Supplements are not cheap. Testing allows for accurate diagnosis and thus efficient treatment. It can also monitor your progress and response to treatment. It really does save time and money in the long run.
When you come in for your appointment please bring in any previous lab results that you may have had done through your medical doctor. The reason being, the normal ranges on blood work do not necessarily reflect optimal health or performance. My patients are often surprised by the information I can get from looking at their “normal” blood work.
The following are some of my most ordered specialized lab tests. Many other tests are available but are too numerous to list here.
Blood Food Sensitivity Testing
Food and environmental allergies have been implicated in a wide range of medical conditions affecting virtually every part of the body — from mildly uncomfortable symptoms such as indigestion and gastritis, to severe illnesses such as celiac disease, arthritis and chronic infection. Allergies have been directly linked to serious disorders of the central nervous system including: depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue.
Food allergy causes the immune system to synthesize and release reactive chemical agents, such as histamines, cytokines, lymphokines, and interferons. These hormone-like substances can dramatically influence cellular physiology, producing far reaching effects on the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems contributing to some of the issues listed below.
Gastrointestinal Respiratory
– vomiting – coughing & wheezing
– diarrhea – sinusitis
– gas – asthma
– infantile colic – recurrent bronchitis
– abdominal pain – recurrent croup
– loss of appetite – ear infections
– constipation – coughing up blood
– malabsorption
– gastritis Immune
– ulcerative colitis – chronic or recurrent infections
– intestinal bleeding
– duodenal ulcer
– IBS Dermatologic
– celiac disease – acne
– weight gain – canker sores
– eczema
Musculoskeletal – itching
– joint pain – rash
– low back pain – urticaria (hives)
– bursitis – swelling of the skin
– dermatitis
Auto-Immune
– rheumatoid arthritis Genitourinary
– Lupus (SLE) – bed-wetting
– ALS – bladder infection
– multiple sclerosis – kidney disease
Neurological Others
– headache – fasting
– fatigue – hypoglycemia
– insomnia – anemia
– irritability – heart problems
– depression – failure to thrive
– anxiety
– personality change
– seizures
– migraines
Source: A. M. Edwards, Failure to Thrive, Clinical and Environmental Allergy, 1995; 25:16-19.
Armed with the information provided by this detailed and reliable assay, I can design a specific treatment program to reduce or eliminate exposure to antigenic substances that can trigger inflammatory reactions.
Knowing the foods your immune system is reacting to is also valuable as a preventive measure for patients who are not currently experiencing the overt symptoms of an allergic reaction. Elevated levels of antibodies, if ignored, may place cumulative stress on the immune system over time — setting the stage for the development of illness in the future.
For more information you can visit the providers websites:
Serum, dutch™ or Saliva Adrenal and Hormone Panels for Men and Women
Imbalances in hormones in women can contribute to weight gain, depression, difficulty coping, irritability, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and bone loss
In men hormones imbalances can contribute to bone loss, erectile dysfunction, memory loss, apathy, depression, grumpiness, breast enlargement, weight gain, and enlarged prostate.
These are three methods of determining hormone levels and each one is useful depending on what you are looking for. Which one is best for you depends on your symptoms and goals of treatment.
dutch™ panels measure hormone metabolites. Cortisol metabolites are an important piece of information for assessing your cortisol issues. For example, you may be making lots of cortisol but your body is clearing it too quickly making it look like you don’t have enough. It’s a metabolism issue. Assessing hormone metabolites gives a more precise clinical diagnosis of imbalances, cancer risk and monitoring of treatment.
The Complete dutch™ also checks for a few of the nutritional markers from the OAT test such as B12, B6, norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, glutathione, melatonin, and oxidative stress.
Heavy Metal Testing
Potentially dangerous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum can interfere with metabolic processes, the nervous system, the reproductive system, and mental capacity. Toxic elements are found in alarming frequency in heavy industrial or densely populated areas.
Hair element analysis or provocative urine tests are available to determine your levels.
Organic Acids Test (OAT)
The OAT test is an excellent initial screening test as it provides a comprehensive metabolic snapshot of your intestinal flora (good and bad bugs which have now been indicated in nearly all health issues), markers of vitamin and mineral levels, oxidative stress (how are you ageing), neurotransmitter levels (mood and sleep), and oxalates which correlate to many chronic disease.
If abnormalities are detected using the OAT, treatments can include supplements, such as vitamins and antioxidants, or dietary modification. Upon treatment, patients have reported significant improvement such as decreased fatigue, regular bowel function, increased energy and alertness, increased concentration, improved verbal skills, less hyperactivity, and decreased abdominal pain.
Comprehensive Stool Analysis with Parasitology / GI-Map Test / Doctor’s Data 360
Gastrointestinal complaints are among the most common in medical care. This comprehensive profile helps pinpoint the causes of gastrointestinal symptoms and chronic systemic conditions, and measures key markers of digestion, absorption and inflammation. This thorough profile evaluates the status of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms including aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, yeast and parasites. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to prescriptive and natural agents is also performed for appropriate bacterial and fungal species at no additional charge. Parasitology testing can include one-, two- or three-day collection.