Rushed us through spent less than an hour, costs us over 595 dollars for her consultation, plus recommending all these products to purchase. Walked out of there with a 1,600 bill. If you speak to Shiva on the phone she charges 350 dollars. On top of all of this, we were given an expired product and had to return it, no receipt was given, no breakdown on the visit. Felt all they wanted was your money...

Submitted Dec. 27, 2023

I'm very disappointed that this holistic "doctor" didn't explain the risks to me of the HCG diet. She put me on it continuously when I was her patient and when I briefly worked for her. I have remained silent for two years about my experience of being her patient, but after doing research on this hormone I can't remain quiet anymore. It's extremely dangerous and can cause ovarian cancer!!

I also disclosed to her that I had struggled with an eating disorder and she also didn't do her due diligence as a medical professional and stop the conversation there. Which from my research should have happened. She was far too interested in getting my $2300. Yes, she charges $2300 for a diet that's $400 - $600 anywhere else. I drank the coolaid and was so excited about losing a lb of fat a day. Due to my past issues with eating disorders, I did terribly on this diet and failed repeatedly but she kept prescribing it saying this is the only way to reset my hypothalamus and have my weight finally stabilize at a lower weight.

I believed her because she's a doctor. I probably did 4 rounds of this and lost almost no weight. What I'd lose, I'd gain back again and she'd put me back on this dangerous irresponsible diet. When I told her that I fell back into binging and purging, she told me to fast all day and only eat a steak at night. Yes, a doctor told a patient with preexisting eating disorders to stop eating.

If I was told and explained the side effects I'd never have done this. This is not a safe hormone and the FDA doesn't recommend this to be prescribed for weight loss. Yes, the fast weight loss sound intoxicating but it cost me dearly. My menstrual cycles have never been the same. I had very light and quick menstrual cycles before now they are heavy and super painful. I have grown facial hair that I never had before when doing this diet. I didn't link it at first and spent about $5000 on laser hair removal for coarse hair on my chin. This is a side effect of this hormone. It's not a common one, but it is definitely a possible side effect. My weight also is all over the place like never before and takes a lot of effort to stabilize. My fat distributes different on my body now my lower body and legs are much heavier than they were before. I am working with a real nutritionist and a trainer and I'm starting to see great results to correct this.

This hormone is also link to ovarian cancer and can cause major fertility issues down the line. Needless to say, I am very disappointed in this practitioner and that she's putting people on this diet without explaining the risk. As I mentioned I did work for her and I've never heard her tell any patient about the risks of this diet. I found it out by chance by doing a research through the fda.gov and other places and I'm very scared. I hope that I don't get cancer in the future or have issues conceiving children, but I guess we'll see. It definitely wasn't worth the 15 pounds I yo-yoed and ended up putting 25 lbs on after I was done with this diet. If you're reading this and considering doing the hCG diet anywhere, I would advise you against it. A balanced diet and exercise is the only way to go, unfortunately, I know that's not the answer you want because I didn't want that answer either but I wish I took a healthier approach now.

Submitted Dec. 22, 2022

The people who posted negative comments don't seem to understand what functional medicine doctors do. I visited Dr. Lalezar's office after a year of requesting authorization letters from my primary care physician to see specialists in cardiology, endocrinology, GI medicine, immunology, and allergy. None of these specialists could diagnose or treat my physical symptoms and stated that my issues were mental health related. None of those doctors interacted with each other to figure out a collective approach to treating my chronic issues.

I made an appointment with Dr. Lalezar and was booked within 2 weeks (as opposed to 3-5 months' wait for MD specialists). I knew to expect the following from a functional medicine approach:

1. Insurance doesn't cover most functional medicine treatments, so I'd be paying out of pocket and it would be costly. But I also knew that I'd be prescribed top quality compounds and that my doctor's staff would help me identify billing codes to get some of my treatments reimbursed by insurance.

2. My functional medicine doctor would be looking for the root cause of my symptoms rather than treating the symptoms itself. This would be different from the bandaid/prescription approach I was used to - so if you have a persistent fungal infection, they look to treat what's making your immune system too weak and your body too susceptible to fungal infections in addition to treating the active infection.

3. I would probably get more sick before I got better as my body detoxed and healed itself. I would also probably need to change some habits, make some lifestyle changes and be more proactive in self-care. This would be different from the instant gratification and relief approach I was used to, but would improve my health long term.

