What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm

Susan J Sansom, FNP-C

Home
United States
Garden City, ID
Susan J Sansom, FNP-C

Directions Website

Primary care with a functional approach, specializing in weight loss, hormone optimization, and preventative wellness.

We combine traditional and root-cause medicine to create personalized plans that restore energy, metabolism, and overall health.

10/16/2026

🌿 YOUR GUT MICROBIOME MATTERS

Your digestive tract is home to trillions of microorganisms that make up your gut microbiome—and supporting a healthy microbial balance can play an important role in digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and overall wellness.

One option we use to support gut health is the Biocidin Botanicals® Gut Health Kit, a comprehensive approach designed to support the intestinal environment and promote microbial balance.

The kit can help support:

✨ A balanced gut microbiome
✨ Healthy digestion and regularity
✨ Intestinal barrier integrity
✨ Healthy microbial balance
✨ Normal immune function
✨ A healthier environment for beneficial bacteria

Why does this matter?

When the gut microbiome becomes disrupted, patients may experience symptoms such as bloating, gas, irregular bowel movements, abdominal discomfort, food sensitivities, or simply feeling like their digestion is “off.”

In functional medicine, we don’t want to focus only on temporarily covering up symptoms. We look at why the GI tract may be struggling in the first place—including diet, medications, stress, infections, inflammation, motility, and microbial imbalance.

🌱 Your gut is an ecosystem. The goal isn’t to eliminate every microorganism—it’s to help create an environment where the right organisms can thrive.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we can evaluate your symptoms, discuss appropriate testing when indicated, and develop an individualized plan to support your gut and microbiome.

Susan J. Sansom, FNP-C
Primary Peak Medical Care
Family & Functional Medicine

10/15/2026

🚨 DIZZY, LIGHTHEADED, OR FEELING LIKE YOU MIGHT FAINT?

Dizziness and fainting aren’t diagnoses—they’re symptoms telling us that something may be going on underneath the surface.

From a functional medicine perspective, we want to ask: WHY is this happening?

Possible contributors can include:

🩸 Blood sugar fluctuations
Low blood sugar or rapid glucose swings can cause shakiness, sweating, weakness, dizziness, or feeling faint.

💧 Dehydration & electrolyte imbalance
Not enough fluid, sodium, potassium, or magnesium can affect blood pressure and circulation.

❤️ Low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension
If symptoms happen when you stand up, your blood pressure may be dropping too quickly.

🩸 Anemia or nutrient deficiencies
Iron, ferritin, vitamin B12, and folate are important for healthy red blood cells and oxygen delivery.

🦋 Thyroid dysfunction
Thyroid abnormalities can affect heart rate, blood pressure, energy, and overall metabolism.

🧠 Autonomic nervous system dysfunction
Conditions such as POTS can cause significant increases in heart rate, dizziness, weakness, palpitations, and near-fainting when upright.

❤️ Heart rhythm or cardiovascular problems
An abnormal heart rhythm or other cardiovascular condition can sometimes cause sudden dizziness or loss of consciousness.

💊 Medication effects
Blood pressure medications, diuretics, glucose-lowering medications, sedatives, and other medications can sometimes contribute.

Instead of simply saying, “You’re probably dehydrated,” recurrent episodes deserve a closer look.

Evaluation may include orthostatic blood pressure and heart rate, blood glucose, CBC, iron/ferritin, B12/folate, electrolytes and kidney function, thyroid testing, medication review, and—when indicated—an ECG or additional cardiac/neurologic evaluation.

⚠️ Fainting should never automatically be assumed to be benign. Seek urgent medical attention for fainting associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, significant palpitations, severe headache, new weakness/numbness, seizure-like activity, significant injury, fainting during exercise, or persistent confusion.

Your symptoms are clues. The goal is to identify what is driving them—not just cover them up.

Primary Peak Medical Care
Family & Functional Medicine

-C

10/14/2026

🦋 YOUR TSH IS “NORMAL”… BUT IS YOUR THYROID REALLY OPTIMAL?

One of the most common things I hear from patients is:

“My thyroid was checked, and they told me it was normal.”

But when we look at their previous labs, sometimes only TSH and Free T4 were tested.

