A co-worker recently e-mailed me for advice with the following information.  I added the menopause guru part.   OK,  so maybe I’m not  exactly a guru but I just thought the term  fit for this.  And it has kind of a nice ring to it, don’t you think?    Hopefully her physician had some good reason  not covered in the e-mail for doing all the testing that was done.

 

I wonder if you could clear up some confusion for me.   Supposedly I was menopausal with hormone testing results of  FSH (folicle stimulating hormone) 60 and  estradiol 8  done in September of last year.  Then I had a period.  I had an ultrasound, and MRI and a endometrial biopsy done.  These tests were all normal.  Then this June I had another period.  More testing with a D&C and hysteroscopy which were normal. Now my FSH is  26 and estradiol is 20.  What is going on?  Any thoughts? 

 

 Dear T.O,

Well, To really give you a specific answer about your situation I would need more information.   I would need to know how old you are, why the heck you had hormone testing done, how long you went without a period, medical history and other symptoms or issues etc.   But I can tell you that generally one cannot diagnose menopause from hormone testing since during perimenopause there is great flucuation up and down.  The only way to know for sure is no period for 12 months straight.  If you did go a full year without a period then began to bleed again then it is post menopausal bleeding and of concern.  But if your menopause diagnosis was solely based on your FSH/ estradiol level then you are probably perimenopausal and irregular cycles would be expected.  Perimenopause can go on for several years.  Generally as a woman gets closer to that final  period which in retrospect is the defining moment of her menopause,  periods will space out more and more.  Hope this clears things up abit.

Sincerely, M.G.