Women’s health testing: a guide for you

Testing for digestive problems

In our experience, most labs do not provide an effective stool analysis. Many women are frustrated when a conventional stool test comes back “normal” while they are suffering from chronic digestive problems. Fortunately, a more thorough test is often all that’s needed to explain these women’s gastrointestinal symptoms.

We have had excellent results over many years using two different tests done by a select group of labs. The first is the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) that evaluates the stool for malabsorption, yeast, parasites, pH imbalance, and bacterial overgrowth. The second is a Comprehensive Parasitology Test (CP x2) with a purge, which is a more detailed test for parasites.

While not routine procedures at hospitals or conventional doctors’ offices, these two tests are crucial for identifying the root cause of GI distress and should be undertaken even if a standard stool test has revealed no abnormalities. We recommend the following labs for thorough stool analysis:

Genovix : 1-800-522-4762
Metametrix : 1-800-221-4640
Diagnos-Techs : 1-800-878-3787
Doctor’s Data : 1-800-323-2784
Parasitology Center : 1-480-767-2522

You may contact these labs directly or request that your healthcare provider order these tests on your behalf.

The first four labs offer both tests in one procedure; the last lab only offers the CP x2 for parasites. For the most difficult cases, I prefer to do the CDSA at one of the first four labs and the CP x2 at the Parasitology Center.

Return to digestive health for women.

Original Publication Date: 10/12/2004
Last Modified: 02/16/2010
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP