Peri menopause blood test

[Pickle2023]

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a blood test to tell you if you are peri menopausal.

I'm 41, my periods are all over the place which is not normal for me as they were always regular. I'm gaining weight, especially around my middle and I have really low moods at times and can be very agitated, like everything just annoys me for no reason and I just generally feel rubbish. I wake for a wee about 3 times a night and never have a full good nights sleep.

I used to feel good when I made an effort, did my hair and my make up and wore nice clothes but now I can only fit into a few different outfits and feel that I still look crap even when I make an effort.

All of this sounds like peri menopausal symptoms, if I go to my doctor will they be able to confirm if it is?

There is a blood test called FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) that can be tested in women under 45 with menopausal/peri menopausal symptoms to try to establish if they are going through early menopause. That being said, it is notoriously unreliable, and it's not that uncommon for it to come back normal in perimenopausal women, so it's only really useful if it comes back raised.

You can ask your doctor for the blood test, as according to NICE guidelines it would be appropriate at your age, but just be aware that there's no guarantee it would give you any useful information. Menopause/ peri menopause is primarily a clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms.