OAT Testing And Why You Need It
What is the OAT Test?
OAT Testing is also known as Organic Acid Testing. We have multiple laboratories that offer OAT panels, however, Great Plains Laboratories offers the most comprehensive test that we have seen. It is an accurate assessment of what is going on in your body. It evaluates over 70 urinary metabolites that can be useful in finding the cause of your chronic health symptoms.
If you have any health concerns then we recommend starting with an Organic Acids Test.
Attention Problems
Autism
Autoimmune Disorder
Chronic Pain
Depression
Digestive Problems
Fibromyalgia
Low Energy
Lyme Disease
Neurological Disorders
Poor Sleep
Sections of the Organic Acid Test
There are multiple sections within the Great Plains Organic Acid Test that can give us a lot of information. The Yeast and Fungal Markers will let us know if you are exposed to candida or certain molds in your environment. The Bacterial Markers look for dysbiosis within your GI tract. Clostridia Bacterial Markers help us evaluate for these toxins within your system that can be responsible for neurological and mental health symptoms. Oxalate Metabolites are often elevated in people with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and vulvadenia. Glycolytic and Mitochondria Markers are useful in seeing how your mitochondria (energy production part of cell) are functioning. Ketones and Fatty Acids can also contribute to mitochondria dysfunction. Nutritional Markers are evaluated to see if you may have a deficiency in a nutrient. Glutathione status is evaluated which helps us learn about your detoxification system. Amino Acids Metabolites are also included to help us know if you may have a metabolic imbalance or inborn error in metabolism. Neurotransmitter health can be evaluated through the Phenylalanie and Tyrosine Metabolites, and/or Tryptophan Metabolites. Folate imbalance can also be evaluated through the Pyrimidine Metabolites. There are so many useful sections to this test that gives us a lot of information.
This test can point us in which steps to take next. For example if you have fungal and yeast markers elevated then we may need to perform a mycotoxin test next. If you are nutrient deficient then we may need to easily correct it with a professional grade supplement. If you have impaired detoxification status then we may want to look at your methylation cycle, toxic metals and/or nontoxic metal exposures. This test allows for us to find out what is going on without going on assumptions.
How Do I Get an OAT Test?
New Patient
If you are not a patient at Rivercreek Wellness in Spokane Valley, then we ask for you to call our office 509-919-1385 or Schedule Online. Once you have scheduled an appointment we will send you an invite to our PHR system and include your health questionnaire along with 4 consents. The first appointment will consist of taking a complete health history. At the end of the first appointment we will give you the test kit or we will have it mailed to you. We will do a second appointment about 3 weeks later to determine a health and/or treatment plan.
Existing Patient
We can discuss an Organic Acid Test on your next appointment or you may send us and email through your portal or call our office requesting a test kit. Follow Ups will be 3 weeks later to determine a treatment plan.
How Do I Prepare for an OAT Test?
OAT Testing is simple. We ask that if you are a woman and are having your cycle you wait to collect after menses. There are a few foods and juices we ask for you to avoid for 48 hours including apples, grapes, pears and cranberries. We also ask that you avoid arabinogalactan, echinacea, reishi, mushrooms, and ribose supplements for 48 hours prior to collection. The urine sample is collected on your first morning urine. The urine must be concentrated so we ask that you discontinue drinking water at 6pm the evening before. Once you have collected your urine and labeled the urine container, completed the requisition form, you will ship it through FedEx back to the laboratory.
What is the Cost of an OAT?
At Rivercreek Wellness we have you pay the testing company directly. If you have insurance then you will add your insurance information to the requisition and will be billed a LOWER price. If you do not have insurance then you will be charged the RETAIL price of the test. Testing prices may change from time to time, therefore we discuss all options with patients on their first visit or follow up visits.
Do I Need to Repeat an OAT?
Repeating an OAT is often individualized to each patients needs. It is often recommended to do a follow up OAT to recheck markers in the future. Each person’s testing will be individualized to their own health concerns. I recommend thinking about OAT testing as a yearly preventative test as well.
Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease
You may not be aware of Lyme Disease when you live in the Inland Northwest, but I guarantee you some people in the Spokane area have Lyme Disease. Diagnoses of Lyme is happening all over the world. Yet, there is still a problem with conventional medicine acknowledging Lyme Disease and/or Chronic Lyme. The CDC states there are 300,000 new cases each year in the United States. We have seen estimates that are 10x higher in some literature. Physicians were trained to look for a bulls-eye rash on patients presenting to the office with tick bites. The problem with this observation is fewer than 50% of patients have a bulls-eye rash after a bite. A lot of patients do not even remember being bit by a tick. Physicians have also been trained that only certain areas of the country like the Northeast have ticks infected with Borrelia. In today's world with people traveling and moving by planes, trains, and automobiles with their beloved belongings and furry best friends this seems outdated. The conventional thought on Lyme is once you have been bitten and presented with a bulls-eye rash, or tested positive a round of antibiotics is the cure. This is just not true for people with Chronic Lyme Disease. Approximately 40% of Lyme patients end up with long-term health problems.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Bulls-Eye Rash
Solid Rash
Severe Fatigue
Fever
Migratory Joint Pain
Muscle Pain
Headaches
Impaired Memory
Psychiatric Problems
Nerve Pain
Numbness & Tingling
Vision & Hearing Changes
Chronic Lyme Disease
A lot of people suffering from Chronic Lyme Disease do not even know they have it. Two huge factors play in here. The accuracy of testing is poor. Laboratories often produce a lot of false negatives. People go on with their lives trusting the lab was correct. The spirochete that causes Lyme Disease can cause harm to any part of your body. Lyme Disease mimics a lot of other diseases which means they do not ever get the correct diagnosis. Yes, people that have been diagnosed with Alzheimers, Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Mental Health Disorder may in fact have Lyme Disease.
Prevention of Lyme Disease
When walking in the woods or tall grass wear long pants. It is best to wear high socks and tuck your pant legs into the sock. We recommend that you use a tick repellant spray while in areas with tick problems. The chemical based insecticides like DEET have been popular, however much safer essential oil based products are available. We recommend adults using Keys OmniShield which is actually a nontoxic product made for dogs. They have a product called ForceX for humans as well. There are other companies on the market making essential oil/NEEM/Karanja Oil as well. It is important to do a tick check of your entire body including your head after being outside. We recommend taking a shower following your tick check.
Should I be worried if I was bit by a tick?
We recommend contacting Rivercreek Wellness or your primary care doctor immediately. Doxycycline is an antibiotic that may be given for prophylaxis treatment in children over 8 years old and adults for 20 days or more. Children under 8 years old will need a different type of antibiotic. If you choose to not take antibiotics then you need to be knowledgeable of all of the possible symptoms. We are seeing a lot of patients that were denied antibiotics because the physician stated Lyme does not exist in the area of where they were bit. This simply is not true, an infected black-legged deer tick can be any where. We recommend saving the tick that was on your body and sending to IgeneX Laboratory for testing.
If you are experiencing chronic health complaints with multiple symptoms then ruling out a tick-borne illness may be of benefit. On an initial visit, Dr. Julie George will ask you a lot of questions. We can also give you a Lyme Survey to see how at risk you may be of having Lyme. When needed will recommend the highest quality testing available. Lyme physicians often diagnose through clinical assessment when testing is indeterminate.
Testing for Lyme Disease
There are many testing options available for testing for Lyme Disease and it's co-infectors. I recommend using the company IgeneX for testing. IgeneX is a lab that is dedicated to diagnosing Lyme disease. Patients can also run a ImmunoBlot, Western Blot or PCR through a standard lab, however it may not be as sensitive. Patients can get false negatives before they receive a positive test. The CDC requires 5 bands to be positive, and has not updated testing requirements. IgeneX requires 2 or more bands to be determined a positive test. If you are symptomatic and testing IgeneX positive then it may be worth seeking treatment.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes. This article is not intended to diagnose or treat your health conditions.
