Hormone testing: Need some help!

My doctor gave me a referral today to get my hormone levels checked. He suggested I head over to Mayo Clinic, but I completely blanked on asking him for the specifics of how everything works. If anyone here has been through this or knows the process, I'd really appreciate some insight or advice.🙂

quiethound45 said:My doctor handed me a referral today for some hormone testing. He suggested I head over to Mayo Clinic, but honestly, my brain was such mush that I totally forgot to ask him the specifics of how it all works. If anyone here has gone through this or knows the drill—please, I'm begging you, help a girl out!🙂

From what I remember, you usually have to get those tests done between day 3 and day 5 of your cycle.🙂

Jerry Walker79 said:From what I understand, you have to go during days 3 to 5 of your cycle.🙂

And that’s really all I know. That was just what they told me when I mentioned coming in with my husband...
But honestly, I'm totally lost. I have no idea if they do this in the morning, afternoon, or all day long (for instance, at my local clinic, they only draw blood from 7 to 8 AM). I don't even know what the actual procedure involves—I've never worked in a hospital setting before, so I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and worried about getting lost. Is there a fee? What does it actually look like? Do they just take blood like a standard lab test? Do I need to fast? How long until the results come back? And most importantly, do I need an appointment or can I just show up? I feel completely out of my element here.😕
This is a lot. 😳
If anyone knows anything, please help a lost soul out.🙏

Aim for day three or four of your cycle. If day three falls on a Saturday and the clinic in my town 😠 is closed on weekends, just go on Friday instead. If day three hits on a Sunday, wait until Monday. It’s a little confusing, but the goal is to stay within a day or two of that third day. Don't worry about fasting; this isn't like a glucose test. You'll have to pay for the labs unless you have supplemental insurance or an exemption card. When I did mine without coverage, it cost about $12 for four hormones. Results here usually take anywhere from three to twenty days depending on their current supply of those specific markers. Maybe things work differently in Chicago, but hopefully you won't be waiting forever. Good luck 👍
Oh, I almost forgot—the best part is that you don't actually need an appointment (which is lucky, since booking here usually requires scheduling 🙄 thirty days in advance). Your referral will typically specify day three, but even if it doesn't, just tell the receptionist. They know the drill 😬

Thanks for the help.😘
Maybe if someone else with some experience weighs in, I could pull all these impressions together (perhaps someone who has actually been to Petrov)😬

I’ve been told that because of how cortisol levels fluctuate, it’s absolutely vital to arrive first thing in the morning—ideally no later than 7:00 AM. I remember my doctor mentioning that timing is everything when you're dealing with certain hormones. My experience at the ST facility on Nuclear Avenue has been a bit of a mixed bag; while the actual procedures move along quite swiftly once you're in, there is often a significant wait for the lab markers. To be honest, I’ve encountered a few rather intense women working the front desk, though I'm not quite sure how else to put it without sounding rude.😛

Look, they sent me to the same clinic in Chicago, and they told me straight up they don't even do full hormone panels there. They just pointed me toward Mount Sinai instead. I went through with everything there and honestly, it was a much better call—it was worth skipping that rude crew at the first clinic entirely. Just a heads-up: you’ll be waiting three weeks for the results, and you have to get the blood drawn during days 3-4 of your cycle. Good luck!👍

Jonathan Taylor76 said:Well, I had the exact same experience at the local Mayo Clinic facility; they told me they don't handle the full hormonal panel, so they sent me over to Johns Hopkins instead. I got everything done there and it was actually a great experience—I'm glad I bypassed that unfriendly clinic in the first place. You'll probably have to wait three weeks for the results, and you need to make sure you go during days 3-4 of your cycle. Good luck!👍

Thanks so much! So, should I just head to Johns Hopkins then? It seems like my doctor only requested sex hormones and thyroid tests. I'll double-check my referral tomorrow.
How much did all of that end up costing you? Do you just show up first thing in the morning on an empty stomach? And which specific department should I look for?
I feel like such a newbie here, honestly. I’ve never really dealt with hospitals or been admitted to one before, so the whole idea kind of gives me the creeps.😱
And why do all these hospitals feel so cold and eerie... or is that just my imagination?😢

quiethound45 said:thanks so much! so should I go for the rib? i think he just listed female hormones and thyroid. i'll check my referral again tomorrow.
how much did you pay? do you show up fasting in the morning? where am I supposed to go?
i sound like such a clueless newbie, but i've never dealt with hospitals or even been in one, so the whole idea just creeps me out😱
and why do all those hospitals feel so cold and creepy... or is it just me?😢

Look, for the hormone stuff, head to the green building, hit the basement desk, and they'll tell you which room to go to. For the thyroid, you don't even need an appointment—just walk into the main hospital building at Nuclear Medicine, check in at the front desk, and they'll point you in the right direction. For both tests, I just used standard referrals from my specialist for the hormones and my primary care doctor for the thyroid. Since I have supplemental insurance, I didn't have to pay anything, so I'm not sure what the cost is for you. If you don't have extra coverage, bring cash, though I doubt it's going to break the bank. Good luck, hope this helps.!

