dr-brighten

Dr. Jolene Brighten

Women’s Health Expert, Leading Authority on Post-Birth Control Syndrome

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a Functional Medicine Naturopathic Doctor and the founder of Rubus Health, a women’s medicine clinic that specializes in women’s hormones. She is recognized as a leading expert in Post-Birth Control Syndrome and the long-term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives. Dr. Brighten is the best selling author, speaker and regular contributor to several online publications including MindBodyGreen. She is a medical advisor for one of the first data-driven apps to offer women personalized birth control recommendations.

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Easy online ordering – select from recommended panels and individual tests. No physician visit is required.

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Results are available in as soon as 48 hours. Your lab report will provide valuable insights and help you better understand and optimize your personal health.

Following are the labs Dr. Brighten recommends for optimal health.

  • Dr Brighten Basic Panel
    Post-Birth Control Syndrome Complete Panel
    lineseparator

    * Note: FSH, LH, Estradiol should be tested on day 3 of menses.
    If no menses, do a random draw.

    DUTCH, Complete (urine test kit)

    Free Cortisol Pattern

    Cortisol Metabolites

    Estrogen

    Estrogen Metabolites

    Progesterone

    Testosterone

    Androgen Metabolites

    Melatonin

    Organic Acids

    Neurotransmitter Metabolites

    Advanced Biomarkers (blood draw)

    FSH

    LH

    Estradiol

    TSH

    Free T3

    Free T4

    Thyroid Peroxidase and Thyroglobulin Antibodies

    HS-CRP

    Lipid Panel

    Vitamin D

    CMP

    Fasting Insulin

    Fasting Glucose

    Hemoglobin A1C

    CBC

    Ferritin

    Zinc

    Vitamin B12

    Magnesium

    SHGB

     


    $1,049.00
    Add to cart
  • Dr Brighten Basic Panel
    Dr. Brighten Panel
    lineseparator

    CBC

    CMP

    TSH

    Ferritin

    Free T3

    Free T4

    CRP

    Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies

    Anti-Thyroglobulin antibodies

    Hemoglobin A1c

    Vitamin D


    $250.00
    Add to cart

View our extensive test offering, learn more about individual tests, or add additional tests to enhance your selected panel.

Select the marker(s) you would like to test from the lists below. Click on the test categories on the right to view additional information for each.

Test Descriptions

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Custom Panel

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  • Custom Panel

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  • Hormones - Thyroid

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  • Sex Hormones - Female

  • Specialized Hormone Testing

    DUTCH Hormone Testing, complete - $429

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  • Sex Hormones - Male

  • Specialized Hormone Testing

    DUTCH Hormone Testing, complete - $429

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  • Fat Hormones - Male and Female

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  • Hormones - Stress

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  • Sugar Metabolism and Diabetes Screening

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  • Cholesterol Tests/Heart Health

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  • Inflammatory Markers

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  • Nutrient Panel

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  • General Health Screening

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  • Exposure

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  • Food Tolerance Testing

  • Adult Food Allergy Profile IgE - $299

    Advanced Food Sensitivity IgG - 90+ foods plus Candida - $349

    Premium Food Sensitivity IgG - 190 foods plus Candida - $485

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  • Genetic Testing

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  • Functional Medicine Testing

  • Functional Medicine Tests - GI

    Functional Medicine Tests - Metabolic

    Functional Medicine Tests - Toxin-Exposure

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Category:
Hormones – Thyroid

TSH

Reasons to check it: Are you concerned about your thyroid or are you on thyroid medication? Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is a hormone released by your brain to signal your thyroid gland. It can be used to monitor dosing of your thyroid medication or as a screening test for the presence thyroid disease.

Free T4

Reasons to check it: Are you concerned your thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone? The thyroid makes predominately T4. Free T4 is what your body uses to make the active thyroid hormone called free T3. These are advanced biomarker tests, not routinely done, but very helpful to determine if the thyroid can be effecting how you feel.

