Farshid Sam Rahbar, MD, FACP, ABIHM

I’ve searched for the last fourteen years to find someone like Dr. Rahbar. He is easily the greatest doctor and one of the most compassionate human beings I have ever met. Throughout my 20-​year journey to figure out my mysterious health issues, I saw over 70 doctors/​healers/​health practitioners, I tried every alternative modality I could find, spent tens of thousands of dollars, and even journeyed to the Amazon jungle to work with shamans — All to no avail.
In November of 2014, I discovered Dr. Rahbar and all of his glowing reviews on Unilocal.In my initial appointment, he thought he already knew the root cause of my health issues. The numerous tests I took over the next few weeks confirmed his intuition: Chronic Lyme. If you have strange, seemingly unconnected symptoms like joint/​body pain, gut issues, neurological issues (memory/​insomnia/​ADD/​Anxiety/​Depression/​Rage/​Brain Fog), or if you’ve been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia/​Lupus/​MS — please look into seeing someone lyme literate (not your GP) who will run the proper tests.
While Dr. Rahbar doesn’t directly treat Lyme, he can treat some of the common issues that accompany lyme, as well as help guide your next step. And if you don’t have lyme (I’m happy for you), then you have the luxury of seeing him for all of your health needs.
Dr. Rahbar is the Richard Castle (or Jessica Fletcher if you’re older) of chronic illness. He is a health detective. He investigates with an open mind all the numerous health possibilities before diagnosing. He is incredibly kind, calm, and completely focused on whoever sits in front of him. His presence itself is very healing. He also doesn’t watch the clock, thus allowing you the space to be heard and the freedom to be healed.
I haven’t found another Dr. Rahbar, and I’m not sure I will. And while I could write so much more, I’ll just say thank you. I’m eternally grateful.

Our families experience with Dr. Rahbar and his practice has been incredible. Our college age daughter has Lyme disease. At the time that we found Dr. Rahbar we did not know this; she had been to 6 different doctors at 4 different highly respected practices/​hospitals seeking to treat her for gastrointestinal conditions. At wits end, we went online and read about Dr. Rahbar. Not only did they get us a timely appointment for him to see our daughter, when he did see her he spent 2 ½ hours with us. His approach is that of a well trained humanitarian physician –but one whose mind is open to all that modern day medicine has to offer, incorporating integrative medicine as well in a responsible, forward thinking way. His demeanor is kind and unhurried. He follows up thoughtfully and regularly. It was he who requested that we test our daughter for Lyme disease, and once she was diagnosed has continued to support us while our daughter sees a specialist for Lyme and she is now finally healing. We cannot recommend him highly enough.

Dr. Rahbar is amazing. He is responsive (emailing even late at night) and open to all the possibilities of the root of your troubles. He continues his learning practices, going to conferences and on sabbatical each year. Thanks to these qualities, he was able to determine that my husband was actually suffering from Lyme disease. As he becomes more and more familiar with the relationship between Lyme and the gut, I believe it is now taking even less time to diagnose others. We love Dr. Rahbar and feel incredibly lucky to have found probably the best functional medicine GI doc in the country. He even did a 5am emergency endoscopy the next day after an acute reaction. He is the best!

This is doctor is AMAZING! Besides his extensive knowledge he is so kind. I email him at 10:30 at night and he calls me back in 15 mins.
Run don’t walk to this doctor! He is worth every penny :)

Dr. Rahbar is extraordinary — a doctor that spends enough time with you and truly listens. On my very first appointment, he and his staff spent 2 and half hours with me — NOT 2 and half hours in the waiting room but 2 and half hours of speaking with me, reviewing medical history and creating an action plan. After being dismissed by so many doctors over the years, I was so bowled over that I cried with relief on my way home.
His evaluations are seriously comprehensive and he leaves no detail un-​noted when taking a medical history. He’s extraordinarily knowledgeable but also kind and considerate and will always take the time to explain any complex medical detail. I have been seeing GI and other doctors for decades and been told ‘it’s all in my head’ — but through thorough testing and analysis, I finally had my answers from Dr Rahbar and am now on the path to better health. His office staff is also very quick to respond — I’ve gotten my email questions answered sometimes within moments of sending.
I couldn’t recommend him and his team highly enough.

