# Calprotectin Home Test



## Tony H (Jul 24, 2015)

Hi just back from a visit to my ibd nurse and she told me that I will be partaking in this new test from next month ,
http://www.ibdoc.net/buhlmann-launches-ibdoc-the-first-ce-marked-calprotectin-home-test/


Just wondering if any one else has had this yet ? the first one will involve me testing at home and sending some of the same same sample to the hospital lab to check for accuracy .


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## 24601 (Jul 28, 2015)

I haven't done this but was chatting to a GI at my local hospital where they will be piloting at home faecal calprotectin testing too. Sounds like it will be a really great step forward for getting timely measures of inflammation levels and will help us monitor disease activity levels more closely.

Do let us know how it goes! I hope it's all very straightforward to do!

Do you know how often they will be asking you to test?


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## Lady Organic (Jul 28, 2015)

thx, Ive just sent an email to the company to know if this is available in Canada. 
Ive been told some other calprotectine home tests are available from Naturopaths, but I have no more details at this time.


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## helena101 (Jul 28, 2015)

Tony H where do you live? I have been following this at-home-test and waiting for it to be launched in Greece, where I live. Please do update when you get the results so that we can also know the accuracy of the home test.


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## highlandsrock (Jul 28, 2015)

24601 said:


> I haven't done this but was chatting to a GI at my local hospital where they will be piloting at home faecal calprotectin testing too. Sounds like it will be a really great step forward for getting timely measures of inflammation levels and will help us monitor disease activity levels more closely.
> 
> Do let us know how it goes! I hope it's all very straightforward to do!
> 
> Do you know how often they will be asking you to test?


I see you're in London. At which hospital is the GI that mentioned it to you?


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## 24601 (Jul 28, 2015)

highlandsrock, KCH London will be piloting this. I didn't get a chance to ask which other hospitals in the UK might be but if you have any other details it would be interesting to know. My gastros are at Tommy's and I haven't had an appointment for a while as I've been under the care of haematologists so I haven't asked if they will be doing it there too.


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## highlandsrock (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks for the info. Will contact my GI at St.Thomas' and see if they are likely to get involved as well. I get all my other treatment there as well - haematology and hepatology.


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## Tony H (Jul 29, 2015)

I'm in Cobh in Ireland Helena and as far as I know my GI/ hospital are one of the first in Europe to trial this , my GI Jane McCarthy is top notch and one of the best in her field in Ireland , should have the kit soon and there is an android / iPhone app to use with it as well ,real high tech stuff ,will update with pics and info when I receive it .


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## Tony H (Jul 29, 2015)

Ps the tests will be done monthly


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## highlandsrock (Jul 29, 2015)

I've just emailed my GI to see if he is going to use self testing. I wonder what the cost works out at for each one. For the conventional drop sample into path lab the hospital is charged £53.00. I know this because it is printed on the request form.

I have a particular interest in this topic as I am currently in clinical remission from Crohn's and taking no meds but want to pick up the first signs of the disease returning so we can treat it early


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## Tony H (Jul 29, 2015)

My nurse told me the test kits were costing about €40 each but they were trying to source a generic version that would cost less asap  to reduce costs .


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## 24601 (Jul 29, 2015)

highlandsrock, my GI told me that although the cost printed on our forms is £53 that it has actually got cheaper now so that's good 

I'm in clinical remission too but needing to monitor any changes in disease activity closely (as I'm getting a bit short on small bowel) so will be really interested to know if we might have access to this at St Thomas' soon


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## highlandsrock (Jul 29, 2015)

I'll let you know when I get a response. Wonder if we share the same consultant?


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## 24601 (Jul 29, 2015)

I PM'd you highlandsrock!


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## highlandsrock (Jul 29, 2015)

Just responded to that. I meant to say that I have just acquired all my GSTT medical notes. Quite an interesting read, for me, and the 3D CT scans are almost artistic!


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## highlandsrock (Jul 30, 2015)

Had a response from my consultant at St.Thomas''. No plans to introduce home testing yet


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## Tony H (Aug 25, 2015)

Just got the test kit in the post , will update today .


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## Tony H (Aug 26, 2015)

well I did my first test and the result was high , 873 ug/g , really disappointed , I also send a sample to the hospital lab (hand delivered ) as a control , hopefully it wont be as high (i'm an optimist ) , I'm on humira for a few months not and apart from joint pain in my hands and feet i'm feeling better than i have for years  .


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## highlandsrock (Aug 26, 2015)

Will be interesting to see how closely they match or hopefully don't match


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## Tony H (Sep 17, 2015)

I got the lab tests back today and it was only 102 so I obviously did something wrong


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## helena101 (Sep 17, 2015)

You didn't necessarily do something wrong... There can be huge differences even amongst reliable labs for the test, some are more sensitive (and therefore give much higher readings) some less... I once had the same lab retest the same sample, the first reading was >1800,  the second was 250. Or another time one lab gave a reading of 63 while another gave 450.  The home test is probably overly sensitive...


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## Bunty (Sep 19, 2015)

Tony, I've just posted elsewhere about the test kit for this. 
My surgery have given me a three day test kit pack, much like the poo sticks one for over 60s. They didn't seem to really know which kit to give me, is this the right one?
I have to return it to the surgery who, I assume, will send it off somewhere.
Is that how you're home test was done?
Thanks
Bunty x


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## Tony H (Sep 19, 2015)

Hi Bunty these are the kits that I received , 

https://goo.gl/photos/EwsEbmaJuwNJXNmy6


one is just the normal test kit and the other is the calprotectin ib doc kit , hope this helps.


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## Bunty (Sep 19, 2015)

Thanks Tony.
Hmm, I think I'll need to redo the test because the surgery have given me the cardboard strip thing, to do over three days, using three sticks to smear a tiny sample on two windows each day.
 I had a feeling the surgery didn't really know what they were doing... 
Thanks for your help.
Bunty x


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## crohs (Jan 19, 2016)

Hello All,
Does any one know if/how this kit can be ordered in US?

Thanks.


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## Tony H (Jan 19, 2016)

this is the manufacturers email address 

info@ibdoc.net 

they might be able to advise you of its availability in the us .


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## Bunty (Jan 19, 2016)

I went back to the surgery and obtained a small screw top clear plastic container with a wide mouth, it came in a small plastic see through bag. There was a blank label attached to the container which I wrote my name, date of birth and 'calprotectin test' on.
I used a plastic spoon to collect the necessary sample (about the size of two almonds)and deposited it in the container. I put the container in the small sealable plastic bag and then put that in a supermarket plastic bag.
I handed this in to the receptionist at the surgery and told her what it was. She took it without any comment and must have sent it off to wherever they do this test. I got the results when I next saw the consultant at the hospital.
As long as there's enough sample to test then I don't think it needs to be a specific test kit, just a suitable container, certainly that's been my experience.
Bunty x


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## Clash (Jan 19, 2016)

The at home kits differ because they are set to be tested by a strip you recieved with the kit.

The lab kits you carry back to lab can be just collection containers.

I'm not sure that at home kits are available in the US. But the GI can set up an order for a standing time period like every 3 months which is generally what is recommended since it can take some time for elevated fc to decline into normal range.


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