Free T3

Reasons to check it:  Symptoms of hypothyroidism include tiredness, weight gain, constipation, depression, sleepiness, memory loss, decreased sex drive and more. All these may be symptoms of low thyroid that may be missed unless the active thyroid hormone (free T3) is measured. High levels may indicate hyperthyroidism. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include fatigue, anxiety, sudden weight loss, rapid heartbeat, irritability, more frequent bowel movements, difficulty sleeping, sweating and tremors. Free T3 is advanced screening biomarker that helps screen routinely missed thyroid issues.

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies

Reasons to check it: Do you have a family history of thyroid problems? Are you concerned about inflammation in your thyroid gland? Thyroid disease has become very common and we can often pick up inflammation in the thyroid years before the thyroid fails. This is important because natural interventions may help reverse the inflammation of the thyroid gland.

Thyroglobulin Antibodies

Reasons to check it: This is another test that can be positive in people with inflammation of the thyroid gland and it can be seen years before complete thyroid failure – giving you time to take action!

Reverse T3

Reasons to check it: Reason to check it: Taking thyroid meds but don’t feel like they are working? Do you have symptoms of low thyroid but have been told you are fine? Reverse T3 is the storage form of the active thyroid hormone. Many conditions can cause you to store thyroid instead of use it as active free T3. If your reverse T3 is high then you may need to address the reasons why!

Selenium

Reasons to check it: Want to improve your thyroid hormone function? Make sure you have plenty of selenium which you can get in many natural foods like brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and eggs.
Sex Hormones – Female

Estradiol

Reasons to check it: Women - missing periods, having hot flashes, gaining weight? As women age, they begin to make less estradiol which can lead to these uncomfortable symptoms.

Progesterone

Reasons to check it: Progesterone levels are normally high in pre-menopausal women and become elevated during pregnancy. Levels are lower after menopause. High levels may indicate ovarian cancer or adrenal cancer, while low levels may be associated with amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), or problems with pregnancy.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone

Reasons to check it: Women - are you concerned you are entering menopause? Are you concerned about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? These signaling hormones rise significantly as women enter menopause. An LH/FSH ratio is helpful in the evaluation of polycystic ovarian syndrome. In healthy premenopausal women, the ratio is about 1:1; however, women with PCOS may have a ratio of 2:1 or higher. Women with PCOS are prone to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

Reasons to check it: Are you concerned about your overall biohealth? SHBG is used to keep excessive free estrogen out of the blood stream, looking at these levels can help identify if hormone control health habits can improve your overall health. Sex hormone binding globulin is a protein mainly produced by the liver, and studies show that diets high in simple sugars cause the liver to produce less SHBG. Low levels of SHBG are seen in obesity, prediabetes, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Free Testosterone

Reasons to check it: Knowing your total testosterone is important but free testosterone is what is immediately available to your system. Looking at both of these measurements can make sure you are at the optimal levels that will enhance weight loss and improve memory and strength.

Testosterone

Reasons to check it: Women - developing acne, excessive hair growth, moodiness? Elevated testosterone could be causing these symptoms. Women with high testosterone are more likely to develop Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

DHEA-S

Reasons to check it: Reason to check it: Are you worried about declining sex hormones? DHEA-S is a major precursor for sex hormones including estradiol and testosterone. DHEA-S levels begin to decline by age 30. DHEA-S is also used to evaluate adrenal function.

Pregnenolone

Reasons to check it: Want to ease the many effects of aging? Look to see if your “mother hormone” is optimal. Pregnenolone is made directly from cholesterol and it may improve libido, enhance memory and combat depression symptoms.
Sex Hormones – Male

Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

Reasons to check it: Are you concerned about your overall biohealth? SHBG is used to keep excessive free estrogen out of the blood stream, looking at these levels can help identify if hormone control health habits can improve your overall health. Sex hormone binding globulin is a protein mainly produced by the liver, and studies show that diets high in simple sugars cause the liver to produce less SHBG. Low levels of SHBG are seen in obesity, prediabetes, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Free Testosterone

Reasons to check it: Knowing your total testosterone is important but free testosterone is what is immediately available to your system. Looking at both of these measurements can make sure you are at the optimal levels that will enhance weight loss and improve memory and strength.

