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What Should I Have my Dr. Test for to Determine Menopause?

When a woman has had no periods for 12 consecutive months, she is considered to have reached menopause. The time of changes leading up to menopause, which can last as long as 10 years, is called perimenopause. A follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test is considered the best way to diagnose menopause. However, because a woman's hormone levels fluctuate from one day to another during perimenopause, FSH results are not definitive. Other tests can be done to rule out health problems underlying irregular periods.

  1. To Test or Not to Test

    • Symptoms that might indicate menopause include irregular periods, libido changes, mood swings, sweating and hot flashes, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, headaches, sleep disturbances, and loss of bone density, each of which can be caused by other things. Some women suffer greatly from menopausal symptoms or experience these symptoms before age 40. For them, testing can ease their minds that the symptoms they are experiencing are simply "the change of life" instead of cancer, mental illness, or some other sinister ailment. Other women enter menopause with no bothersome symptoms--their periods simply become irregular and then cease. For these women, there is no real point in having testing done.

    FSH Test

    • A high level of FSH is considered the best indicator of menopause. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an FSH level of 25.8 IU/L (international units per liter) or above is the menopausal range. FSH levels fluctuate greatly during perimenopause, so the FSH test does not provide a definitive answer to whether or not menopause has caused menstruation to cease. An FSH test can be done with a blood sample at a laboratory or by using an over-the-counter home test that uses a stick dipped into the urine stream. The laboratory and home tests provide similarly accurate results.

    Estrogen Test

    • Estradiol is a specific form of estrogen. The normal estradiol range for a woman before menopause is 30 to 400 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL), and the post-menopause range is 0 to 30 pg/mL, the NIH says. Checking estradiol level helps determine the functioning of the ovaries and can differentiate menopause from ovarian tumors. Decreased estrogen levels can indicate menopause or problems with the pituitary gland. High estrogen levels can indicate an ovarian tumor.

    Luteinizing Hormone Test

    • Luteinizing hormone (LH) is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. NIH reports the normal range for an adult female is 5 to 25 IU/L. A high LH level can indicate menopause, ovarian failure, or polycystic ovary disease. A low LH level can indicate a problem with the pituitary gland.

    Test Preparation

    • Certain medications can skew FSH, estrodiol, and LH test results. Tell your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines you use, including herbal supplements. You might need to stop taking them prior to your test. Also tell your doctor if you've had a test that used a radioactive substance within a week prior to the test.

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