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Home > Getting Tested > Organic Acid Test What is the Organic Acid Test? Sample of the Organic Acid Test (In order to be able to view the test sample, you must have the FREE Adobe Reader installed. To Download and install now, please click here) In which conditions is the test useful? How Much Does the Organic Acid Test Cost? Benefits of the Organic Acid Test Frequently Asked Questions About The Organic Acid Test Diagnostic Uses of Organic Acid Testing
What is the Organic Acid Test?Selective immunodeficiency, exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics, and consumption of sugars, individually or in combination, can stimulate an overgrowth of intestinal yeast or bacteria, normally present in much lower quantities. Once any abnormalities are detected there are a variety of treatment options. Improvements that have been reported to us during and after treatment include better eye contact, improved language, less self-abusive behavior, less hyperactivity, better sleeping habits and less stimming. These organisms and their metabolites can produce or exacerbate symptoms in many conditions. The organic acid test evaluates all of the well-defined inborn errors of metabolism that can be detected with this technology (called GC/MS) such as PKU, maple-syrup urine disease, and many others. In addition, we check for many other abnormalities such as vitamin deficiencies and abnormal metabolism of catecholamines, dopamine, and serotonin. We currently quantitate 65 substances, but also evaluate other substances that are not quantitated. Some of the other biochemical abnormalities common in autism include elevated uracil and elevated glutaric acid. Panel Includes:
In which conditions is the test useful?
How Much Does the Organic Acid Test Cost?The test kit is free; please see our price list for current processing charges including courier charges (for US residents) and a full report, along with professional consultation concerning test results. Other questions about cost are answered in our Testing FAQ and Insurance & Payment Information. Treatment OptionsDepending on test results, suggestions can include:
* Certain uses of the compounds arabinose, citramalic, tartaric, 3-oxoglutaric, carboxycitric, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid, and 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropionic acid in their application to autism in the organic acid test and microbial organic acid test are protected by USA patent 5,686,311 granted November 11, 1997. Frequently Asked Questions About The Organic Acid TestWhat is the organic acid test for, and how can it help? In Dr. Shaw's work, he noticed that people with autism and other conditions (such as attention deficit disorder and fibromyalgia) frequently had overgrowths of yeast and bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, due to a high-sugar diet and antibiotic overuse. This led Dr. Shaw, now Director of The Great Plains laboratory, to devise a urine test to detect such disorders--an organic acid test which measures nearly 70 different biochemical compounds. Both children and adults who have taken the test and sought appropriate treatments have enjoyed marked improvements in condition as a result. Do I have to obtain a physician’s approval to get the urine sample tested? Yes. A medical practitioner who is licensed to order urine testing in your state must approve the test order. Regulations vary from state to state so an approved medical practitioner could be a medical doctor (MD), osteopath (DO), nurse practitioner, chiropractor (DC) or naturopath (ND). Why should I get the organic acid test? Why don’t I just start the antifungal treatment? Some children with autism don’t have the yeast problem, but have an overgrowth of the Clostridia. Treating these children with an antifungal could make the bacteria problem even worse. Also, if your child has the yeast problem, it will likely require major changes in diet (for the child and the family) along with drug therapy for six months or longer. It will be very difficult to make this type of commitment if you are nor even sure if your child has the yeast problem. Also, your child could have a yeast overgrowth with a drug-resistant yeast and if you don’t do the testing beforehand, it would be difficult to know what was happening. If the problem is severe, the yeast die-off reaction may be more severe and you may want to take additional steps to control the yeast before using antifungals. Additionally, it may be very difficult to get your doctor’s cooperation for the prescriptions and insurance reimbursement if there is no evidence that the yeast problem even exists. How often should I get my child retested? As a general rule, every three months is satisfactory. However, retesting should be done sooner if the child does not respond favorably by the end of one month of antifungal therapy, since the yeast or bacteria might be resistant to the drugs used for treatment. My child is currently taking antibiotics now. Should I wait until after antibiotics treatment until I get tested? An assumption is frequently made that if the child has a significant yeast overgrowth of the intestine while on antibiotics, the yeast overgrowth will disappear when the antibiotics are stopped. However, this is not necessarily the case and the yeast overgrowth may even become worse--especially if the person is on a high-sugar, high carbohydrate diet. There is no evidence that the yeast overgrowth will spontaneously disappear. Furthermore, the yeast overgrowth may be suppressing the immune system, preventing your child from recovering from the infection. The sooner the yeast problem is controlled, the sooner the vicious cycle of antibiotics and frequent infections will be broken. Will drugs or nutritional supplements interfere in the organic acid test? No, there is no interference from any known drug or supplement. However, if antifungal supplements or drugs are taken before the test, you will probably get a lower value for the yeast byproducts. We advise you to get the test first so that you will know what the starting point is. I already had the urine organic acid test done earlier by another lab. Can’t I get the information from the earlier test? No. No other laboratory routinely analyzes the same compounds as this laboratory. Most test for the inborn errors of metabolism and nothing more. I have an HMO and they have to send the test to a certain lab. Is that OK? No. No other laboratory routinely analyzes the same compounds as this laboratory (including Labcorp, SmithKline, or Mayo Medical laboratories). If you do not specify our laboratory, your child’s urine will be sent to one of the large reference labs which cannot accurately evaluate your child’s condition. Most test for the inborn errors of metabolism and that’s all. Are there any other reasons that I should choose the Great Plains Lab to do the organic acid testing? Dr. William Shaw, Director of the Great Plains Laboratory, is a recognized expert in the identification of practical, biomedical treatments for autism (as well as many other disorders). His work and the testing procedure that he developed have helped many children and adults with autism and other conditions see dramatic improvements and experience an enhanced quality of life--all based on seeking appropriate therapies using the information gained from the test. Dr. Shaw has also authored many books and provided other materials to help you better understand the medical treatments and how to use this information to help people with autism and other conditions.
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Updated:9/21/2006
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