From a functional medicine perspective, that may not give us the whole picture.

A more comprehensive thyroid evaluation may include:

🔹 TSH – Looks at the signal from the pituitary telling the thyroid what to do.

🔹 Free T4 – Measures available T4, which is largely a “storage” or precursor thyroid hormone.

🔹 Free T3 – Helps us evaluate the available active thyroid hormone that has been converted from T4.

🔹 Reverse T3 – An inactive metabolite of T4. It can sometimes provide additional context about thyroid hormone metabolism, particularly during illness, significant stress, or calorie restriction, although it is not routinely recommended for diagnosing hypothyroidism.

🔹 TPO Antibodies – Can help identify autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s.

🔹 Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) – Another important marker when evaluating for autoimmune thyroid disease.

Sometimes the question isn’t simply, “Is your TSH in range?”

The better question is: What does the complete clinical picture show when we consider your symptoms, history, medications, physical findings, and appropriate laboratory testing together?

Symptoms such as fatigue, constipation, cold intolerance, dry skin, hair changes, menstrual changes, or unexplained weight changes deserve a thoughtful evaluation—even when an initial screening test is within the laboratory reference range.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we believe laboratory results should be interpreted in the context of the whole patient—not treated as numbers in isolation.

🦋 Your thyroid is more than just a TSH.

Susan J. Sansom, FNP-C
Primary Peak Medical Care
Family & Functional Medicine

$✨ NOW OFFERING CO₂ FRACTIONAL LASER SKIN RESURFACING! ✨Ready to refresh, smooth, and rejuvenate your skin?CO₂ fractional...$

10/09/2026

✨ NOW OFFERING CO₂ FRACTIONAL LASER SKIN RESURFACING! ✨

Ready to refresh, smooth, and rejuvenate your skin?

CO₂ fractional laser resurfacing stimulates your skin’s natural healing response and collagen production to help improve:

✨ Fine lines & wrinkles
✨ Acne scars and other textural scarring
✨ Uneven skin texture
✨ Sun-damaged skin
✨ Enlarged pores
✨ Areas of discoloration
✨ Overall skin tone and firmness

Unlike treatments that only address the surface, fractional CO₂ laser creates controlled micro-injuries in the skin, encouraging collagen remodeling and healthier new skin formation.

The result? Smoother, firmer, more refreshed-looking skin with continued improvement as collagen remodels over the following months.

📍 Now available at Primary Peak Medical Care
Family & Functional Medicine
Susan J. Sansom, FNP-C

📞 Contact us to learn more or schedule a consultation to determine whether CO₂ fractional laser resurfacing is right for your skin.

Individual results vary. Treatment recommendations, downtime, risks, and expected outcomes will be reviewed during consultation.

10/08/2026

🌙 Why is it so hard to sleep?

You’re exhausted all day… then your head hits the pillow and suddenly your brain is wide awake.

Poor sleep isn’t always about simply “going to bed earlier.” From a functional medicine perspective, we want to look at what may be interfering with your body’s ability to wind down and stay asleep.

Common contributors can include:
😰 Stress, anxiety & elevated nighttime cortisol
📱 Screen time and bright light before bed
☕ Caffeine too late in the day
🍷 Alcohol disrupting normal sleep cycles
🩸 Blood sugar fluctuations overnight
🔥 Hormonal changes, especially during perimenopause and menopause
💊 Certain medications
😴 Sleep apnea, restless legs or other sleep disorders
🦋 Thyroid dysfunction or other underlying health concerns

Start with good sleep hygiene:
🌙 Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time
📵 Put electronics away 30–60 minutes before bed
☕ Limit afternoon/evening caffeine
🛏️ Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
☀️ Get natural light soon after waking
🏃 Stay physically active during the day
🧘 Create a calming bedtime routine
🍽️ Avoid large meals right before bed

And remember: sleep is not a luxury—it’s part of your treatment plan.

If you’re practicing good sleep habits and still struggling, it may be time to look deeper. Hormones, metabolic health, stress physiology, medications, nutrient status and sleep disorders can all play a role.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we believe in asking why you aren’t sleeping—not just reaching for something to make you sleepy.

💤 Better sleep. Better recovery. Better health.

