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Doctors conduct a medical interview before a progesterone blood test to identify factors that could affect results. Patients may need to fast and stop taking certain medications. The test involves a small blood sample taken from the arm and sent to a lab for examination. Results usually arrive within 24 hours.
Most doctors conduct a standard medical interview before scheduling a progesterone blood test. This allows them to identify any factors that could lead to an inaccurate reading from the test and adjust accordingly. Some experts recommend a short period of fasting before the test to get even more accurate results. During the progesterone blood test itself, the attending physician takes a small blood sample from the patient after the preparatory work and sends the sample to a laboratory for examination. Results are often sent to the patient within 24 hours, barring any abnormalities.
In order to obtain the most accurate results possible, most doctors ask about the patient’s medical history in order to determine whether a progesterone blood test is necessary or possible. An important part of the medical interview is determining the patient’s menstrual schedule; blood test is best done on the first or heaviest day of the cycle. Doctors usually ask if the patient is taking certain medications that could affect the test results. The standard risks for any blood test also apply, and patients prone to fainting, bruising and bruising are warned that all of these are possible when blood is drawn from the body. After the preliminary interview, doctors will plan the day of the progesterone blood test, as well as provide their patients with several guidelines to follow in preparation for the test.
In the days or weeks leading up to a progesterone blood test, patients are asked to stop taking any medications that affect hormone levels. Progesterone levels should be measured as close to the patient’s natural production as possible in order to obtain accurate results. Some doctors recommend that patients fast about 12 hours before blood extraction. This allows the blood to be as free from contaminants in the test results as possible.
The test itself is relatively short. Doctors usually prepare patients by disinfecting the area from which blood will be drawn; the arm is the most common extraction site. After rubbing the skin with alcohol or a similar disinfectant, doctors might apply pressure to the surrounding area to enlarge the blood vessels, allowing for easier extraction. A sterilized syringe is then inserted into the most visible vessel, taking a small blood sample. The area is cleaned again afterward and may be covered with gauze to prevent possible infection.
Blood samples are sent to laboratories to be tested for progesterone levels. Depending on your doctor’s recommendation, your blood might be tested for other hormones, such as follicle-stimulating hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin. The results of a progesterone blood test typically arrive within the day, if no other tests are ordered or there are no problems.
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