MENOPAUSAL PROFILE in Bengaluru

Seven tests, one sample, one report. Booked together rather than picked off one at a time, which is both cheaper and a lot less faff.

It covers red and white cell counts, vitamin D, calcium and bone minerals, thyroid hormones, reproductive hormones.

Why Timing Changes the Result

Several reproductive hormones swing across the menstrual cycle. Take the sample on the wrong day and the result can come back looking perfectly normal while the actual problem sits there unspotted. Follow the day your doctor specifies rather than the day that suits your diary.

The other thing worth knowing is how many different routes lead to the same symptom. A thyroid problem, high prolactin and PCOS can all produce irregular cycles, and they're treated completely differently. Prolactin in particular gets missed a lot because it isn't in the panel most people book.

What's Included

Blood tests (7)

• Calcium Blood Test
• TSH Test
• Estradiol Test
• FSH Test
• Complete Blood Picture (CBP)
• Serum Phosphorus Test
• Vitamin D (25 - Hydroxy Vitamin D, Serum)

Before You Book

Sample: Blood. Preparation: No fasting needed. A morning sample after an overnight gap does give the most reliable reading on a few of these, so book early if you can.

Tell the collection team everything you're taking, prescription or not. Plenty of supplements move these numbers, and without that context your report reads wrong.

Reading Your Report

Expect a value or two to sit slightly outside the range. That's normal and usually means nothing on its own. What matters is which one, by how much, and whether it's moving compared with last time.

These tests point at a diagnosis. They don't make one. Read your report with a doctor who knows your history and what you're currently taking.