Best microbiome tests available to New York?

[gomelgo]

My doc gave me two sources, and both do not send to NY. Anyone have recommendations for the best type of microbiome test, and one that is available in NY? Would be amazing if it also tests for this desfulvio (sp?) bacteria that is now directly being associated with PD. Thanks in advance.

[Rufous2]

What two sources did your doctor name? Is there perhaps a NY law that prevents any company from providing such a service?

[gomelgo in reply to Rufous2]

Nirvanabiome and micro biome labs. Also, Genova.

[Rufous2 in reply to gomelgo]

Well that's discouraging. I wonder if it's just that "over the counter" medical tests are prohibited in NY. If so, your doctor could probably order the "Genova GI Effects Comprehensive Profile," which is the one recommended by microbiome researcher Lucy Mailing. It could then be submitted to your insurance co. as well, possibly defraying some of the cost.

[gomelgo in reply to Rufous2]

I'm seeing my neurologist tomorrow and will ask. Thank you.

[Nikkiheat2]

Don't know about New York, this gut test includes Desulfovibrio spp. - diagnosticsolutionslab.com/....

[RonB1 in reply to Nikkiheat2]

Nice. How much is this test?

[Nikkiheat2 in reply to RonB1]

We ordered ours through Direct Labs. With the leaky gut test it was $500. We also ordered the Metabolomix+ test, which is nutrition and organic acids. My husband is the one with Parkinson's. He had quite a bit out of range between the two tests. Combined the tests gave us both a lot of specific areas to work on for our different health issues.

[RonB1 in reply to Nikkiheat2]

Thanks. Does the organic acids test include amiino acid levels?

[Nikkiheat2 in reply to RonB1]

Yes, it is great - gdx.net/core/sample-reports.... I saw on the Genova web site this is not available in NY, but I asked Gemini (Google's AI) if there were other organic acid tests available in NY and it gave me a few options. I was going to wait to post until my husband was much better, but these tests already have been super helpful. He had about 20 - 30 results pretty far out of range, and individually, each one seems potentially correctable. It is still a bit of trial and error on how to fix each result, but he had some positive changes already, like weight gain instead of unintentional weight loss and sleeping through the night better.

[gomelgo in reply to Nikkiheat2]

Just those two tests gave you all those results from just a stool sample?!?

[Nikkiheat2 in reply to gomelgo]

The Metabolomix+ test is urine. They are both at home tests.

[gomelgo]

did someone have to prescribe them?

[Nikkiheat2 in reply to gomelgo]

I ordered them online myself through Direct Labs. I also order my own tests from Ultalabs, Walkinlabs, and Mymedlab. I think they have doctors on staff who sign off on the order. This is legal in my state. For the blood draw tests, we usually get the orders from Ultalabs and then take them to a local Labcorp or Quest blood draw location. Downside is we have to pay for everything ourselves, but it has been well worth it. I think most of the routine labs from the doctors were normal for my husband, but with the functional medicine and microbiome testing he had quite a few opportunities for improvement, like a leaky gut, which seems to be a pretty common finding in PD - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... . And the good news is the leaky gut seems to be correctable with diet changes, especially with the inclusion of fermented foods.

[gomelgo in reply to Nikkiheat2]

Thanks, and I appreciate your wording "opportunities for improvement".

[gomelgo in reply to Nikkiheat2]

Thank you for that link. Chock full of validation.

[Nikkiheat2 in reply to gomelgo]

The paper focuses on probiotics, but some leading gut researchers suggest fermented foods may work even better. With fermented foods you are not only ingesting the good bacteria, but the food those bacteria thrive on. Here is one recent study that opened my eyes about needing to eat more fermented food - Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity, decreases inflammatory proteins, study finds, med.stanford.edu/news/all-n....

Fermented foods increase SCFAs, decrease inflammation and are good for leaky gut, so they tick a lot of the boxes of what might help PD, based on the recent microbiome research. We've been eating L. plantarum fermented foods (sourdough bread, apple cider vinegar, kraut, and other fermented veggies) and they may be helping a bit. Link: The Add-On Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Studyncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl....

[Rufous2]

You could participate in the American Gut Project (now known as the Microsetta Initiative) run by UC San Diego. I don't know if you'll get as much info as you would from the Genova test, but maybe better than nothing? microsetta.ucsd.edu

[gomelgo]

Will definitely consider it. Thank you!