“I went to the doctor and he didn’t order the labs I wanted!” “I feel off but I don’t know what’s wrong?!?” “How do I know what hormone imbalance I have?” “What tests do I need to get?”

These are some of the most common questions I receive. It can be stressful when you’re feeling off, gaining weight, losing energy… the list can go on, but you have no idea what’s going on. You may feel intimidated and lost walking into your doctor’s office not knowing/understanding what to ask for.

Well, I’m here to help. I made this Hormone Lab Test Guide for you to navigate those appointments and decide what tests you want to run!

Hormone Lab Test Guide

Insulin Resistance

The oral glucose tolerance test is the most accurate measure of insulin resistance. It will measure the amount of insulin in the blood after drinking a sweet drink.

Other levels to test for to determine insulin resistance:

  • Glucose fasting
  • A1C
  • Insulin fasting
  • Glucose 1&2 hours after sugar drink
  • Fructosamine

Adrenal Fatigue

The DUTCH Plus test is the most comprehensive way to test the adrenals. If you have excess adrenal hormones with PCOS and you have side effects of adrenal fatigue you would benefit from the Dutch Cycle Tracking + Adrenals test.

Inflammation

Constant inflammation can increase hormone imbalances, prevent weight loss and worsen insulin resistance.

Labs to assess inflammation:

  • C-Reactive Protein
  • ESR blood test
  • Vitamin D25

Thyroid function 

  • TSH
    • This is the foundation of assessing thyroid function. It tells the thyroid when to make more T3 or T4
  • Total T4
    • This measures all the T4 in the body (both bound and unbound to a protein). This shows an overall picture of your thyroid health
  • Total T3
  • Free T4
    • T4 is made in the greatest amount but it is bound to a protein so you have to measure what’s free and able to be used by the body
  • Free T3
    • This hormone helps control many aspects of the body like energy levels. Too high or low levels can cause the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
  • Reverse T3
    • This hormone stops T3 from binding to a recepter. If this number is high it’s a sign of possible cortisol issues.
  • Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Antibody
    • This can indicate an autoimmune disorder such as Hashimoto’s or Graves
  • Thyroglobulin Antibody
    • This can indicate Hashimoto’s.

Unsure of your hormone imbalance?

Try the DUTCH Complete Test. This is a Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones and will test all of the following:

  • Progesterone 
  • Androgen 
  • Estrogen Metabolites 
  • Cortisol 
  • Cortisone
  • Cortisol Metabolites
  • Creatinine
  • DHEA-S, OATs
  • Melatonin
  • 8-OHdG

I hope this guide helps you and takes some stress away from asking for what you need! 

Having the right labs drawn give so much information on your body, how to correctly eat for it and adapt lifestyle changes that are supportive of reversing your hormone imbalance.

Need support in understanding your labs or how to eat now that you have them drawn? Click here to schedule a discovery call!