Private Hormone level test

[Alice (nym)]

I went to my GP today to ask if he could include checking my hormone levels on an invited health test. He flatly refused saying that the request would need to come from the GIC... which has a 2 year waiting list. I explained that my emotions are all over the place and my dysphoria is getting worse. He blamed it on my current life circumstances and said it was psychological and nothing to do with hormones. He suggest St John's Wort to cope with the mood swings.

I wasn't asking him to prescribe me hormones or blockers. I just wanted a baseline for the GIC < Not Allowed>

So he wasn't very helpful at all. So I was wondering if I could get it done privately. I found a site that sends you a kit, you prick your finger and send the sample back to them and they check the Testosterone &
Oestradiol for £39. I've no idea what I need them to check but are those right? And is it possible to check it from a prick sample?

Alternatively does anyone know of anywhere else in the UK that I can get my levels checked privately (pref in the northeast). And is there anything else that the GIC will want a baseline reading of?

I am not planning on taking loads of hormones... only Dutasteride (Avodart) on a low dosage to see if it will help. But I can't afford a private assessment at present and I am going to struggle to spend 2 years with this intensity.

love
Alice

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[Casady]

Hi Alice,

I'm not sure which private blood test service you've found online, but most offer a venous collection option as well as the home finger-prick test. You normally get the chance to select this during the checkout process. Obviously, this will cost more, but they'll use a number of private clinics or hospitals nationwide so hopefully you'll have one fairly close to you if that's the option you choose.

I never had a baseline test done, but I'm prescribed hormones privately by Gender GP and after 3 months I asked my GP for a blood test to check my testosterone and oestradiol levels stating only that I was receiving hormone treatment privately. They arranged the test and didn't really ask too many questions (although the receptionist was a little surprised by the results when I went in to collect them and I had to explain that they were actually good). Perhaps your GP would agree to a test if you said you were starting hormones, which you were obtaining privately?

When I went for my 6-month blood test a couple of months ago, I asked for a referral to a GIC and I've just been called back into the surgery for the blood tests requested by the GIC. They haven't requested hormone levels; only cholesterol, diabetes, liver, kidney, urea and full blood count. So although the wait for the GIC may be long, if your region is anything like mine you may be offered blood tests sooner, once referred. I certainly wouldn't consider obtaining these tests privately and they're probably the ones you had at your recent health test anyway.

I hope things work out for you!

Casady

[Alice (nym)]

Thank you Casady, that was very helpful

love
Alice

[skipulus]

I don't really know all the options, but I recently had the hormones checked privately.
I had a session booked with one of the GIC Psychiatrists privately and he requests a hormone level check.
I asked my GP but she refused saying that since I started privately I should just continue privately.
I could have first consulted the Psychiatrist and asked him to write her a note to convince her but it would have delayed the whole process.
So I paid for the full hormone an blood check privately via private GP in London City. (For non Brits, that means the centre most part of London which is generally the most expensive).
It cost me in total £550.00+ including the GP fee.
The Psychiatrist wasn't thrilled by her response and did send her a note in order to convince her to support the T prescription and monitoring and to refer me to the GIC. She has done that now and sent me a letter with instructions.
Two weeks after his session I had my first injection at my GP surgery.
Rushing to have the blood tests was expensive, but I could afford it and was too impatient to wait for them to work through their power-play.

The Psychiatrist is one of the main figures at GIC and his word is that the NHS should support patients even though they start off privately. That the GPs should refer to the GIC but the waiting list is very long, as you say about 2 years currently.

[Jessica_K]

I have just ordered a Oestradiol and testosterone test from an online lab special offer for £39 just to see what my baseline is. This is a finger blood test. They offer a number of tests some requiring venious blood. As I am not sure what I am going to do it's more queriostity. If I go further I cannot wait the 2 1/2 years for a first appointment to the GIC. At my age I could be nearly 70 before or if I get HRT so it would have to start privately.

Love
Jessica 

[Casady]

That's a very good price for the tests Jessica so well worth taking up if your GP won't do it or you don't want to use your GP until you've decided what you'll be doing re hormones. I didn't get a baseline test for that reason and kind of wish now that I had done.