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[HaRuHaRu]

Hi, I’m having bloods taken to check for esteogen absorption as well as testosterone levels and progesterone. The test is booked for 10.30am and it’ll be on day 23 of my HRT cycle as that’s the available slot.

I’m hoping for help with a couple of things:

1. is day 23 of HRT cycle ok to get these test done?

2. I use Sandrena gel 1mg am + 1mg pm - and it’ll be during my 12 days of taking progesterone (currently I use 1 x pessary at night + 1/2 pessary in the morning) - should I be stoping the HRT at any point before my test ie not taking it that morning?

Thanks xx

[HaRuHaRu]

Sorry just bumping this up - does anyone know if / when I stop HRT prior to the morning blood tests - should I not use it the morning of the test, or the night before too? Both estrogen + progesterone.
Thanks to anyone who can help! Xx

[Hollyboll]

Hi
Im commenting mostly to give this a bump as I’m sure someone can help …
I’m afraid I can’t help - I’ve had squillion blood tests but on totally different regime - cont for a start. Fwiw I’ve always kept on patch and had my prog the night before as usual.
But I was recently told not to use testn gel the morning of test.
Good luck!

[HaRuHaRu]

Hi
Im commenting mostly to give this a bump as I’m sure someone can help …
I’m afraid I can’t help - I’ve had squillion blood tests but on totally different regime - cont for a start. Fwiw I’ve always kept on patch and had my prog the night before as usual.
But I was recently told not to use testn gel the morning of test.
Good luck!

Thanks Hollyboll x x

[HaRuHaRu]

Hello, sorry to bump this up again but my test is tomorrow and I’m getting anxious….

Does anyone know: should I stop using HRT the morning of the blood test, or the night before too? Both estrogen + progesterone which I take morning & night (on sequential regime)?

Thank you. X x

[Taz2]

Can't you call the surgery/clinic who are carrying out the test? I've found something online but this is from a private company so I can't link you in. It says that if you are on hrt then it needs to be a transdermal type. The test should be at least four hours after putting on the gel and the test needs to be taken from a different area of the body such as a different arm or leg. If you are on patches then the test should be carried out on the day before patch change and not on the day or the day after a new patch has been applied. They also say that these tests are often unreliable and doctors prefer to change HRT strength based on symptoms rather than a blood result. Hope this helps a bit.

Taz x

[HaRuHaRu]

Can't you call the surgery/clinic who are carrying out the test? I've found something online but this is from a private company so I can't link you in. It says that if you are on hrt then it needs to be a transdermal type. The test should be at least four hours after putting on the gel and the test needs to be taken from a different area of the body such as a different arm or leg. If you are on patches then the test should be carried out on the day before patch change and not on the day or the day after a new patch has been applied. They also say that these tests are often unreliable and doctors prefer to change HRT strength based on symptoms rather than a blood result. Hope this helps a bit.

Taz x

Thank you Taz,  the test is ordered by my NHS gp - I asked and she said that as I’m on HRT it doesn’t matter when in my cycle I’m tested because I’m not testing for fertility reasons. But she didn’t say if I should stop HRT before my test. From what you’ve found online it looks like I should still take tonight’s dose but skip my morning dose. I just don’t want to get skewed results as it took a lot for me to get the test in the first place. Thanks again.

[sheila99]

Are you peri or meno? If you're peri I don't think day 23 is the best time as you'll be producing oestrogen of your own (if it's oestrogen levels they're testing?)

[Taz2]

Are you peri or meno? If you're peri I don't think day 23 is the best time as you'll be producing oestrogen of your own (if it's oestrogen levels they're testing?)

Hi sheila. She says in the original post that they're testing for oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Taz x

[HaRuHaRu]

Are you peri or meno? If you're peri I don't think day 23 is the best time as you'll be producing oestrogen of your own (if it's oestrogen levels they're testing?)

sheila99 I am peri yes - my GP came back to say it doesn’t matter what part of cycle as long as we note what part of the cycle it is. Is that not correct then?

[HaRuHaRu]

Are you peri or meno? If you're peri I don't think day 23 is the best time as you'll be producing oestrogen of your own (if it's oestrogen levels they're testing?)

sheila99 I am peri yes - my GP came back to say it doesn’t matter what part of cycle as long as we note what part of the cycle it is. Is that not correct then?

Thinking about this; I’m guessing as I’m checking for absorption of the gel then it’s best to do it at a time when my own body would be making less oestrogen? Although as I’m peri and on HRT it’s not so clear when that would be?

[lillith112]

I'm doing baseline hormone blood tests this week, I had to come off all HRT for 3 months.
Your blood tests will be measuring your HRT, it won't be an indication of your natural levels..
I am having my tests as I have a pituitary tumour, it's to see what my hormones are doing while not on HRT.

[joziel]

If you are doing estrogen bloods and you are peri, you need it to be around day 3 - preferably during your period. This is when your own estrogen will be lowest and you will get the clearest sign of what you are getting from HRT. It makes a huge difference. And do this for every set of bloods for consistency.

In terms of taking estrogen on the day, if you are on gels, don't put any on until after your bloods are done. Go home and put it on then. If you are on patches, make sure it isn't a patch-change day but is roughly in the middle of a patch.

[sheila99]

As above, the problem with day 23 is that you don't know how much of your own you're producing so it's of limited value (and of course how much you produce can vary hugely from month to month). If you really need to know and can't get a day of your choosing on the NHS it might be worth getting a medichecks one.

[HaRuHaRu]

Bugger. Thanks everyone. I’ve done it today (day 23 of HRT cycle) it was with other bloods too so not all lost I guess. I think I’m going to do the hormones again on day 3 of bleed via medichecks. I’m so drained and it takes so much to do but I think I should get the most accurate reading for if I’m absorbing. Feeling annoyed and a bit worried if it comes back high that it will affect NHS prescribing etc. Argh. But I guess if I get another test it’ll show the difference…