My first appointment was scheduled for 30 minutes but Dr. Lalezar spent almost 2 hours reviewing all of the labs, panels, biopsies, and my personal health history with me. She intuited that my issues were threefold - heavy metals, hormonal imbalances, and long covid. She began a protocol and one week later my tests confirmed her intuition was correct. I am now undergoing a healing protocol that will hopefully result in permanent recovery rather than spending a lifetime on a cocktail of sedatives thinking I am a hypochondriac and mentally unstable.

I am 4 weeks into treatment and am genuinely perplexed and disappointed with some the negative comments by others. Dr. Lalezar has gone above and beyond providing care compared to what I received from any traditional MD office. Each consultation with her has been 20min-2 hours long (as opposed to 7-14 mins, one follow up for an MD). Her approach is holistic and she is evidence-based and provides diagrams and articles to explain disease states and treatment plans. She provides a personalized handout at the end of each visit listing the things you discussed and the protocols to be followed. Her staff is accommodating and helps find billing solutions and billing codes to get reimbursed by insurance where possible.

If you are looking for a quick fix or something merely to mask your symptoms, functional medicine is not for you. If you are looking for synthetic, industrialized medicines that have horrible side effects and unethical supply chain and production, functional medicine is not for you. If you are looking not to make lifestyle changes and be proactive in your own healthcare, functional medicine is not for you.

In terms of Dr. Lalezar's demeanor - she is tenacious and direct. She runs a professional office and is a confident and highly competent clinician. She maintains an immaculate office and expects the best from her staff (and their satisfaction working in that office is a further reflection of the health and vitality of her company).

I wish that insurance covered functional medicine protocols as they are cost-prohibitive for most people, but Dr. Lalezar's fees are commensurate with the quality of care and health treatments that one would receive from a top DO. I recommend her without reservation.

Submitted July 8, 2022

I don’t know where to begin. It’s been a very bad experience. I saw her 4 times. The first visit was good, but after that it went down hill. For starters, you can’t even breathe in this woman’s direction without paying. I called to ask a simple follow up question after my second visit and got no response, so I called again a couple of days later. I was then rudely informed (her receptionist is terrible) it’s either $195 for 15 mins or $250 for 30 mins. The receptionist stated the Doctor saw my message but it was too complex for a simple follow up call. My question could have been answered in like 3 mins tops. I’m not made of money, so I ended up finding this info online. It was regarding one of her supplements and a pharmaceutical med I was on. Didn’t require 15 mins to answer.

This is where my feelings started to change, and I began to feel financially exploited. I went in for a few more follow ups which are $250 and you don’t even see her for 30 mins, which is promised to you. She’s usually late and seems like she’s always rushing. She quickly and vaguely answers questions. Every appointment she tries to sell something more. I always ended up with a huge bill at the end and I had to ask for things to be removed like supplements and IV packages.

The IV treatments are 3x as expensive as anywhere else. I did a few Vitamin C drips but didn’t feel much of a difference and at $450 a pop I would need to feel something more than I did.

Why I finally decided to stop seeing her was when I requested my blood work. I emailed called and emailed at least a total of 5 times. No responses to my emails and the calls either went to voicemail or they said they’ll send it. I started to become annoyed by this because they aren’t even a busy office. All the times I’ve been there I’ve seen like one other person. It’s pretty dead in there and I see why now.

At the end, I didn’t feel any better I was out thousands of dollars and it just was a complete waste of energy and time. A complete waste. I’m still looking for a solution to my gut issues. I hope that I save someone else the hassle of dealing with this. Her reviews were really good but something seems fishy now. I wanted to share my truthful experience so others won’t suffer and waste money.

Submitted June 18, 2022

Absolutely terrifying experience at Health and vitality. This woman is a wack job and should be investigated by the medical board. I went in for chronic yeast infections and she said I have mercury poisoning. She then wrote a treatment plan which consisted of thousands of dollars in ivs. I almost passed out when they tried to sell me packages at the end. I did my own research when I got home and she’s a liar and the treatments are dangerous and also not even recognized by real drs. Scary and eye opening experience.

Submitted June 10, 2022

Dr. Lalezar is a condescending sales person who pushes her products, tests, IV's, etc. Sitting in her office felt like an aggressive sales pitch. She immediately pulled out her book of procedures and products without listening to me. I will not return. There are many holistic doctors to choose from who actually listen.

