HYDROGEN BREATH TESTING FOR LACTOSE AND FRUCTOSE INTOLERANCE
WHAT IS HYDROGEN BREATH TESTING?
Hydrogen breath testing is a painless and non-invasive test which is used to diagnose abnormalities in the digestion of dietary sugars.
The most common sugars that are abnormally digested are:
* Lactose (the sugar in milk) which leads to lactose intolerance
* Fructose (commonly found in wheat and fruit) which leads to fructose malabsorption
* Lactulose which increases hydrogen production in the large bowel and intestinal transit time
The malabsorption or intolerance of these sugars may cause abdominal pain, abdominal bloating and distension, flatulence (passing gas in large amounts), and diarrhoea.
WHERE ARE THESE TESTS CONDUCTED AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?
G I Health run these tests at both the main rooms in Berwick and at the Mulgrave Rooms. Please call our office to arrange for appropriate appointments.
Your doctor may recommend only one or all three of the above tests but you have to do each test on a separate day. There is a diet preparation the day before each test to ensure that accurate results are obtained.
The fees for Breath testing are payable on the day via Cash, EFTPOS or Credit Card.
* Please note, there is no Medicare Rebate for this testing procedure.
The cost of each test is $55.00 (Pensioner/Health Care Card $50.00)
THE DAY BEFORE YOUR TEST
There are certain foods you must particularly avoid the day before your test.
These are:
• All dairy produce which includes milk, cheese, ice-cream and yoghurt.
• Peas, beans, onions and pears and apples.
• Wheat-based foods including flour, bread and pasta
Here is a guideline for your diet the day before your test:
Breakfast: Your choice of the following –
Rye bread, jam/Vegemite (no margarine/butter)
Boiled/poached eggs
Drained, canned fruits (excluding pears/apples/ two fruits)
Tea/coffee with/without soy/rice milk only.
Lunch: Your choice of the following –
Sandwich filled with meat/poultry/fish/egg, lettuce, carrot, mushrooms
USE RYE BREAD, CORN OR RICE CAKES
Fruit – peeled or drained canned (best in syrup as natural juice contains pear juice) (excluding pears/apples/two fruits)
Tea/coffee as above.
Dinner: Your choice of the following –
Meat, fish, poultry, rice, potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli
Fruit – peeled or drained canned (best in syrup as natural juice contains pear juice) (excluding pears/apples/two fruits)
Tea/coffee as above.
Snacks:
Fruit – peeled or drained canned (as above)
Ryvita biscuits, rye bread with spreads (as above)
Soy milk/rice milk products
Maximum of two (2) pieces of fruit per day.
DO NOT HAVE ANY LAXATIVES.
Please advise your doctor if you are taking antibiotics.
HOW IS THE TEST CONDUCTED?
If your test is in the morning, you must fast (NOTHING to eat or drink but you are permitted small sips of water) from 10 pm the night before your test. If it is scheduled for the afternoon, you must fast from 8 am on the day of the test.
Fructose and lactose tests take about two (2) hours to complete.
You will be asked to take a deep breath in and then completely exhale into a machine which measures the amount of hydrogen in your breath as a baseline. Once this baseline reading has been taken, you will be asked to drink a solution containing a special sugar. This will be 200-250 mL (about 1 standard glass). You will then be asked to breathe into the detector every 15 minutes for two (2) hours. If you are having a lactulose breath test, the duration is possibly three (3) hours.
You will be free to move around and you may wish to bring along some reading material or other activity to help pass the time. After the last reading, you will be free to leave.
You will be able to drive yourself home following the test.
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