Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: JoannFran on January 18, 2025, 10:59:55 AM
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Morning
Has anyone used the MIRA fertility monitor? You can also use it to determine menopause transition.
I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks. You pee on the stick and put it into the monitor and it gives LH, Progesterone and estrogen levels. There’s also FSH sticks that you do at certain times of the month. The website says it 99% accurate.
Anyway it seems to be right as I’m on day 7 of cycle and have had a surge in estrogen today.
I’m also trying to find out if the urine levels of the hormones are the same as blood serum levels or if there’s a conversion chart. Does anyone know?
Would be interested to know if anyone has used this for any length of time and how they have found it?
Thank you xx
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Commercial products like this are a complete waste of money and a shameless exploitation of women at a potentially vulnerable time.
Is there something in particular you are hoping to find out from these urine tests?
Perimenopause and menopause are diagnosed clinically. If hormone levels are indicated to monitor treatment this would require a blood test from an accredited laboratory.
Urine tests for gonadotropins have not been independently validated but even if they are 100% accurate they would not be used to inform treatment decisions.
Please don't waste your money. If you have a concern about your health or treatment and can't get it addressed on the NHS you would be better off spending the money on an appointment with a menopause specialist not buying marketed DIY products with no clinical utility.
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Thanks bombsh3ll
Yeah I kinda had that opinion too but at the moment I’ll try anything to pinpoint what’s going on with me and if it’s hormone related.
I figured if I could see where my levels are everyday then I could correlate the spike/fall/low levels to the way I’m feeling. But that seems to have confused me even more as the readings I’ve got from it range from estrogen 80 to 275 and I’ve felt the same with all those levels.
That’s why I was wondering how the urine levels correlate with blood levels. The estrogen levels on the Mira say mg/ml and bloods are pmol?
I guess I’m just going round in circles with all this.
Thank you x
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They will have different units because blood is different to urine.
There are no standardised data when it comes to interpreting urine estrogen levels, for example what urine level corresponds to what plasma level - this could be affected by multiple factors such as hydration, renal function etc and two women with the same plasma level may have vastly different urine results.
This makes urine tests not very useful for your situation.
If you are still having some ovarian activity yourself they are also constantly changing so you are chasing a moving target.
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Thanks bombsh3ll - I tried so hard to find a urine estrogen to blood level conversion but it seems it does not exist! You are very knowledgable!
So my last blood estrogen was 175 pmol on day 19. Is this considered low because it says 'in range' on the results.
I'm definitely having ovarian activity because i've had a period this month (although it was 3 weeks late)! I don't feel like I ovulate any more tho as I don't have EW mucus or the little ovary cramps anymore.
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175 pmol/L is within the NHS "normal" range but not optimal for health if sustained.
It may be appropriate for some women still having regular menstrual cycles to transiently dip to that level around the start of their period when estradiol levels are lowest. However most people don't feel their best that week.
If estradiol is consistently at or below this level it poses a risk to wellbeing and bone health over the long term.
NHS literature states 250pmol/L as the threshold for providing bone protection to most women. Prof Studd cited 300pmol/L, and I am inclined to believe his expertise as he was personally invested in the welfare of his patients and not constrained by resource issues.
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Hi JoannFran, I just wanted to say I'd been looking into getting one of these, I'll be curious to read your updates on this if you continue using it, and if the results in hormone levels you get from the monitor correlate to your symptoms. I think you could maybe email the company and ask them how to compare blood serum level results to these ones you get from urine.
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Hi rferdi
Thanks for your reply. I'll keep you update once I've completed a month or 2. Yesterday it said my estrogen level had dropped from 276 to 172 in 2 days (and it should be rising as I'm on day 10 of my cycle), and today I feel horrible. Have to test again tomorrow so that will be interesting. xx
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Thanks for that info JoannFran, very interesting. I'll keep an eye on your posts. xx
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Hi rferdi
Thanks for your reply. I'll keep you update once I've completed a month or 2. Yesterday it said my estrogen level had dropped from 276 to 172 in 2 days (and it should be rising as I'm on day 10 of my cycle), and today I feel horrible. Have to test again tomorrow so that will be interesting. xx
Hi there, just wondering if you've been using the monitor, and has it been useful? Thanks!
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Interesting.
For what it's worth ivd had a Dutch test, which measurea via urine. There is no comparison to blood as it actually measures the metabolites leaving your body. Assume this is similar.
That duract tell you what your overall levels are. Just what you excrete. And this depends on your unique metabolism.
However, it will be useful to track what was happening. Each day you felt a certain way. Which I'm always keen to know. But, unfortunately even once I can link something - there's no solution. Because until our hormones flatline, the volatility can cause carnage.