Boston: What is Perimenopause FSH?

Boston,

If you are in your mid to late thirties up to your early fifties, it is very likely that you have heard the phrase “perimenopause FSH.” Someone who knows nothing about what those two words mean may come to the conclusion that it’s something complicated. The truth is, however, that it’s simply the common term used by some women when they refer to the closest thing there is to a perimenopause test.

As you may or may not know, perimenopause is the transition period that a woman goes through between her regular menstrual cycles and the complete cessation of her menstrual cycles. During this transition, a woman’s sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are going through unpredictable fluctuations, causing uncomfortable occurrences more commonly known as perimenopause symptoms.

There is no specific medical exam or test that a woman can take in order to confirm whether or not she is perimenopausal. Doctors usually ask women to do a series of tests, which should point out a trend or all point in the same direction (so to speak.) From the series of tests and observations of symptoms, doctors can conclude whether or not a woman is in the stage of perimenopause.

Among these tests is the FSH test. FSH stands for follicle stimulating hormone. It is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. In a normal menstrual cycle, it increases each month, triggering a woman’s ovaries to produce eggs. If a woman is suspected to have perimenopause, FSH tests can be given in order to see what the levels of FSH are in her body. High FSH levels can indicate perimenopause. While this will have to be confirmed with other perimenopause tests as part of standard procedure, most trends show that high FSH levels means the woman has reached perimenopause.

So, when women say “perimenpopause FSH” they are either referring to the test or to the results of the test. Women can use the term so commonly and casually because like a pregnancy test, an FSH test can be done at home. You either drop urine into a small section of the test stick, or you dip a portion of the test stick into a disposable cup of your urine. After a few minutes, a band or two bands should show up on the results area of the test stick. Sometimes the entire stick changes color. Your test box should tell you which color will indicate high levels of FSH.

Usually, women take the perimenopause FSH test once they start experiencing a few perimenopause symptoms like skipped periods or hot flashes. Once they get a positive or high result, women must go to a doctor for further testing. A doctor will usually take positive FSH result, look at medical history, and consider other factors of lifestyle and heredity. Remember, however, even if an FSH test comes out “negative”, it doesn’t mean a woman does not have perimenopause. If a woman continues to have perimenopause type symptoms, she should see a doctor.

Source by Maggie Rahn

What is Perimenopause FSH?