Clostridia and stool testing - anyone?

February 21, 2011

I am feeling like we have a gap in testing and I don't know which direction to

go. Two years ago when we started biomed, we did an OAT with our then 3 year

old. His HPHPA was elevated three times the norm (suggesting Clostridia is what

I was told) and he had some signs of yeast as well, you know, the usual stuff,

arabinose, etc.

After some time with treatments and chelation (A/C protocol), we did a DDI basic

stool test, which showed a generic Clostridia elevated at +2 out of a possible

+4 and moderate yeast. So we continued with our treatments and chelation. We

decided to have our mainstream ped test for C. Diff and H. Pylori, just to see,

if that was our Clostridia strain and figured might as well add in the H.Pylori

since we were testing and insurance would pay for it based on his symptoms.

Both negative. So we knew that the Clostirida species was something else, but

not exactly which it was.

Now we are on round 47 of chelation and his behaviors have been much more

consistent than ever. So we did a Metametrix DNA microbial stool test. In

reading his perfect results (no bad bacteria or yeast at all, no parasites,

nothing) I am questioning something. I noticed that the only Clostridia strains

they look for is C. Diff and the good Clostridia sp. strain, which he does have.

I feel like there is a gap in testing now. Maybe he does still have another

strain of Clostridia, but the Metametrix test wouldn't show that, right? I

called both DirectLabs (Where I ordered it) and Metametrix and neither could

give me any advice, but what Metamerix did tell me is intriguing. They said

that with the new technology for DNA testing, their in transit samples are

handled better than with the old technology tests. The samples are actually

frozen in the brine they use, so you get an accurate picture of what is going on

intestinally. With old technology, the " broth " they use to preserve the sample

is a feeder for some strains of bacteria. Which means, when you have an

elevated test result, it's not always indicative of the intestinal status, it

actually overgrows in the vial!! Now, she didn't say which strains and which

tests, etc, but it has me wondering how to get an accurate answer!

So, long story short....Does anyone know of any accurate testing that looks at

the Clostridia subspecies and identifies them?

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