Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Sedge on December 27, 2019, 03:06:29 PM
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Hi. New member and after some help working out what my bloods mean. Diagnosed as menopausal last year aged 43 and put into evorel Conti. Have been on them for 18 months and had bloods done this week prior to referral to menopause clinic as not feeling right.
Results were:
Oestradiol 55pmol/l
Testosterone 0.9nmol/l
Serum sex hormone binding globulin 32.9nm/l
The Oestradiol and binding globulin were marked as abnormal and the testosterone as normal (although on the low side). I had queried low testosterone which is why I asked to be referred but not quite sure what to make of these.
Thanks
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Surely, the estradiol must be in pmol/L, not nmol because 55 nmol/L = 55,000 pmol/L which is pregnancy high!
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Yes you're right. Sorry- getting confused with the units.
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Your estradiol is very low. Why aren't you taking bio-identical progesterone instead of the norethisterone acetate?
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This is what I'm hoping to address at the clinic. Would Utrogestan be a better alternative? I'm a bit reluctant to start taking anything orally but it appears the patches aren't working for me.
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Hi Sedge have they done you thyroid Blood tests T3 T4 TSH including ferritin and hemoglobin And your levels of vitamin D these are also tests that should be done along side other hormone tests when looking at hormones and the causes for your symptoms.It may give you an explanation.xx😀
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Hi. No they didn't do any other bloods. I think they jus did those requested by the menopause clinic prior to my referral.
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This is what I'm hoping to address at the clinic. Would Utrogestan be a better alternative? I'm a bit reluctant to start taking anything orally but it appears the patches aren't working for me.
Utrogestan is bio-identical progesterone. It can be inserted vaginally, several doctors prescribe it this way and studies have shown it to be effective, especially in relation to its effect on the uterus.
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Hi Sedge
:welcomemm:
When you say you were diagnosed as menopausal - had you been without a natural period for at least 12 months up until this point? Otherwise blood tests do not diagnose menopause (noit post-menopause anyway). Have you had any bleeding on the Evorel conti?
The main thing is - that estradiol level, if in any way accurate, is way too low for someone of your age, so if you are post-menopause you are clearly not absorbing it sufficiently ( although partly depends when you had the blood taken in relation to patch change day?). I would go for separate oestrogen and progestogen and if you don't want to take anything orally then either go for the vag Utrogestan (but I wouldn't want to do this every day so better on a cycle - although regular withdrawal bleed would happen on a cycle) or the Mirena coil which delivers a progestogen directly to the womb with far less systemic absorption (than taken orally). You could then take oestrogen at a level more suitable for your age - either patch (in short supply at the moment) or gel.
Hurdity x