DUTCH Tests For Peri-menopause

DUTCH Plus is unique because it’s a detailed test of 35 different reproductive and adrenal hormones, along with a separate saliva test. The saliva test measures how much cortisol you have available when you wake up each morning. Since cortisol is your ‘high alert’ hormone, this shows us how well your body copes with stress, and along with the results of the hormone tests, how stress is impacting your hormone balance overall.

Abnormally low levels of cortisol first thing in the morning can be linked to adrenal exhaustion, and difficulty resetting after stress or trauma. This can manifest in a number of ways, including PTSD, chronic depression, autoimmune disorders, pain and high blood pressure.

Abnormally high levels of cortisol can indicate an exaggurated response to stress, and can manifest as weight gain, overwhelm/overworrying, and problems with ears, nose, throat or upper chest.

Both can be implicated in chronic inflammation, which is linked to just about every health issue you can think of! Combining DUTCH testing with the Cortisol Awakening Response saliva test can give useful insights into how healthy you really are, and which preventative measures would help you.

Hormones are really complicated! We all know that they can fluctuate wildly during peri-menopause, and that these fluctuations can cause a variety of symptoms. An excess of one hormone can give you the same symptoms as a deficiency in another, and sometimes it can be useful to know exactly how the levels of each hormone are causing your symptoms.

This information can be used by your Gynaecologist, Menopause Doctor or Nurse to better understand which forms of and dosages of HRT would help you. When we’re looking at herbal remedies, self care, and lifestyle for peri-menopause, it can help us to pinpoint which herbs, supplements and lifestyle changes would be most beneficial. For example, both low oestrogen and low testosterone levels can cause fatigue. With testing we can see which is more likely to be causing your fatigue, and use herbs to correct the imbalances accordingly. The same would apply if you’re about to start HRT, or you’re feel that your HRT regime may need adjusting.

DUTCH Plus tracks how each hormone is fluctuating over a given period of time. As well as your reproductive hormones, it can measure your levels of B vitamins, certain inflammatory markers, and hormones which regulate your sleep-wake cycle.