The ACIIDS 2024 Conference was held at the Sofitel in Broadbeach on the Gold Coast on the first weekend in November, featuring Professor Pete Smith and Dr Leila Masson as the keynote speakers – along with seven other speakers including doctors and naturopaths. These practitioners all shared a wealth of knowledge about the treatments they’re currently using for their patients who may have MCAS or Microbiome issues.
The second day focused more on the Microbiome and the Gut-Brain Axis. The first speaker of the day was Dr Leila Masson from Sydney who spoke on the topic: The Microbiome from Pregnancy Through Childhood. Dr Masson gave the audience lots of tips about how she’s treating her young patients and she said she’s seeing a much higher incidence of issues with the microbiome in young people these days.
Dr Henry Butt from BioScreen in Melbourne, spoke next on the topic: Rome IV Criteria (2016): Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. He spoke about evidence which supports the colonic pH of FGIDs/IBS patients being acidic and that the acidity of the colon can lead to a significant change of the patient’s gut microbial ecosystem.
This talk was followed by Dr Rebecca Ryan who is a Gastroenterologist who runs her clinic on the Gold Coast. Dr Ryan specialises in disorders of the gut-brain axis and she spoke about the work she does in her talk titled: The Role of the Gut and Microbiome in the Gut-Brain Axis.
After the lunch break, we came back to hear Dr Janet Kim speak on the topic: The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back: Observations of Gut Dysbiosis Over a Decade Plus. During her talk, Dr Kim showcased over a decade of experience in testing and treatment gut dysbiosis.
The final speaker on the Sunday was Reine DuBois, an integrative Naturopath at The Health Lodge in Byron Bay. She spoke about: Integrating Naturopathic Principles and Practices in Managing MCAS. She also spoke about the treatment and management of the microbiome, including herbal treatment for SIBO.
The day concluded with a Panel of all the speakers from the day where they answered questions from the audience.
The ACIIDS 2024 Conference delivered helpful insights and perspectives on MCAS, ME, CFS, chronic infections and the Microbiome and Gut-Brain Axis.
ACIIDS is a not-for-profit organisation of health practitioners with an interest in integrative medicine, chronic infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. For more information about ACIIDS, visit here.
The first day of the conference focused largely on MCAS, ME/CFS, POTS, Fibromyalgia and their causes such as environmental mould/bacteria exposure or fungal colonisation in the body and chronic “stealth” infections. Professor Pete Smith opened this day with his keynote address on the topic: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome(s). Prof Smith is one of Australia’s leading allergists, immunologists and medical researchers, running his clinic at Queensland Allergy Services in Southport, Queensland. He talked about how he diagnoses and manages MCAS in his patients.
Before lunch on Saturday, Dr Graham Exelby from Mermaid Central Medical Clinic, talked about Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Crossovers with Long COVID, Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.
After lunch, Prof Smith returned to the stage to deliver another keynote address where he spoke on the topic of ME/CFS and Long COVID: Similarities and Differences, telling delegates how he uses of Low-dose Naltrexone in ME/CFS patients and also Long COVID.
After lunch, Prof Smith returned to the stage to deliver another keynote address where he spoke on the topic of ME/CFS and Long COVID: Similarities and Differences, telling delegates how he uses of Low-dose Naltrexone in ME/CFS patients and also Long COVID.
Dr Hugh Derham from Bicton Medical Clinic in Perth, then spoke on: Inflammation, Infections & MCAS: Towards a Unifying Theory of Chronic Inflammatory Illnesses.
This was followed by a Panel of all the speakers from the day as they answered questions from the audience.
