Free Testosterone Test Price in Pakistan: Rs 2,100 at Marham Lab

Testosterone is a hormone, and MedlinePlus explains that although it is often considered a male sex hormone it is present in females in smaller amounts. In both sexes it helps control sex drive and helps with muscle and bone growth. In males it is also involved in body hair growth, a deepening voice during puberty, the production of sperm, the making of new red blood cells, and an increase in height. At Marham Lab a free testosterone test costs Rs 2,100, reduced from Rs 3,000.

Free or Total: Most People Need the Total Test

Read this before booking, because the dearer test is not the better one for most people.

MedlinePlus explains that all the testosterone in your blood is either bound to proteins or unbound, which is called free. Free testosterone is more available for your body to use when building bones and muscles. Most testosterone is bound to proteins such as sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin, and when it is bound your body cannot use it as easily.

It then makes a point that is easy to miss: this is necessary for your health. Having most of your testosterone bound to proteins makes sure your body does not use too much.

MedlinePlus describes three tests.

So if your prescription simply says testosterone, the total test is what is being asked for, and it costs less. Book the free test when your doctor has specifically written free testosterone, which is usually when something about the total result did not fit the clinical picture.

The Morning Rule

This one changes the result, and it is the most common way a testosterone test is wasted.

MedlinePlus states that your provider will take a blood sample in the morning, between 7 and 10, because during these hours your testosterone levels are typically the highest.

An afternoon sample is not comparable to a morning one. Book an early slot, and if you are repeating the test, keep to a similar time so the two results can be read against each other. Home collection in Lahore makes an early appointment easier to keep.

Why Men Are Tested

MedlinePlus notes that for males who have gone through puberty, the test is mostly used for symptoms of low testosterone. It lists them.

• Low sex drive
• Erectile dysfunction, meaning difficulty getting or keeping an erection
• Infertility, meaning difficulty getting someone pregnant
• Enlarged breasts
• Lack of face or body hair
• Thinning bones, or anaemia without a known cause
• Loss of muscle mass

MedlinePlus lists the causes of low testosterone in males: problems with the testicles, which are the main producers of testosterone, chronic diseases such as liver or kidney disease, a pituitary gland disorder, benign tumours, injury to the testicles, alcohol use disorder, and certain genetic diseases such as Klinefelter syndrome.

High testosterone in males may be caused by a tumour in the testicles, steroid use, or an adrenal gland disorder such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Steroid use is worth naming plainly, given how freely gym supplements and injections circulate here.

Why Women Are Tested

For females, MedlinePlus notes the test is mostly used for symptoms of high testosterone rather than low. The symptoms it lists will be familiar to many women in Pakistan.

• Abnormal hair growth on the body or face
• Hair loss on the head, which may resemble male pattern baldness at the temples and on the top of the head
• Voice changes
• Irregular or absent menstrual periods
• Infertility
• Acne

MedlinePlus lists polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) first among the causes of high testosterone in females, followed by ovarian cancer or other problems with the ovaries, an adrenal gland disorder such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and a disorder of the pituitary gland.

PCOS is why many women are sent for this test, and it is usually assessed alongside other hormones rather than on testosterone alone. Your doctor may order [LH](/labs/tests/lh-test-price), [FSH](/labs/tests/fsh-test-price) and [prolactin](/labs/tests/prolactin-test-price) in the same visit.

MedlinePlus also notes that in females low testosterone is normal, though extremely low levels may point to an adrenal gland disorder, a pituitary gland disorder, or a disorder of the ovaries.

An Abnormal Result Is Not a Diagnosis

MedlinePlus states that a testosterone level test alone cannot diagnose any health condition, though abnormal results together with symptoms may be a sign of a health problem.

It adds that results may mean different things depending on which test was done, your age, your symptoms, the results of other tests, and other conditions you have. And it includes one line worth remembering before anyone sells you a treatment: it is normal for testosterone levels to decrease with age.

Who Else Might Need It

MedlinePlus notes the test may also be used to monitor your health if you have had an abnormal testosterone result in the past, are taking a medicine that may affect your testosterone levels, or are taking hormone therapy.

