A 2025 study followed people who had already tried about 13 treatments without success. Nine out of ten got better on low doses of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Kora MD is the program Dr. Ruscio recommends to try it — guided by a real doctor, small doses first, available in all 50 states.
Founder, Ruscio Institute of Functional Health
One company I like and have been using is Kora MD. They really understand microdosing — it's one of the main things they do. They make it easy to get low-dose Tirzepatide and Semaglutide prescribed online in every state, and they follow the safety rules you want behind a real medication.Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC, DNM · Founder, Ruscio Institute of Functional Health
Most online GLP-1 companies push for full doses and fast weight loss. Kora MD is built around small doses, real doctor oversight, and a Personal Care Clinician who tweaks your plan as your body responds — the same approach Dr. Ruscio's own clinic uses.
Low-dose Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in the same range used in the 2025 mast cell study — usually 10% to 25% of the standard weight-loss dose. The goal is the smallest dose that works for you, not the biggest one your body can handle.
A real clinician who knows your case, watches how you're doing, and adjusts your plan as your body changes. Most online clinics skip this part. It comes included — no extra charge.
Microdose or full dose, your monthly price is the same. You're paying for the care and the U.S.-made medicine — not for how many milligrams are in the vial.
The Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology has reported that 30% to 55% of people with digestive issues may have histamine intolerance — long-term inflammation driving the symptoms underneath. The same problem can show up outside the gut, too: tiredness, brain fog, low mood, trouble sleeping, a fast heart rate, flushing, hives, and joint pain.
Here's how it works. Gut imbalances — dysbiosis, SIBO, fungal overgrowth — raise histamine in your gut and set off your mast cells. Mast cells then release a mix of inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, cytokines) that spread inflammation through the whole body.
Low-dose GLP-1 steps right into that loop. It locks onto receptors on the mast cells to calm them, helps balance other immune cells (T cells, B cells, NK cells, macrophages, eosinophils), and quiets NF-κB — a master switch that turns on inflammation genes. In a 2025 study by Drs. Weinstock, Dempsey, and Afrin, 47 patients with mast cell activation — each having tried about 13 other treatments — were given microdoses of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Nine out of ten got better. And the relief came before any weight change.
From your first click to your first dose, a licensed clinician reviews and prescribes your treatment through OpenLoop Healthcare Partners, our medical practice partner.
A few minutes online. Tell us your medical history, current medications, gut and inflammation symptoms, what you've already tried, and your goals. No pressure to commit yet.
A licensed provider reads your case, may follow up by message or video, and decides whether you're a fit — and which microdose plan is right for you.
If you're approved, a licensed U.S. 503(a) compounding pharmacy ships your medication right to you. No pickup, no pharmacy line.
Your Personal Care Clinician checks in on how you're doing and works with your provider to adjust your dose as your body changes.
One plan, built around the protocol used in the 2025 mast cell study. Same price at every dose, real physician supervision, and a Personal Care Clinician included.
Dr. Michael Ruscio is a clinician, researcher, and bestselling author whose work has shaped how functional medicine is practiced. His book Healthy Gut, Healthy You introduced a "start with the gut" approach that helps patients and practitioners get better results with less cost and less complexity.
He founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, hosts the top-ranked Dr. Ruscio Radio podcast, and publishes research in peer-reviewed medical journals. All three doctors at his clinic are members of the International Society of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome — the same patient group the 2025 GLP-1 microdose study looked at.
Yes. Dr. Ruscio publicly recommends Kora MD because microdosing is one of the main things they do, and they prescribe safely online in all 50 states. He is not your treating doctor through Kora MD. Your clinical care comes from licensed providers at OpenLoop Healthcare Partners.
Microdosing is using a GLP-1 (Semaglutide or Tirzepatide) at about 10% to 25% of the standard weight-loss dose. In the 2025 study by Drs. Weinstock, Dempsey, and Afrin, microdoses helped 9 out of 10 patients with long-term inflammation and mast cell symptoms — tiredness, brain fog, food reactions, hives, flushing, blood-pressure swings, gut issues. These were patients who had already tried about 13 other treatments. Many felt better within hours to days, before any weight change.
A Personal Care Clinician is a real, U.S.-licensed clinician who's assigned to you. They check in on how you're tolerating the medicine, your side effects, hydration, nutrition, and progress. They also talk to your prescribing doctor and adjust your dose when needed. Most online clinics skip this — at Kora MD, it's included at no extra cost.
This is exactly what Dr. Ruscio's work is about. Your intake captures your gut history, food reactions, and mast cell-style symptoms. Your provider may pick a microdose, an oral form, or a slower ramp-up based on your case. A prescription is not guaranteed — if a GLP-1 isn't right for you, your clinician will say so.
Both are offered, and your provider picks the right one. Tirzepatide targets two receptors (GIP and GLP-1) and has the lowest reported side effects of the two. Semaglutide comes as a shot, a pill, or a sublingual (under-the-tongue) form. Your provider picks the medicine and form based on your case.
The most common side effects are stomach-related — nausea, constipation, diarrhea, belly pain, indigestion. They're usually strongest in the first one or two months and ease up over time. Starting low and going slow keeps them small. In the 2025 microdose study, only 3 out of 47 patients had to stop because of side effects. Your care team talks through all side effects with you.
Yes, you can cancel any time. No sign-up fees, no consult fees, no surprise charges. Care is available in all 50 U.S. states through Kora MD's licensed providers. Longer plans (3, 6, and 12 months paid up front) are available at a lower monthly rate if you want to commit longer.
Kora MD is built for long-term care: licensed doctors in all 50 states through OpenLoop Healthcare Partners, U.S. compounding pharmacies for your medicine, and a Personal Care Clinician with every membership. We're not a refill funnel. We're a metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and longevity program.
A few minutes of intake. A real clinician on the other end. A care team that sticks with you. This is what metabolic and anti-inflammatory care should feel like.
A prescription is not guaranteed and requires evaluation by a licensed clinician.
Disclaimer
All medical services, including clinical evaluations, treatment planning, and prescribing decisions, are provided exclusively by independently licensed healthcare providers affiliated with OpenLoop Healthcare Partners, PC and its affiliated professional entities. Kora MD provides the technology platform and administrative services only. Kora MD does not provide medical services, does not make prescribing decisions, and does not practice medicine. Prescription medications, when prescribed, are dispensed by independently licensed pharmacy partners.
Compounded medications are not FDA approved. The FDA has not verified the safety, effectiveness, or quality of compounded medications.
Testimonials and reviews reflect the individual experiences of the persons who provided them and are not guarantees or predictions of your results. Individual results vary.
Currently offering services in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. Some services may not be available in all 50 states or Washington D.C. Subject to change.
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