Female hormonal testing

Hello Dr Brown,

I've been recently diagnosed with low to moderate endometriosis and the doc wanted a check for my hormonal levels including estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, cortisol and testosterone.According to some information online the saliva hormone test seems to be more accurate than traditonal blood hormone test as it can measure the free form of bioavailable hormones but the blood test can't. I'm wondering if it's true?

Thanks for your time!

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
I always go with the blood tests.  There is a lot of hype about the saliva tests, but I have always found that the blood tests are the best bet.  They are standardized and reliable.
Hormone levels vary a lot depending upon the time of day and the time of the month, so you are really getting just a good guess anyway. Is your doctor suspecting PCOS too?
I don't usually do hormone levels to work up endometriosis, but would do if my patient had irregular periods and/or other symptoms such as excess hair growth or acne or high blood pressure.
If you have endometriosis, and want children, best to get busy!  I'm sure your doctor told you this too.
Good luck!
Dr B