Testosterone

Reasons to check it: Men - tired, trouble concentrating, trouble losing weight or putting on muscle? Testosterone deficiency is common as we age. There are natural ways to improve testosterone and numerous commercially available products.

DHEA-S

Reasons to check it: Are you worried about declining sex hormones? DHEA-S is a major precursor for sex hormones including estradiol and testosterone. DHEA-S levels begin to decline by age 30. DHEA-S is also used to evaluate adrenal function.

Pregnenolone

Reasons to check it: Want to ease the many effects of aging? Look to see if your “mother hormone” is optimal. Pregnenolone is made directly from cholesterol and it may improve libido, enhance memory and combat depression symptoms.

Estradiol

Reasons to check it: Men - are you moody, do you have a belly or man-boobs? This could be a sign that your estradiol is too high. Elevated levels of estradiol can make it much harder to lose weight and there are ways to lower estradiol in men.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

Reasons to check it: If you are a man taking testosterone replacement, most physicians recommend following PSA levels to make sure you do not have any indication of a slow growing prostate cancer. It is thought that prostate cancer cells have androgen (testosterone) receptors on them and that giving a man with prostate cancer could potentially cause the cancer cells to grow more quickly.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone

Reasons to check it: Men - is your brain failing? Trouble concentrating and staying on task? As men age the signaling hormones for the creation of testosterone markedly diminish. There are natural ways and an available medication which can boost these signaling hormones.
Fat Hormones – Male and Female

Leptin

Reasons to check it: Is your belly fat unhealthy? Elevated leptin levels can indicate unhealthy belly fat. Unfortunately, this can be present even if you are at your ideal body weight. It is largely genetically-determined but natural intervention strategies can help if you have high levels of this pro-inflammatory hormone.

Adiponectin

Reasons to check it: Is your belly fat healthy? Elevated adiponectin levels are associated with less heart attack risk. This is genetically determined but also can be improved with exercise and other natural interventions. People with low levels of adiponectin are 8X more likely to develop diabetes.
Hormones - Stress

Total Cortisol

Reasons to check it: Are you stressed? This test may allow you to see how stress is effecting your health. Early morning cortisol measurements screen for a poorly functional adrenal gland which can indicate massive amounts of stress or significant sleeping problems that need to be addressed.
Sugar Metabolism and Diabetes Screening

Fasting Glucose

Reasons to check it: Tired, sluggish, thirsty? (Is there too much sugar in your blood stream?) Fasting sugar levels above 125 can indicate the presence of diabetes. Levels between 100-125 are suggestive of prediabetes. What’s your level?

Fasting Insulin

Reasons to check it: Having trouble losing weight? Concerned about your metabolism? Fasting insulin levels that are elevated may indicate insulin resistance syndrome, a condition that unless addressed can promote continued weight gain.

Hemoglobin A1c

Reasons to check it: Do you have too much sugar in your diet day to day? Family members with sugar problems? This test indicates how well-controlled your sugar levels have been over the past 3 months and can indicate a prediabetic or a diabetic condition.

2 hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test with Insulin

Reasons to check it: Ever wonder how your pancreas is responding to a sugar load. This test provides detailed information. Before you are given a 75 gram dose of sugar, your fasting insulin and fasting glucose are measured. After the sugar load, the insulin and glucose are measured at one and two hours respectively. The information is used to evaluate impaired glucose tolerance.
Cholesterol Tests/Heart Health

Fasting Lipid Panel

Reasons to check it: Do you or a family member have high cholesterol? Taking cholesterol medicine and want to know how well it is working? This group of tests measure both good and bad cholesterol levels.

Lp(a)

Reasons to check it:  Concerned about your genetics? This is the worst genetically-inherited bad cholesterol particle. Up to 1 in 5 people may have elevated Lp(a)? It is included in the advanced lipid panel but can be ordered in isolation here.

