Hi there
Just to clarify - it is not a question of "You should be prescribed HRT on symptoms alone and not on blood tests, although some doctors do do blood tests if you are under 45yo. ".
NICE Guidelines recommend that peri-menopausal status should be determined both by cyclical changes, and the two blood tests for women under 40 and sometimes for those between 40 and 45.
Here is what it says about menopausal diagnosis on this website:
"Home kits can be used to check for a raised FSH in a urine test, and you can have a blood test to measure the level, however the level depends on the phase of the cycle and can vary by a factor of 10-30 or more during the menstrual cycle. If having a blood level measured, the blood sample should be taken on the 3rd to 5th day of a period. A normal 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. "
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/diagnose.phpThe reason for the two tests I believe, is partly because for some women, the first test may be low even though they have cyclical changes - and FSH varies hugely throughout the cycle.
Also to confirm the answer to your question that yes oestrogen suppresses FSH and that includes HRT, which is why it is meaningless to perform the test now that you have started HRT.
When you say your cycles started to go haywire - what was happening to cycle length - did it vary between cycles, and what sort of symptoms did you experience?
If you are heading for premature menopause, then it is absolutely crucial that you maintain adequate oestrogen levels for your future health, never mind symptoms so your doctor would be remiss in stopping the HRT.
One solution could be to take one of the combined contraceptive pills desiged for peri-menopause which replace oestrogen in bioidentical form (as estradiol), provide contraception, and suppress the cycle hence preventing the dramatic hormonal fluctuations of peri-menopause. They are QLAIRA and ZOELY. One thing I don't know is whether they maintain adequate oestrogen levels for much younger women but certainly they would be a vast improvement on the POP one of which (Cerazette) actually depresses oestrogen levels.
However if you are happy with Evorel sequi then there is no reason why you should not continue to take it, though if your cycle is still strong, you may get bleeding etc at the "wrong" time. Taking HRT itself should cause a regular withdrawal bleed anyway irrespective of whatever cycle you may have.
Do let us know the outcome and please resist being taken off HRT against your wishes - though stopping HRT for a few months is the only way you can return to whatever natural cycle you have and determine true FSH levels.
Hurdity x