A 40-year-old woman arrives as a new patient in my office with chief complaints of fatigue, weight gain, anxiety/depression, hair loss, and headaches. She says feels ok only 1-week out of the month. She has told her conventional medical doctor numerous times that she feels her hormones are imbalanced. They check her hormones and tell her they are fine, and the woman walks away wondering why she feels this way. Her periods are normal so they must not be imbalanced. She’s tried antidepressants, but experiences too many side effects and so she discontinues them. She’s tried oral birth control pills, but she develops acne and her mood and weight intensifies so she discontinues them. She is feeling helpless.
Can you relate? I see this sort of case weekly in my office. What I find very frustrating is your doctor telling you that your hormones are balanced because your labs are within normal limits, but your doctor didn’t ask you where you were in your menstrual cycle! Levels of hormones change depending if you are in your follicular phase, mid-cycle phase, or luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. And, if you look at your lab report you will see different hormone levels for each phase. How can your doctor say your levels are normal if they didn’t find out out what phase of your cycle you are in?! The best time to check your hormones is during your luteal phase (Day 19, 20, or 21 of a 28 day menstrual cycle) which is when your hormone levels are the highest. It’s also important to check all your hormones not just your estrogen.
If you are experiencing hormonal symptoms like many of my patients are, yes, your hormones are likely imbalanced! Don’t suffer anymore! In my office, we offer 24-hour-urine testing to get a bigger picture of your hormone profile, so we can better understand the what exact hormones are imbalanced and to get to the root cause of your symptoms. The DUTCH test is a comprehensive hormone profile that looks at your ovarian hormones and their metabolites, adrenal hormones, and nutritional organic acids (Vitamin B12, B6, glutathione, dopamine, melatonin, and epinephrine markers). To learn more about the DUTCH test you can check out their website at www.dutchtest.com or call my office to set up an appointment 607-729-0591.
About the author
Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.
Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.