While there are many different types of testing for various problems caused by breast implants, there is no one definitive test for the illness itself. Unfortunately, a lot of the testing, even for those with severe symptoms, end up showing up with relatively normal results. Your symptoms are the body’s way of presenting a reaction. We Do Not recommend on relying on lab results as “proof.” This could be a waste of time and an unreliable approach. Many women who are very ill are displeased by how their lab results do not reflect their symptoms or overall well-being. It is up to you to listen to your gut and follow your intuition on what your body is trying to tell you. Once you have become awakened and realize your breast implants are contributing to your symptoms, it is in your best interest to explant. The longer you wait, the worse your symptoms may become. This will prevent further progression of breast implant illness. 

Breast Implant Illness Tests:

• ANA (anti-nuclear antibody) — checks autoimmune markers 
• APA Assay  (anti-polymer antibody) — abnormal immune system response with fibromyalgia)
• B12 and Folate Deficiency — Checks for low B12 and low folate
• Blood Profile of Amino Acids by Chromatography
  • amino acids are involved in liver detoxification and are depleted in many of us. Important aminos for detox are cysteine, aspartic acid, arginine, methionine, and lysine
• Bone Density — Checks for low bone density
• Candida, IgM and IgG (yeast/fungi)
  • Ig = immunoglobulin or antibody. IgM indicates a current and active infection; IgG shows a past infection.
• EKG and Echocardiogram for Heart Changes
• Female Comprehensive Hormone Panel:
  • CMP (Checks glucose, electrolytes, kidney and liver function)
  • CBC + Lipids (Checks red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets for anemia, infection, bruising, and weakness)
  • TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO Ab and TG Ab (Thyroid)
  • Cortisol (Adrenals)
  • Hormones: DHEA-S, Estradiol, Estrogen, Progesterone, Pregnenolone, Testosterone Free and Total, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). It is best to get these checked between days 15-20 of your cycle. Day one of your cycle is the first day your bleeding begins.
• CRP & ESR — detects inflammation 
• Homocysteine, B-12 and folate
• Iron and ferritin — Checks for iron derangement
• Leaky gut, parasites, and dysbiosis (microbial imbalance)
• Liver function tests — include prothrombin time (PT/INR), aPTT, albumin, bilirubin (direct and indirect), and others.
• Magnesium, potassium, and iodine levels 
• NK Cells and CD57 — checks immunodeficiency
• Thyroid/adrenals temperature:
  • It is best to take your temperatures 3 hours, 6 hours and 9 hours after waking. Take the average of these temperatures. A healthy body has an average daily temperature of 37° C (98.6° F). Low and fluctuating levels may indicate thyroid/adrenal problems. Learn more here.
• Visual Contrast Sensitivity Eye Test at vcstest.com — Checks for mold biotoxin
• Vitamin D, 25 hydroxy — Vitamin D Deficiency
• Viruses and co-infections —viral and bacterial load:
  • Epstein Bar Virus (EBV), Mycoplasma, H. pylori, Coxsackie A, Coxsackie B, HSV-I, HSV-II, HHV 6, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella Zoster, and lyme.
  • Any virus has the capacity to remain in the body in the latent form throughout our lives and may reactivate when the body is stressed or immune function is compromised. Breast implants serve as a trigger for dormant viruses, reactivating chronic viral infections.
• Ultrasound or MRI (recommend reading warnings of using gadolinium toxicity) for contrast)– be aware that  many times there is a false read as they do not show gel bleed or rupture when there actually is. Read Dr. Pierre Blais’ (implant analysis expert) article on gadolinium contraindication for implant users
• Be Warned, mammography can contribute to ruptures and breast swelling. It is no longer advised for usage with breast implants in the breast implant awareness groups. FDA scientists did a study indicating that silicone or saline implants sometimes rupture when women undergo mammograms. There have also been cases reported in the BIA-ALCL FB Support Group where mammograms have triggered breast swelling and led to BIA-ALCL diagnoses

There are other tests that would be advantageous for you to know about. It is important to know what toxins are in your body as it will help with detoxing. You may want to be tested for silicone toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, chemical toxicity, and biotoxicity.

If you want to know if you carry the MTHFR gene you can get Genetic Testing through 23andme.com, Ancestry.com, or MedlinePlus and various other sites. It tests for genetic variants that affect our methylation and detox pathways. It is is highly suggested to do this test as about half of us with breast implant illness have MTHFR genetic variants which negatively affect our ability to detox toxins and heavy metals. Please Note:  Many of us do have MTHFR genetic variants and without supporting our methylation and detox pathways with specific nutrients, little detoxing and healing will happen. After receiving your file of raw data from your chosen DNA website, upload it to genetic reading sites such as Geneticgenie.org (donation supported). The site explains your particular genetic variants and how to support yourself with food and supplements.

The majority of women are very interested in silicone toxicity. Unfortunately, there is no test for silicone levels, only sensitivity to it. You can order a Silicone Sensitivity Panel at Betterlabtestsnow.com. It has a panel of 19 items from ELISA/ACT that are commonly used in breast implants. Remember to look up your specific implants and their material make-up so you can see which chemicals could possibly come from your implants. 

Invasive fungal infections are pretty common for those with breast implants.  It is very important that you eliminate these fungal infections so that you are able to fully heal. Labtestsonline.org will be helpful in identifying these invasive fungal infections.

If you feel that your body is having a difficult time absorbing nutrients or you possibly have nutrient deficiencies caused by your breast implants you can get tested. This can be a major factor in your healing and also supporting your immune system. Micronutrient testing is a next generation blood test for measuring specific vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino/fatty acids and metabolites within an individual’s white blood cells (lymphocytes).

The heavy metals found in breast implants can cause major problems for the body. A heavy metals test will allow you to see if you are toxic due to the heavy metals found in breast implants.