High fsh

[Lah09]

Received my blood test result today. I am completely heartbroken. No idea what stage I am at in my cycle as they are too irregular. Fsh 44. 37yrs old and been trying for baby#1.
Devastated, been sobbing all day. Hoping for a miracle. Life hurts.

[Ilikeviognier]

Hmmm- technically fsh resukts are meaningless unless they are taken on day 1-5. I know you said you don’t know what’s what with your cycle but I’m still not sure how accurate your results will be?

What has the gp said?

[Ilikeviognier]

What made you do the tests- how long have you been trying for?

If you suspect low ovarian reserve I would suggest you push for the amh test- it isn’t affected by the day of your cycle and is a more accurate gage of egg reserve. You might have to pay for it though. You could always ask for a scan too to see if they can count follicles.

I had low ovarian reserve at 34 so I understand how devastating this can be - that said, I managed to get pregnant 3 times and now have 2 dc so all may not be lost.

[Lah09]

Not got official appointment to discuss until next week. Really hoping that scans and amh test are next. Are these offered on the NHS? If not how much do they cost privately?
Been actively trying for a year. Been using cheap ovulation test strips. Did get some positives that sort of made sense, but also some that were very confusing. I really have no idea what phase my body is up to.
Moved house last year after a very stressful 2yr period trying to sell our First place. Not been taking any birth control pills for over 3yrs now. Only used protection in the form of condoms 50% of the time. Both agreed if it happened we would be 'over the moon', and 'just manage' despite not being in the best situation.
I have also done two home urine fsh tests 2 weeks apart and they were both positive.

[Lah09]

Thank you for replying @Ilikeviognier
My serum LH came back at 57.

[Ilikeviognier]

As far as I know the amh test is private and you have to pay for it. I had to pay anyway- but things may have changed- that was more than 6 years ago.

I would push for those before you start to panic tbh.

[Robs20]

You will probably have to pay for the amh test. My GP did all other bloods but not this. You can buy it online from medichecks and do the test at home if you want a quick answer...

[Lah09]

@Robs20 is the home test accurate enough? Thought it would need to be a blood test?
Thank you both @Robs20 @Ilikeviognier for replying.

[Ilikeviognier]

The amh test is a blood test yes. I haven’t heard of a home kit version of it.

[Wesstywoo]

@Lah09 depending on your area the NHS may fund the AMH test but your GP will need to refer you to the hospital to get it done, it is not one they are allowed to arrange themselves. If not it is approx £100 to have it done privately

[SocksForceFive]

I was referred to hospital for fertility testing under the NHS. Amh tests were part of that and low amh triggered me qualifying for IVF.

Push your GP for a referral at your next appointment if you can.

Good luck!

[Lah09]

Thank you @SocksForceFive trying to stay positive this morning.

My understanding is that I would not qualify for IVF with FSH being so High?

[hoping2018]

I don’t know what your finances are like but I would go to your nearest private clinic and have the basic tests done. A GP would have to refer to amh and scans and time is not on your side. Lots of private clinics do open evenings where you get a free 10 minute consultation with a consultant - you could do that with your fsh result? Good starting point. That’s what I did when I got my high fsh result and the consultants advice helped speed everything up - including the GP!

[Robs20]

The medichecks test is a fingerprick blood test that you do at home:
www.medichecks.com/hormone-tests/anti-mullerian-hormone

[Lah09]

Thank you @hoping2018 will have a look at private clinics and see if anything coming up, soon!

[Tolleshunt]

FSH can be high because of stress, not necessarily because of low ovarian reserve. As pp say, AMH is a much better indicator, and even then those with low AMH do conceive.

I think it may be significant that you have had a stressful time of late. You can reduce FSH quite significantly with mind-body techniques such as acupuncture and hypnotherapy, mindfulness etc. Even if you have to have IVF (by no means certain at this point), reducing your FSH could mean the difference between qualifying for NHS treatment or not. Jackie Brown’s book ‘Is your mind fertility friendly’, and Alice Domar’s ‘Conquering Infertility’ both give a lot of info on this, including the relevant research studies.

[Ilikeviognier]

Definitely push for a referral or see someone privately ASAP. You need to get this moving. Tbh my gp was useless and didn’t even realise my fsh was high or what it meant so I wouldn’t rely on them.

[physicskate]

If the test wasn't taken when you're on your period cd2-5 (was it?), the result is fairly meaningless. Do you get periods, even irregularly?

For example, it's perfectly normal (and not at all high) to see mid-cycle results at least 4x higher than when taken during your period.

You do need further testing, but you shouldn't be at panic stations without further information...