Advanced Lipid Panel

Reasons to check it:  Do you have a strong history of heart disease or stroke in your family? If so, this is a must have test to understand the particles of your vascular system. Lifesaving changes can be made with natural interventions once you understand your detailed cholesterol pattern. This is new science and insurance is not yet covering this test.
Inflammatory Markers

hsCRP

Reasons to check it: Do you feel inflamed? High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) is one of the major markers of inflammation. Researchers now believe that inflammation is at the root cause of many diseases. In fact, the higher your hs-CRP level is the greater your risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke and autoimmune diseases. Be on the cutting edge of your health and check out your inflammation.

Homocysteine

Reasons to check it: Do you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or early stroke or heart attack? This amino acid can build up in our blood stream and can be predictive of future problems. Finding out your results and implementing changes may help dodge devastating diseases. What is your measurement?

Lp(a)

Reasons to check it:  Concerned about your genetics? This is the worst genetically-inherited bad cholesterol particle. Up to 1 in 5 people may have elevated Lp(a)? It is included in the advanced lipid panel but can be ordered in isolation here.

CK

Reasons to check it: There is such a thing as over exercise and the impact may show up in your blood work. Are you sore all over? Creatinine kinase is a breakdown product of muscle and when elevated significantly may be a serious health concern.

Uric Acid

Reasons to check it: Do you or a family member have aching joints? Elevated levels of uric acid may put you at risk of developing gout. Check it now because dietary intervention can help.

ESR

Reasons to check it: Useful in differentiating inflammatory and neoplastic diseases and as an index of disease severity.
Nutrient Panel

Magnesium

Reasons to check it: Are you taking medication that lowers your body’s stores of magnesium? Or you worried you are not getting enough in your diet? Magnesium is an important mineral in our body and is very important for sleep, mood and metabolism.

Vitamin B12

Reasons to check it: Are you vegetarian and concerned that your diet may not be providing an adequate amount of B vitamins? Low B12 can affect our energy levels while optimal Vitamin B12 levels may be essential to rev up your metabolic rate.

Vitamin B9 (folic acid)

Reasons to check it:  Are you taking a medicine that depletes your body of B vitamins or just concerned you may not be getting enough in your diet? Folic acid is a B-vitamin that is necessary for the normal function of our blood cells. Folate occurs naturally in foods such as green leafy vegetables. Folic Acid is crucial for proper brain function and plays an important role in mental and emotional health.

Vitamin D

Reasons to check it: 70% of Americans are deficient in this Vitamin. Are you? Optimal levels of Vitamin D may reduce your chances of developing certain types of cancer. Autoimmune diseases, like lupus, thyroid disease, bowel disorders, occur less frequently in those with plenty of Vitamin D. There is also less depression, improved mood and better blood pressure. It is also thought that Vitamin D improves the function of the pancreas, by making insulin more sensitive. When insulin works better, our metabolism works better.

Vitamin A

Reasons to check it: Check your vitamin A level to make sure you are getting plenty of this vitamin that supports healthy teeth and eyes.

Serum Ferritin (Indicative of Iron Levels)

Reasons to check it: Are you vegetarian? Or do you have heavy periods? If so, you may have very low ferritin. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your body’s tissues. Research has shown that ferritin is a very reliable indicator of the status of your body’s iron stores. People who have very low or very high ferritin levels may have a condition that results in fatigue. Interventions can be done to correct iron levels.

Iron and TIBC

Reasons to check it: Reason to check it: Want to take a deeper dive into your iron levels? Checking your iron directly and measuring the amount of iron bound to protein (TIBC) helps physicians determine the cause of anemia.

CoQ10

Reasons to check it: Concerned about your athletic performance? Or are you taking a statin or have diabetes? High level athletes want to improve their CoQ10 levels to enhance performance. As we age or develop diseases, naturally occurring CoQ10 levels diminish significantly, and so can our performance.

