A stool test that shows which organisms live in your gut, helpful and otherwise, and how well digestion is working. We suggest it only when the result would change your plan, and we read it alongside your GP’s pathology. It is not a routine, and many gut plans need no testing at all. We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions; that stays with your doctor. Our part is the nutritional, herbal and lifestyle work that sits alongside their care.
The balance of bacteria, yeasts and parasites in the gut, along with markers of digestion, absorption and inflammation. Depending on your history we may use a comprehensive stool analysis, a PCR panel for specific organisms, short-chain fatty acids, or single markers such as calprotectin or a parasite screen. Each is chosen for a reason, not run as a set.
What it does not do is diagnose a condition. Microbiome science is young, “normal” is not yet defined for an individual, and the same report can be read many ways, which is why researchers caution against over-interpreting a single test [1]. We read a result as one input beside your history, your symptoms and your GP’s pathology, and we say so before you decide.
Comprehensive stool analysis — organisms, digestion and absorption markers, in one report.
PCR panel — specific bacteria, parasites and viruses; where a parasite is found, your GP looks after it.
Short-chain fatty acids — how well the gut is feeding itself.
Calprotectin — a marker of gut inflammation, used medically to help separate inflammatory bowel disease from IBS [2]; a raised result goes straight to your GP.
Intestinal permeability markers — measured in research; we do not diagnose “leaky gut” from them or build plans on them.
People with long-standing IBS, bloating, reflux, irregular bowel habits or food intolerances, particularly where your GP’s investigations have not explained the symptoms, and where a result would change what we do next. It is non-invasive, so it suits children as well as adults. It is not for anyone with red-flag symptoms, who need their GP first, and it is not a substitute for the scope or bloods your doctor has ordered.
Our IBS page, allergies and food intolerances page and inflammatory bowel page explain where testing sits in each.
We are open 6 days per week, by appointment only. Book an appointment online via our online booking link.
Testing is a decision we make together, after the first appointment, when a result would change the plan. The laboratory sends a kit with instructions and a prepaid return; you collect the sample at home, seal it and post it back. Some tests ask you to pause particular supplements for a few days first, and we tell you which before you start.
Test fees are set by the laboratory and paid to the laboratory, not to the clinic, and they vary with the panel chosen; we tell you the current cost before you decide. Consultations are billed separately, and a results review is booked as a follow-up.
We read the report with you at that review, alongside any pathology from your GP, and explain what it does and does not show. The plan that follows is nutritional, herbal and lifestyle work aimed at what the result found, adjusted as your symptoms respond, and checked against anything you take. With your consent we share a summary with your doctor.
Blood in the stool, black stools, unexplained weight loss, symptoms that wake you at night, a fever, persistent vomiting, difficulty swallowing, new symptoms after 50, anaemia, or a family history of bowel cancer, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease all need your GP first, not a test kit. A raised calprotectin or a parasite on any report we run goes straight to your GP. If you suspect coeliac disease, get tested through your GP before removing gluten.
We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions; diagnosis, the tests that exclude other conditions and any medication sit with your GP or gastroenterologist. healthdirect sets out the medical side plainly.
No. Testing is decided after we have heard the whole story, and only when a result would change what we do. Bring any recent blood tests or stool results you already have; they often mean fewer tests, not more.
No. IBS is diagnosed by your GP after the tests that exclude other conditions, and leaky gut is not a diagnosis. A microbiome report describes what is in the gut and how digestion is working; it is one input beside your history and your GP’s pathology, not a diagnosis on its own.
Test fees are set by the laboratory and paid to the laboratory, not to the clinic, and they vary with the panel chosen. We tell you the current cost before you decide. Consultations, including the results review, are billed separately.
Yes, it is a home stool sample, so it suits children who cannot manage other investigations, and we use it only when a result would change the plan. Anything to do with a child’s diagnosis stays with their GP or paediatrician.
With your consent, yes. We work alongside GPs and gastroenterologists and send a summary when it helps their care of you, and anything that needs their attention, such as a raised inflammation marker or a parasite, goes to them straight away.
1. Allaband C, McDonald D, Vázquez-Baeza Y, et al. Microbiome 101: studying, analyzing, and interpreting gut microbiome data for clinicians. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;17(2):218-230. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2018.09.017
2. Walsham NE, Sherwood RA. Fecal calprotectin in inflammatory bowel disease. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2016;9:21-29. doi:10.2147/CEG.S51902
If your gut symptoms have outlasted every test your doctor has run, it is worth a conversation about whether a stool test would change anything, with someone who works with your GP rather than around them. Our naturopaths and nutritionists consult from Geelong CBD and Drysdale, in person or by telehealth, six days a week. Bring your results and we will start by listening.
We are open 6 days per week, by appointment only. Book an appointment online via our online booking link.
