If you have been reading about the DUTCH test and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information available, there’s no need to panic. Choosing a panel is probably one of the most common questions posed to DUTCH clinical educators: Which panel is suitable for my needs? And here is the great news for all the people asking this question – each DUTCH panel is created for a certain category of patients.
The special feature of DUTCH testing is that it allows determining the symptoms of hormonal imbalances by providing a whole spectrum of hormones that cannot be seen using blood or saliva samples only. While regular hormone testing provides a snapshot, DUTCH allows for measuring hormones, their metabolites, and other markers over 24 hours.
And here is a clear explanation of each DUTCH panel and its intended recipient.
The Three Primary DUTCH Test Kits
Precision Analytical offers three core test kits, each targeting a different dimension of hormone health:
- DUTCH Complete
- DUTCH Plus
- DUTCH Cycle Mapping
Apart from these three tests, there are other individual tests as well, such as the Organic Acids Tests (OATs) and Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). It is important to know the details of what these tests cover before opting for them.
DUTCH Complete: The Best Starting Point for Most People
The DUTCH Complete is undoubtedly the star among the whole range of DUTCH tests, and there are many reasons behind that statement. This test provides information on sex hormone metabolites (progesterone, estrogens, and androgens), adrenal hormone metabolites (cortisol, cortisone, creatinine, and DHEA-S), organic acids, the biomarker of oxidative stress 8-OHdG, and melatonin metabolites. Neuro-markers and markers of gut health are included in the test, as well.
From a pragmatic viewpoint, DUTCH Complete is the test that should be done by those patients who feel “off” but do not know why. The reason is that it provides the analysis of a broad spectrum of hormones – sex hormones, adrenal function, nutritional status, sleep, and stress levels – all together in one at-home test.
The DUTCH Complete is a strong fit if you are:
- Feeling tired, emotional, gaining weight, or experiencing brain fogginess
- Going through perimenopause, menopause, or andropause
- Suffering from low sex drive, insomnia, or PMS issues
- Testing the hormones behind your symptoms and discovering the underlying hormonal problem
- Getting a thorough baseline of your hormones for the first time
Thousands of healthcare professionals have had success with the DUTCH Complete test, which continues to be the top-requested test in the DUTCH suite of tests for a very good reason. It is a natural choice.
DUTCH Plus: For Deeper Adrenal and Stress Evaluation
However, in certain patients, an assessment of the stress response and HPA axis should be done.
DUTCH Plus includes all the markers from the DUTCH Complete test and the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) marker. CAR is determined by collecting saliva upon waking up and in the next few minutes after – showing the communication between the brain and adrenals that cannot be seen with urine testing.
In fact, it is important because even when the level of free cortisol during the whole day appears to be normal on other tests, that does not necessarily mean that everything works correctly. CAR test shows how the body prepares itself for the challenges of the day ahead – and the pattern may be disturbed in burnout, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and prolonged stress in patients who do not show any other abnormalities on other tests.
The DUTCH Plus is a strong fit if you are:
- Being tired when you wake up, irrespective of how much you slept
- Feeling anxiety, sadness, or fear in the morning that gets better throughout the day
- Suffering from fatigue that is persistent despite resting
- Experiencing prolonged periods of high stress and being worn out due to them
- Possibility of HPA Axis dysfunction or adrenal exhaustion
For cases where adrenal function and the stress response are the key components of the clinical presentation, the DUTCH Plus would be a better option to choose. For those whose issues involve sex hormones rather than adrenals, the DUTCH Complete test is adequate.
DUTCH Cycle Mapping: For Full-Cycle Hormone Tracking in Women
The DUTCH Cycle Mapping is a woman-specific test that looks at the overall profile of estrogen and progesterone hormones during the whole menstrual cycle, rather than on one day. This test takes nine measurements of targeted estrogens and progesterone from the first morning urine collected during specific stages of the cycle in order to trace the follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.
Urine collection is done taking into consideration the actual length of the cycle of the person, rather than predetermined days on a calendar, which makes the mapping more accurate as far as the identification of the ovulatory and luteal peaks goes.
Sometimes, it can be quite difficult for healthcare professionals to work with women suffering from irregular cycles, problems with fertility, or even having a uterine ablation. One day test can not give a complete picture in such cases. The DUTCH Cycle Mapping provides information about the whole cycle and helps to develop an individual treatment plan.