Hey everyone, that day is getting close... I have to go in for my injection this Wednesday, and honestly, I'm a bit of a closet hypochondriac when it comes to hospitals. If anyone else here has gone through this, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. 🙂

quiethound45 I haven't had a chance to catch up on every single reply you've gotten—there are so many!—but I just wanted to jump in and say... if your doctor wants you to test your thyroid hormones too, please don't head over to Petrov... they actually don't handle those specific tests there. You should probably go to either Rebro or Vinogradski instead. Just based on my own experience, when I went to Petrov for those initial hormone levels (you know, the ones they do around day 3 to 5), they quoted me about $67 😕... and then, of course, you still have those other hormone tests to deal with around day 21 or 22 of your cycle. I'm thinking your gynecologist really should have noted all of that on your referral...

darkranger11 said:quiethound45 I haven't read through all your replies yet, but I just wanted to mention that if you were told to test your thyroid hormones, you probably shouldn't go to the ExxonMobil lab because they don't handle those there. You might want to try either the Mayo Clinic or a local hospital instead. I remember when I went to the ExxonMobil lab, they quoted me about $67 😕 for just the initial hormones (the ones from days 3-5), and obviously, you still have the other hormones to test around day 21 or 22 of your cycle. I guess your OB-GYN should have noted that on your referral.

Thanks so much! I'm honestly pretty confused since I've never done this before and I have no clue what the process even is. My doctor was talking about everything under the sun except the actual details, and then I realized afterward that I missed asking the most important part!
I think I'll head over to his office tomorrow and grill him or my sister about it. I just noticed today that he already wrote down the ExxonMobil lab on my referral, but he specifically requested T3 and T4 (thyroid), which clearly they don't do there. A few people have recommended the Mayo Clinic to me, so I might just go there instead; after hearing about the issues at ExxonMobil, I'm not really feeling that option right now 😳 😬
Thanks for the help—I'll be "interrogating" my doctor tomorrow...🙄 😉 😬

I went over to the hospital near Chicago—it didn't really matter which day I picked since their scheduling was always so unpredictable—and I just followed the standard protocol. I treated it like any other hospital visit, just headed straight home afterward. I had blood drawn two days in a row, saw some gynecologist there, and then went back ten days later to pick up my results from her... hmm, I have a bit of a memory gap there, but I think I was in the second half of my cycle when I went in to have something checked out... anyway, I guess it all depends on which specific hormones they're testing, so I'll have to dig through my medical records at home to be sure. 🙂

I honestly can't make out his handwriting at all, but from what I can gather, there are about five or six follicles and some intestinal stuff mentioned...
It’s just a routine hormone checkup (for now). Everything looks normal, which is actually what scares me—what if they miss something? I might just be a closet hypochondriac, I guess. 🤣 Maybe I'll just give him a nudge tomorrow and see what happens. I think I can settle everything regarding the rib in one go (he didn't mention anything about needing to wait 22 days, so maybe I don't even have to worry about that)... anyway, I'll deal with him tomorrow.😠

Thanks everyone—I went through this today, so if anyone needs a heads-up to avoid getting lost like I did:
At St. Jude, they produce very few hormones, and at Petrov, maybe a bit more, but I don't think they handle thyroid stuff—over at Rebro, they do EVERYTHING... so, to make sure you don't get sent to the wrong specialist right away, I’d suggest asking to be referred specifically to Rebro. Honestly, some doctors don't seem to know who handles what (trust me on this!), so it's probably better to double-check yourselves...
For progesterone, you need to have your blood drawn on day 22 of your cycle, while other specialized hormones are done around days 3-5. Hospital labs usually start running around 7:30 AM, so if you want to wrap things up early, you might want to head in a little sooner. You'll need to be fasting, and they told me I’d likely have to sit in the waiting room for about half an hour...
The testing at Rebro happens in the green building. Use the second entrance (the one near the ambulance bay) and go straight toward the green building—if I remember correctly, it says polyclinic on it and has stairs on both sides leading inside. Once you're in, go through the doors on the left and down to the basement. That's where the reception for blood work and the labs are located. Just hand over your referral and insurance card at the counter and wait...
Endocrinology results can take about a month to come back. They send one copy to your house and give you one copy there. I had my thyroid checked too, but I didn't need to go to the internal medicine lab (I guess they just send those directly). If you only need thyroid tests, you might have to go to a different building. Anyway, I figured I'd share since I spent half an hour wandering around aimlessly today, and the staff at the info desk were being a bit vague (they just said "the green building around the corner," but at Rebro, there seems to be a green building around every corner)😬
Also, if you have insurance coverage or a waiver for co-pays, these tests shouldn't cost you anything...🙂

