What You Should Know About Lab Testing
There’s an important part of hormone replacement therapy that seldom gets talked about. But at Renew Youth, we know it’s necessary to help your body reach and maintain proper hormone balance.
It’s called lab testing…and it provides the hard data needed to customize your hormone replacement program and help you achieve the results you want.
Here are some important things you should know about lab testing as part of your hormone replacement therapy program:
Why Do You Need Lab Testing?
Before you begin hormone replacement therapy, it’s essential that we know where your hormone levels are currently. Lab results help us to customize your treatment regimen to your specific needs.
Periodically while you are receiving hormone therapy you will need to be retested.
Why? Because your body isn’t static. It changes over time. And the perfect formula today could be something different six months from now. It’s important to monitor how your hormone levels respond over time and make sure they stay within optimal ranges.
When it comes to hormones…too little or too much is not a good thing. Lab testing ensures you receive the benefits of hormone replacement therapy without unwanted side effects.
How Do You Test?
Blood testing is a widely accepted method for testing hormone levels in the body and provides consistent and reliable results. We will provide you with a lab requisition and send you to a lab nearby for a blood draw.
While most testing is done via blood, we do occasionally use saliva and urine testing for more specialized tests (for example, if we’re doing neurotransmitter or heavy metals testing, or if we’re checking cortisol levels).
What Do You Test For?
No surprise…we monitor hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, DHEA, and growth hormone.
We also regularly run a CBC (complete blood count) to check red blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets. This helps us monitor for any potential side effects from your hormone therapy and also spot other potential problems like anemia. For men we regularly order a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test.
There are lots of other tests we can order. However, additional tests mean additional cost. Your testing will be customized based on your hormone therapy program, your needs and preferences, and your specific goals.
How Often Do You Test?
It’s crucial that you do your first lab test before you begin hormone replacement therapy. This lets us customize your therapy rather than giving you an “off-the-shelf” treatment regimen. Everyone is different. One size does not fit all.
Once your hormones are balanced, you should be tested at least every six months. Beyond that, we spot check levels along the way as necessary.
Why is this necessary? Several reasons:
- To monitor how your body responds to hormone replacement therapy
- To make sure hormone levels stay within optimal ranges
- Because your body changes over time
- To monitor for potential side effects (for example, red blood cell counts can increase in response to testosterone replacement)
Where Is Testing Done?
At Renew Youth we have relationships with two nationally recognized testing labs with locations nationwide.
When you need to be tested we’ll direct you to the most convenient location. Then we’ll personally guide you through what the results mean and how they relate to your treatment program.
Lab Testing…an Essential Part of Your Hormone Replacement Therapy
At Renew Youth we know that effective hormone replacement therapy requires appropriate and timely lab testing.
Proper testing ensures your hormone replacement therapy will give you the best results possible without unwanted side effects.
Want to learn more? Call Renew Youth at 800-859-7511 or use our contact form to arrange your Free Consultation.
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