Are You Reacting To The Foods You Eat?
Do you have a Food Sensitivity?
Isn’t it time you take the guesswork out of what you should and shouldn’t be eating? Food allergy and sensitivity testing can help you eliminate the foods that could be harming your body. Even healthy foods can be contributing to unhealthy reactions within the body. People often confuse food allergies and food sensitivities. Food allergies are often severe and can be life threatening. A true IgE food allergy creates an immediate immune reaction. Food sensitivities are usually less severe, however, they still create numerous health problems. A food sensitivity is often defined as a delayed IgG reaction. Some people report having symptoms up to 72 hours after they eat a specific food. Since reactions can be delayed for several days it makes it hard to differentiate which foods are aggravating you.
Common Food Sensitivity Symptoms
Weight gain or Loss that is unexplainable
Constipation or Diarrhea
Bloating
Headaches or Migraines
Fatigue
Brain Fog
Poor Concentration
Joint Pain
Skin Rashes
Eczema
Acne
Heartburn
Chronic Pain
Autoimmune Disease Flares
Testing Options
Food Sensitivity
We are highly selective on which food allergy and sensitivity test we offer to you. For the most part food sensitivity testing is not covered by your health insurance. You may be special and have an awesome health insurance, unfortunately it isn’t the norm. We have various testing kits for our patients.
Alletess Is the most affordable testing option. Alletess offers 96 IgG and 184 IgG food sensitivities. It is a finger prick test that the patient is able to do at home.
Cyrex Laboratory is highly regarded for their immune screens. They offer a Wheat/Gluten Array and Gluten Cross Reactivity Array. Cyrex offers Food Immune Reactivity Screens. If you have an autoimmune disease or want to determine your reactions to gluten, then this is the lab for you. Cyrex Testing can be expensive and requires testing gluten first, then gluten cross reactivity, and finally food reactions. They have 90 or 180 different foods/spices/food additives to test.
Dunwoody Labs has set themselves apart from other labs by offering Complete Dietary Antigen testing. They take 88 Foods and compare IgE, IgG, IgG4, C3d for all foods. This gives more comprehensive information for your immune health.
Food Allergy
We blood test for the most common food allergies with True Health Diagnostics. Dunwoody does test for IgE responses to 88 foods as well. Again, this will test only for immediate IgE reactions. It may be necessary for us to refer you to an allergist for further testing. If you have an IgE food allergy then it is necessary to always carry Benadryl and an Epipen.
Common Food Allergies
Egg
Milk
Wheat
Sesame
Peanut
Soybean
Hazelnut
Almond
Shrimp
Tuna
Salmon
Cashew
Walnut
Scallops
What to Do When You Have A Food Sensitivity or Food Allergy?
Food Sensitivity Testing confirms that gastrointestinal work is needed. Food Sensitivity Testing may not be 100% accurate when you have leaky gut. It is important to eliminate the bothersome foods while you are working on your GI health. Enzyme Science Intolerance Complex can help you while you are figuring out which foods to eliminate. Taking one capsule with meals may help if there is a possibility of cross contamination. Caution- this is not to be taken if there is a known diagnosis of an immediate allergy or celiacs disease. If needed there are more specialized testing for leaky gut, LPS, and Gluten Cross Reactivity. Often times you are able to add food sensitivities back into the diet if you were diligent with the treatment plan.
True food allergies must be avoided from your diet. Children can sometimes outgrow their allergies. It is important to be careful in not cross contaminating your food. Always carry an epipen and antihistamine medications. Always work with your doctor.
If you are in the greater Spokane area and want to know if foods are bothering you, then schedule your appointment now. Dr. Julie George enjoys helping patients restore their gut health. This is for your information and is not a substitute for medical advise from your doctor. If you have questions or comments concerning your own health please schedule an appointment with our office or with your physician.