Submitted June 23, 2021

Dr. Shiva Lalezar is a godsend. I am recovering from COVID-19 for the second time and have severe body aches that at times feel paralyzing. The pain travels throughout my body and attacks different parts of my body daily. Two days ago, the pain was in my upper right arm and shoulder area. I could not move my arm at all. The day before that, I had pain on my right foot and could not stand or walk. This morning I had pain in both hands and my left knee. I could not sleep last night because of the unbearable pain, even with strong pain meds. This morning I could not open the car door and was limping on my way to see Dr. Lalezar. With just one IV, my pain vanished. I was in shock of the pain relief, literally speechless. I feel as if I am in a new body. Dr. Lalezar is not only a brilliant doctor who gets results, she is also someone with humility because she truly cares for every patient. She listens to her patients with empathy and finds the solution. She had been treating my son prior to me getting COVID-19. I was not a patient of hers. When my son advised her that I had COVID-19, she immediately sent supplements and vitamins to help me recover. She also called me to ask about my progress. I was not a patient of hers but because of her genuine concern for everyone, her sincere compassion, she went out of her way to help me. I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am to her. You are truly a blessing.
My son has been seeing Dr. Lalezar due to his daily chronic headaches which he has had for almost four years now. He stopped going to a university, stopped playing his violin, his life stopped because of these daily debilitating headaches. I tried every doctor you could possibly imagine. Many neurologists, headache specialists, TMJ specialists, head and neck specialists, acupuncture, chiropractor, hormonal specialist, etc.. My son was given everything for his headaches to include different triptan medications, antidepressants, muscle relaxers, narcotics, etc. He even had two procedures where he was given shots of lidocaine in the back of his head, yet he had no relief whatsoever. So many different medications and nothing helped. I had specialists who literally gave up on my son. After their treatment/medication did not work, they said that they did not know how to help him anymore and literally gave up. That is very heartbreaking for my son and for me, his mom. I did it all, except Dr. Lalezar. She has been a life changer for my son. In such a short period, just a few sessions with Dr. Lalezar, his daily chronic debilitating headaches are gone. My husband and I both had COVID-19 this past December. My son was doing everything for us while we were in quarantine. He took good care of us, making us food, giving us our supplements from Dr. Lalezar, etc. He would then go for walks to exercise every day. I was amazed at how much better he was feeling because of Dr. Lalezar. Prior to seeing her, he would not have been able to do any of that. His days consisted of coping with debilitating headaches, lying down with ice on his head. The past four years felt like a dark tunnel that my son has been in, due to his chronic daily headaches. Because of Dr. Lalezar, we can see a bright light at the end of this tunnel.
I wish I would have met Dr. Lalezar years ago. My son would not have experienced a painful, difficult and challenging time in his life. I am so grateful to God for putting Dr. Lalezar in our path. I have no pain as I write this. Just this morning I could not open a car door. Now I am writing this pain-free after one session with Dr. Lalezar. Amazing. Dr. Lalezar, you are a godsend.

Submitted Jan. 5, 2021

Dr. Lalezar gave me my life back. I suffered for 12 years and wasted thousands of dollars trying to figure out why I had constant PMS that was debilitating - I couldn't get out of bed. Dr. Lalezar identified my problem (heavy metals) during my consultation and I have never looked back. I had a toxic level of heavy metals which caused my hormone imbalance. I felt way better after my first chelation, I have no more PMS, got off my medication, lost 30 pounds and I feel GREAT in only 4-5 months. The reason why I had such a good response is because I finally found a doctor that got to the ROOT CAUSE of the problem. The price for her services are an excellent rate compared to others and more than anything I finally found a doctor who really cares. She puts the health of her patients first. And to be honest I truly don't understand why some of these reviews are complaining about Dr. Lalezar's professionalism or chelation - it is simply untrue. Like I said she is very caring and kind and these people have no understanding how chelation works. Trust me she is GREAT!!

Submitted Nov. 27, 2019

Dr. Lalezar has helped me so much with my health issues. I was battling chronic fatigue among other health symptoms that no other doctor could help me with. She actually listens to you unlike other doctors and takes the time to get to know your history. She asked for my input and works with you as a team. Yes, it's a bit pricey and it may take some time to find the root cause, but it is totally worth it if you get your health back. I have been so disappointed by other doctors that just prescribe pill after pill to mask the symptoms but never treat the cause. I'm very happy with her service and highly recommend Dr. Lalezar to anyone.

Submitted Nov. 23, 2019

Dr Shiva helped my wife feel and get better. She explored her health issues and tried to find the right treatment. I recommend her for any patient who couldn't find health with western medicine. Her treatment can be very expensive but it's worth it given the chances of recovering your health again.

Submitted Nov. 21, 2019