So, I finally dragged myself over to the clinic with a massive stack of bloodwork orders—hormone tests, prolactin, the whole nine yards.

They actually made me sit there for half an hour just "calming down" and doing deep breathing exercises before they'd even touch me.
After waiting for about 15 minutes, they called me up just to pay my co-pay, which ended up being $42! My reaction was basically just, "ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME???" AAAAA!

And then, instead of getting my tests done after that little detour, they told me I had to go back and "relax" for ANOTHER thirty minutes. 😢 I guess I might have come off a little agitated.🤣

Just a heads-up for anyone who doesn't have insurance covering everything: bring a thick wallet. You're gonna need it.😉

darkpuma5 said:I finally made it to the clinic with a huge stack of hormone tests on my referral, including prolactin.

They had me sitting there for half an hour just trying to calm down and breathe deeply to manage the spikes.
After waiting 15 minutes, they actually called me over just to pay my co-pay, which was $42! I think my reaction was basically, "ARE YOU SERIOUS???" AAAAA!

Then, instead of letting me move forward, they told me I had to sit and calm down for ANOTHER thirty minutes. 😢 Maybe I did come across as a bit agitated.🤣

Just a heads-up for anyone who doesn't have insurance coverage—bring plenty of cash with you.😉

Seriously? I'm a student, so my co-pay is just $11... I didn't end up paying anything at all...
The same thing happened to me; they made me wait, and I was stuck there for almost an hour. 😬
My OB-GYN said it’s because of the prolactin levels. You have to stay relaxed so things can stabilize. 🙄
And they're giving you the results in a month too?
I'm already getting nervous. Especially after finding out I have PCOS—I feel like I'm doomed. 😲

quiethound45 said:Seriously? Since I'm a student, I got that 11% copay rate... I haven't even paid my bill yet...
I also got stuck waiting—sat there for almost an hour! 😬
The OBGYN said it’s because of my prolactin levels. He told me I need to just relax so things can stabilize. 🙄
And did they give you your results in a month too?
Honestly, I'm starting to freak out. Once he mentioned PCOS, I was basically done. 😲

My tests are scheduled for January 3rd. 🙂 Just when I finally feel like I've recovered from New Year's Day. 🙂
There are about ten different things they're testing besides prolactin, and honestly, I can't even make sense of the printouts.

Hey, try to relax. It feels like every second or third girl I know has either PCOS or some kind of hormone issue, and they all live totally normal lives. What's there to be afraid of? It's better to know what you're up against so you can actually fight back. 😁

darkpuma5 said:The results came in on January 3rd. 🙂 Just as I was finally recovering from New Year's Day. 🙂
I have about ten different things they're testing besides prolactin, and honestly, I can't even read them.

Just relax. It feels like every second or third girl I know deals with PCOS or some kind of hormonal issue, and they all live totally normal lives. What is there to be afraid of? It’s better to face the problem head-on so you actually know how to handle it. 😁

I know—I just need a few days before I really face the reality of it all..
Actually, this might be a good thing since I've been trying to live a healthier lifestyle and now I actually know what's going on with me. I'm not afraid of any diagnosis—I'd much rather know the truth and deal with it—but I think I still need a little time to vent before I adjust to this new normal. 😉 😬 🙂
I have about 10 to 12 hormone levels being tracked myself—I've looked into everything—mostly just variations in the specific hormones responsible for various symptoms. Some are androgenic, some are estrogen-based, and I have thyroid issues too...

Taylor Swift said:From what I understand, you have to go during days 3 to 5 of your cycle.🙂

Honestly, it’s kind of all over the place. I don't think it's quite that black and white, though you definitely need to know where you are in your cycle. (And obviously, your OB-GYN needs to know exactly which phase you were in when they ran those hormone tests.)
Basically, when you get your lab results back, you'll see your numbers on the left and the standard ranges on the right. But since those ranges are broken down specifically for each different phase of your cycle, you have to look at the specific value that actually matches up with where you were at the time.

At least, that’s how my results looked, and both times nobody really told me exactly which days I was supposed to show up.