This man has gone above and beyond for me. Him and all of his staff are SOOOO kind. I was well over an hour late for my first appt, he said no problem and took me on his lunch. He is SOOO busy and he could have easily just told me no but he took me not only on his lunch but on a very very busy day! He took over an hour with me and every time I see him he is kind, listens, and is very thorough. He has given me my period back and my GI functions are returning to normal. He is incredible, incredible, incredible!!! I recommend him to EVERYONE because he is that amazing. Thank you Dr. Rahbar for all that you do, and your kind spirit and dedication to helping all of us.

Dr. Rahbar is one of a kind. I am a different person since I have been seeing him.
He first does many tests to analyze the entire body as well as the specific problem. Then, looking at the entire picture, he narrows down your specific issues and treats you. Dr. Rahbar is never too busy to answer your questions or make time for you. He is right there to help you feel better and live a healthier life. After many years of suffering with GI problems,
Dr. Rahbar has helped me to live much more normally. I am thankful to have found a doctor who will take the extra step and look a little deeper than most.

Dr. Rahbar is a cut above the rest — an ENORMOUS cut above the rest. In fact, I owe my health to him. It’s hard/​impossible to put into words how thankful I am to have found this doctor. Without him, I never would have received the diagnosis that (after two years of suffering) finally put me on the road to recovery. He’s an exceptional doctor — knowledgable, thoughtful, determined, and empathetic. I am lucky to have found him.
He also has a lovely staff — attentive, kind, and organized.

We are so grateful for Dr. Rahbar and we do not know where we would be without him. My husband has been battling chronic health issues for over 7 years. He had lost faith in the medical community because he had heard countless practitioners tell him that they had no answers for his GI problems, brain fog, fatigue, and other seemingly vague symptoms. He had been tested many times over with the same series of lab tests that never revealed anything abnormal. Dr. Rahbar however, approaches medicine in a different light. He is patient, thoughtful, and was persistent in finding answers. Dr. Rahbar helped my husband feel that he was worth fighting for and not merely making things up in his head. Dr. Rahbar was persistent in his suspicion of lyme disease and after comprehensive testing it was confirmed. For the first time in years, my husband is on a path toward health again.

Already rated Dr Rahbar but I don’t think it posted. Ill sum it up in one sentence! He is by far the BEST doctor I’ve ever seen! Currently he’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with my digestive health so he can begin a proper treatment plan. He’s extremely thorough, kind hearted, and so willing to get to the root cause. Yes he’s holistic, but he also believes in traditional western medicine. Therefore, he will use what’s appropriate for you. If your not getting answers or help anywhere else I’d highly suggest seeing Dr Rahbar! Insurance won’t cover the cost because of the kind of practice this is, but you can obtain a super bill to submit it yourself. However, your health is far worth the cost of coming here. He spends a lot of time and detail with you. In fact my first visit was a long one because he wanted me to go to radiology as well as the lab than return back to his office to rule out anything serious that may need a hospital stay. I was scared, but he assured me I was in good hands! My family and I are very impressed with his care!

I can’t begin to thank Dr Rahbar enough. While Im still not out of the woods, and Im writing this before I get my results I just would like to say this doctor is the MOST KIND HEARTED– PATIENT– THOROUGH doctor Ive ever had in my ENTIRE life! He has had me do series of many lab tests to rule out various things. Im very thankful to have found Dr Rahbar. I look forward to healing and getting better with his guidance and help. The office staff is also wonderful! I can’t thank you all enough!
Sincerely
Melissa Winner

I am not a patient of Dr. Rahbar, but rather a medical student who was fortunate enough to shadow him at his practice. During that duration, Dr. Rahbar generously extended his immense wealth of knowledge, and demonstrated tremendous passion for what he did. It was refreshing to observe his gentle demeanor, genuine care, and tireless commitment amidst a medical arena afflicted with declining quality. Dr. Rahbar’s greatest strength comes from his willingness to be open-​minded, and his comprehensive, holistic methodology often reveals critical information that otherwise goes unseen by the traditional physician. Beyond his craft, he selflessly spends his free time attending conferences and reading literature to ensure that he is thoroughly up-​to-​date with an ever-​changing field. Dr. Rahbar has certainly set a very high standard for aspiring future practitioners like me, and I can confidently say that you will be hard-​pressed finding a better gastroenterologist in the area.

Dr. Rahbar is an outstanding doctor. I trust him to listen, evaluate, and make an accurate diagnosis. He is the best GI doctor that I have ever been to (and I had to go through multiple). I feel he really cares about my health and will leave no stone unturned. You may think his testing is overkill, but he’s digging to be accurate and to be an advocate for me to get the best medical treatment.
As an added bonus, his staff is top notch! I’ve had to order multiple forms, medical history, on different occasions and they responded swiftly with no complaints.
Everyone is nice. Go see to Dr. Rahbar!

