Reuben Schwartz: Amish Iridologist
I first heard about Reuben Schwartz a long time ago, but life got busy, and the knowledge slipped my mind. Then, my brother mentioned him again.
This time, I did my homework. I researched and found incredible things about this man. However, securing an appointment with him wasn’t easy—it required patience, which, as they say, is a virtue.
By the time we saw Mr. Reuben, we had been on our Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS) journey for almost a year. Sadly, H had been struggling just a few months prior. From April to June 2018, he had been in a wheelchair. That June, we saw our first naturopathic doctor—an eye-opening experience.
I’ll share more about that treatment in another post. By the time we reached Mr. Reuben, H was out of the wheelchair but still unsteady. I was curious. Everything I read about Reuben was overwhelmingly positive.
My Experience
I won’t go into much detail about H’s diagnosis because he’s not old enough to share his thoughts. However, I will say this: two men—one formally educated and brilliant, and another self-taught within his community—came to the same conclusion about H.
Getting an Appointment
To book an appointment with Mr. Reuben, you must write him a letter. That’s the only way to secure a spot. You can show up, but priority is given to those with appointments. If you arrive without one, you risk not being seen, as he has a limited number of people he sees each day.
If you have general questions about my experience, feel free to email me at barefootfaithjourney@gmail.com.
Address:
Reuben Schwartz & Jake Shirk
1205 Radure Rd.
Hestand, KY 42151
A Heads-Up Before You Go
My GPS led me down the wrong driveway, straight to a house at the end of the road. Turns out, it was Reuben’s son Abraham’s home. Such a kind young man! He and his family were incredibly sweet. He pointed me in the right direction—Reuben’s place is the first house on the left with a full-length front porch. The building is relatively new compared to the others. Be aware: once you get into Amish country, cell service is nearly nonexistent.
Walking In
Pulling up and parking in the grass gave me a moment to take it all in. A couple sat on the porch with their children, waiting for their turn. They’d been coming to Reuben for years—even before they had kids—and now they brought their family for yearly checkups.
Inside, the waiting area was full. While walk-ins are allowed, appointments take precedence. Mr. Reuben has a set number of people he sees daily, so plan accordingly.
H explored while I filled out his paperwork. I had no intention of getting my eyes checked, but God had other plans.
Meeting Mr. Reuben
Mr. Reuben came to the door and called us back. He was tall and thin, with a striking white beard and piercing blue eyes. He smelled of Melaleuca and love.
Curious, I asked how he got into Iridology. He laughed, explaining that it had been a part of his community for as long as he could remember. Ironically, he once believed it was witchcraft and stayed far away. But as he witnessed countless healings, his interest grew. When he dug into its history and saw its impact, he fully embraced the practice.
Looking Into H’s Eyes
Though he knew H’s diagnosis, he had never heard of OMS. Imagine trying to explain YouTube to an Amish man—I got nothing but a blank stare! We both laughed at the absurdity of it.
When he examined H’s eyes, he immediately saw signs of parasites. I had just taken H to St. Augustine, where parasites had also been identified. Reuben could see the scarring left behind by the dead ones and the presence of active ones.
Then, he smiled and said, “Your son is not going to die. We’re going to get rid of these parasites.” He assured me that with the right herbs, supplements, and the therapies we had begun at SonRidge, H would stop shaking.
I was in awe. Two men—thousands of miles apart—had come to the exact same conclusion.
Then, It Was My Turn
I decided to let Reuben look into my eyes. All he knew was my name.
The first thing he said? “When did you have your uterus removed?” I told him it had been a year ago.
Then he asked, “You still have your ovaries, right?”
I nodded, then asked how he knew. He pointed to my eyes.
Then, he backed away and stared at me.
After a pause, he said, “Uh, ma’am… your ovaries… well, they are angry.”
He asked if I had trouble sleeping, mood swings, etc. When I confirmed, he assured me he could help.
Then, he pinpointed my dizzy spells (I was diagnosed with Meniere’s at 19), my high blood pressure, and my stress levels. He saw everything. I was blown away.
Herbs & Supplements
Reuben’s herbs and supplements are not cheap, but they last a long time. If he doesn’t have something, there’s a shop called Mountain Air Herbs at the end of the road where you can find what you need. Unlike Reuben, they accept credit cards. The staff is friendly and will offer guidance on what’s necessary and cost-effective.
Payment
Mr. Reuben does not charge for his services. However, he has a donation box in his office. If you feel led, you can leave a donation for his time. Herbs and supplements, however, are not free, and they only accept cash.
If you return for a refill, bring your empty bottle—his staff will refill it for you. The Amish prioritize sustainability and care deeply about the environment. They also sell homegrown vegetables, popcorn, jams, and other goods in the office.
Final Thoughts & Disclosure
I am not a doctor. Everything I know about Iridology is based on reading, asking questions, and personal experience. I am not advising anyone to take the same path we did with naturopathic doctors, nor am I telling you to ignore your primary doctor or stop taking medications.
