Navigating The Gold Standard of Home Gut Testing: The GI360 Simple Patient Checklist
I have frequently seen over many years in clinical chiropractic practice that severe gut imbalance can be one of the underlying drivers of chronic lower back pain that doesn’t resolve with adjustments and other structural balancing strategies.
The best gut health test that I’ve found to assess gut microbiome balance, gut barrier integrity, presence of pathogens and as well as digestive health and absorption is the GI360 home stool analysis kit.
The GI360 analysis requires stool samples collected over 3 days, and I’ve simplified the preparation and collection procedures for the test here.
Please follow the steps below carefully.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
☐ Read through the entire collection kit instructions before starting.
☐ Place the supplied ice pack in the freezer.
☐ Do not collect during menstruation or active hemorrhoidal bleeding.
☐ Wait at least 4 weeks after a colonoscopy or barium enema before collecting.
MEDICATIONS & SUPPLEMENTS
The laboratory instructions recommend avoiding certain medications and supplements before collection because they may affect test results.
2 weeks before collection: Antibiotics, antiparasitic medications, antifungals, probiotic supplements, proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and bismuth may need to be avoided.
2 days before collection: Aspirin/NSAIDs, digestive enzymes, laxatives, activated charcoal, betaine HCl, antacids and bentonite clay may need to be avoided.
IMPORTANT: Never discontinue a prescription medication or medically necessary treatment without first discussing it with the prescribing healthcare provider.
DAY 1
☐ Label the BLACK-top vial with your name, date of birth and collection date.
☐ Urinate before collecting your stool, if possible.
☐ Collect the stool using the supplied collection container.
Do not allow urine or toilet water to contact the stool sample.
☐ Use the spoon in the vial cap to collect small amounts from several different areas of the stool.
☐ Fill the BLACK-top vial to the indicated line. Do not overfill.
☐ Close the vial tightly.
☐ Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.
☐ Place the vial in the DAY 1 bag.
☐ REFRIGERATE. DO NOT FREEZE.
DAY 2
Repeat the same procedure using the DAY 2 BLACK-top vial.
☐ Label vial.
☐ Collect stool without contamination from urine or toilet water.
☐ Sample from several different areas of the stool.
☐ Fill to the indicated line. Do not overfill.
☐ Close tightly.
☐ Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.
☐ Place in the DAY 2 bag.
☐ REFRIGERATE. DO NOT FREEZE.
DAY 3
On Day 3 you will collect samples into THREE different vials.
BLACK-TOP VIAL
☐ Label vial.
☐ Fill to the indicated line using stool from several different areas.
☐ Close tightly.
☐ Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.
☐ Place in the DAY 3 bag.
☐ REFRIGERATE. DO NOT FREEZE.
YELLOW-TOP VIAL
☐ Label vial.
☐ Fill to the indicated line using stool from several different areas.
☐ Close tightly.
☐ Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.
☐ Place in the DAY 3 bag.
☐ REFRIGERATE. DO NOT FREEZE.
WHITE-TOP VIAL
☐ Label vial.
☐ Fill to the indicated line using stool from several different areas.
☐ Close tightly.
☐ DO NOT SHAKE.
☐ Place in its separate specimen bag with the supplied frozen ice pack as directed by the kit instructions.
☐ FREEZE FOR AT LEAST 6 HOURS.
EASY WAY TO REMEMBER
DAY 1: BLACK → REFRIGERATE
DAY 2: BLACK → REFRIGERATE
DAY 3:
BLACK → REFRIGERATE
YELLOW → REFRIGERATE
WHITE → FREEZE
Shake BLACK and YELLOW vials.
Do NOT shake the WHITE vial.
BEFORE SHIPPING
☐ Make sure every collected vial is labeled with your name, date of birth and collection date.
☐ Confirm the WHITE-top vial has been frozen for at least 6 hours.
☐ Keep the other collected vials refrigerated until shipment.
☐ Complete the laboratory requisition form.
☐ Place the specimens, frozen ice pack, requisition and any required kit materials into the kit box according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
☐ Ship the specimens as soon as possible using the supplied shipping materials.
☐ Do not place the package in a FedEx drop box. Arrange an appropriate FedEx pickup/drop-off according to the kit instructions.
Questions?
If you are unsure about any part of the collection process, please contact our office directly at 732-747-0390 to schedule a consultation.
This simplified checklist is intended to make the manufacturer’s collection instructions easier to follow. Always follow the instructions supplied with your GI360 kit if they differ from this handout.