How to Talk to Doctors Who Don’t Know What CIRS Is

If you are living with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS, you may find yourself needing to communicate with doctors who are unfamiliar with the condition. This can be especially challenging when you are experiencing active symptoms, seeking support for related health concerns, or presenting in an urgent care or emergency setting.

While no one should have to educate their provider in the middle of a health crisis, being prepared with simple, respectful language can lead to more collaborative experiences when providers are curious and willing to seek understanding. This guide offers scripts and a printable handout you can use when CIRS is not yet part of your provider’s knowledge base.

Start with Clarity and Neutrality

When a provider is unfamiliar with CIRS, avoid leading with medical terminology or research citations unless invited to do so. Begin with a simple, structured explanation rooted in your lived experience and known patterns of your health.
I have a complex health history that includes a condition called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS. It is an environmentally acquired illness involving persistent inflammation, cognitive changes, and systemic symptoms. I am not here asking you to treat CIRS itself, but it is a factor that affects how I respond to medications, hydration, and environmental exposures. I can share a brief clinical overview if you would find that helpful.

Use Grounded Language to Introduce Context

The goal is not to teach or convince. The goal is to help your provider care for you safely based on the way your body currently functions.
CIRS affects the way my immune system and detoxification pathways function. I tend to have delayed recovery unless inflammation is managed carefully.
Certain medications or environments may cause unexpected responses in my system. I try to track patterns and avoid known triggers when possible.
Because my condition is complex, I do best when we talk through what you are seeing clinically and compare it to what I know about my typical symptom flares. That helps me stay grounded and avoids unnecessary interventions.

If You Need to Assert a Boundary

Not every provider will understand or accept the condition. If that happens, it is important to redirect the conversation to your current goals without entering into conflict.
I understand that you may not be familiar with CIRS or may have a different clinical lens. I am not asking for a diagnosis or treatment for CIRS itself. I am simply asking that we take into account my documented sensitivities when discussing next steps. I am happy to focus on addressing the symptoms I am presenting with today in the way that feels most clinically safe for both of us.

Sample Provider Explainer: Copy and Paste Handout

This handout is for providers who are open to learning more. You can copy it into the notes section of your patient portal, bring a printed version, or keep it on your phone for quick access.

Provider Brief: What to Know About Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)

The patient you are seeing today has been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), a complex condition that may contribute to multisystem symptoms. While you are not being asked to diagnose or treat CIRS, it is important to understand how the condition may affect your clinical decision-making.

CIRS is an environmentally acquired illness that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals exposed to certain biotoxins, such as those produced by water-damaged buildings. It involves a persistent inflammatory response that can affect immune, neurological, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems. CIRS is recognized in functional and environmental medicine and is commonly evaluated using symptom cluster analysis, visual contrast sensitivity testing, and laboratory biomarkers associated with chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation.

Patients with CIRS often have heightened sensitivity to medications, IV fluids, and environmental triggers. They may experience adverse effects from standard doses or deteriorate following well-intentioned interventions. It is not unusual for these patients to require nonstandard hydration volumes, modified medication protocols, or environmental accommodations.
Please note the patient is not asking you to treat CIRS. They are requesting that you consider their unique responses as part of your standard safety and clinical reasoning practices.

If you would like to learn more, please refer to peer-reviewed literature available through PubMed on environmentally acquired inflammatory illness or CIRS. Thank you for your willingness to support a complex case with care and curiosity.

References

Annals of Medicine and Surgery 2024 Chronic inflammatory response syndrome: a review of the evidence of clinical efficacy of treatment Ming Dooley, DACMa,*, April Vukelic, DOb, Lysander Jim, MDc (PMID: 39649915)

Biotoxin Illness Treatment By Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker MD (READ HERE)

Closing Reminder for Patients

You do not need to defend your diagnosis. You are allowed to ask for trauma-informed care. And you are allowed to decline treatments that feel unsafe based on your experience. When doctors do not yet know what CIRS is, your calm self-advocacy may be the first step in changing that.