Below are a list of some commonly asked questions which may help in answering queries you may have
Q: What is the difference between the Hormone dried urine test (DUTCH) and the Sex Hormones blood tests (both Female and Male)?
A: They are both excellent test and will give you different information. The blood test looks at how much hormones are being produced and why the body is producing that level, whereas the DUTCH urine test looks at how they are being processed in the body and if any of these processes are driving inflammation.
The DUTCH test is the gold standard in some ways as it look at how your body processes your hormones and metabolises them.
In total we look at 35 markers and besides Sex hormones you also get an insight on your adrenal "stress" hormones, potential inflammation and methylation activity. The sample you provide will be a snap shot of that time range during your cycle. The DUTCH test will tell us the level of your Hormone AFTER they have been metabolised in your system.
Now let's move to the Female Sex Hormone Blood test, the 24 markers that we test provide you with information on Oestrogen, Testosterone and Progesterone, as well as looking at your thyroid, protein, cholesterol and Vitamin D levels.
The sample you provide will be a snap shot of that day and time when you take the sample.
The Female Sex Hormone test will tell us the level of your Hormone BEFORE they have been metabolised in your system.
Ideally, you would do both to get the most comprehensive overview.
However, either test will give us a starting point to understand where your levels and if need be optimise them by supporting your system and potentially decide on HRT.
If you decide on HRT, we advise to check your levels for the first months to see if adjustment on the dose needs to be made.
Often your doctor can make the diagnosis of perimenopause / menopause based on your symptoms alone.