How to Do Your Saliva Testing
Below are two different kits from ZRT you’ll choose from and order on the ORDERING page. NOTE: if you have trouble ordering, it’s your BROWSER. Use a different one!
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1) About the 4-point Saliva Cortisol test—Standard
You will receive 4 vials to fill halfway with your saliva, not including the bubbles. One vial is right when you wake up, or within 30 minutes after your morning wakeup. Another vial is for around 11am - 1pm, or your “noonish”, which is approx. 4 hours after you wake up. Another vial is for late afternoon, or 5ish. Another vial is for bedtime. You will be writing your name, date, and time of collection on each vial after each vial is filled.
2) About the Adrenal Stress Saliva kit (both the 4-point and DHEA):
You will receive 4 vials to fill halfway, not including the bubbles. The morning vial will produce both the morning cortisol results AND the DHEA result.
About getting saliva into those vials
**Don’t fret! It’s very do-able!! :) Lots of people before you have done it. :)
1) Plan a fairly uneventful, non-stressful day to do your saliva test.
2) On the day BEFORE you decide to do the saliva:
a) We, as thyroid patients, tend to take any thyroid medications as normal, the day before.
b) We also learned to drink a lot of fluids to help with saliva the next day. We learned to avoid caffeinated drinks the day before—they contribute to dehydration.
3) On the day OF the saliva collection:
a) Wash your hands before starting to avoid mixing anything from your hands to your kit.
b) Do not eat, drink (except a sip of water only, then wait 5 minutes) or brush your teeth prior to your first collection of the day, or within 2 hours prior to collecting saliva the other three times.
c) ZRT recommends to let saliva pool in your mouth. Patients have also reported things like sniffing a cut lemon, a pickle, etc. Here’s more: https://www.zrtlab.com/media/1144/saliva-testing-instructions.pdf
e) Those who have done saliva say it’s not uncommon to take at least 20 minutes minimum to fill each vial halfway, not including the bubbles.
4) After each vial is filled with your saliva:
a) Remember to close them tightly.
b) The next morning, and if you haven’t already, place all vials in provided plastic bag(s)—some might have a little white absorbent paper inside which you leave in there. (Some patients wrap the plastic bag in more cushioning, but that’s an individual choice.)
c) Remember to fill out entire provided paperwork/requisition form, then place all (filled out paperwork & vials) in provided test kit box, then in provided return package. Affix the provided pre-paid label!
5) Sending the package with vials/paperwork and attached pre-paid label: There will be an attached pre-paid label.
You’re going to get visual instructions with your kit!
6) After ZRT receives your saliva samples, they usually send you an email in 3-5 business days so they can create an online portal for you to view results from there. Note the mention of 5 days—that can happen. Also check your SPAM folder if you aren’t seeing it in that time. AND DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR ORDER. :)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: Are there supplements I may need to avoid before doing saliva testing?
Stop the Thyroid Madness (not from ZRT—please don’t confuse that fact) found out that certain supplements can prevent us from seeing our natural state. Here’s the page you can preview and decide in working with your doctor.
Q: What if I don’t have normal waking hours due to a job or other non-health reasons?
A: If a person plans to continue their unique hours, saliva testing is done according to those hours. For example, if a normal wakeup time is noon, that is one’s morning. And so on with the other three times.
Q: What if I wake up much earlier than I want to due a low or high cortisol, or an adrenaline or immune system reaction, messing me up?
A: We as patients usually don’t do saliva at that too-early time, and just wait until we would have normally awakened before this started.
Q: Is the cost I pay for the kit the ONLY cost related to the kit and getting my results?
A: Yes, it’s the only cost, other than what you’ll need to pay for shipping.