The Best Time To Test Hormones And Cortisol | Carrie Jones

Why It Matters

Accurate timing and method of hormone testing prevent misdiagnosis and enable personalized treatment for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.

Key Takeaways

• Test progesterone 5‑7 days after ovulation to capture peak
• Blood draws show only a single hormonal snapshot, missing pulsatile spikes
• TSH may rise at ovulation, falsely suggesting hypothyroidism
• DUTCH dried‑urine test averages hormones across multiple daily collections
• Irregular perimenopausal cycles reduce reliability of one‑day estradiol testing

Summary

The video discusses optimal timing and methods for hormone testing in women, especially during perimenopause. Carrie Jones explains that diagnosing perimenopause often relies on age and symptoms rather than a single test, but when hormone levels are measured, the timing within the menstrual cycle is critical.

Hormones are released in pulses, so a single blood draw can miss peak levels. For accurate progesterone assessment, testing 5‑7 days after ovulation captures its luteal surge. Thyroid‑stimulating hormone (TSH) can temporarily rise at ovulation, potentially mislabeling a woman as hypothyroid. Blood tests also fail to show where hormones travel or are metabolized, limiting their diagnostic value.

Jones highlights the DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) as a superior alternative, collecting multiple urine samples throughout the day to produce a weighted average that reflects pulsatile secretion and metabolic pathways, including cortisol and detoxification routes. She also notes the resistance many clinicians have toward testing, often dismissing it as unnecessary despite its role in personalizing hormone replacement therapy.

The takeaway for practitioners is to schedule hormone panels based on cycle phase, consider DUTCH or similar multi‑sample tests for irregular cycles, and use the data to fine‑tune treatment plans. For patients, understanding testing nuances can prevent misdiagnosis and empower informed decisions about hormone therapy.

Original Description

I’m thrilled to reconnect with my friend and colleague, Dr. Carrie Jones. She is a naturopathic physician and hormone expert with over 20 years of clinical experience in women's health and endocrinology.

In our discussion, we unpack the limitations of traditional hormone testing and explore the benefits of saliva, urine, and blood testing for gaining a more accurate picture of hormone activity. We explore the critical importance of lab timing and how the DUTCH test evaluates estrogen, metabolism, and cortisol rhythms. We also examine how liver detoxification affects the active form of thyroid hormone, T3, across phases one through three, highlight signs and symptoms that indicate an imbalanced gut microbiome, and wrap things up with some rapid-fire questions about the things you’ve probably wanted to ask.

Stay tuned for another invaluable, humorous, and fun conversation with Dr. Carrie Jones.

#CynthiaThurlow #womenshealth #wellness #IF #intermittentfasting #fastingforwomen #bioindividuality #health

For more information please visit me here: https://cynthiathurlow.com/

To purchase my new book, The Menopause Gut please visit here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777129/the-menopause-gut-by-cynthia-thurlow-np/

This video is for educational and informational purposes only and solely as a self-help tool for your own use. I am not providing medical, psychological, or nutrition therapy advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your own medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your own medical practitioner and/or mental health provider about your specific health situation.