Your doctor has requested that you provide a urine sample for measurement of a substance called 5-HIAA. 5-HIAA is a breakdown product of serotonin.
To make sure that the level of 5-HIAA is not falsely raised in your urine, please avoid eating the following while you are collecting the sample, and for the two days before you start the collection:
There are a large number of drugs that you may have been prescribed which can interfere with the analysis of 5HIAA. We can discuss specific drugs your doctor if required.
Always consult your doctor before decreasing or discontinuing any medications.
We have prepared an information leaflet that gives instructions on collecting your 24 hour urine sample. It can be downloaded from our website: Biochemistry Patient Information For 24 Hour Urine Collection
If you would like to learn more about this test, or any other test that your doctor has ordered, you can visit LabTestsOnLine which is a free resource created and updated by laboratory professionals for patients: http://www.labtestsonline.org.uk/
Biochemistry - Patient information diet sheet for Urine 5HIAA collection
