Home Hormone Testing
Hormone balancing supplements as well as home testing kits have flooded internet. These
companies promise to eliminate fatigue, PMS, food cravings, acne – you name it.
Who to believe? I put myself in the patients’ shoes and went on a hormone balancing venture.
I have been diagnosed with PCOS in my 20s and have been dealing with acne and mood swings
for years now. Conventional medicine failed me long time ago by prescribing birth control pills
which made me asexual and emotionless. When learned how harmful oral hormones are, I took
my IUD out and decided to figure it out without oral estrogen. There is overwhelming body of
research linking cancer to hormonal contraception use.
Hormone testing kits are affordable option that promises to look evaluate your hormones and
have naturopathic doctor to provide recommendations or treatment. Being a nurse
practitioner, I decided to compare home kit with a medical office visit. I went to see a Dr. Liz,
MD, OB/GYN and hormone specialist, with many years of experience managing women’s
hormones. I was ordered to do some blood tests followed by saliva test to get a comprehensive
picture. She tested my thyroid, hemoglobin, vitamins, inflammation markers, growth hormone
marker, lipid panel (it is crucial for proper sex hormone functioning), sex hormones, and more.
Home testing kit test included thyroid and sex hormones. That’s it.
When results came back, home kit values had differences from the blood test results. Blood
test results were consistent with how I felt, and explained why some of the values were low,
and what I needed to do to fix it. Home test kit turned out to be waste of time and money
because there is no good follow up on the results. None of the home test kits provide value on
follow up because once you start hormone treatment you have to do a blood test to find out
your true hormone levels and whether the treatment works.
Please save you money and time. Go and see a Medical Provider. Not Naturopathic doctor or
some other hormone specialist without proper medical degree. Naturopaths cannot prescribe
medications. Doctors, NPs, and Pas can.
Health is impossible to put a value on. Well-being is priceless. Health is comprehensive and
holistic. Find a medical professional that will inquire about all the health issues and will be able
to provide comprehensive medical care.