In children and teenagers, it says a provider may use the test to work out what is causing early or delayed puberty.

How to Prepare

MedlinePlus states that in certain cases you may need to fast for several hours before the test, and advises asking your provider how you should prepare.

It also says you may need to stop taking certain medicines beforehand, so tell your provider about everything you take, and do not stop any medicine unless your provider tells you to. That includes gym supplements and any testosterone or steroid preparation, which will change the result and which your doctor needs to know about.

Book a morning slot between 7 and 10.

What Happens During the Test

A trained phlebotomist takes a small blood sample from a vein in your arm using a small needle. MedlinePlus notes it usually takes less than five minutes and that you may feel a little sting as the needle goes in or out. There is very little risk beyond slight pain or bruising, which settles quickly. In Lahore the sample can be collected at your home at no extra cost.

اردو میں

ٹیسٹوسٹیرون ایک ہارمون ہے۔ اسے عام طور پر مردانہ ہارمون سمجھا جاتا ہے، لیکن یہ خواتین میں بھی کم مقدار میں پایا جاتا ہے۔ دونوں میں یہ جنسی خواہش، پٹھوں اور ہڈیوں کی نشوونما میں کردار ادا کرتا ہے۔

فری اور ٹوٹل ٹیسٹوسٹیرون میں فرق کیا ہے۔ خون میں موجود ٹیسٹوسٹیرون کا زیادہ حصہ پروٹین کے ساتھ جڑا ہوتا ہے اور باقی آزاد یعنی فری ہوتا ہے۔ آزاد حصہ جسم زیادہ آسانی سے استعمال کر سکتا ہے۔ یاد رکھیں کہ زیادہ تر ہارمون کا پروٹین کے ساتھ جڑا رہنا صحت کے لیے ضروری ہے، تاکہ جسم ضرورت سے زیادہ استعمال نہ کرے۔

اہم بات یہ ہے کہ عالمی طبی معلومات کے مطابق ٹوٹل ٹیسٹوسٹیرون ہی سب سے عام ٹیسٹ ہے۔ فری ٹیسٹ کم استعمال ہوتا ہے اور صرف بعض صورتوں میں مددگار ہوتا ہے۔ اگر نسخے میں صرف ٹیسٹوسٹیرون لکھا ہے تو ٹوٹل ٹیسٹ مراد ہے، جو سستا بھی ہے۔

ایک اور ضروری بات۔ نمونہ صبح سات سے دس بجے کے درمیان دینا چاہیے، کیونکہ اس وقت ٹیسٹوسٹیرون کی مقدار سب سے زیادہ ہوتی ہے۔ دوپہر یا شام کی رپورٹ کا موازنہ صبح والی رپورٹ سے نہیں کیا جا سکتا۔

خواتین میں یہ ٹیسٹ عام طور پر ہارمون بڑھ جانے کی علامات پر کروایا جاتا ہے، جیسے چہرے یا جسم پر غیر معمولی بال، سر کے بال گرنا، ماہواری بے قاعدہ ہونا، اور کیل مہاسے۔ اس کی سب سے عام وجہ پی سی او ایس ہوتی ہے۔ مردوں میں یہ ٹیسٹ جنسی خواہش میں کمی، بانجھ پن اور پٹھوں کی کمزوری جیسی علامات پر کروایا جاتا ہے۔

اپنی تمام دوائیں اور جم کے سپلیمنٹ ڈاکٹر کو ضرور بتائیں۔ عمر بڑھنے کے ساتھ ٹیسٹوسٹیرون کا کم ہونا ایک قدرتی بات ہے۔ مرہم لیب میں فری ٹیسٹوسٹیرون کی قیمت اکیس سو روپے ہے اور لاہور میں گھر سے نمونہ لینے کی سہولت مفت ہے۔

Final Thoughts

Two things decide whether this test is worth its price. The first is whether your doctor actually asked for the free version, because MedlinePlus is clear that the total test is the common one and the free test is reserved for specific questions. The second is the appointment time, since a sample taken outside 7 to 10 in the morning is measuring the hormone at its low point. Book early, declare every supplement, and take the report back to the doctor rather than to a supplement seller.