Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: toffeecushion on July 30, 2014, 03:02:07 PM
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A while ago I had my FSH tested and it came back at 8, so no menopause for me yet. I still believe I am perimenopause and have been looking into getting a full hormone blood test done privately. I have found a place that look reputable and will do it for me, but when I asked about doing it at a certain time in the month they said it didn't matter. Does anyone know if the blood test can be taken at anytime?
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I thought it had to be taken on a certain day of your cycle - if you still have a cycle. Day three of your period is the one that springs to mind but not sure how accurate I am!
How old are you and what are the symptoms you want to get rid of?
Taz x
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I thought is was day 3 too.
I am almost 48. Anxiety and palpitations are my main worries at the moment. I also have days when I feel down for no reason. But I can't convince my gp that it is menopause related. I still get periods every month, but they are very irregular and heavy.
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My Gynae won't do blood tests as they are reliably un-reliable ::) - he treats on symptoms only.
Have you thought of keeping a food/mood diary for 3 months?
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Day 3 sounds familiar but I'm sure that's not the FSH levels one, I remember getting one years ago on day 3 and that test included testosterone and estrogen levels. The FSH test isn't accurate as if you are still having periods and you have the test just as you're ovulating then it will come back as normal levels. My GP said normal levels should be in the teens, my last 2 tests were around 60 and going on that and other symptoms they confirned menopause. If you're periods are irregular then you could as your GP to do an FSH test every month, you would need at least 2 high readings to be considered menopausal. Hope this helps :)
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Toffee, I had one of these done a few years back, and mine came back also saying i was no-where near the meno, but my GP then followed it by saying really they don't tell you anything, because unless you'd had one done at about the age of 16, they don't know what YOUR natural lever is anyway, so can only base it on "normal" levels, for the record this was about 8 years ago, i'm now 53 and still having periods, and very few symptoms, just like yours really, so maybe it was right, who knows lol. xx
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I'm with Joyce as have had two blood tests which a different doc each time said came back as me being post menopausal. Since then I've had a post-meno bleed which had to be investigated (all good though thankfully), have periods roughly quarterly, hot flushes and am permanently shattered so in my humble opinion clearly not post menopausal!