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Saliva Testing versus Blood Testing
Saliva testing is an affordable, safe, painless, convenient and accurate way of finding out levels of cortisol and working steroidal hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone etc.) in your body. It also tells us how healthy and regular your adrenal system is, which helps control your energy, mood, weight metabolism and immune system.
This painless and noninvasive testing is done in the privacy of your own home over the course of one day. The WHO (World Health Organization approved this method in 1990 and it is routinely used in scientific research and as textbook materials for students of endocrinology and internal medicine.
Blood testing evaluates all circulating hormones regardless of their availability to our cells. Hormone saliva testing tells us the amount of hormones in our body that are actually usable by our cells.
You will either be given a lab test from Dr. Madden or one will be mailed to you by the Lab. Saliva testing for the 201 and 205 tests consists of you spitting into 4 different tubes over the course of a normal day; morning, noon, mid-afternoon and evening. The tubes are then mailed in an accompanying pouch the next day and the results are typically available in 7-10 days. The 208 test consists of you spitting into a tube, every other day over the course of your entire Menstrual cycle.
Some insurance companies will pay for this test and others will not. We will provide you with a superbill with diagnostic insurance codes to submit to your insurance company. You will be billed after the lab process is completed.
Adrenal/Hormone Saliva Testing
36 hours before testing:
Do not take any sublingual products.
(anything you take under the tongue)
Day of Testing:
No coffee, tea or caffeine drinks.
No Sub-lingual products that day
No food or drink for one hour before saliva sample collection
No teeth brushing or flossing for one hour before saliva sample collection
If menstruating, take samples on any day between days 18-23 of your cycle, with the first day after your bleeding stops being day #1. Let Dr. Madden know which day you did the test.
If taking any kind of steroids or steroidal creams, stop for a day before testing and resume the day after. If this is not medically possible, make sure Dr. Madden knows when you took them and the amount you took. Always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after applying any hormonal cream, especially if preparing food or physically interacting with people, and especially children.
To produce more saliva; drink extra water the day/night before, press the tip of the tongue against teeth, smell lemons or other foods and allow saliva to pool in mouth before collecting. Avoid chewing gum as it may contaminate the sample. If you can't collect enough in one day, put what you can into the freezer and add more saliva at the exact same time the next day until the tube is at least half full. You may continue doing this for up to 5 days.
At-Home Urine and Stool Tests
401H: GI Pathogen and H Pylori Screening - This is a 4-day stool sample test that you do yourself in the privacy of your home. Most stool tests are one-day tests and very often miss parasites or bacteria that don't show up with every sample. It combines a test that looks for a broad range of parasites and bacteria with a test looking for H Pylori, the cause of ulcers and some stomach cancers. Anyone with a history of unsuccessfully treated GI digestive problems should do this test.
The cost is $325
For a further explanation:
Estronex Profile - Urine Test that can measure the potential for certain estrogen-sensitive cancers, whether breast, uterine, cervical or prostate. It measures how well you are metabolizing and eliminating certain estrogens by checking the ratio of your "good" estrogens to your "bad" ones.
The cost is $170
For a further explanation:
Bone Reabsorption Assay - Urine test that measures your current bone loss rate. Bone density tests are important but don't tell how fast you are losing bone.
The cost is $110
For a further explanation:
Estronex Profile with Bone Resorption - Urine test that combines both above tests
The cost is $230
Phthalates and Parabens Profile - Urine test that helps identify your exposure to everyday environmental toxins, especially from the use of hair and beauty products, cosmetics and plastic containers/bottles. These xenoestrogens disrupt your endocrine systems by binding to estrogen receptors and can increase estrogenic diseases like breast and uterine cancers.
The cost is $230
For a further explanation:
Heavy Metal Test: Urine Test to check for presence of unhealthy levels toxic metals and other elements in your system
The cost is $130
For a further explanation:
Organix Comprehensive Profile: This urine test checks the levels of all important vitamins, nutrients, neurotransmitters, metabolism and detoxification systems.
The cost is $325
For a further explanation:
