Should I Test My Hormones?

These are key symptoms that are associated with imbalances in estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, and/or cortisol hormones:

  •        Weight gain

  •        Heavy/ irregular periods

  •        Hot flashes

  •        Dry skin

  •        Anxiety

  •        Depression

  •        Night sweats

  •        Vaginal dryness

  •        Headaches

  •        Irritability

  •        Mood swings

  •        Waking up in the night

  •        Troubles falling asleep

  •        Breakthrough bleeding

  •        Fatigue

  •        Bladder symptoms

  •        Decreased sex drive

  •        Hair loss

 

Why comprehensive hormone testing?

There are numerous reasons to consider more comprehensive lab testing to what’s been run by your general practitioner. This is because testing your hormones through serum provides little insight into hormone metabolites. Hormone-what!? Hormone metabolite values are important to know because they can be as much as 2.5x more active than their primary hormones.

Comprehensive hormone testing provides an understanding of which hormones are in excess and deficiency, as well as how the body is utilizing them. It can provide answers as to exactly what pathway is not functioning and how to fix it. While symptoms can provide some insight, comprehensive hormone testing will provide your naturopathic doctor with a more comprehensive look at what’s going on inside the body.

 

How to do a comprehensive hormone test?

A Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH) can assess the top hormones that play a role in key hormonal imbalances: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol.

The DUTCH is simple, easily obtained and will measure primary hormones as well as their metabolites. It is best to collect urine samples 7-9 days before the start of your menstrual cycle (this day will shift depending on the length of your cycle). You will collect 4-5 urine samples across 2 days (at specified times), which allows for a better representation of your hormone levels. Your naturopathic doctor can provide you with a test kit and the results will be sent back to them once you have completed the test.

If you have any question about whether a comprehensive hormone test is right for you, get in touch with Dr. Erin here !

Erin Valente