Specialty Testing Guide › Heavy Metals Testing
Good preparation for a heavy metals test comes down to a few things: tell your clinician about recent seafood, supplements, contrast dye from scans and any past chelation, and follow the collection instructions that come with your test exactly. Each of these can push a result up or make it hard to read.
The exact steps depend on whether the test uses blood or urine. YoungerMeMD has not published the specimen type for its current $89 unprovoked test, so ask our team for the specific instructions when you order. This guide covers what to raise and why.
Key takeaways
- Specimen type and collection steps for the clinic's test are confirmed with the team at ordering.
- Fish and shellfish in the days beforehand can make urine arsenic look far higher than it really is.
- MRI contrast can distort some urine element readings, so mention any recent scan.
- Recent chelation or "detox" products can skew urine results and should be disclosed.
- An honest exposure history helps the clinician read your result more than any single number.
Seafood and urine arsenic
Fish and shellfish contain organic arsenic compounds that pass harmlessly into urine. They show up in a total arsenic result and can make it look alarming. One review of clinic patients found that seafood eaten within two to three days of testing can raise total urine arsenic, and that the elevations they saw were due to benign organic arsenic from seafood.1
The effect can last longer than people expect. In one published case, a man had an extremely high urine arsenic level five days after eating two lobster tails; speciation showed it was the harmless seafood form, and a repeat test after avoiding seafood was far lower.2 If your test includes arsenic, ask our team how long to avoid seafood beforehand, and tell them what you ate in the week before collection. See arsenic urine tests and seafood for more.
Contrast dye from scans
If you have had an MRI with gadolinium contrast, or any scan that used contrast dye, mention it. Researchers found that a gadolinium contrast agent given shortly before urine collection caused readings for some elements that were far above expected ranges, because of interference in the lab instrument.3 Ask our team whether you should wait after a contrast scan before collecting.
Supplements, medicines and "detox" products
Bring a complete list of your prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and supplements to your assessment, including anything sold for detox or chelation. Chelating agents pull metals into the urine, which is exactly why provoked tests overstate burden. If you have had chelation, the American College of Medical Toxicology advises waiting several days after the last dose before a 24-hour urine collection.4
Do not stop any prescribed medicine on your own before testing. Whether any medication should be paused is something the clinic has not published, so ask our team.
Timing: what the test can and cannot see
Blood and urine tests mostly reflect recent exposure. ATSDR estimates that lead in adult blood has a half-life of about 28 days, while lead stored in bone can stay for decades.5 A test months after a short exposure may look normal, and a test during an ongoing exposure will reflect it. Tell your clinician when the exposure you are worried about happened.
If you are testing to check whether a change worked, such as replacing old plumbing or cutting back on high-mercury fish, ask how long to wait after the change before retesting.
What to bring to your assessment
- The age of your home and any recent renovation, sanding or window work.
- Your water source: public water, or a private well and when it was last tested.
- Your job and hobbies, such as welding, battery work, shooting ranges, stained glass or ceramics.
- How often you eat fish, including sport fish from Pennsylvania waters.
- Copies of any past blood lead or metal test results.
- Your full medication and supplement list.
For help reading the report afterward, see how to read a heavy metals report.
What collection is like
The clinic has confirmed that the current test uses no provocation agent, so you will not be given a chelating drug before collection. Beyond that, how and where the sample is taken has not been published. Ask our team whether it is a blood draw or a urine collection, where it happens, and what container and timing to use. Whatever the specimen, follow the instructions that come with the test exactly.
Next step: ordering the test
Heavy Metals Testing is an $89 add-on selected at checkout with the $599 Peptide Assessment or the $724 Hormone Assessment on the payment page. Visits are in person at the Conshohocken office in Montgomery County or by telehealth for patients located in Pennsylvania. Interpretation and planning come with membership, and the test kit is billed separately. Testing is self-pay through the clinic; ask our team about receipts for your own insurer or HSA. Questions about prep, specimen or timing can go to the team through the contact page. For the local logistics, see heavy metals testing near Philadelphia.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to fast before a heavy metals test?
The clinic has not published fasting instructions for this test. Ask our team when you order, and follow the instructions that come with your test.
Should I stop eating fish before the test?
If the test includes arsenic or mercury, recent seafood can affect the result. Ask our team how long to avoid it, and tell them about any fish you ate in the week before.
Can I take my supplements on the day of the test?
Do not change anything without asking. Bring your list to the assessment, and ask our team whether any supplement should be paused.
I had an MRI last week. Should I wait?
Possibly. Contrast agents can interfere with urine element testing. Tell our team the date and type of scan and ask whether to delay collection.
Related reading
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Decisions about testing and treatment should be made with your clinician. If you have severe symptoms, call 911. For a suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
