Progesterone, LC/MS/MS

The Progesterone, LC/MS/MS test contains 1 test with 1 biomarker.

Description: A Progesterone test is a blood test that measures the Progesterone levels in your blood's serum and it is useful for tracking hormones or identifying hormone imbalances.

Also Known As: PGSN, Progesterone Test, Ultrasensitive Progesterone Test

Collection Method: Blood Draw

Specimen Type: Serum

Test Preparation: No preparation required

Average Processing Time: 5 to 6 days

When is an Ultrasensitive Progesterone test ordered?

The test may be ordered a few times during a woman's menstrual cycle to monitor the change in progesterone concentrations during an infertility assessment, when she is having problems getting pregnant and her health care provider wants to make sure she is ovulating normally.

• Whether determining when ovulation has occurred and following pharmacological therapy to promote ovulation is required
• When signs like stomach pain and spotting point to an ectopic pregnancy or a threatening miscarriage, call your doctor.
• When a woman needs progesterone replacement medication on a regular basis to keep her pregnancy going
• During a high-risk pregnancy, the placenta and fetal health should be monitored on a regular basis.
• When a non-pregnant lady has abnormal uterine bleeding, it's a sign that she's pregnant.

For men, progesterone may be ordered for fertility and sperm production testing.

What does an Ultrasensitive Progesterone blood test check for?

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that aids a woman's body in preparing for pregnancy. It interacts with a number of other female hormones. The level of progesterone in the blood is measured with this test.

The hormone estrogen causes the endometrium, the uterine lining, to grow and renew itself on a monthly basis, while a surge in luteinizing hormone causes an egg to be released from one of two ovaries. At the place where the egg was released, a corpus luteum forms in the ovary and begins to generate progesterone. Endometrial growth is halted by this progesterone, which is supplemented by modest amounts produced by the adrenal glands, and the uterus is prepared for the probable implantation of a fertilized egg.

The corpus luteum deteriorates, progesterone levels decline, and menstrual bleeding begins if fertilization does not occur. The corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone after a fertilized egg is placed in the uterus, and the egg forms a trophoblast that produces human chorionic gonadotropin. After a few weeks, the placenta takes over as the main source of progesterone from the corpus luteum, producing rather significant amounts of the hormone for the duration of the pregnancy.

Males produce progesterone as well, although at a considerably lesser level. Its role is to aid in the formation of sperm.

Lab tests often ordered with an Ultrasensitive Progesterone test:

• Estrogen
• Estradiol
• Estriol
• Estrone
• hCG
• FSH
• LH
• Testosterone

Conditions where an Ultrasensitive Progesterone test is recommended:

• Pregnancy
• Infertility
• Menopause

Commonly Asked Questions:

How does my health care provider use an Ultrasensitive Progesterone test?

A progesterone test can be used in the following situations:

• To aid in the recognition and management of various infertility issues. Multiple measurements can be employed because progesterone levels vary throughout the menstrual cycle.
• To assess whether a woman has ovulated, when she ovulated, or to track the success of induced ovulation
• Early in pregnancy, combined with human chorionic gonadotropin tests, to help determine an ectopic or failing pregnancy.
• To keep track of a high-risk pregnancy and assess the placenta and fetal health
• If a woman is taking progesterone injections to support her early pregnancy, the success of the replacement treatment should be determined.

Other tests used to diagnose the source of irregular uterine bleeding in non-pregnant women include FSH, LH, hCG, thyroid tests, coagulation tests, and a complete blood count.

What do my Progesterone test results mean?

The interpretation of progesterone test results is dependent on the purpose of the test and requires information of a woman's menstrual cycle or pregnancy stage. When an egg is released from the ovary, progesterone levels rise for several days, then either continue to rise with early pregnancy or fall to initiate menstruation.

A woman may not be ovulating or having regular menstrual periods if her progesterone levels do not rise and fall on a monthly basis. This could be a factor in infertility.

The pregnancy may be ectopic and/or failing if levels do not rise properly throughout the first trimester. If successive assessments show no increase in progesterone levels over time, the placenta and fetus' viability may be jeopardized.

Progesterone levels can occasionally rise as a result of:

• Ovarian cysts can be found in some women.
• Molar pregnancies are non-viable pregnancies.
• Ovarian cancer is an uncommon type of cancer that affects the ovaries.
• The adrenal glands produce too much progesterone.
• Cancer of the adrenal gland
• Adrenal hyperplasia is a condition that occurs at birth

Low progesterone levels have been linked to:

• Toxemia in the third trimester of pregnancy
• Ovary function is impaired.
• Menstrual irregularities
• Ectopic pregnancy is a term used to describe a pregnancy
• Miscarriage or fetal death

We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.