Good Flora Test...Does it Exist?
#349501 - 08/26/09 05:30 PM
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Does or has anyone on the board know if there is a test to see how much good flora is in the GI tract? My acupuncturist is recommending a test I should do that tests for this. However, when I asked my GI doctor he says there's no such thing. Any thoughts would be welcome as this lab test is very expensive and not covered under my insurance. 
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Yes there is a stool test for that and many other things. My insurance covered it but I had to pay up front since it was out of network. I got an extensive report of everything that was found. This was done through my chiro/homeo office. The stool test gathering is unpleasant- more than you would think.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Do you think it was worth the money you spent to know what that lab provided? Did it do anything to shed light on your IBS symptoms or allow for better treatment of them? Since I feel my IBS (I'm D predominent) was brought on by the use of a hardcore antibiotic (clindamcyin), I am hoping that my body will one day return to normalcy. I have spent so much on my health in the past year I want to make sure it's really worth doing. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
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Stool tests are normally done to detect unwanted bacteria not to determine the level of 'good' bacteria. There are about 300-500 different bacteria in the bowel. Your GI doctor is correct. There isn't a reliable stool test to accurately determine if the levels of each of the hundreds of different good bacteria in the bowel are adequate.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I would have to say it wasn't that beneficial. It is necessary if you think you may have parasites or if you suspect blood in the stool. It told me specifically what bacteria I had and what ones I was low on. But with 'plain' IBS the gut is essentially fine and chooses to misbehave. Therefore it doesn't hurt to take probiotics but we can't expect to be cured from finding out physical issues in the gut. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I went to a doc today and he wants to do the same for me. He's an MD, but tries to do things naturally, vice prescriptions. It is $149 and he says it will show flora levels, yeast, hpilori, etc. I'm going to do it. I figure it's worth the cost to see if it finds anything. I too have taken antibiotics and felt they were the beginning of all my ailments, and have only gotten worse over the years.
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