What’s the deal with your hormones? Why you need a hormone metabolite test.

Let’s get to the bottom of your hormone imbalance! 

As women, we often get dismissed when we bring up certain symptoms that have become “normal” to our culture. I mean, if you are a female between the ages of 35-55 and you don’t often feel fatigued, moody, sleep deprived, slightly bloated and anxious all while grabbing a cup of coffee on the go… are you even doing life? It’s so sad, but this is a common topic of conversation at girl’s night out. 

We were not put on this earth to suffer. These clues and symptoms are a way for your body to let you know that you are not in balance and your hormones need a hug. It’s unfortunate that even when we do ask for help from a healthcare professional and they are inclined to run a serum hormone test, they often come back as “normal.”  You leave the office happy because nothing is “wrong,” but you still feel like there are issues to fix. 

This is where functional testing can save the day! Instead of ordering a blood serum test for hormones I would recommend a Dried Urine Test. You can even do it from the comfort of your own home. Why measure in urine? Urine testing is the best way to measure adrenal and sex steroid hormone by-products and their respective metabolic pathways, providing a gauge for understanding the body’s hormone metabolism. In addition to knowing the amount of hormones your body is producing, you also need to know how those hormones are being used, processed, and eliminated. This is where hormone metabolite testing comes in, also known as a Dried Urine Test. Hormone metabolite testing can help show whether the production of a given hormone is high or low, as well as whether these hormones are being eliminated safely from the body or building up to the point where they may cause health risks.

A Dried Urine Test dives deeper into all 6 of these areas listed below giving you a complete picture of hormone health:

• Cortisol metabolites

• Estrogen metabolites

• Androgen metabolites

• Cortisol/Cortisone pattern 

• Melatonin

• Thyroid metabolites

Testing hormone metabolites is advised for those who are suffering with symptoms of:

• Hormonal imbalance (symptoms such as irregular periods, fertility struggles, acne, losing hair, digestion issues, sleep trouble, fatigue, mood swings, low libido, weight imbalances that feel out of your control, PMS, PMDD)

• Menopause

• Estrogen dominance 

• Adrenal fatigue (with normal saliva cortisol levels)

• Family history of hormone-driven cancer (such as breast cancer or prostate cancer

So, what are hormone metabolites anyway? 

We’ve learned along the way that for every action there is a reaction or a by-product produced. Hormone metabolites in their active form act as chemical messengers to manage and facilitate multiple processes in the body. As these active hormones finish their work and new hormones are produced, active hormones need to be broken down and excreted from the body through urine. Steroid hormones are not that water soluble so they can’t be eliminated through urine. Instead, they must be broken down in the liver and kidneys to form water-soluble metabolites that can be excreted. When certain metabolites are produced in excess, they can create symptoms and ill health. These are the exact reasons we need to test. 

How do I test?

Easy!  You will collect your urine four times in a single day, saturating a filter card with each urine sample. Let the cards dry overnight. Once dry, the cards are mailed to the lab. Results take 14 business days and are emailed directly to the ordering practitioner who will then go over your results. 

If you are ready to get to the bottom of your hormones, contact us today at 561-336-3144.