Is there a test for colon flora imbalance?

[brae]

I am wondering if there is any way to determine what a person's colon flora situation is. My GI won't give a colonoscopy till i'm 50, and even then i don't know if that would tell.

[Lisa33]

I have yet to come across a doctor that will give a test for it. I have read on this board that posters have taken a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis by Genova. However, when I asked this same question that you pose to my GI, the answer was that there is no test. I've had a colonoscopy this past year (and I'm only 45). I also had one done when I was younger due to blood. There usually has to be a good reason to have one done prior to 50 though. I was pretty sick in Feb with what turned out to be a nasty virus that messed up my GI. This virus was on the heels of continuous episodes of IBS, so I actually pushed my doctor to do the colonoscopy and endoscopy to rule IBD's, etc out. Everything came back fine, and I was diagnosed with PI-IBS since c-diff 3 years ago. But, I don't believe that a colonoscopy can reveal whether your flora is in balance or not.

-Lisa

[NanciT]

I am also not aware of any test in reference to "flora". Depending on indications and a patients health, GI's will do a colonoscopy on a patient under 50 but it would need to be indicated to rule something out generally to get covered by insurance. I had a few GI's take a look at Genova labs who indicate they do extensive testing. Both felt it was questionable if the results would indicate anything specific.
NanciT