Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: laszla on April 10, 2024, 12:28:08 PM
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After years of poor oestrogen and testogel absorption, since last October I've been getting implants, testosterone only in October and then this February a repeat Testosterone (100mg) and Oestradiol (50mg).
Testsosterone with first implant increased to a nice level of 2.5, but a month after the second round this year it shot up to 7 and my oestradiol shot up to 848 (I had been told I might need to go up to as high as 800ish to feel better).
But while I've always fixated on the E2 and T values when I get my blood tests, I've realised that Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinising Hormone, that I've never really considered previously and were always much higher, have plummeted practically off the low end of the chart, FSH is 0.4 U/l and LH is less than 0.3 U/l (literally pre-pubescent levels).
Not sure how to interpret this combination of skyrocketing E2 and T with plummeting LH and FSH, does anyone have any suggestions?
Initial google session tells me that low values can be sign of Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism "a form of hypogonadism that is due to a problem with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus".
Apart from the numbers, I can say I do not feel good, other than T's great improvement of my muscular strength.
I'm actually getting another test tomorrow to see what these mad hormones are doing 6 weeks after the aforementioned test. p.s I am fully intact organ-wise
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Since posting this I had another blood test and my estradiol and testosterone had fallen signifficantly (to 477 and 3.8 respectively) but the FSH and LH were still at rock bottom level.
I realise that we are less well versed in these values than we are re estradiol and t and so it's harder to give feedback but I am desperate to investigate this on the off chance that it might provide a valuable clue as to why I feel bad. So far chasing higher E2 and T numbers has done very little for me and sleep is worse than ever.
So could someone please give me an idea of how to further investigate - eg ask my gp for an endocrinolgist referral (as it might be a pituitary problem). My surgery is pretty bad and in my head it feels as if asking this would be like asking for the moon.
I'd be grateful for any suggestions on how I could look into this. My meno appointment is not til June and I can't hold out that long.
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Hi lovely Laszla
Completely understand the temptation to find an answer somewhere in these numbers. So much so that I've just checked back again and ...
... in my many many blood tests over the last few months (I've had more blood tests than hot dinners, as too sick to cook!) - OK, not all of them were LH/FSH too, they were all E2 and then sometimes with the others (incl T) added on ...
... but my LH/FSH have been flat along the bottom of the graph (often below the range minima), irrespective of whether my E2 was on that particular test doing one of its special highs or special lows.
And consultant (meno expert) has not batted an eyelid or mentioned either of them.
Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear - will watch with interest if someone has any more intel.
xx