This review is long overdue… I don’t know where I would be without Dr. Farshid Rahbar. He seriously is an angel in my life. After 2.5 years of searching with 15+ western medicine doctors, he worked with me and finally diagnosed me, calling me on New Years Eve this year at 7pm to wish me a happy new year and to tell me that my Lyme disease test had just come back positive and the search for my mystery illness was over. This man is kind, distinguished, curious, caring, a thinker and dedicated to helping people to the best of his ability. And he even takes small sabbaticals from his practice to continue learning so that he can be as up to date on healing and offering his patients the most current up to date information! Dr. Rahbar, out of all of the physicians I saw (hematology, GI, infectious disease, Internal medicine, neurology), YOU were the only one who truly LISTENED to me the patient and were determined to get to the bottom of it. I am forever grateful! This man has given me new direction, hope, and a path to healing and I can not say enough good things about him and his staff. Congratulations Dr. Rahbar. You are setting a new standard in medicine.
Sincerely,
Brian Harris

If you are tired of going from doctor to doctor and getting no relief, Dr. Rahbar is the man to see! He looks for the root of the problem, he doesn’t just treat the symptoms. He listens to everything you have to say, doesn’t hurry you out of the office, takes as much time as needed, and studies and researches to try to find answers. He is kind, compassionate and caring.
After 19 years of G.I. pain, discomfort, and other symptoms, Dr. Rahbar was able to diagnose my problem. He is my eighth Gastroenterologist but I have been to a total of 18 doctors. I have also been to several acupuncturists and nutritionists, have tried hypnosis and Reiki, Chinese herbs, practically every prescription & over-​the-​counter medication available, various diets, and nothing helped. Most doctors told me I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and wanted to put me on anti-​depressants. I tried them for a while but all they did was make me forget that the pain was still there. They did nothing to fix the problem. I just knew there was something else going on with my body, something besides IBS. It did take some time to figure this out; Dr. Rahbar scheduled numerous tests, some I had done before but many were new which was impressive.
Just this past week, Dr. Rahbar diagnosed me with Lyme disease which is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in this country. It is very hard to diagnose with current testing. Although I haven’t met with the Lyme Specialist yet, I am anxious to start treatment and can see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope! I can’t express enough how much this means to me and to my husband… the chance of getting my life back!
Thank you, Dr. Rahbar, for all that you do and for being you! Your staff is wonderful too.
(Martha) Lynne Hazen

According to whom I spoke with, this Doctor practices part traditional & part holistic medicine. Which for those of us who have «mysterious» ailments that purely traditional doctors tend to ignore or misdiagnose, is amazing.
FYI. However, this review is due to their «inability» to leverage insurance. The office is a CASH ONLY establishment. Really??? 1^st appt is $ 500* & each follow up appt is $ 275. This is not including treatment, medicine costs etc. (*there are «incentives» to bring it down to $ 450)
They advertise as part «traditional’ But more importantly, if he’s a credentialed MD «practicing» Holistic medicine, there ARE insurance options out there (I work in the industry).
Really, really disappointing. The reviews make it sound like something I could have really benefited from.
FAIL.

I am in my early 30s and have been seeing Dr. Rahbar for just over 1 year. I had a range of symptoms dating back 10 years that no one could figure out and that were increasingly affecting my ability to hold a job and live life.
DR. RAHBAR HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE SINCE DAY ONE and I am feeling drastically better in just one year.
Reasons why Dr. Rahbar is highly recommended:
— He knows what he’s doing! He is incredibly knowledgeable and his recommendations yield results.
— Dr. Rahbar strives for your body to recover at the pace of nature, using vitamins and other supplements where possible and Rx as needed. I can’t tell you how amazing it has been vs. former drs who were eager to do surgery, prescribe steriods and other harsh medication. Don’t expect a quick fix.
— He listens (genuinely) and is nonjudgmental. I couldn’t believe the amount of time he spent with me at my first appointment as I listed out all my symptoms and he started to make sense of them.
— He cares about you as a person
— We work as a team, agreeing on approaches together
— He keeps up to date on the latest research, suggesting articles to read (and printing them out for me!) and offering new methods or medications that are showing promise in the field
— He is eager to find solutions and help you feel better. Each appointment is maximized to give input, assess what’s working, and change course.
— He orders a lot of tests, but this has helped to isolate problems and monitor progress in a tangible way. He always explains how to read the tests, what the test results mean, and offers to print copies for my records.
— He has lovely bedside manner, a sense of humor, and isn’t afraid to suggest lifestyle changes like switching jobs to improve health.
— He is practical and conscious of costs (for tests, procedures, medication, vitamins) and will go over how much each costs and offer cheaper alternatives when possible
— He knows his strengths and will refer you elsewhere when needed
Dr. Rahbar is incredibly busy, so I always come with a written update that includes current medication/​vitamins I’m taking, symptoms since my last appointment, and questions I have (his team makes a copy for him) and we walk through it together. That way, we get right to the point and I make sure all my questions get answered. His office staff are awesome — efficient, friendly, and professional.
I feel so lucky to have found Dr. Rahbar and — congrats! — now you have, too. Best of luck with your health recovery.

