Endocrinology FAQ

What is endocrinology?

Endocrinol­o­gy is a branch of med­i­cine focused on the endocrine sys­tem. The endocrine sys­tem com­pris­es of glands which reg­u­late your hormones. 

Who may ben­e­fit from see­ing an endocrinologist?

If you have any of the fol­low­ing con­di­tions, you may ben­e­fit from see­ing an endocrinologist: 

  • Adren­al Conditions
  • Androl­o­gy
  • Bone Dis­or­ders
  • Dia­betes
  • Parathy­roid Conditions
  • Pitu­itary Conditions
  • Thy­roid Conditions

If I have one of the above con­di­tions, do I need to see an endocrinologist?

Many of the dis­or­ders can be man­aged by a pri­ma­ry care provider. If your ini­tial test­ing sug­gests an endocrine dis­or­der, your pri­ma­ry care provider may refer you to an endocrinologist. 

I have weight gain, hair loss or fatigue. Do I need endocrine testing?

Weight gain, hair loss or fatigue from an endocrine con­di­tion is exceed­ing­ly rare. If you are con­cerned, test­ing can be per­formed by your pri­ma­ry care provider. If test­ing is neg­a­tive, then an endocrine refer­ral is usu­al­ly unnecessary.

How do they screen for endocrine disorders? 

  • Blood test — Most endocrine con­di­tions can eas­i­ly be detect­ed with rou­tine blood tests that can be per­formed by your pri­ma­ry care provider.
  • Genet­ic testing
  • Imag­ing
  • Urine test­ing

I think I have a thy­roid con­di­tion, but my tests are nor­mal. What does this mean?

The best and most accu­rate test for the thy­roid is a Thy­roid Stim­u­lat­ing Hor­mone (TSH) test. If this test is nor­mal, it is unlike­ly that a thy­roid con­di­tion exists. 

Do I need a refer­ral to see an endocrinologist?

Your pri­ma­ry care physi­cian can help you decide whether an endocrine eval­u­a­tion is necessary.

Do endocri­nol­o­gists see all ages? 

Adult endocri­nol­o­gists see ages 18 and up

Do any of your endocri­nol­o­gists pre­scribe nat­ur­al or armour thyroid?

The endocrinol­o­gy team fol­lows well researched and evi­dence-based guide­lines. Nat­ur­al thy­roid and/​or armour thy­roid is not rec­om­mend­ed, and there­fore our endocrinol­o­gy team does not pre­scribe these. 

Do any of your endocri­nol­o­gists prescribe sup­ple­ments or gland ​“boost­ers” or reme­dies adver­tised as ​“nat­ur­al”?

Since none of these are test­ed or approved by the FDA, our endocrinol­o­gy team does not rec­om­mend them. The effec­tive­ness and safe­ty of these sub­stances are unknown and can poten­tial­ly inter­fere with your own sys­tem or oth­er med­ica­tions you are taking. 

Does Duly man­age hor­mone replace­ment for trans­gen­der patients or those wish­ing to transition?

We hap­pi­ly accept and treat all LGBTQIA+ patients for endocrine dis­or­ders. Please be advised, how­ev­er, we do not have the mul­ti­dis­ci­pli­nary team required to man­age hor­mones for gen­der transition.