Environmental Toxin Testing
Environmental toxins, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and chemical exposures can contribute to a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog, headaches, digestive issues, skin concerns, respiratory symptoms, and neurological problems.
When appropriate, I may use the Total Tox Burden at-home urine test to evaluate your body’s toxic load. This test measures mycotoxins, heavy metals, and environmental chemicals using advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, or LC-MS/MS, technology.
Because functional medicine is a systems biology-based approach, testing is not ordered as a standalone service. I need to understand your full story before determining whether environmental toxin testing is the right next step.
All new patients begin with a Discovery Session. This first appointment allows me to better understand your health history, symptoms, lifestyle, previous labs, goals, and potential environmental exposures before recommending a care path or any functional testing.
What Total Tox Burden Checks For
Heavy metals: Measures 20 heavy metals to assess potential toxic metal accumulation.
Mycotoxins: Evaluates 29 mycotoxins to help identify exposure to various fungal toxins.
Environmental chemicals: Analyzes 38 common environmental chemicals, including pesticides and industrial pollutants.
This information may help guide personalized strategies to reduce exposure, support detoxification pathways, and better understand how environmental or chemical toxins may be affecting your overall health.
Who This Testing May Be For
Environmental toxin testing may be considered for:
Individuals with unexplained fatigue or brain fog
Those experiencing chronic headaches or neurological symptoms
People with digestive problems, such as nausea or diarrhea
Anyone with skin rashes, eczema, or dermatitis
Individuals facing respiratory issues or breathing problems
Those frequently exposed to chemicals or toxins
Individuals with a history of heavy metal toxicity
People with suspected mold or environmental toxin exposure
Not every patient needs toxin testing. If testing is recommended, it will be based on your symptoms, history, lifestyle, exposures, and overall care plan.
How Testing Works if Recommended
If environmental toxin testing is appropriate for you, a Total Tox Burden test kit may be shipped to your home.
You will follow the step-by-step instructions to complete a urine collection from the comfort of your home. This typically includes collecting a first-morning urine sample, sealing and storing the sample as instructed, and returning it to the lab using the prepaid shipping materials.
Results are typically available in about two weeks after the lab receives your sample. Once results are available, we will review what the test is showing as it relates to your symptoms, health history, exposures, and overall care plan.
Things to Consider
If Total Tox Burden testing is recommended, there are several preparation guidelines to keep in mind:
No fasting is required, but fasting for 12 to 24 hours may increase toxin excretion.
Limit water intake to 8 ounces one hour before collection to avoid diluted samples.
Avoid iodine-rich foods, such as seafood and dairy, and selenium-rich foods, such as Brazil nuts, for 48 hours before collection.
Samples should be returned to the lab within 24 hours of collection.
Consult your provider regarding any medications or supplements before testing.
Any specific preparation instructions will be reviewed if this testing is recommended for you.
Start With a Discovery Session
Functional medicine looks at the whole person, not one symptom or one lab result in isolation. During your Discovery Session, we will look at your full health picture and determine whether environmental toxin testing is appropriate for your care plan.