Hormone Tests For Early Menopause
There are hormone tests that can easily be performed by your doctor to determine if you’re going through premature, or early menopause. Unfortunately, some doctors instantly rule out menopause in patients who are in their twenties or thirties, without doing any testing. For this reason, it’s important that you know what hormone tests to ask for, and ensure that those tests are actually done.
Begin by understanding that if you are still getting your period each month, most doctors will recommend that you get your blood work done on day 3 of your period. However, if you are no longer having periods, blood work can be done at any time. You should also know that most doctors recommend having blood work done twice, about a month apart. This is because hormone levels fluctuate. Double testing can confirm, or rule out early menopause.
The most important hormone tests for early menopause are FSH Blood Level Measurement tests. FSH stands for ‘Follicle Stimulating Hormone.’ FSH levels rise when the ovaries stop producing enough estrogen. Therefore, high FSH levels are an indication that you’re experiencing early menopause. Normal FSH level should be 3 – 20 mlu/ml. FSH levels above 10 to 12 mlu/ml is a sign that you are in the very early stages of menopause.
FSH levels of 30 to 40 or above shows that the ovaries have failed, and that early menopause is taking place. It’s very common for women who are experiencing menopause to continue having periods, with high levels of FSH.
The second set of hormone tests for early menopause are tests that check your estrogen levels. This blood test, called a serum estradiol concentration test, is used to measure the amount of estradiol in your blood. Normal estradiol levels are 25 – 75 pg/ml. However, levels below 30 pg/ml are considered to be menopausal, and when combined with high levels of FSH, these results indicate early menopause.
While FSH and estrogen tests are the most common hormone tests used, depending on your symptoms, your doctor may want to do other hormone tests to check your levels of testosterone, progesterone, leutinizing hormone, and DHEA. These tests are used both to confirm or rule out early menopause, as well as to check for the possibility of other health problems that are not related to early menopause, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Doctors will often recommend that you have your thyroid tested when performing hormone tests. Women who are experiencing early menopause are at a greater risk for thyroid problems. Symptoms of thyroid problems also closely resemble those symptoms of menopause.
Your doctor may also recommend having an ultrasound, along with your hormone tests. The ultrasound will allow the doctor to see if there are still any eggs and/or follicles in your ovaries. This is not considered a very helpful test when trying to determine if a woman is experiencing early menopause. It’s because up to two-thirds of women diagnosed with early menopause actually do have remaining follicles.
You should note that some doctors use saliva tests, instead of blood, for hormone tests. This is not a widely used testing method. This is done because saliva tests are cheaper and quicker. However, they may not be as accurate as blood tests. There are several home hormone tests on the market now, which use urine for testing purposes. You might consider doing your own testing before visiting your doctor. But please don’t use these home hormone tests as an alternative to visiting your doctor.
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