carolyn_lsc

Hi Everyone,

I approached my doctor on getting my hormones tested as I've had problems with facial hair growth and acne for the last year. I want to do this testing correctly the first time, and I have some questions before I test.

My doctor gave me a hormone test kit by Genova Diagnostics formally known as the Great Smokies Lab. It's a blood test and says to test between days 19 and 25 for premenopausal women. It tests the following hormones:

• DHEA-S
• Estradiol
• Estriol
• Estrone
• 2-hydroxyestrone
• 16a-hydroxyestrone
• Progesterone
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
• Testosterone
• Estrone Sulfate

Is that adequate enough or should I also have Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Lutenizing Hormone (LH), FSH/LH ratio, or any others tested?

Is this blood test okay or would it be better to request a saliva test?

Is testing from this special laboratory necessary or would Labcorp provide adequate results?

I can always return this lab kit to my doctor without completing it so I want to know if this is the route to go or if theres a better direction to go with this.

Thanks,
Carolyn

axiom

hi,
it's been a while since i had my blood testing for pcos done, I do remember most of what you listed being included, but i had the FSH and LH tested as well. This is where I had to convince my Dr. that I really did have PCOS, which I had already know for years....
Everything was in normal range except for my Testoterone level. At first glance my FSH an LH looked like it was in normal range, true..the numbers did read as being normal but FSH to LH ratio was reversed. Normally, the FSH should be greater than LH, but in many women with PCOS, it's the opposite.

Corvidae

Take the test, there's enough being tested to show if you have PCOS, and do take it at the right time. Testosterone and SHBG will show if you have PCOS. FSH, LH, and prolactin would be useful as well but can be done later.

Do your homework... use the internet and go to reliable resources like the Mayo Clinic website and others of that calibre. Find out what a normal test result looks like and what a PCOS test result looks like. And be prepared to challenge your doctor if you feel that the results have been misinterpreted. Even a doctor can't know everything there is to know about a subject. I find that I sometimes have to give them something I've printed off the internet and leave them to figure it out for themselves.

Good luck with your test and I hope you have a Doctor who understands and is willing to work with you.