This is purely my experience—what I have seen in my own body and my son’s journey with OMS. We continue to seek care from our PCP and Neurologist. Always research for yourself, seek medical advice, and make an informed decision. All opinions are my own.
My husband has cancer and we would like to see Mr rueben. We recently heard about him from a couple in our area. Thankss for you story. Pat
Good luck to you both! I know this is a hard time. Your family will be in my prayers! B
Have you had success with Dr Reuben related to Hunter’sOpsoclonus Myoclonus?
It did get rid of the parasites that were wreaking havoc. That being said, there is scarring from them. Reuben did not see “activity” that last time (which was seeing him 3 mths after the initial visit). He did see scarring. His symptoms ebb and flow continually.
How long did it take you to get reply letter back?
About 10 days to 2 weeks.
how did you go about sending him a letter? just an informal letter requesting an appt with date/time options? did you have to wait for a letter in return to confirm appt?
I have the address listed. It took about 2 weeks to get a reply. Yes, I just asked for an appointment. Be sure and add good times for you if you are going to try and do this in a day. We stayed overnight because they gave us an early morning appt. Good luck!
the herbal shop was mountain air herbs
https://stores.mountainairherbs.com
They are a bit steep in price but it is well worth it if you follow his instructions on how to use them.
Yes, it is!!! Thank you for writing this. I will add it to this post. I think this was the first post Inhas done on Reuben.
You are right, they are steep. One thing I did notice was when I asked they told me different options to keep my cost as low as possible.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and mention them!
Brandi
Brandi
Thanks for this post our 16 year old has an appointment Jan 10th. We are hopeful he can help. Our son has been wheelchair bound for a little over 2 years now. The medical field was never really able to help or find out the root of the problem so in March 2019 we started taking him to a holistic clinic where they started treating him for multiple things thru detoxes, supplements, diet change, HBOT etc. We have seen small changes but these have been very expensive for the little progress made we are hopeful he will walk again and hopeful he will be able to help him
Good luck to you! Prayers for your son and your family. We have also been the holistic route. First with SonRidge Health and Healing Center in St. Augustine, FL (twice) and then with Reuben. We still do modern medicine with monthly IVIG, high dose steroids, and other things that have been done and are to come. He is out of a wheelchair, now, which we are very thankful for.
What did he say about your son? We live about an hour away and love going
He confirmed everything that our holistic doctor said. He was riddled with parasites and has lots of scarring. Our number one goal, the first time around was to get rid of the parasaites. We accomplished that and now we are dealing with the scars that they left. My son still has OMS and he is still symptomatic but not NEAR what he was when he first got sick. Between modern medicine, our holistic dr in St. Augustine, Reuben, and of course all the credit goes to God…my son is out of wheelchair 🙂
Jeff I’ve been to see Rueben on se eral occasions overs the years. He is awesome. This is Wanda that had the Herb Store in Town on the square.
Hello, my name is Judy. I went to Reuben over fifteen years ago after going to my gastroenterologist for several months , after being turned inside out . This Dr. told me five different organs were inflamed. I was throwing up every time I ate . He told me I would have to go to Vanderbuilt and have my pancreases taken out !!! The appointment was a little over a month away when someone told me about Reuben . I went and without knowing anything about me , he said I had ate so much sugar he couldn’t get a good reading . He named the same organs that my Dr. did . He told me every surgery I’d ever had also that I worried a lot ! I told him I use to but I handled them pretty good now . He just smiled !! I bought every single thing he prescribed ! Over three hundred dollars worth . I took everything exactly like he said ! Not an easy task !! Some tasted bitter, some like grass and some like nothing I’ve ever tasted before in my life !!! I actually got a little worse before I started getting better. The psyllium hulls he gives everyone before you start everything else scraps the sides of your Colon ! A cleanse like you’ve never had before ! There was some bleeding , but common sense told me it was scraping off years of build up ! I also had a weight on my chest that went away that I didn’t know was there ! I dealt with things so much better . I never felt this good as a child , teenager, or young adult ! I didn’t need my glasses again for a long time . When I went to Vanderbuilt I took my x-rays and the Dr. there wanted to take his own . He came back into the room and told me , he didn’t know whose x-rays I brought, but there was NOTHING wrong with me !!! Thank You Reuben Schwartz ❤️
Can you tell me if you took his advice for treating your own issues and, if so, whether you saw any improvement?
I am happy to tell you 🙂 The first time we went, we got all the recommended herbs/supplements and we took them (my son and I because we went alone the first time) faithfully until our next appt. At our next appt, we took EVERYONE 🙂 Hunter had a marked decrease in the parasites that were in him..as in they all died. That was confirmed with our holistic dr as well. The scarring is still there but the parasites were not and that has helped him tremendously. Realize that we still continued our holistic treatment once a year and modern medicine. I believe the combination of them all has helped him.
