Hormone Testing Info:
DUTCH Complete Hormone Test
Our hormonal (endocrine) system is intricately connected to our nervous system. In fact, they are so connected that they are often referred to under one name; the ‘neuroendocrine system’.
Trauma and toxic stress cause chronic nervous system imbalance. When our nervous system is imbalanced, there will be knock-on effects in our hormonal balance too.
This can be a vicious cycle if we do not address these imbalances and dysregulation of our hormonal and nervous systems.
Our hormonal system plays a key role in regulating the balance of all our internal systems as well as our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Adrenal and hormonal imbalances are extremely common in women who have chronic nervous system dysregulation and unresolved trauma and are a major factor in the development of various chronic health conditions. Yet they are also largely ignored by most medical and health professionals, which means they go unaddressed and unresolved.
What is a DUTCH complete hormone test and why is it important?
This is the test every woman should do! I dream of a world where doctors will routinely offer these test...yet alas, that time is yet to come. That’s where I come in.
The DUTCH (‘Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones’) by Precision Analytical Labs is the gold standard when it comes to hormone testing. It is a non-invasive, easy to do test that uses dried urine to accurately assess your individual hormonal health.
It is the most detailed assessment we can do - (the one your doctor won’t!) to understand what is actually happening in your HPA axis (your stress and hormone axis). It gives us a comprehensive picture of your adrenal and hormonal health. This gives us the fullest understanding of your individual hormonal imbalances and with this detailed information, I can create a unique personalised protocol to help you address these specific imbalances.
Once I have received your DUTCH test results I spend a lot of time analysing them so that I have a clear understanding of your biology and hormonal status. With this information I then put together an individualized protocol that incorporates clinical herbalism, nutritional endocrinology and integrative medicine to help you address these imbalances in a very specific way. Your treatment plan is all natural and tailored to you.
This is a completely unique offering to a programme of this nature and - combined with my 12 principles of transforming trauma and the deep nervous system healing work we will do - is a complete revolution in the way we can address total mindbody heal to help you reclaim your aliveness on every level from the inside out!
What does the DUTCH complete hormone test measure?
This unique test measures a collection of key hormones and their metabolites. These include:
Cortisol
Cortisone
Estradiol
Estrone
Estriol
Progesterone
Testosterone
DHEA and DHEA-S
Melatonin
It also measures the rhythm of cortisol production and metabolism which is important; there should be a natural diurnal rhythm to our cortisol levels during a 24 hour period. Research supports that this natural rhythm is key in our mental, emotional and physical health. We know that the effects of trauma, adversity and chronic stress upset this rhythm with negative side effects across all levels of experience. Seeing what our unique rhythm is can tell us important information about our adrenal, hormonal health and overall health, as well as what we can do to shift this rhythm towards its natural diurnal pattern to reestablish optimal wellbeing, energy and health.
This test also measures our oestrogen metabolism pathways - this means that we can see exactly what our body is doing with oestrogen (for example whether it is being cleared and detoxified properly or not), which has important implications for our health.
Why is it important to measure all these hormones? For many reasons!
If you have adrenal fatigue, burnout, stress issues or trauma:
Testing the adrenal hormones, their rhythms and metabolites gives specific information about your HPA (hypothalamic-adrenal-axis) and the communication between your stress organs and your brain.
Click here to read the full information about the adrenal aspect of the DUTCH test.
If you have anxiety or depression:
The health of our adrenals and stress axis, as well as the overall balance and metabolism of other key hormones (including DHEA, melatonin, oestrogen and progesterone) are crucial to our mental and emotional health. By understanding what is going on in your system with regards to the adrenals, stress axis and key hormones, we can help to address imbalances which are contributing to your emotional and mental health and improve mood, emotional balance and resilience.
If you have sleep issues:
Looking at the adrenal hormones and what your specific diurnal rhythm of cortisol is on waking and throughout the day provides very important information about your stress axis. By checking melatonin levels we can see how your sleep may be affected by levels of this hormone. Together these give us specific information on how to support sleep issues.
If you have fertility problems, hormonal issues or poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS):
This test is very helpful for those suffering from PMS, irregular periods, fibroids, painful periods, endometriosis and emotional instability / moodiness linked to hormonal cycle. It gives a very in depth picture of how adrenal and reproductive (oestrogen and progesterone) hormones may be contributing to these issues.
