You’re not feeling like yourself lately and you can’t put your finger on why. And on social media you’ve heard everyone talking about perimenopause. You’re the right age, your symptoms seem to fit, but you want to know for sure. We all do.
One of the influencers you follow suggested a DUTCH test. Your friend swears by her blood panel that tests her vitamin levels, organ functions, and reproductive hormone levels. Sure, they can be a little expensive (with test running from $50 – $1,500) but if they can confirm that you’re in perimenopause… worth it? NOPE!
The truth is that when it comes to perimenopause, there is NO test. Perimenopause is determined by three key factors: your age, menstrual history, and menopause symptoms, like hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
This is what doctors use to make a diagnosis and determine if menopausal hormone therapy (MHT or HT) should be considered, because testing is unreliable given how hormones fluctuate during this time. That said, blood work (and not the expensive testing mentioned above) may be indicated to rule out other conditions, investigate period changes under the age of 45, or to help you make decisions about removing an IUD.
So, although many of us are desperate for validation and concrete answers, or told that testing is required before prescribing hormone therapy, here’s what the science says about testing:
A Lume Minute
Today’s question for Dr. Woganee Filate is, “I want my hormones checked. Will this be helpful?”Her answer, ‘it’s not,’ and she explains why is less than two minutes. Get the answers you need from the experts at Lume Women + Health.
Hormone Testing and Menopause
In this article, Dr. Jen Gunter debunks the myth that you need hormone testing to confirm perimenopause. Just as we don’t need a blood test to confirm puberty in a 12-year-old, we don’t need one to validate perimenopause in a 48-year-old experiencing typical symptoms.
Got an IUD or had a hysterectomy and wondering about menopause?
Check out this Lume Minute with Dr. Amy Louis-Bayliss and find out when FSH testing is useful and when to skip the blood work entirely.
When Testing Is Needed
An important exception to the ‘no test’ rule is when early or premature menopause is suspected. Then your doctor should do tests, including a physical exam and blood tests to check hormones like FSH and rule out other medical conditions.
Here’s what you really need to know:
- Track your symptoms.
- Maintain open communication with your healthcare provider.
- Save your money.
- And most importantly, trust what your body is telling you.
xoxo,
Mikelle & Michelle
