triggers inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that disrupt sleep centers in the brain. Without 7–9 hours of restorative sleep, pain worsens and the immune system remains suppressed. The first step to correct sleep starts with good sleep hygiene and may include wearables (for more information, see The Ultimate Sleep Guide for Lyme, Tick-borne Diseases, and Mold Toxicity). At times, we use targeted supplements like L-Theanine or, when necessary, prescription options like Trazodone to restore this vital function.
Diet and Microbiome: We emphasize a plant-forward, anti-inflammatory diet. This isn’t just about nutrition; it’s about protecting your “second brain,” the intestinal microbiome. Even while on antibiotics, we may recommend polyphenols, prebiotic fibers, and spore-forming probiotics to maintain a healthy gut, which directs your immune system and mental health.
Cytokine Inflammation Control: While cytokines are meant to fight infection, in chronic Lyme, the immune system makes too many, causing the very symptoms we associate with the disease: brain fog, insomnia, pain, fatigue, and even muscle wasting. We use liposomal curcumin and other antioxidants to “turn down the volume” on this inflammation.
Addressing the “Toxin Trap” and System Failures
Many patients remain ill not because the infection is still active, but because their “toxin bucket” is overflowing.
The Mold Connection: We have found that mold toxin illness can look exactly like Lyme disease. If you move into a water-damaged building and suddenly get sick, mold may be the root issue causing all of your symptoms or preventing your immune system from keeping infections in check. We prioritize clearing these toxins to allow the body to heal. At times we kill germs with herbal or prescription antibiotics while removing mold toxins. Germ killing and detox can occur at the same time.
Hormonal and Mitochondrial Support: Chronic illness is an energy thief. We use adaptogens like Ashwagandha to support adrenal and thyroid function. We recommend essential micronutrients to repair the “mitochondrial power plants” in your cells. At times we may even recommend mitochondria resuscitation.
Detoxification: We support the liver, the master of detox, using liposomal glutathione to remove neurotoxins and repair damaged brain tissue.
Targeted Antimicrobial Therapy: Nature and Science in Balance
For people new to treating Lyme, often the “killing” phase of treatment begins at a second visit, once we have stabilized you with the steps above. We believe in a balanced approach:
Integrative medicine is not about choosing natural over conventional, it’s about using every appropriate tool available.
Lyme (Borrelia) Treatment: Lyme is a master of disguise, existing in spirochete, cyst, and intracellular forms that are either growing or hibernating (also called persisters). We use combinations that address all forms and growth states simultaneously. This might include herbal powerhouses like Cryptolepis and liposomal cinnamon, clove and oregano oils, or prescription antibiotics like Doxycycline and tinidazole combined with biofilm-breakers and persister-killers like liposomal cinnamon, clove, and oregano oils.
The Co-infection Complex: You cannot recover from Lyme if Bartonella and Babesia are ignored. We use specific protocols for these: using antimicrobials like tafenoquine, atovaquone, or Cryptolepis for Babesia or Houttuynia, Sida Acuta, clarithromycin, or Rifampin for Bartonella. We integrate prescription and herbal antibiotics when they offer a clinical advantage.
Brain Training
Sometimes an area of the brain called the limbic system gets stuck in an “on” position. When this happens, the brain signals the rest of the body to remain ill. Fortunately, there are good programs to retrain this area of your brain to let go. We work with The Gupta Method, Primal Trust, and Dynamic Neural Retraining System to fix this area of your brain so you can get back to life. University studies of the Gupta Method suggest symptoms can improve by 50% or more by brain training techniques.
A Collaborative Partnership
When you become a patient at our practice, you are not just a chart number. This is a collaborative process. We provide the science-based options, but we also determine the path forward together based on your clinical history, your preferences, and your intuition.
We think outside the box, utilizing compounded therapies like low dose naltrexone (LDN) to regulate immune function or methylene blue to support mitochondrial energy and fight stubborn infections.
Why Choose Dr. Marty Ross, MD?
Experience matters. Managing chronic illness for over two decades has shown that recovery is like peeling the layers of an onion. It takes persistence, expertise, and a willingness to look deeper than a standard blood test.
Dr. Ross has spent his career transforming the lives of those who felt they had no options left. If you are ready to stop simply suppressing your symptoms and start addressing the root causes of your illness, we warmly invite you to join our community.
Your Path Forward
Healing takes time, generally two to six months to see significant shifts, but with a structured map and a dedicated partner, it is possible to reclaim the vitality you thought was gone forever.