Susan J. Sansom, FNP-C
Primary Peak Medical Care
Family & Functional Medicine

10/03/2026

💆‍♀️ Chronic pain? Massage may be more than just relaxing.

When you hurt, your muscles often tighten and guard the painful area—creating a cycle of pain → tension → more pain.

Massage therapy may help:

✨ Reduce muscle tension & stiffness
✨ Improve mobility and flexibility
✨ Decrease soreness and discomfort
✨ Promote circulation
✨ Reduce stress and promote relaxation
✨ Support better sleep and recovery

🌿 Chronic pain deserves a whole-person approach. Massage doesn’t replace finding and treating the underlying cause, but it can be a valuable part of a comprehensive pain-management plan.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we look beyond the symptom and work to understand WHY you hurt.

💙 Feel better. Move better. Live better.

10/02/2026

💙 LET’S TALK ABOUT CHRONIC PAIN

Wouldn’t we all love to wake up with no pain and need no medications?

Unfortunately, that isn’t the reality for everyone.

For some people, chronic pain is more than an occasional ache. It can be persistent, exhausting, and debilitating. It can interfere with sleep, work, exercise, relationships, mental health, and the ability to simply enjoy everyday life.

And telling someone who lives with chronic pain to “just exercise more,” “lose weight,” or “stop taking pain medication” doesn’t address the bigger question:

WHY are they hurting?

🔍 Finding the root cause of pain is the first step toward determining how we can best treat it.

Chronic pain can have many contributing factors, including:
• Osteoarthritis or degenerative changes
• Previous injuries or surgeries
• Nerve damage or neuropathy
• Autoimmune or inflammatory conditions
• Fibromyalgia or centralized pain
• Hormonal or metabolic dysfunction
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Muscle weakness or imbalance
• Poor sleep and inadequate recovery
• Chronic stress
• Obesity and increased mechanical load
• Spinal or joint disorders

Sometimes there is one identifiable cause. Other times, chronic pain is multifactorial, which means treatment may need to be multifactorial too.

🌿 A functional and integrative approach asks more than, “What can we give you for the pain?”

We also want to ask:

What is contributing to the pain?
What can we improve?
What can we treat?
And how can we help this person function better and regain quality of life?

Treatment may include appropriate medication, physical therapy, strength and mobility work, weight management, improving sleep, correcting nutritional deficiencies, reducing inflammation, treating underlying medical conditions, injections or other procedures, and referral to specialists when appropriate.

💊 Medication is not automatically a failure.

The goal should be to use the safest and most effective treatment plan for the individual patient. Some people may eventually reduce their need for medication as underlying contributors improve. Others may continue to require medication as part of responsible chronic pain management.

The goal isn’t simply “no medication.”

The goal is less pain, better function, greater independence, and a better quality of life.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we believe patients deserve to be heard, thoroughly evaluated, and treated as a whole person—not simply as a pain score.

Let’s find the WHY behind the pain.

10/02/2026

💉 GLP-1 MEDICATIONS ARE A TOOL — NOT THE WHOLE PLAN

Medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide can be incredibly helpful for weight management and metabolic health. But lasting success isn’t just about what happens on the scale.

From a functional medicine perspective, the goal is to improve your overall metabolic health while building habits you can maintain long term.

When using a GLP-1 medication, we want to focus on:

🥩 Protein first
Adequate protein helps support muscle mass while losing weight. Losing muscle along with fat can negatively affect strength, function, and metabolism.

🏋️ Strength training
Resistance training is one of the most important things you can do during weight loss. We want to preserve—and ideally build—lean muscle.

🥦 Nutrient-dense foods
Because GLP-1 medications decrease appetite, you may be eating significantly less. That makes the quality of what you eat even more important. Focus on protein, vegetables, fiber, healthy fats, and minimally processed foods.

💧 Hydration & electrolytes
Eating and drinking less can make it easier to become dehydrated. Make hydration part of your daily routine.

😴 Prioritize sleep
Sleep affects hunger signals, insulin sensitivity, stress hormones, recovery, and food choices. Good sleep is part of metabolic treatment—not an afterthought.

🚶 Move every day
Walking, resistance training, and regular movement all contribute to better metabolic health.

