Fatigue Testing & Root-Cause Evaluation in Wilmington, NC

A Fatigue Clinic for Southeastern North Carolina

FatigueDoctorNC.com is the fatigue-focused practice of Wilmington Functional Medicine, a functional medicine practice in Wilmington, North Carolina. Our doctors, Dr. Mathew Bradshaw, DC, AFMCP and Hilary Rutledge, DC, DABCI, work with people across the region who have been tired for months or years without clear answers — patients who have had standard bloodwork, been told everything looks normal, and still feel terrible.

Our approach is designed to go deeper: thyroid function, iron status, stress hormones, gut health, infectious contributors such as Lyme and Epstein-Barr virus, and cellular energy patterns that a routine visit may miss. Because fatigue is rarely explained by one thing, we evaluate each person individually and use the right tests for the right clinical picture.

Conveniently Located on Wrightsville Avenue

You will find us at 5046 Wrightsville Ave., Suite 200, Wilmington, NC 28403 — an easy drive from Wrightsville Beach, Mayfaire, and downtown Wilmington, and a practical trip for patients coming from Leland, Carolina Beach, and across Brunswick County. Phone: (910) 444-9438. Fax: (910) 320-8402. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

What Fatigue Testing Looks Like Here

Depending on your case, evaluation may include:

• Comprehensive blood testing — iron studies including ferritin and binding capacity, a complete thyroid workup with antibodies when appropriate, Lyme antibody and EBV markers, CBC, and metabolic markers
• Organic Acids Test (OAT) — a urine test of mitochondrial function, B-vitamin gaps, yeast and bacterial overgrowth, and hypometabolic patterns
• Adrenal stress profile — cortisol at multiple points across the day, commonly used for non-menopausal women with hormone-related fatigue
• Stool and gut testing — H. pylori screening and other gut contributors to low energy
• Spirometry and EKG — lung and heart function as contributors to fatigue and low stamina

Not every test is for every patient. If you are dealing with thyroid fatigue, anemia, Lyme disease, EBV, cortisol patterns, hormone imbalance, or hypometabolic syndrome, we build the workup around your picture.

Who We See

Patients come to us from all over the Cape Fear region — Wrightsville Beach and Mayfaire professionals running on caffeine, new parents in Carolina Beach who never fully recovered their energy, Leland and Brunswick County residents who were told their labs are fine, and downtown Wilmington commuters who hit a wall by 2 PM. The common thread is not a diagnosis. It is the experience of being dismissed with "everything looks normal" while your stamina, focus, and motivation disappear.

If that sounds familiar, a structured fatigue evaluation is the most reliable next step. Learn what drives chronic low energy in our conditions guide, or see why am I always tired?

Too Tired to Make the Drive?

Fatigue has a way of making travel feel impossible. If getting to the office is the barrier, we arrange fatigue testing by mail anywhere in North Carolina — kits shipped to your door, blood drawn at a lab near you, urine, saliva, and stool samples collected at home, and every result reviewed with you by telehealth. Same team, same testing, without the drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wilmington Functional Medicine located?

5046 Wrightsville Ave., Suite 200, Wilmington, NC 28403 — a short drive from Mayfaire and Wrightsville Beach, with straightforward access from downtown Wilmington, Leland, Carolina Beach, and Brunswick County.

Do I need a referral for fatigue testing?

No referral is needed. The easiest first step is a free 15-minute discovery call at (910) 444-9438, where we review your symptoms and explain what a root-cause evaluation would involve.

What if I live outside Wilmington?

Many of our patients travel from Leland, Carolina Beach, and Brunswick County — and for anyone too tired for the trip, we arrange remote testing across North Carolina with mailed kits, a local lab draw, and telehealth follow-up.

What are your hours?

Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Ready for Real Answers?

Start with a free 15-minute discovery call. We will talk through your situation, explain what testing makes sense, and tell you exactly what to expect — in Wilmington or remotely across the state. See the full process on how it works or explore our testing panel.

Book Free Discovery Call