DOUGLAS C. HALL, M.D.
Douglas C. Hall, MD, is a sought-after functional and regenerative medicine doctor in Ocala, Florida. At his private practice, he offers an extensive array of health care services to improve the quality and length of your life.
Meet Doug
Dr. Hall has suffered from unexplained health problems, so he understands how important it is to take time to carefully listen to each of his patients. He goes to great lengths to get to know you personally, so you never feel like a number or a set of measurements and data.
As a natural-born teacher, Dr. Hall follows your appointment with a comprehensive email that lets you know exactly what he found, the diagnosis, what is happening in your body and the reason why. He wants you to be educated and empowered to take control of your health.
He received his medical degree from the University of Florida, where he specialized in gynecology and obstetrics. With more than 40 years as a doctor, he has amassed a lengthy list of memberships and accolades.
He served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corp and is a member of the following associations: Age Management Medicine Group, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the American Chiropractic Association Council on Nutrition, the Endocrine Society, and the Institute of Functional Medicine. He is also a recipient of the Honor of the Diplomat of American Clinical Board of Nutrition.
Dr. Hall welcomes new patients to his practice in Ocala, Florida. He wants to make a difference in your life. Call today!
MESSAGE FROM DR. HALL
In addition to what appears in my bio, I’m a published author, I’ve appeared as a guest on numerous television shows and I’ve had the privilege to lecture nationwide. I also founded Prenagym, an exercise center that physically prepares expectant mothers for their pregnancy experience. During my gynecology career, I’ve delivered 10,860 babies! I’m now treating my fourth generation of patients.
I’ve been an avid exerciser for years, running three to five miles a day in addition to weight training. However, at age 55, I started to develop breasts, a gut and a waist span of 40 inches.
I also was experiencing erectile dysfunction, joint pain, poor self-image and depression. Worse yet, I had a little too much interest in things such as my wife’s purse collection, shoes and shopping trips to Victoria’s Secret. Sad movies started requiring a box or two of tissues!
Experiencing erectile dysfunction took on a new meaning for me. I wasn’t just reading about it in a medical article or textbook. This was real. The effect it had on my emotions, self-image and marriage was devastating.
I felt inadequate, less of a man, depressed, embarrassed and worried. “What if someone finds out I have this problem?” This was the thought constantly running through my head. My wife, because I couldn’t perform in the bedroom, thought I didn’t love her anymore or I was seeing someone else.
When I would get out of the shower, look in the mirror and see my man boobs and enlarging gut, I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out! Suicide crossed my mind on several occasions. “Why is this happening to me?” I kept asking. My diet wasn’t bad and I continued to exercise and run despite my bouncing boobs! I knew it would be embarrassing to admit to a fellow physician that I had this problem, but I had to do something. I couldn’t continue to live with this condition, so I decided to seek help.
I visited three physicians in Ocala and two in Gainesville. Each office visit lasted less than three minutes, and the answer was always the same: “You’re just getting older!” There was no discussion of diet, exercise or hormone testing. I wasn’t about to settle for the diagnosis of aging. I decided to take things into my own hands and asked myself a simple question, “Why?” I knew hormones had to be playing a major role in my condition, so I began an extensive study of hormone synthesis and metabolism.
Hormone Synthesis, My Recovery and How You Benefit
Now I asked the obvious questions: “Why? And how do you convert testosterone to estrogen?” I found there is an enzyme called aromatase that converts male to female hormones. If everything is functioning normally, there is a normal ratio of male to female hormones or testosterone to estrogen. It was obvious mine wasn’t functioning properly.
I also started to research the question, “Why is that enzyme overacting and converting my testosterone to estrogen?” I learned that aging; lack of zinc and vitamin C; excess leptin, a fat cell hormone; low thyroid; excess insulin and testosterone; inflammation; and abnormal cortisol increased the aromatase enzyme.
Next, I had to study nutritional biochemistry, thyroid, insulin, cortisol, inflammation and leptin metabolism to determine my values. This is complex biochemistry and most physicians won’t take the time to do this level of research.
Upon the correction of all the factors contributing to conversion of testosterone to estrogen, I lost 40 pounds and all my symptoms resolved in three months.
Looking back, I’m glad this happened to me. It made me realize that my patient evaluation in the past was completely inadequate. What happened to me made me a better physician all around.
In the past, I could only resolve symptoms with a prescription medication or surgical procedure. I now resolve them by first asking what is causing my patients’ symptoms. Once I determine the root cause of the problem through extensive testing and counseling, action can be taken through lifestyle changes, nutritional supplementation and the appropriate medication, if indicated.
There are millions of reactions that occur in our body every second and many factors affect those reactions, including thoughts, diet, sleep pattern, stress, exercise, environment, genetics, and medication. When all those reactions are functioning properly, we experience overall wellness and a sense of wellbeing. When those reactions become abnormal or dysfunctional, as in my case, symptoms leading to disability, disease, premature aging or premature death will develop. You want to determine the root cause of the problem, not mask the symptoms with a medication!