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For one thing, hormones can rise and dip dramatically over the course of six months, says Mary Jane Minkin, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Yale School of Medicine. What's more, you can have levels that fall within the "normal" range but still suffer dramatic side effects, notes Meraglia. So ask your doctor for blood tests to determine your levels, but then have her repeat them once you've had treatment and feel better so that you know "what your levels are when they are optimized," says internist Erika Schwartz, author of Don't Let Your Doctor Kill You. Here, a hormone cheat sheet.