For ALL my kids, the followed through with the regimen that was provided for them, as well. We have only been to Reuben twice as it is hard for me to gather all my ducks and drive them 4.5 hrs away. I do plan on going back to follow up with him on my other children as soon as we can.
Some people see him consistently, some once a year, some only once and just order their supplements through Mountain Air Herbs. Some people it has helped and some it has not. I can only speak for myself and my family.
Thanks for asking and good luck. Oh, just an FYI the liquid supplements taste horrific. Reuben can down it like a champ, I have to hide mine in an obscene amount of orange juice LOL
I’ve got to schedule an appt with him! I pass his place each time I visit my amish friends who live down the road from him. I only get down there 2-3 times a year bc it’s 3-4 hours drive for me and as a caregiver, I’ve got to find dependable coverage.
He’s well known across the state of Ky!
Next trip, I want to stop at some other places for fresh produce and bread!
Thank you for sharing your journey. I have done a lot of research and hoping he will be able to help me with my dizziness. I have been to all different types of Dr.’s and had all the test I can get done except for an MRI. Nothing could be found causing my problems. I am super claustrophobia and will need to be put asleep to have one done. I’d rather not go that route.
Also, hoping that someone reads this that has been to see him with similar issues and if it help them out any…
Lisa, I can relate. I was diagnosed, originally with Meniere’s Disease when I was 19. I had had a head injury due to a car accident. I found that Meclizine would help, but it made me so tired, so I just suffered. The vertigo was debiliating. It was brought on by stress, onset of a illness, lack of sleep, etc. One day, I went to a chiropractor and he said that he was going to try something called the Epley Maneuver to “readjust my crystals” in the ear. That was a game changer. I did that for about 2 weeks (and then continued with chiro when I would have a spell). I have had ZERO dizzy spells for over a year. I recently had a horrible bout due to stress, lack of sleep, weather change. I immediately went for a couple of weeks and I am better. I encourage you to try that! Good luck to you. I know how hard this is.
I’ve been seeing Rueben for over 20 years…I’ve also seen Jake and Nathan…I go about every 3 months. I actually went a week ago Saturday… Then I took my friend this past Friday…He’s very smart and intelligent…He has articles in several of my herb books
Thank you for sharing your good experience!
I have been told he has trained others to do this as well. Does anyone know of any he may have trained around Guthrie KY?
I do not know. He has trained one of his son’s and another young man that works in his office and will be his replacement. That’s all I know.
Just went this morning! I loved the experience! He was spot on the diagnosis without haven been told ahead of time. He saw a tumor on my thyroid, issues with my ovaries, digestion issues and pancreas. I also needed to do a liver cleanse. I got all the products he suggested and will be back in 2 months for a f/u. Can’t wait to see how I start feeling! I take Metformin for my diabetes type 2. He recommended an herbal mixture tea. I wear a freestyle libre meter in my arm and I interested in seeing how much it helps decrease my blood sugar compared to metformin. .
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Curious, when you write your letter, do you give any information or just request an appointment?
The first time, I gave details. When I got there, he sort of laughed at me because he was clueless as to what Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome was. He said that he really doesn’t need details. He just reads the eye. When we went back, I told him nothing and, for the most part, he pretty much nailed it.
Did I respond to you in an email? If not, let me know and I will!
I gave no health issue details and Rueben was accurate with many things I was dealing with
I’m going to see Mr Schwartz next week but am confused as to whether the road is Radure or Raydure? When I put it in gps it says Raydure Rd Just checking before I get there and have no service. Thank you!
It is Radure Rd. Hestand, KY. Good luck!
I went to Reuben Swartz place today. Today was supposed to be his last day, but ack in October he got some kind of metal in his eye, while working at home…He was taken to the hospital at that time…Its my understanding that he wasn’t returned to his office since then. So now they said he was officially retired…Reuben’s replacements name is Jake Shrick…His hours will be the same…He is already back up until March of 2021…..That’s the update as of 12-18-2020..
Thank you so much! I will add this to my last post about Reuben!
Do U know if dr Rueben has retired yet?
I would love to see him again
Seen them many years ago
Thanks,
Tena Ratliff
Yes he did retire but he did train, for about 10 years, his replacement Jake Shirk.
Yes he has retired an Jacob is there
Great blog!! Thanks for sharing!! I have high hopes for my visit next this coming Friday.
I have autonomic nervous system dysfunction, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, and really low blood pressure which brings lots of dizziness and nausea etc. My symptoms are actually pretty similar to Meniere’s so your story is very intriguing.
Regarding things at their clinic now – I quickly got a letter back a couple weeks ago which did confirm Reuben’s retirement and that Jake is seeing patients in his place now. I believe he is backed up until April, but cancellations do happen. I asked for first available, and I feel like it made a big difference.
All the best to all of you!
Good luck to you in your journey! Prayers for you.