Toxic Metal Challenge

The test kit from Doctors Data, or Genova (Contains collection supplies and instructions, FedEx shipping envelope)

You will receive a PDF file of your test results emailed to you.

The cost for the test (kit and report) is around $68.00.

The lab requisition fee is $30.

EDTA is the best chelating/challenge agent for testing for Lead toxicity.
DMPS is the best chelating/challenge agent for mercury toxicity.

Other agents have been used for toxic metal challenge, such as Natural Cellular Defense, NCD (Zeolite).  This test will typically reveal less common toxicities, such as bismuth, germanium, etc.  This agent may be ordered from Waiora for a total cost of around $63.00, ($58.00 plus $5.00 S&H).

If you wish to interact by email, you may expect your test results to be e-mailed to you approximately 14 days after the date you send the test kit to the lab.

If additional patient consultation is desired, it may be accessed by calling Dr. Thomas Abshier at (503) 255-9500.  The consult charge is $75.00/hr, billed at 15-minute increments.

The Challenge Test (using Liquid Zeolite drops) requires a total of 16 hours of urine collection.  The DMPS and EDTA test are typically 6 hour collections.

You will collect all urine produced during this period into the jugs provided in the test kit.  You may use two jugs if needed.  (Note: if two jugs are used, then at the end of the test, pour them back and forth until well mixed. If only a single jug is used, it must also be well mixed at the end of the collection time, to distribute any metals that may have sunk to the bottom of the jug. Pipette a small sample into the two vials, as per the lab test kit directions. Label the two vials. Do not follow any of the instructions which may be in the test kit other than the instructions onhow to prepare the urine samples for shipping.  See the page: How to Fill Out the Lab Requisition Form (below) for additional instructions.

Urine Challenge Test Protocol:

· Be sure you have not used any other chelating agent for at least 48 hours prior to doing the challenge.  Thing includes supplements/drugs/chelating agents such as: MSM, Glutathione, DMPS, DMSA, EDTA, NAC (N Acetyl Cysteine), or Cysteine.

Be sure that you are well hydrated and have the next 6 to 16 hours available to follow the test kit protocol.

Sample time schedule for Zeolite challenge:

6 AM: Empty your bladder. (Do NOT save this urine). Take 15 drops of the activated liquid zeolite (or other chelating agent) diluted in at least 8 oz of purified water.  Take 500-1000 mg of Vitamin C with each dose of drops.  Urine production begins at this time; continue collecting urine and taking drops according to the test directions for the next 16 hours.

10 AM: Four hours after the first dose of 15 drops, take another 15 drops of the Zeolite. Continue collecting all urine.

2 PM: Four hours after the second dose of 15 drops, take another 15 drops of Zeolite solution. Continue collecting all urine.

6 PM: Four hours after the third dose of 15 drops, take the final 15 drops for a total of 4 doses.  Continue to collect all urine for the next 4 hours. This is the final dose, but you will continue to collect urine for four more hours.

10 PM: Collect final urine specimen and stop further urine collection. Prepare the sample according to the test kit directions (Mix, transfer sample to small tubes, discard the rest) and refrigerate until FedEx arrives for pick-up the next day.  Call FedEx to schedule pickup.

Be sure to stay well hydrated during the test.  Drink at least 2 liters (or 2 quarts) of purified water during the urine collection process.  Avoid over-hydration, as this will excessively dilute the urine sample.  Attempt to keep the total water intake for the day around 2 liters.

Prepare the sample carefully according to the directions included in the lab test kit.

Send the test kit to the lab according to the directions on the lab requisition form. See How to Fill Out the Lab Requisition Form for additional information.

Alternative Dosing Protocols:

If a person is very fragile, has difficulty maintaining hydration or is otherwise compromised, activated liquid zeolite dosing could be decreased to 5 drops, four times* during the 16 hour urine collection time.

Alternatively, if a person wants a vigorous challenge testing protocol, a person could take 40 drops, four times* during the 16 hour urine collection time.
*Be sure to take Vitamin C with activated liquid zeolite.

Note: While unpleasant reactions are rare, the dosage that will be well tolerated cannot be definitively estimated.  The possibility of a reaction of some type cannot be predicted or avoided when taking Zeolite.  Thus the person engaging in the test assumes all responsibility for reaction.  While such caution and concern is in general excessive considering the benign nature of Zeolite, the long-distance nature of the doctor and patient dictates full disclosure and recognition of risks in this test.

