$35.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Brain & nervous system
Pregnenolone test
Master precursor steroid that becomes all other steroid hormones.
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Check before your draw
This marker has no preparation tag, but it can still need preparation. Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Pregnenolone is the starting material your body uses to make other steroid hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. It’s made mainly in the adrenal glands and ovaries.
Why it matters for women
Because it sits at the very start of the hormone chain, pregnenolone can help a doctor see where a problem in making hormones begins. It’s mainly useful next to other hormone tests, often when looking into a rare inherited adrenal condition. A single result says little on its own.
You might check it if…
- other adrenal or sex hormone results came back unusual
- a doctor is looking into a rare adrenal condition
- you’re having a wider set of hormone tests
What your result may mean
High Pregnenolone: what it may mean
High pregnenolone may come from taking pregnenolone supplements, which can raise blood levels. Rarely, it may point to an inherited enzyme problem in the adrenal glands, such as a form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), where hormones can back up behind a blocked step. Levels can also run higher in pregnancy, because the placenta can make this hormone. Women with an adrenal enzyme problem may notice acne, extra hair or irregular periods. Because one value can say little alone, it may help most next to other hormone tests.
Low Pregnenolone: what it may mean
Low pregnenolone may be a normal finding, and levels can decline with age. It can also happen with adrenal insufficiency, when the adrenal glands can't make enough hormones, and tiredness, dizziness or weight loss can come with that condition. Steroid medicines such as prednisone can quiet the adrenal glands and may lower it too. A single low result can't say much on its own, and cortisol or DHEA results can add more.
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These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.