There are very little complications of a progesterone test when blood is taken from a vein. A small bruise may occur at the puncture site. To avoid having a bruise, you should keep pressure on the site during some minutes after the withdrawal of the needle.
In rare cases you may observe the inflammation of the vein after the blood sample is taken. The medical term for such procedure is phlebitis and its treatment is a warm compress that is to be put some times every day.
Patients, who have continued bleeding disorders, should be concerned. There are some medicines such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin) and other blood-thinning medications, that can cause bleeding. You should inform your doctor before blood test about bleeding or clotting problems and blood-thinning medications, taken by you.
The purpose of a progesterone test is to measure the quantity of the hormone progesterone available in a blood sample. Results can be ready within 24 hours.
See at the following tables for the quantity of progesterone levels available in blood during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and after menopause. | Progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle | | Days 1–14: | Less than 50 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) | Less than 1 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) | | Days 15–28: | 300–2,500 ng/dL | 3–25 ng/mL | | Progesterone levels during pregnancy | | 1st trimester: | 900–4,700 ng/dL | 9–47 ng/mL | | 2nd trimester: | 1,700–14,700 ng/dL | 17–147 ng/mL | | 3rd trimester: | 5,500–20,000 ng/dL | 55–200 ng/mL | | Progesterone levels after menopause | | Normal: | Less than 40 ng/dL | or less than 1.0 ng/mL | | Progesterone levels in men | | Normal: | 3–32 ng/dL | 0.3–3.2 ng/mL |
There are many factors that influence progesterone levels. You are recommended to consult your doctor about the results of a test, your symptoms and medical history.
The amount of progesterone is high under the following conditions:
1) Pregnancy.
2) Cancer of the ovaries or adrenal glands.
3) A molar pregnancy.
4) Overproduction of hormones by the adrenal glands.
The amount of progesterone is low under the following conditions:
1) Problems connected with ovulation.
2) Possible miscarriage.
There are some causes that prevent having a test and influence the results:
1) Some hormone medicines, among them there are those that have estrogen or progesterone in their content (such as birth control pills).
2) Such medicines as ampicillin and clomiphene.
3) The time of day you have the test held. The changes of progesterone levels during the day are possible.
4) How much time it is since the moment of your last meal.
5) Physical exercises.
6) When you have such test as a thyroid scan or bone scan, that are held with a radioactive substance (tracer) within 7 days before progesterone testing.
7) If you have menstrual cycle at the moment.
Higher levels of progesterone are observed during a multiple pregnancy (such as twins or triplets) comparing with a single pregnancy (only one fetus). Progesterone levels can be changed during the menstrual cycle. That’s why you should inform your doctor the first day of your last menstrual period.
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