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Tests for Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the time when a woman starts to transition into menopause, which is the end of being able to become pregnant. Perimenopause can last between two to eight years, including the first year after the final period, and usually starts around the age of 40. Although there is no specific test to determine perimenopause, there are some tests that can be administered and some things that can be monitored to determine if you are entering this stage in your life.

  1. Menstrual History

    • Monitoring your menstrual cycle is important in determining if you are in the perimenopausal stage, because estrogen levels fluctuate during this time. Menstrual cycles may be longer or shorter than usual, and menstrual cycles in which you don't ovulate may occur, meaning that you cannot become pregnant. It is for this reason that sometimes a pregnancy test is done to check if you are pregnant, thereby showing that you are not perimenopausal.

    Identifying Symptoms or Body Changes

    • Being able to describe symptoms to your doctor that you may be feeling can help to determine if you are experiencing perimenopause. The symptoms and body changes that are often experienced during perimenopause are hot flashes; irregular sleeping habits; changes in mood, sex drive and cholesterol levels; vaginal and bladder problems; tender breasts; fatigue; periods that are heavy and last longer than usual; decreased hormone levels and bone loss.

    Identifying Medications Taken

    • Knowing the medications that you're taking is important in determining if the symptoms you are feeling are related to the beginning of perimenopause. Doctors may be able to determine if the medications you are taking are related to the symptoms that you're experiencing and determine or rule out perimenopause.

    Hormone Levels

    • Hormone levels can be checked through urine tests or through a blood test such as a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test. FSH stimulates the production of eggs and the hormone estradiol during the first part of the menstrual cycle. During perimenopause, FSH levels increase; therefore, an FSH test can be useful in determining if you have reached perimenopause. Abnormal results, however, don't always mean that a woman is perimenopausal.

    Checking Thyroid Function

    • Checking a woman's thyroid function through a thyroid-stimulating hormone test (TSH) can be administered to see whether symptoms that are similar to perimenopause symptoms are being caused by a thyroid problem. It is a blood test that measures the amount of TSH present to check for abnormal thyroid function. Like the FSH test, abnormal results don't always mean that a woman is perimenopausal.

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