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[TropicalVon69]

Hi ladies, I just wondered if you could shed some light on blood hormone numbers please as Ive no frame of reference.....prog is 18 FSH .8  LH is 1.7.....and my b12 is 894 ??......thanks in advance :-)

[Milamam]

Hi
It depends on what day of the menstrual cycle were bloods drawn. To my knowledge, FSH at 8 is not high at all.

[Limpy]

When I was checking on my FSH I was told a FSH of over 100 was post menopausal.

[TropicalVon69]

Thanks for your replies ladies......had symptoms for about 2 years now...just no sure what is what level wise....Good God does that mean I've a way to go?.....receptionist at the surgery said numbers were consistent with menopause....hope you're having good days XXX

[TropicalVon69]

Sorry Milamam they were taken 3 days before period.....Limpy....I've no words lol

[Hurdity]

Hi TropicalVon69

How on earth can a receptionist say they are consistent with menopause? I mean that is very imprecise - does she mean you are peri-menopausal or what?

TropicalVon if you look at the GP ref range for progesterone here: http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=-2127232957&linkID=27643&cook=yes you will see that in the luteal phase ( which 3 days before your period you will be in) the range varies from 12 - 90 n mol/l ( it rises to a peak during the 14 day luteal phase and then declines which preciptates menstruation).  From this I would infer that you are still ovulating and therefore what does the receptionist mean by menopause?

Also the FSH ref range is here:
http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=436600899
So I would have said that the value of 8 (if it's measured in the same units) is also consistent with being in the luteal phase.

Here it is for LH
http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=476774467

I know you can't diagnose menopause from blood tests but nothing in these suggests you are peri-menopausal - however if your cycle is changing in length/character and you are getting menopausal symptoms - this is a more accurate measure!

What symptoms are you getting and has your cycle changed at all?

Limpy - that does sound high! I have read that during peri-menopause FSH can go into the post-menopausal range and you cannot diagnose menopause on the basis of one raised FSH reading as it says on here! Was that taken well after a previous natural period?

http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diagnose.php
A normal [FSH] level does not exclude early menopausal transition and a raised level does not exclude continuing ovarian function. One raised level should therefore not be relied upon as a reason to stop using contraception since egg release can still occur late in the menopausal transition.

Fortunately doctors are soon to be advised ( accordimng to the draft NICE Guidelines) not to routinely use FSH to diagnose meopause in women over 45 with cycle changes and the classic menopausal symptoms of flushes and sweats, so hopefully will avoid some of the confusion and worry!


Hurdity x

[Chocolatechaos]

When I was diagnosed with perimenopause last year at 41 I was advised that I had to have the NICE guidelines fsh levels greater than 30 along with symptoms of menopause. My symptoms were erratic periods, brain fog, headaches, overwhelming ness, flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, fatigue, abdominal pains etc. In fact I thought I was going mad along with various diseases lol. I had two consistent fsh levels above 30 to trigger hrt treatment. My LH was high, oestrogen was all over and they didn't check progesterone levels.

[Mary G]

When I found out I was post menopause (I didn't even know I was peri let alone post) my FSH was 81.70.  The last time I had it checked, it was 18.00 but that it because I am on HRT.

[Limpy]

Limpy - that does sound high! I have read that during peri-menopause FSH can go into the post-menopausal range and you cannot diagnose menopause on the basis of one raised FSH reading as it says on here! Was that taken well after a previous natural period?

Hurdity - My first FSH, taken 6 weeks after stopping the BCP when I was 54 was actually 103! A follow up reading 6 months later was 108.  I really don't know when my last natural period was, given I was a long term pill user. Best guess is 15