How long can you freeze a stool sample for

Discussions can be posted here about stool testing for food sensitivities, as offered by Enterolab.

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JamesEcuador
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How long can you freeze a stool sample for

Post by JamesEcuador »

I received fabulous news that in Ecuador I can now take advantage of 2 day delivery to get the samples back to the lab. I'm going as recommended for panels A1 & C1. I may be faced with the issue that I do the stool sample but a family member will have to arrange for it to be collected via the shipping company. If that happens, how many days can I leave the sample frozen for before it gets picked up?
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi James,

Before they got so popular that they started having storage space problems, EnteroLab used to store samples for a year or 2, in case someone wanted to order another test later. These days they don't have enough room to allow that, so they only keep them for a month or 2. But the samples themselves can be stored at deep freeze temperatures for years, apparently. So you shouldn't have any problems holding the sample for a while. As long as it remains frozen, it should be stable.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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JamesEcuador
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Post by JamesEcuador »

Perfect, thanks Tex :grin:
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