How long does it take to get testosterone test results

Q: Is it hard to test testosterone levels?

Its a simple blood test thats usually done early in the morning, when your testosterone levels are highest. You will have a tube of blood taken from a vein in your arm or finger. Tell your doctor if you take any drugs or herbal remedies. Some medicines can affect your test results.

Once you leave the lab, how long will it take to get results of your bloodwork? It depends on several factors.

Table of Contents Show

Tests and when to expect results
How will I learn about my test results?
What Is a Testosterone Test?
What Does the Testosterone Test Measure?
Why Would I Get This Test?
What Happens During the Test?
What Can Your Results Tell Your Doctor?
Do you have to fast for a testosterone blood test?
How does testosterone show up on lab results?
Is it hard to test testosterone levels?
Why would a doctor order a testosterone test?

Doctors use the results of your blood tests to get a better picture of your overall health and understand more about what’s going on inside. There are many things a blood test can show you — such as cholesterol or blood sugar levels. Reading results and communicating them to you can take a matter of hours, days or weeks.

Tests and when to expect results

Complete blood count (CBC) — This test measures components of the blood: white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. It also checks the hemoglobin in the red blood cells and measures the hematocrit, or the proportion of red cells in the blood. CBC results are usually available to your doctor within 24 hours.
Basic metabolic panel — This measures common electrolytes and other compounds in the blood, including calcium, glucose, sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide and creatinine. These results typically are sent to your doctor within 24 hours.
Complete metabolic panel — This blood test measures all the factors mentioned in the basic metabolic panel as well as two protein tests, albumin and total protein, and four tests of liver function (ALP, ALT, AST and bilirubin). A provider may order this more comprehensive testing to better understand your liver or kidney function. They’ll usually receive your results within one to three days.
Lipid panel — Lipid panels measure the amount of cholesterol in the body. This includes high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Your provider should receive results from the lab within 24 hours.
Thyroid panel — These tests look for the presence of thyroid hormone, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), in the blood. Your provider may wish to have a thyroid panel done to see if you have a medical condition affecting your thyroid, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. These results should be sent to your provider within one to two days, so you can usually expect to learn your levels within a week.
Cancer — There are several different blood test types to detect for the possible presence of cancer. The blood tests recommended depend on the type of cancer. Some of these tests can be rarer, as for certain types of immunoglobulins and tumor markers. Results of these tests can take days to a week or more before results are available.
Sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests — Rapid testing is available for HIV tests, usually at community health centers and clinics. Doctors also use blood tests to check for the presence of conditions such as herpes, hepatitis and syphilis. These results may take up to one to two weeks. If swabs or urine testing are preferred for the type of STI you may have, results will take longer because swabs are used to grow cultures. Some STIs don’t show up immediately after they’re transmitted, so your provider may order a follow-up test a certain period of time after a negative result.

How will I learn about my test results?

Lab personnel will usually call or send results directly to a provider’s office for review. If the provider has a lab on-site, some tests may be run there. Some labs will release your results to you through a secure online portal such as MyNortonChart without a doctor’s review.

Reviewing your test results in MyNortonChart is not a substitute for discussing them with your provider. Your care team works diligently to evaluate your results as quickly as possible; please allow 24 to 48 hours for your provider to communicate their analysis of your results.

Results may be delayed if the sample is inadequate (not enough blood) or is contaminated, or if the blood cells were destroyed for some reason before reaching the lab.

Some tests require you to fast (stop eating) for a certain period of time, usually eight hours. If you are not fasting, the test may not be performed since eating affects the outcome of the test. You may need to come back for a blood draw, which will further delay results of some tests.

Many of these tests are performed during an annual physical.
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What Is a Testosterone Test?

It checks the level of testosterone in your blood. Your doctor uses it to diagnose conditions caused by too much or too little testosterone. That’s a hormone produced in a man’s testes.

During puberty, testosterone builds a man's muscles, deepens their voice, puts hair on their chest, and makes their penis grow. Throughout a man's life, the hormone also helps produce sperm and keep up their sex drive.

