how to order your own labs
Have you ever wanted to know if you have Lyme Disease? Or Epstein-Barr? Or if you have undiagnosed food allergies? Has your general practitioner refused to have you tested because there was “no reason” to do so?
Up until recently, to get this specific type of testing you had to go to a functional medicine doctor, which can be an expensive endeavor. (Often, at least $1000 to get in the door, plus testing and follow-up appointments.) Now, several companies are offering order-your-own testing which makes getting these answers much more accessible.
Dr. Mark Hyman recently unveiled Function Health, a subscription service which provides extensive labs twice a year for $499 per year. Other companies allow you to order specific tests or panels, with costs starting at about $40 to about $400 for panels.
Here are some options for ordering your own labs:
Function Health: This company is currently being rolled out by Hyman and a team of doctors, mainly in the functional medicine field. You sign up online, and are referred to a lab appointment nearby. You receive your results online with insights from doctors. You follow up about six months later. Tests include standard labs such as cholesterol and thyroid, but also include autoimmune markers, heavy metals and cortisol. They also offer food and environmental allergies, multi-cancer early detection, Celiac and Lyme testing for an additional cost.
Quest: This well-known company offers tests you can purchase from home and complete at one of their locations throughout the area. They offer a variety of a la carte tests including Celiac antibodies, thyroid, food and respiratory allergies, hormones, vitamin levels, h pylori and Lyme Disease. Tests start at $39 and go up to $300-400 for full panels.You order the test online and make an appointment to visit a Quest lab near you. Results are sent to your email, and you are given the option to work with one of their physicians on your results. You may also take your results to your own physician. (In some cases, such as allergies, you may not need any further guidance.)
Let’s Get Checked: This company has similar offerings to Quest including vitamins and micronutrients; Celiac antibodies; cortisol; colon cancer; hormones, Lyme Disease and thyroid antibodies. There is a physician available to review your results. Tests start at about $75, and most are completed with a finger prick, urine sample or stool sample.
As someone who has worked in functional medicine, I would say all three options have their benefits. Function Health offers a well-rounded if standardized health assessment for the $499, and may be good for people who do not go to a general practitioner regularly. Unfortunately, the more specific, functional medicine type of testing all seems to come with an added fee.
For people who have an idea of what they want to know, Quest or Let’s Get Checked may be the most affordable option. In terms of chronic health issues, tests like Lyme or Celiac, heavy metals, autoimmune markers or allergies may provide the most insight. These companies allow you to pick and choose tests based on your own research and interest.
Why are these tests a game-changer? Traditionally-trained doctors will only order tests if your symptoms match their criteria; for example, flushing or itching after eating a food you are allergic to. For me, functional medicine testing revealed a wheat allergy, for which my only symptoms were feeling flu-like after eating wheat. And Celiac reveals itself in many different ways that are not GI-related, particularly neurologically.
And here is something interesting. At an appointment with my general practitioner, who I like very much, I asked if she ever tested patients for Lyme. “To be honest, I don’t, because I don’t know anything about treating it,” she said. My point? You need to be your own advocate. Doctors have limits on knowledge and training, and YOU know YOU the best. Your gut is often right, so having access to these tests will allow you to get your answers.
As for following up…if you find out you DO have Lyme Disease, you can find a specialist. (There are some amazing doctors that focus on Lyme.) Or if you have autoimmune markers, it may be time to look at “cleaning up” your diet and lifestyle. If you have Celiac antibodies, it is time to give up gluten. These things can make a HUGE difference in how you feel day to day.
I will continue to keep my eyes peeled for patient-accessible testing. If you have any questions, please let me know at kate@heretohelpcoaching.com.
