Collection Instructions:
- The morning before your lab visit, take your first saliva cortisol sample. Take this before eating, drinking, smoking, taking medication, or using oral hygiene products. See below for instructions on using the Salivette tube. Refrigerate the saliva sample.
- The afternoon/evening before your lab visit, between 4-6pm, take your second saliva cortisol sample. Don't eat, drink, smoke, take medication, or use oral hygiene products 1 hour prior to taking this sample. 10 minutes prior to taking this cortisol sample, rinse your mouth with clean water. Refrigerate the saliva sample.
- 8 hours before your lab visit, start fasting. No food or drink for 8 hours prior to your lab visit. This includes black coffee. Water is the exception, be sure to stay hydrated.
- The morning of your lab visit, bring both of your saliva samples with you.
To Use the Salivette:
- Remove top cap of the tube to expose the swab.
- Place inner tube back into outer tube if previously removed.
- Do NOT touch the swab with your fingers.
- Place swab directly into the mouth by tipping the tube so the swab falls into the mouth.
- Keep the swab in the mouth for approximately 2 minutes.
- Roll the swab in the mouth but DO NOT chew the swab.
- Spit the swab back into the inner tube. DO NOT let fingers touch the swab.
- Place the cap back on the tube and make sure cap is pushed on tightly.
- Record name, collection date, and time on the tube label.
Additional Instructions:
- Bring the collected sample with you to the Quest Lab location where your blood sample will be given.
- If you are not able to return the sample within eight hours after collection, please keep refrigerated until you can.
- Must be returned within three days.