The DUTCH Cycle Mapping is a strong fit if you are:
- Handling irregular periods where single-day testing cannot be consistently timed
- Researching fertility issues – whether ovulation is actually happening
- Spotting or migraines mid-cycle, and you want to know what hormones caused it
- Handling PCOS where ovulation timing and luteal phase function are disrupted
- Post-ablation with preserved ovaries and no menstrual bleeding
- Hormonal issues throughout an entire month that change significantly throughout the cycle
This test is not meant for women on birth control hormones.
CAR and OATs: Standalone and Add-On Panels
Beyond the three primary kits, DUTCH offers two additional panels that can be ordered independently or used to customize an existing test:
Organic Acids Test (OATs)
The OATs test will give you an in-depth profile of nutritional and metabolic markers alongside hormones. This includes Vitamin B12 & B6 metabolism, oxidative stress, glutathione, gut dysbiosis, neuroinflammatory markers, melatonin, and neurotransmitter metabolites. The OATs test can be ordered as a stand-alone test or can be added onto other tests for more information at a relatively small cost incrementally.
Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)
Also available is the CAR test, which allows providers to perform a stand-alone assessment to check the health status of the HPA axis as well as stress response, without having to order the entire DUTCH Plus test. The CAR test uses saliva tests to measure the cortisol response within the first hour after waking up.
How to Choose: A Quick Reference
| Your Primary Concern | Recommended Test |
|---|---|
| General hormone health, first-time testing | DUTCH Complete |
| Adrenal fatigue, burnout, and morning cortisol issues | DUTCH Plus |
| Irregular cycles, fertility, PCOS, mid-cycle symptoms | DUTCH Cycle Mapping |
| Full-cycle mapping + comprehensive metabolites + CAR | DUTCH Cycle Mapping Plus |
| Targeted nutritional or neurotransmitter markers only | OATs Panel |
| HPA axis evaluation only | CAR Panel |
DUTCH Offers Actionable Results for Complex Problems
In situations where women experience menstrual pain, chronic fatigue, reduced sex drive, or feel “out of sorts” in other ways, traditional diagnostic procedures do not often give any indication as to what is going on. Many people feel quite upset when they have symptoms of a disease and yet receive no diagnosis, as the results of a standard analysis of the blood are normal. This is one of the main reasons why the DUTCH test has gained such popularity among doctors and patients.
The DUTCH test not only proves that hormonal disorders occur; it also provides specific data that the provider needs to identify the cause of the symptom and develop an individual treatment plan.
If you are ready to start with your journey, yet have doubts about the appropriate test for yourself, then a free consultation offered by dutchtesting.org will help you figure out the possibilities of your specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which DUTCH test should I take if I’m completely new to hormone testing?
The DUTCH Complete is the perfect beginning test for most individuals. This test analyzes sex hormones, adrenal hormones, cortisol rhythm, melatonin, and organic acids in a comprehensive at-home test – hence, being the most sensible place to begin a hormonal evaluation.
2. What’s the difference between the DUTCH Complete and the DUTCH Plus?
DUTCH Plus and DUTCH Complete have similar analyses in the sex hormone panel and the adrenal hormone panel. In addition, the DUTCH Plus offers the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). This involves analysis of cortisol through saliva tests during the first hour of awakening. The Cortisol Awakening Response is important for those who suffer from fatigue or burnout.
3. Who should take the DUTCH Cycle Mapping instead of the DUTCH Complete?
Women suffering from irregular menstrual cycles, infertility problems, PCOS, mid-cycle bleeding, hormonal migraines, or hormone function post-ablation will do well taking the DUTCH Cycle Mapping test.
4. Can I take the DUTCH Cycle Mapping if I’m on birth control?
No. The DUTCH Cycle Mapping is not appropriate for women on hormonal birth control, as contraceptives suppress the natural hormonal patterns that the test is designed to measure.
5. What are the OATs and CAR panels used for?
The OATs panel determines nutrition and metabolism markers such as B vitamins, oxidative stress, melatonin, and neurotransmitter metabolites, which supplement hormonal levels. The CAR panel specifically checks for the morning cortisol spike and HPA axis communication. They are both available either alone or in addition to existing panels.
6. Is DUTCH testing better than a standard blood hormone test?
DUTCH testing provides data on hormones and their metabolites throughout the day. It is especially helpful when the blood tests give normal results, but the patient still experiences symptoms.
7. Do I need a healthcare provider to order any DUTCH test?
Yes. You need to order all DUTCH tests via your healthcare practitioner, who will further interpret the results and apply the findings to an individualized therapy. Free of charge preliminary consultation is available at dutchtesting.org to choose the appropriate test and practitioner.