🧠 Change your relationship with food
Use the reduction in “food noise” as an opportunity to recognize hunger and fullness cues, address emotional eating, and develop healthier patterns around food.

🧪 Look beyond the scale
Weight is only one marker. Depending on the individual, we may also monitor glucose, insulin resistance, cholesterol, blood pressure, nutrient status, hormones, thyroid function, body composition, and other metabolic markers.

The ultimate goal isn’t simply to lose weight while taking a GLP-1. It is to become healthier while losing weight.

Medication can create an incredible window of opportunity. Lifestyle changes are what help turn that opportunity into sustainable, long-term health.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we believe weight management should be individualized and focused on the whole person—not just a number on the scale.

📞 208-331-6700
📍 1003 N Orchard St, Boise, ID 83607
🌐 primarypeakmedical.com

09/11/2026

💊 LOW-DOSE NALTREXONE (LDN): SMALL DOSE, BIG POTENTIAL?

Have you heard of Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN)?

LDN is increasingly used in functional and integrative medicine as an off-label option for patients dealing with chronic pain, inflammation, and certain immune-related conditions.

🌿 Potential benefits being studied include:
• Reduced chronic or neuropathic pain
• Improvement in fibromyalgia symptoms
• Modulation of inflammatory and immune signaling
• Reduced neuroinflammation
• Possible improvements in fatigue, sleep, and quality of life

🧠 How does it work?
At low doses—often around 1–4.5 mg daily—naltrexone temporarily affects opioid receptors and may influence endorphin activity and inflammatory signaling in the nervous system.

⚠️ Possible side effects:
Vivid dreams, sleep changes, headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, or irritability. Many patients who experience side effects find that they are mild or improve with time.

🚨 Important: LDN blocks opioid receptors and can interact significantly with opioid pain medications. It should only be used under the direction of a qualified healthcare provider.

LDN isn’t a cure-all, and research is still evolving—but it may be another tool worth considering as part of an individualized treatment plan.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, we look beyond symptoms to understand the bigger picture: inflammation, metabolic health, hormones, nutrition, gut health, sleep, stress, and lifestyle.

✨ Could LDN be an option for you? Ask us at your next appointment!

09/10/2026

🧪 HOW IMPORTANT IS LAB WORK? VERY.

In functional and integrative medicine, lab work can be one of the most valuable tools we have. Your symptoms tell us how you feel, while labs can provide important clues about what may be contributing to those symptoms.

Many health changes can begin before something becomes an obvious disease—or before a standard screening test is flagged as abnormal. That’s why we don’t want to look at just one number. We look at the bigger picture.

Depending on your symptoms, history, medications, and health goals, laboratory testing may help us evaluate:

🔬 Thyroid function — TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and thyroid antibodies when appropriate

🩸 Blood sugar & insulin regulation — fasting glucose, A1C, fasting insulin, and markers of insulin resistance

❤️ Cardiovascular health — cholesterol, triglycerides, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), and other risk markers when indicated

🌸 Hormones — estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA-S, FSH, LH, SHBG, and other appropriate testing

💊 Nutritional status — vitamin D, B12, folate, iron/ferritin, magnesium, and additional nutrients when clinically indicated

🔥 Inflammation — markers such as hs-CRP and other testing based on the individual patient

🧬 Liver, kidney & metabolic function — important information about how your body is functioning and how medications or treatments may need to be managed

But here’s something equally important:

More testing isn’t automatically better testing.

Functional medicine should not mean ordering every available lab. Good medicine means selecting tests that are appropriate for the individual patient and then interpreting those results alongside symptoms, medical history, medications, physical findings, lifestyle, and established clinical evidence.

Lab results are one piece of the puzzle—not the entire picture.

At Primary Peak Medical Care, our goal is to understand the whole patient, identify modifiable contributors to symptoms when possible, and use that information to develop an individualized plan focused on long-term health and wellness.

📞 Primary Peak Medical Care
208-331-6700

🌐 primarypeakmedical.com

Address

1003 N Orchard Street
Garden City, ID
83706

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm

Website

https://www.primarypeakmedical.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Susan J Sansom, FNP-C posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.