For the Highly Sensitive patient, to minimize the possibility of a strong unpleasant detoxification reaction, it is suggested that you take 1 drop on day 1, 2 drops on day 2, etc, until reaching the total dose that is expected to be used on the test day.

General Information

If toxins in the environment affect our bodies, and toxic metals such as mercury, aluminum and lead store in our bodies, then it may be helpful to find out how you can gently remove environmental toxins from your body andmonitor your results.  The Toxic Metal Challenge and Activated Liquid Zeolite drops (or other chelating agents) can give you an idea of your toxin load.  (Note: the results will vary, and do not necessarily indicate total body burden.)

Toxic metals, such as Mercury, Arsenic and Lead may not be well removed from the body, and thus may accumulate to levels which diminish the efficacy of the body’s metabolic machinery. Detoxifying agents such as the negatively charged Zeolite molecule can bond with positively charged metallic ions.  When the Zeolite is eliminated from the body via the body’s excretory mechanisms, the toxic metals may also be removed.  The Toxic Metal Urine Test demonstrates how much of each toxic metal is removed by ingesting 4 doses of Zeolite. The presence of twenty different heavy metals is assessed via Mass Spectrometry, and the patient’s values are reported in comparison to the levels which have been established as greater than the normal population.

There is no test that determines a person’s total toxic metal whole-body burden. But, with the use of detoxifying protocols and minimal further toxic exposure, the burden of toxic metals should eventually decrease, which may in turn allow the cellular machinery to function with less interference.

The excretion rate for each toxic metal varies with its affinity for the Zeolite.  Likewise, the excretion rate of each toxic metal depends on how and where it is stored and how it is bonded.  Mercury may come out first, followed by the excretion of lead and antimony because of the greater to lesser affinity of Zeolite (clinoptilolite) to each of the metals. But, because of the location and method of storage, other metals may come out before mercury.  The important principle to understand is that heavy metals come off in layers, with each metal being pulled out at a different rate over time.  Some levels will increase and then decrease and others will be low and rise before falling again.  The treatment should be continued until the levels become low or insignificant, and then a maintenance dose should be taken to keep the levels low.

Follow-up urine challenges will demonstrate this variability in excretion rate.  In general, lower total amounts of toxic metals will be excreted over time if the detoxification protocol is continued.  The follow-up schedule of Toxic Metal urine challenge test is up to the individual.  Some choose to schedule follow-up urine challenges as often as every 4-6 weeks, others choose quarterly, semiannual, or annual retests to monitor their detoxification progress.

Suggestions for supporting the body while detoxifying with the activated liquid zeolite drops:

Please note that this is a suggestion. Please consult with your physician before beginning any new products.

Once you have completed the activated liquid zeolite urine challenge test, you may remain on the basic activated liquid zeolite detoxifying protocol of 15 drops 3 or 4 times a day while you wait for your test results.

After receiving the report, the dosage level for liquid Zeolite detoxification protocol is as follows:

In general the dosing level of 10 drops 3x/day is well tolerated and effective.

Sensitive patients must determine their level of tolerance and dose at that rate.

A higher dose will detoxify faster, but a higher dose may not be tolerated, or may not be affordable.

Continue at the highest dose that is both affordable, and tolerated, and continue at this dosing rate.

Follow-up urine challenge tests are recommended every 4 to 6 weeks.

As the Toxic Metal Urine Challenges begin to return to well below normal levels, the rate of retest may be decreased, and the dosing rate may be reduced to the maintenance dosage.

If any symptoms, such as headaches, develop while taking the activated liquid zeolite, it is recommended to reduce the dosage to 3 drops, 3 times a day. When any symptoms have dissipated, you may slowly increase the activated liquid zeolite drops to 5 drops, 3 times a day for 5 days, then 10 drops, 3 times a day for 10 days. Slowly increase back to 15 drops, 3 or 4 times a day.

It is also suggested that you take 500-1000 mg of Vitamin C with each dose of activated liquid zeolite to help absorption. Ester C is a good choice.

Make sure you are well-hydrated, drinking 3-4 liters of purified water during the day and adding fresh fruits and vegetables along with good fiber to your nutrition. It is recommended to have a fiber intake of 50-60 g per day for optimal digestive health.

It is recommended to take the Spectracell Micro-Nutrient Assay to determine your functional vitamin and mineral status.  Interpretation of the test and recommendation of supplementation of the individual nutrients is offered by phone consultation.

Once you have received the urine challenge test results that indicate a minimal toxic body load, it is suggested to use the maintenance dosage of 3 drops 3 times a day.  Continue to take the protocol suggested for the Spectracell Micronutrient Assay for 6 months.  Retest every 6 months until all nutrient levels at optimal, and then retest yearly.

