Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) Profile, Saliva

4 dried urine cards

Minimum Volume

4 dried urine cards

Collection Instructions

To Avoid Specimen Rejections:

• Avoid sexual intercourse 24 hours prior to the date of collection and on the date of collection.
• On the day of collection: STRICTLY AVOID caffeine, tea, alcohol, bananas, avocados, and flax seeds/flax seed oil.
• On the day of collection: reduce your fluid intake by half your usual amount, aiming for approximately 45 to 60 ounces.
• Collect all 4 samples on the same day! Try to avoid urination throughout the night before your planned collections. If you must urinate during the night, use the 5th collection card provided and follow the collection instructions for the additional card.

Collection Timing:

Men and post-menopausal women: collect any day.

Pre-menopausal women:

• Normal cycle: collect samples on days 19 to 21. (Note: Day 1 is the first day of your most recent period.)
• Long cycle: calculate the number of days that your cycle exceeds 28 days (e.g. 32-day cycle is 4 days over), then add this to 19-21 for your adjusted collection window.
• Short cycle: collect your samples approximately 2 days before your period is expected to begin (e.g. for a 14-day cycle, collect your sample on day 12).
• Irregular cycle: for irregular cycles/no cycle, collect samples on any day that you are not menstruating (bleeding).

Hormone User Guide:
Continue to use all hormones as prescribed and instructed by your prescribing physician. You DO NOT need to stop current hormone medications prior to collection unless advised by your healthcare provider.

Instructions:

Creams/gels/capsules
COLLECT SAMPLE: 12-24 hours after last dose

Troche/sublingual
COLLECT SAMPLE: 36 hours after last dose

Patches
COLLECT SAMPLE: 24-48 hours after applying patch

Injection/Pellets
COLLECT SAMPLE: Midpoint between treatment