Test Details
Lab Company: The Great Plains Laboratory
Sample Type: Urine, Hair, Blood Spot, Plasma, Serum
Collection Location: At Home, In Lab (Phlebotomy Required)
The Mental Health Panel combines 7 tests to analyze a variety of biomarkers that affect mental health.
Key Details
You will be collecting urine, hair, blood spot, plasma, and serum samples.
DO NOT collect your samples while menstruating.
Collect your at-home samples (urine, hair, and blood spot) prior to your blood draw.
You must fast overnight prior to your blood draw.
Ship your samples all together, within 48 hours of collection.
Samples should be shipped Monday - Wednesday only.
DO NOT fill out any information on gplforms.com.
Preparation & Timing
You will be collecting urine, hair, blood spot, plasma, and serum samples.
DO NOT collect your samples while menstruating.
Preparing for Your Urine Test
Avoid the following foods and supplements for 48 hours prior to your urine collection.
Apples (including juice & other apple products)
Grapes (including juice & other grape products)
Pears (including juice & other pear products)
Cranberries (including juice & other cranberry products)
Arabinogalactan
Echinacea
Reishi mushrooms
Ribose supplements
The night prior to urine collection
Limit liquid intake starting at 6 pm.
The day of urine collection
You will collect your sample upon waking.
DO NOT eat or drink prior to collecting your sample.
Preparing for Your Hair Test
DO NOT collect hair that has been treated in any of the following ways:
Dyed
Bleached
Permed
Otherwise chemically treated
Collect only head or pubic hair.
DO NOT mix head and pubic hair together.
Preparing for Your Blood Spot Test
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking blood-thinning medications or have a blood clotting disorder.
A few hours prior to collection:
Drink at least 16 oz of water.
Preparing for Your Plasma & Serum Tests
Sample collection must be performed by a phlebotomist, Monday - Thursday only.
Hydrate for 24-48 hours prior to your blood draw.
24 hours prior to your blood draw
Avoid consuming alcohol.
The night before your blood draw
Fast overnight (at least 8 hours).
Place the provided gel pack in the freezer overnight.
Collection Instructions
URINE | HAIR | BLOOD SPOT | PLASMA & SERUM
Urine Collection
These instructions are for the OAT, GPL-TOX, and Glyphosate tests.
Collect your first morning urine in the provided collection cup.
Collect prior to eating or drinking.
Screw the collection cup lid on tightly.
Write the following information on the collection cup.
Patient's name
Time of collection
Date of collection
Place the collection cup and provided gel pack into the freezer.
The sample and gel pack should remain in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours prior to shipping.
Keep them in the freezer until ready to ship.
Hair Collection
These instructions are for the Metals Hair Test.
Set up the scale by bending the black tabs down to form a fulcrum.
Place the scale on a level surface.
Use stainless steel scissors to cut your hair.
Collect only head or pubic hair.
DO NOT mix head and pubic hair together.
If you are using head hair,
Cut hair from the back of the head using stainless steel scissors.
Cut hair as close to the scalp as possible.
Go to step 6.
If you are using pubic hair,
Cut hair using stainless steel scissors.
Cut hair as close to the skin as possible.
Go to step 6.
As each piece of hair is cut, save only the 1 inch of hair closest to the skin.
Cut off and discard the rest.
Place the saved hair on the scale.
Keep cutting hair and adding hair to the scale until it tips.
Cut hair from 5 or 6 areas around the scalp or pubic area.
Once the scale has tipped, remove the hair from the scale and put it in the plastic bag.
Repeat steps 3-9 to fill the scale for a second time.
You should tip the scale twice.
Seal the bag.
Write the following information on the plastic bag.
Patient's name
Physician's name + "Rupa Health"
Collection date
Blood Spot Collection
These instructions are for the Omega-3 Index test.
Write the following information on the collection card.
Patient's name
Date of collection
Open the collection card.
DO NOT touch the collection circles.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
Dry your hands with a clean towel.
Choose the finger you will prick.
It is recommended to choose the middle or ring finger on your non-dominant hand.
Clean your chosen finger with the provided alcohol swab.
DO NOT throw the alcohol swab away yet.
Allow your finger to dry.
Stimulate blood flow by shaking your hand for 15-20 seconds and rubbing your chosen finger.
Open the lancet by twisting the yellow tab and pulling it straight out.
Press the lancet against the side of your fingertip until you hear a click.
Wipe off the first drop of blood with the alcohol swab.
Place a large, free-flowing drop of blood on each circle on the card.
DO NOT touch the card with your finger.
Gently massage the entire finger to assist in forming blood drops.
If the circle is not filled and saturated completely, place additional drops immediately on the same circle.
DO NOT add blood once the card is dry.
Each spot should look like the "Acceptable" picture below.
Once all of the circles are completely filled, bend the card and let them air dry at room temperature for 3-8 hours.
DO NOT touch the blood spots.
DO NOT let the blood spots touch any surface while drying.
DO NOT put the card in sunlight or near a heat source.
Throw away the lancet, alcohol swab, and any other materials used.
Once the card is completely dry, close the flap.
Place the card into the ziplock bag with the desiccant pack and seal.
Serum Collection
These instructions are for the Amino Acids Plasma Test and the IgG Food MAP.
Bring the following items with you to your blood draw appointment.
Test kit
Completed test requisition form
Urine sample
Frozen ice pack
Blood spot sample
The phlebotomist will collect, prepare, and ship your sample for you.
You can view the phlebotomist collection instructions HERE.
Your test may come with additional vials. Please have the phlebotomist check the collection instructions and requisition form to determine the correct number of vials to draw.
Requisition & Payment
Your kit has been prepaid. You DO NOT need to pay anything extra.
Instructions on how to fill out your requisition can be found HERE.
Since you pre-paid for your tests, you do not need to fill in the payment information on any of these forms.
DO NOT fill out any information on gplforms.com.
Shipping
Ship your samples within 48 hours of collection, Monday - Wednesday only.
Make a note of the tracking number on the return mailer so that you can track your sample back to the lab.
The phlebotomist will ship all of your samples together for you using the materials provided in the test kit.
Make sure to bring all of your samples with you to your blood draw.
To prepare your samples for shipping,
Urine Sample
Place the collection cup into the biohazard zip-lock bag.
Ensure the absorbent sheet is in the bag as well.
Place the frozen gel pack and the sample into the silver thermo bag.
Blood Spot Sample
Once the card is dry, close the flap on the card.
Place the collection card into the ziplock bag with the desiccant packs.
Seal the bag.
Bring these samples with you to your blood draw.
Results
Results should be released to your provider 7-21 business days after samples are received at the lab. We cannot guarantee processing time.
Your provider will notify you when your results are in and schedule a follow-up appointment for you to review them together.
Your provider may choose to release your results to you. Rupa cannot release your results without provider authorization.
More Resources
Individual Test Info Pages
Collection Instructions
Questions?
For general questions, email Rupa Health at support@rupahealth.com. For test-specific questions, contact The Great Plains Laboratory by calling 1-800-288-0383 or chatting with support.