For many years my wife has had something wrong with her belly. She’s been to all sorts of doctors all over LA. Though tons of tests were done, nothing good really came from any of it… until she went to Dr. Rahbar.
I’m not gonna lie– at first I was skeptical. He seemed nice, said he was sure he could help, was gonna run some tests, etc. Sounded familiar. I was skeptical and paid no attention to it actually.
But this time it was different. His tests seemed to be more in-​depth and detailed. And he started making a lot of drastic recommendations regarding diet and vitamin intake. Again– I was skeptical. Oh– what– you want us to buy all these vitamins from you? Lovely. How much is that gonna cost me? HAH!
But before I knew it, she was getting better. She has been to his office a bunch of times over the past year or so and unlike every other doctor she has seen, I’m HAPPY when she goes. She’s spends her life in FAR less pain these days.
Dr. Rahbar is a true professional. I have nothing but good things to say about him.

As a holistic health practitioner I am a very discerning patient and my standards for physicians are very high. With everything going on in the world of healthcare at the moment, it is not easy to find a doctor who is not only extremely knowledgeable and at the top of his game at all times, but one who deeply cares about the patients he treats. In addition to high quality care at the office or in a surgical environment, this means prompt follow-​ups, phone calls and/​or emails returned within a short time, as well as responsive office staff.
Dr. Rahbar is a unique doctor. His approach to patient treatment is truly holistic. This means he considers the whole person and not just one little part (in this case a digestive tract) like most specialized physicians these days. This kind of approach is absolutely crucial to successful treatment since many health problems cannot be isolated to one area. Rather, they are intimately connected with, and influenced by, the rest of the body.
He spends a lot of time with the patient, is kind and gentle, and has a nice sense of humor. His holistic part of the practice is a great addition to allopathic medicine, and so desperately needed in cases where Western medicine is often helpless.
If you have had less than successful experiences with various gastroenterologists or other physicians, and nobody has been able to figure out what’s wrong with you, I highly recommend you seek Dr. Rahbar’s professional expertise. It will be the best decision you ever made.

Twenty-​one months of nausea and dizziness.
Thirty-​eight Beverly Hills doctors and specialists; psychopharmacologists and shrinks; healers, homeopaths and other assorted quacks.
Dozens of blood labs, brain scans, colonoscopies, endoscopies, MRIs, X-​rays, radioactive digestion tests and a revolving door of dangerous psychopharmaceuticals.
Zero diagnoses.
My gf was written-​off, told that her symptoms were all in her head.
Then we found Dr. Farshid Sam Rahbar and it became clear that her former doctors — including prominent gastroenterologists — were blaming her ills on the wrong body part.
For over 20 years, this regal yet warm and gentle man has been practicing integrative digestive medicine, methodically examining each patient’s medical history and lifestyle with the intensity of a gastro-​centric Sherlock Holmes in order to tailor-​make his treatment plans.
Best yet, he LISTENED to us.
Dr. Rahbar was the first doctor to examine the finest details of my gf’s life and medical history, with a major focus on what she puts into her stomach. Rahbar told us that, «Your stomach is not yours. It belongs to Nature. Every single thing you put into it — food, liquid, medicine, supplements — has an effect on your entire body. The stomach is where it all begins.»
And he was right. Dr. Rahbar zeroed-​in on my gf’s condition at our first appointment. His new dietary rules improved her symptoms by 80% within the first few weeks.
It will take some time for my gf to get to where she needs to be — and there are times when old eating habits die hard — but Dr. Rahbar has always been there to catch her when she falls, is always attentive, and he always makes the time to see us when an issue needs extra attention.
Sadly, few physicians like Dr. Rahbar practice with such passion and curiosity anymore. We’re forever grateful for all he’s done for us.
Oh… and when you see him, ask him what «smart beans» are! :)