Zinc

Reasons to check it: Can you improve your immune system? This test evaluates your zinc levels since the body does not store this important mineral. Interestingly, low levels of zinc have been associated with altered taste and smell.

Omega 3/6 Index

Reasons to check it: Nearly 90% of all Americans are deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids. Are you one of them? Having adequate levels of Omega 3’s can lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
General Health Screening

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Reasons to check it: Are you tired, fatigued, anemic? The Complete Blood Count measures the amount of blood cells and various types of blood cells we have. This is an important annual screening test. Anemia is a deficiency of hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen to the body. It is a very common disease affecting 1 in 50 men and 1 in 10 women.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

Reasons to check it: Want to measure the health of your liver and kidney? Are you a drinker and want to see how it is affecting your liver? The comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) evaluates the function of your liver and kidneys and amount of electrolytes you have in your blood stream.

ABO Blood Type

Reasons to check it:  Many doctors think that everyone should know their blood type but so few of us do. Are you interested in knowing your blood type? You can check it here!

Lyme Disease Antibodies (IgG, IgM)

Reasons to check it:  Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by ticks. A screening test with high sensitivity is used as the first step in the CDC recommended algorithm. Immunoblot testing qualitatively examines, with high specificity, antibodies in a patient's specimen. Immunoblot testing is appropriate for confirming a detected screening result.

Celiac Disease Comprehensive Panel

Reasons to check it:  Celiac disease is caused by an immune response to gluten in genetically sensitive individuals. The diagnosis is largely based on a biopsy of the small intestine, but serologic tests also help support a diagnosis and may assist identification of patients who may require biopsy.

Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Panel

Reasons to check it:  Primary infection by EBV causes infectious mononucleosis. IgM antibody is typically detectable at clinical presentation, then declines to undetectable levels within 3 months. IgG antibodies persist for life. The testing also includes Epstein-Barr Nuclear antigen IgG antibody. It typically appears during 3-4 months after clinical presentation and remains detectable for life.
Exposure

Arsenic

Reasons to check it: Contamination of our food supply does happen. One way to monitor for this is to measure levels of arsenic in your bloodstream.

Lead

Reasons to check it:  Have you been exposed to lead in cosmetics, pain, and urban living? Contamination of our food and water supply has occurred and lead has been shown to leach out of our pipes and directly into our water supply.

Mercury

Reasons to check it: Have you recently had dental work removed, eat a lot of fish or have exposure to a poor water supply? Check your mercury levels here.

Mold Allergy Panel

Reasons to check it: Nearly 1 in 4 people are predisposed to suffer when exposed to mold. This test is IgE allergy testing for: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cladosporium herbarum, and Mucor racemosus.
Food Tolerance Testing

Adult Food Allergy Panel

Reasons to check it:  IgE allergy testing for: Almond, Cashew Nut, Codfish, Cow's Milk, Egg White, Hazelnut, Peanut, Salmon, Scallop, Sesame Seed, Shrimp, Soybean, Tuna, Walnut, Wheat.

Advanced Food Sensitivity IgG - 90+ foods plus Candida

Reasons to check it:  Reasons to check it: This comprehensive food sensitivity panel measures allergic IgG reactions to 90+allergens. The Food Safe Allergy test comes conveniently packaged as a kit. It requires a “finger stick” blood spot to be collected and shipped directly to the laboratory in a pre-paid envelope. All necessary components for the “finger-stick” are included in the kit with a complete set of instructions for easy collection.

Premium Food Sensitivity IgG - 190 foods plus Candida

Reasons to check it:  This comprehensive food sensitivity panel measures allergic IgG reactions to 190 allergens. The Food Safe Allergy test comes conveniently packaged as a kit. It requires a “finger stick” blood spot to be collected and shipped directly to the laboratory in a pre-paid envelope. All necessary components for the “finger-stick” are included in the kit with a complete set of instructions for easy collection. The combo panel tests for many common foods, herbs, spices, sweeteners, nuts, and candida. For all foods tested and a sample report click here.