Test Details
Lab Company: ZRT Laboratory
Sample Type: Urine, Blood Spot
Collection Location: At Home
The Blood Spot Thyroids + Dried Urine Estrogen/Hormone Metabolites panels offer a comprehensive assessment of thyroid health, sex steroid hormone metabolites, and cortisol metabolism.
Key Details
🩸 If you are a menstruating woman, you need to collect your sample on specific days of your cycle.
💊 You must avoid certain medications before sample collection.
☀️ Collect your first sample upon waking.
🚚 Ship samples back to the lab as soon as possible after collection.
Preparation & Timing
If you are a man, child, or non-menstruating woman, you can collect your sample at any time.
If you are a menstruating woman,
Regular cycles: Collect on Day 19, 20, or 21 of your cycle (where Day 1 is the first day of your period).
Irregular cycles: Collect 5 days before your period starts.
Unpredictable cycle: Collect any day when not bleeding.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking steroids. They may affect test results.
Avoid the following medications for 3 days before sample collection.
Vaginal hormones
Biotin/Vitamin B7
On the day of collection, avoid the following activities until you have collected your first sample.
Eating
Drinking
Taking vitamins or supplements
Taking medications, including morning hormone doses
On the day of collection, avoid the following activities until you have collected all samples.
Taking evening hormone doses
DO NOT drink more than 8 oz of water in the hour before each sample collection.
Collection Instructions
You will collect five samples following the schedule below.
If you miss a collection, collect the sample at the designated time the following day.
Urine Collection
Write the following information on a collection card.
Patient's name
Date of collection
Time of collection
Open the cover on the collection card by folding it back, away from the filter paper.
DO NOT touch the filter paper.
Collect your urine by either:
Urinating directly on the filter paper
Collecting your urine in a clean cup
If you collected your urine in a clean cup, dip the filter paper in the urine up to the top black line.
Ensure the filter paper is fully saturated.
Hang or tape the collection card in a secure place to dry.
DO NOT let anything touch the filter paper.
Let the card dry for at least 6 hours.
Repeat steps 1-7 for all four collections, following the schedule above.
Once the cards are completely dry, refold them.
Place the cards into the baggie.
Seal the baggie.
Blood Spot Collection
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Dry your hands with a clean towel.
Try one of the following activities to increase circulation.
Rubbing your hands together
Swinging your arms around several times
Shaking your arms
Doing a few jumping jacks
Write the following information on the collection card.
Full name
Date of collection
Time of collection
Fold the collection card cover away from the filter paper (which has circles for blood collection).
DO NOT touch the filter paper.
Tape the card to a low surface (such as a table) with the filter paper facing out.
Open the sterile gauze and alcohol pad.
Wash and dry your hands again.
Clean the tip of the middle or ring finger on your non-dominant hand with the provided alcohol pad.
Twist off the small cap to break the seal of the lancet.
DO NOT touch the tip of the lancet.
Place the tip of the lancet against the side of your fingertip.
Press down firmly until you hear a click.
Wipe away the first drop of blood with the sterile gauze.
Position your finger above the collection card.
Gently stroke the pricked finger from the base of the finger to just above the puncture site to allow a large drop of blood to form.
AVOID strong repetitive pressure on the pricked finger. This may cause contamination of the sample
Hold the finger downward to allow the blood to drop onto the collection card circles.
DO NOT touch the card with your finger.
DO NOT rub or smear the sample.
Place one drop per circle.
Make sure the blood fills the circle and saturates through to the back of the card.
Collect blood until all circles are filled.
If blood stops flowing before you are finished, firmly wipe the finger with the gauze to get the blood flowing again.
You can use the second lancet and another finger, if necessary.
Bandage your finger.
Leave the card open to dry for at least 4 hours.
Keep the card in a cool, dry location away from sunlight.
Once the card is dry, fold the cover over the blood spots.
Requisition & Payment
Your kit has been prepaid. You DO NOT need to pay anything extra.
You must complete your requisition form and send it back with your samples.
Since you pre-paid for your tests, you do not need to fill in the payment information on this form.
Shipping
Ship samples as soon as possible after collection.
To prepare your sample for shipping,
Place the COMPLETELY DRY, folded urine sample cards into the baggie.
Seal the baggie.
Place the baggie into the test kit box.
Place the COMPLETELY DRY blood spot collection card into the test kit box.
Place the completed test requisition form into the test kit box.
Place the test kit inside the provided envelope.
Place the prepaid label on the envelope.
Make a note of the tracking number on the return mailer so that you can track your samples back to the lab.
Results
Results should be released to your provider 3-5 business days after samples are received at the lab. Rupa Health cannot guarantee processing time.
More Resources
Questions?
Reach out to Rupa Health via the chat in your patient portal.