My Approach To
DUTCH Complete: Seeing Your Hormones, Stress Response, and Metabolism in Context
Hormone symptoms rarely come from one number being too high or too low. The DUTCH Complete is a dried urine test that shows how your body is making, using, and clearing hormones, along with your daily cortisol rhythm. Here is how I use it to understand what is driving your symptoms and decide where to begin.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." — Isaiah 40:29
Why I Use the DUTCH Complete
Hormones are messengers, and they respond to everything else going on in the body: stress, blood sugar, gut health, toxic load, and sleep. When I want to understand why a woman feels the way she does, I need more than a list of levels. I need to see the patterns.
The DUTCH Complete gives me that wider view from a few simple collections at home. It shows how your hormones are produced, how they are being metabolized, and how your stress system is functioning across the day, so we can stop guessing and start working with your body.
Why a Single Hormone Number Often Falls Short
Standard hormone testing usually measures a handful of hormones in blood at one point in time. That has its place, but it cannot show what happens to those hormones after they are made, or how cortisol rises and falls over the course of a day.
Two women can have the same estrogen level and very different experiences, because one is clearing estrogen well and the other is pushing it down pathways that create more strain. Two women can have a normal morning cortisol and still feel wired at night or flat all afternoon. The pattern matters as much as the number.
When you have been told your hormones are normal.
Many women I talk with have had a single blood draw that came back within range, yet they still struggle with sleep, mood, cycles, weight, or energy. A snapshot of one moment often misses how hormones move through the day and how the body is breaking them down.
How I Read the Results
I never look at your DUTCH results on their own. I read them alongside your history, symptoms, and the bigger picture of what your body is carrying. Hormone imbalance is often downstream of something else, such as chronic stress, blood sugar swings, gut issues, or a heavy toxic burden.
That shapes what we do first. Sometimes the most helpful step is supporting your stress response and sleep. Sometimes it is supporting the liver and gut so hormones can be cleared well. Matching the pace of the plan to your capacity is a core part of how I work.
What the DUTCH Complete Looks At
The DUTCH Complete covers several areas that work together. Here is what each one tells me.
- Sex hormones: Estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA, which help explain cycle, mood, libido, and energy concerns.
- Estrogen metabolism: Which pathways your body is using to break down estrogen, and how well the methylation step is working.
- Androgen metabolism: How testosterone and related hormones are being processed, which can relate to hair, skin, and cycle changes.
- Daily cortisol rhythm: Free cortisol at several points across the day, showing how your stress response rises and settles.
- Cortisol metabolites: The total amount of cortisol your body is producing and clearing, which adds context to the daily rhythm.
- Melatonin and organic acid markers: Additional clues related to sleep, B vitamins, glutathione, and neurotransmitter activity.
Collection and Timing
The test is collected at home on dried filter paper strips over the course of a day. For women who are still cycling, timing is usually based on your cycle, and you will receive instructions with your kit. Please talk with your prescribing provider before changing any medications or hormones for testing.
Once the lab receives your sample, results typically take about two weeks. We then review them together in a private consultation.
What I Want You to Hear
Your hormones are not working against you. They are responding to what your body is going through, and they are telling a story worth listening to.
When we understand that story, we can support your body with wisdom and patience, one step at a time.
Go deeper
Functional Lab Testing + Private Consultation
See every test I offer and how a private consultation turns results into a plan.
My Approach to Hormones and Perimenopause
How I support women through hormone changes from the root.
My Approach to Adrenal Fatigue and HPA Dysfunction
Why your stress response shapes so much of how you feel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DUTCH Complete?
DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. The Complete panel measures sex hormones and their metabolites, a daily free cortisol pattern, cortisol metabolites, melatonin, and several organic acid markers from a few dried urine samples collected at home.
Why urine instead of blood?
Dried urine lets us see hormone metabolites and a multi-point cortisol pattern from home collections, which a single blood draw cannot show. Blood work is still useful, and the two can complement each other.
Can I take the test if I am on hormones or birth control?
Often yes, though it affects how results are read. Share all medications and supplements with me beforehand, and do not stop anything prescribed without talking to your provider.
How long do results take?
Typically about two weeks after the lab receives your sample. Once results are in and your forms are complete, you can schedule your private consultation.
Does this replace medical care?
No. This service is educational and wellness focused. It does not diagnose or treat disease and does not replace care from your licensed healthcare provider.
Ready for a real next step?
If this is your story too, you don't have to keep guessing or stacking another protocol. Start with the free Toxic Load Assessment + Masterclass, or apply to work with me one-on-one.