Women make testosterone too, but in smaller amounts. They produce it in their ovaries. It helps maintain hormone balance and regulates other body functions.

What Does the Testosterone Test Measure?

Testosterone travels through your blood in two ways:

Attached to the proteins albumin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
Free -- not attached to any proteins

Usually you'll get a total testosterone test as a screening test. This measures both free and attached testosterone. To diagnose certain conditions, doctors sometimes look only at free testosterone levels.

In males, the testosterone test can help find the reason for sexual problems, like reduced sex drive or erectile dysfunction. If you’re having a hard time getting your partner pregnant, the test can tell if your blood testosterone level is low. A low testosterone level can also mean a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, which controls how much testosterone your body makes.

In females, this test can find the reason you’re missing periods, not having periods, having a hard time getting pregnant or experiencing male patterns of hair growth such as on your chest or face. Doctors can also use it to help diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which causes elevated testosterone. That’s a hormone problem that can cause irregular periods and make it hard to get pregnant. Testosterone testing is part of the work-up of certain adrenal tumors.

Why Would I Get This Test?

Your doctor might order it if you have symptoms of low or high testosterone.

Symptoms of low testosterone in men include:

Fatigue, depression, or trouble concentrating
Hair loss
Loss of muscle mass
Low sex drive
Swollen breasts
Trouble getting or keeping an erection
Weak bones -- called osteoporosis

Some things that cause low testosterone can also cause a low sperm count. If your sperm count is low, your doctor might order this test.

In women, they include:

Fertility problems
Low sex drive
Skipped or no menstrual periods
Vaginal dryness
Weakened bones -- osteoporosis

Signs of high testosterone in women include:

Acne and oily skin
Darkened areas of skin
Deep voice
Enlarged clitoris
Excess hair on the face or body
Hair loss on the head (baldness)
Skipped or no periods

What Happens During the Test?

It’s a simple blood test that’s usually done early in the morning, when your testosterone levels are highest. You will have a tube of blood taken from a vein in your arm or finger. Tell your doctor if you take any drugs or herbal remedies. Some medicines can affect your test results. Because testosterone levels vary from day to day and hour to hour, if a low or high level is found, the test is usually repeated.

What Can Your Results Tell Your Doctor?

They’ll let one know whether you have normal, high, or low testosterone. A normal testosterone level for you will depend on your gender and age.

Normal total testosterone results in adult men:

Ages 19 to 49 -- 249 - 836 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL)
Ages 50 and older -- 193 - 740 ng/dL

Normal total testosterone results in adult women:

Ages 19 to 49 -- 8 - 48 ng/dL
Ages 50 and older -- 2 - 41 ng/dL

Depending on your results, you might also need one of these other tests:

17-hydroxyprogesterone. It detects congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which affects your production of hormones.
Androstenedione (AD). It checks how well your adrenal glands, ovaries, or testicles work.
Biopsy. Your doctor removes a sample of tissue from your testicles to check for cancer.
DHEAS. It looks for problems or tumors in your adrenal glands.
Estrogens. It measures estrogen levels, and can help diagnose infertility or menopause.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH). They evaluate fertility in women, and puberty in girls.
Prolactin. It diagnoses breast discharge, missing periods, infertility, or low sex drive in women.

Do you have to fast for a testosterone blood test?

To obtain a accurate picture of testosterone levels, men who present with signs and symptoms of testosterone deficiency and who display borderline non-fasting low serum testosterone levels, should have morning measurements taken in a fasting state.

How does testosterone show up on lab results?

Total testosterone results are typically reported in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).

Is it hard to test testosterone levels?

It's a simple blood test that's usually done early in the morning, when your testosterone levels are highest. You will have a tube of blood taken from a vein in your arm or finger. Tell your doctor if you take any drugs or herbal remedies. Some medicines can affect your test results.

Why would a doctor order a testosterone test?

Why do I need a testosterone levels test? You may need this test if you have symptoms of abnormal testosterone levels. For males who have gone through puberty, the test is mostly used for symptoms of low T levels (testosterone levels which are too low). Testosterone levels tend to decrease with age.