If you might have low DHEA levels:
DHEA is known as the ‘feel-good’ and the ‘youth’ hormone and it is produced by our adrenal glands. It plays a crucial role in mood, energy balance, physical health and the aging process. If we have adrenal imbalances due to chronic stress and trauma then our DHEA level is negatively impacted. Low DHEA levels can cause fatigue, low sex drive, loss of motivation, depression, lowered immunity, achy joints, low muscle mass and bone density. This test tells us what your specific DHEA levels are as well as key information about the health and balance of your adrenal glands.
If you might have oestrogen dominance:
Oestrogen dominance happens when we have an excess of oestrogen in the body relative to other sex hormones (e.g. not having enough progesterone to balance the effects of oestroogen). Oestrogen dominance can be implicated in PMS, endometriosis, fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, breast tenderness, moodiness, anxiety and many more. Oestrogen dominance can also be an exacerbating factor in perimenopause, making symptoms much worse.
If you might not be clearing oestrogen properly from your system:
Our oestrogen is metabolised through the liver, and it is important to know how we are metabolising oestrogen and deactivating and clearing it from our system. If you are not metabolising or clearing your oestrogen well then you are at risk of oestrogen dominance as well as having increased risk of oestrogen-related cancers such as breast, uterine and cervical cancers. The DUTCH test gives us in depth understanding of exactly how your system is metabolising and clearing oestrogen from your system, as well as your levels and metabolism of progesterone. We can also look at your methylation pathway which can give insight about specific nutrient deficiencies that are lowering your clearance and metabolism of oestrogen.
If you want to be empowered to take your health into your own hands and maximise your vitality: Understanding our biology and hormone balance at this level can be an extremely empowering thing. It allows us to actually know what is happening inside of our bodies - something that most of us never get a chance to truly understand. In this revolutionary programme as well as in your specific 1:1 interpretation of results, you will learn key information about the health of the various systems of your body, understand exactly what your results mean, and be educated and informed about how to address these to move forward and bring the most balance and vibrancy to your mental, physical and emotional health.
How is the DUTCH test collected?
Once you sign up to the programme and submit the necessary information you will be sent your DUTCH test pack in the next week or so.
Once you receive your test pack, spend time thoroughly reading through the instructions so that you have a clear understanding of what, when and how to do it.
The instructions are easy to follow and simple. You will need to collect 4 or 5 dried urine samples (which are little strips that you dip into your urine and then let dry) over a 24 hour period and then post it back as labelled on the pack.
Please take your time to read all the instructions and familiarise yourself with what you need to do before you do it. Then choose an appropriate day to mark in your diary to actually collect the test samples.
How long will it take for me to get my DUTCH complete hormone test results?
This depends. If you currently have a menstrual cycle, the tests need to be done within a specific range of your cycle. This means that you may have to wait until that time window to do the test depending on where you are in your cycle when you receive it.
The turnaround time from when you send your test back to the lab to when you will receive your results and protocol from me is usually around 3 weeks.
It is hard to say therefore that you will have your results by a specific date, however rest assured that I will do my best to analyse them as quickly as I can once the results come through to me.
In reality, given the above variables and the time it takes me to individually assess your results, you will receive your results once the course is properly underway. Please do not worry about this; this is a course that is teaching you a new lifestyle! And there is absolutely no need to have your results at a specific time in the course in order for you to progress with it. Please also remember that you will have forever access to all of the learning and practices within this course.
Some other things that make the DUTCH test so unique:
Whilst hormone blood tests can be a helpful tool, they are not at all the same as the DUTCH test (which is a dried urine test).
Blood and saliva tests (which are more common) do not measure the metabolites of hormones - which means they do not give the same level of information about what our system is actually doing with our hormones, rather than simply the overall level in the blood.
They also do not measure the diurnal production or rhythms of cortisol, or oestrogen metabolism pathways, both of which are extremely important for our understanding of our health. There are also some key hormones, such as melatonin, that are not sensitively measured by blood or saliva, but are in the DUTCH hormone test.
*This test is not a substitute for seeing medical help from your doctor/ physician.
*If for any unexpected reason you are unable to send the test kit back within the 6 months of the course, please email me about this (claire@clairerother.com). I will still analyse and interpret your results for you even if it is outside of the 6 months programme duration.