In Detail
Monitoring schedules depend on the hormone, the delivery method, and where the patient is in their treatment journey. A typical pattern: baseline labs before starting therapy, follow-up labs at 6 to 12 weeks to assess response, and then every 6 to 12 months once stable.
For men on testosterone therapy, monitoring includes total and free testosterone, estradiol, hematocrit, PSA in age-appropriate men, and lipids. For women on hormone therapy, monitoring is more clinical — symptom response and side effects often guide dosing more than absolute lab numbers, though periodic checks are still useful.
Hormone pellets are typically dosed every 3 to 6 months in women and 4 to 6 months in men, with labs timed to assess steady-state levels. Other delivery methods follow their own rhythms.