Please note: All of the above recommendations are suggestions, and nothing in this site is intended or considered to be treatment of any kind. Please see your health care practitioner for any medical conditions or treatment questions you may have.  The Toxic Metal Urine Challenge is not diagnostic of any medical condition, but may be used as an additional piece of data to help a holistic doctor assess the focus of your dysfunction.  Other indicators to include in the evaluation of your health status may be: Past Medical History, Physical, other Laboratory data, Mental Emotional evaluation, History of Present Illness, Chief Complaint, Subjective Symptoms, and other subtle indicators of body imbalance.

How to Fill Out the Lab Requisition Form

Once you receive your test kit from the lab you will need to refer back to this page to complete the requisition form enclosed in the box.

Inside the test kit you will find the lab requisition form. We have simplified the information required for you to fill out.

1. On the top left, in the Bill To section: check the Physician Account box.

2. On the top right corner, check the Toxic Element Clearance Profile.
The Comprehensive Urine Element Profile is NOT available at this time. 
DO NOT check the Comprehensive Urine Element Test.

3. The Diagnosis Code is NOT required.

4. Collection duration Check the Timed box,
For the Urine Challenge test write “16 hours”.
For the Random Baseline test, write the amount of time you collected urine.

5. Do not record the Total Volume of Urine this is a 16-hour test, not a 24 hour test.

6. Under Provocation: For the Urine Challenge test using Zeolite, mark Post-Provocation
(or for the Random Baseline test without Zeolite, mark Pre-Provocation).

7. Fill in Provocation Agent: “Zeolite”
For Pre-Provocation, no agent is used, so write, “no agent used”.

8. Physician Signature is NOT required.

9. Fill out Patient Information

10. Important: Fill in Date Final Sample Collected.

11. Be sure to sign the form.

12. Do NOT fill out the Insurance Information Section.
Insurance and Medicare billing are not available though this site. This allows the cost of the test to remain inexpensive. If you wish to bill this type of testing to your health care insurance or Medicare, you must find a local health care provider to do the testing for you.

13. Check or Credit Card Information: Please send a check for $68 made out to Genova Diagnostics, or fill out Credit Card info.
Dr. Abshier’s charge is $30 for making this test available to you and reporting it to you by email.  
Please send a check to Dr. Abshier at 1414 NE 109th Ave., Portland, OR 97220.  
If you wish to consult with Dr. Abshier about your medical conditions you may call him at 503 255 9500.  The cost for consultations is $75/hr.
The cost for the liquid zeolite is separate from these charges, and you will obtain that through the Waiora Website, by ordering “Natural Cellular Defense”.

14. Follow instructions for collecting samples and placing in vials. It is NOT necessary to write Total Urine Volume on the vials of urine.

15. Put the requisition form and the urine sample in the box.

16. Call the number on the test kit to schedule a pick-up.

17. Refrigerate test kit until the day of pick-up. On the day of pick up it is okay to leave it on your doorstep until FedEx arrives on that day.

18. Do NOT fold the shipment bag. Pull the adhesive strip off from inside the bag on one side and press the bag together to seal.

19. CRITICAL Once you ship the test kit to the lab, please send an e-mail to drthomas@naturedox.com with “Shipped kit to lab” in the subject field along with the name, address, phone number of the person submitting the specimen for testing. Some of the instructions on this site may seem contradictory when compared to the enclosed instruction sheet.  Please follow these instructions carefully and don’t worry! The main concerns are outlined above for a successful collection and shipment.

Summary of Testing Protocol: 
Obtain a urine test kit from Dr. Abshier, send an email and call.

Thomas Lee Abshier, ND   

Naturopathic Physician 

1414 NE 109th Ave., Portland, OR 97220,

Phone: (503) 255-9500, fax (503) 255-1888

drthomas@naturedox.com      www.naturedox.com

Follow the instructions explaining the Urine Challenge Test Protocol.

Email Dr. Abshier your Name, Address (note: physical address, not P.O. Box), Phone Number, Fax Number, and email address

Email Dr. Abshier a description of your medical condition and estimate your level of sensitivity.

You will receive a test kit via UPS.

Follow the instructions above for doing the Toxic Metal Challenge and urine collection.

When you complete the test, follow the instructions (below) on filling out the Lab Requisition Form.

You may expect your test results with data analysis via e-mail approximately 14 days from the date you sent the test kit back to the lab. It takes approximately 5 days to run the test from the time the lab gets the specimen.