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AIBU?

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Original poster

To beg for help, I’m worried sick

28 replies

hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:21

Hi, I posted on here last week but didn’t get much traffic. I’m waiting to speak to my GP about this but can’t get an appointment atm and I’m extremely worried in the mean time, so hoping someone on here can offer any advice, experience or knowledge.

im in my 20s and have always had period problems. Usually between 4-7 periods a year and extremely long cycles/skipping periods altogether. For example, last year I had a period at the start of January, end of march, end of april, end of September and start of December. That’s a typical year for me. I’ve been to the GP 10+ times and requested help but continually been told it’s normal. I had a hormone blood test when I was about 15/16 and all was normal so they said it should regulate as I get older but it didn’t. Every time I mention my period it gets fobbed off because I had a healthy blood test as a teenager but nobody has ever been able to explain why it’s still like this in my 20s

i paid hormone blood test and I’ve attached the results as a photo. Some things were normal but other things were completely off. Just for reference i was in the luteal stage at the time of the test.

I’ve got myself into a worry about the results. Could this mean I’m having early menopause? I always wanted to have kids and I’m just worried I won’t be able to. Anytime I googled it it said the results suggested menopause or other things and I’ve got myself into a worry about it. I’m annoyed about being fobbed off for so long too

if anyone can offer any advice or anything in the meantime I would be so so grateful x

OP posts:
Original poster
hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:24

I’ve circled the things that are apparently abnormal. I’m in the luteal phase so the oestradiol and progesterone are lower than expected and the lutenising hormone is higher

I’ve tried Googling what it means but can’t find anything I can understand or that isn’t menopause related. Just really desperate for help so if anyone has anything to offer it would be very appreciated x

To beg for help, I’m worried sick
OP posts:
Zoeyclash · 28/02/2023 23:26

Could it be PCOS maybe? Do you have other symptoms.... e.g. tendency to gain weight easily, excess hair on chin and face, history of diabetes in the family? A straightforward ovarian scan will be able to disgnose PCOS

cornflakegeneration · 28/02/2023 23:29

I'm absolutely no expert but are you a normal weight?
I only ask because a few people I know had very irregular periods - one underweight and one who did a lot of exercise.

Original poster
hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:32

I had a private ultrasound as I thought it could be pcos but they didn’t find anything and said the follicles (or something along those lines!) were normal and didn’t find pcos or whatever it is they look for to diagnosis pcos x

i should have added sorry I’m a normal weight and don’t have eating problems on either end of the spectrum (I’m a very average person lol, average weight, average amount of walking/expertise etc) nothing excessive either way x

OP posts:
massifcentral · 28/02/2023 23:33

It's almost certainly PCOS. Don't worry. Did you get your FSH tested. Is it quite a lot lower than your LH? The low progesterone just shows that you haven't recently ovulated (ie you were not in the luteal phase when this test was done). LH:FSH is increased in PCOS.

Your fertility is almost certainly fine and you may like many PCOS-ers find your periods soon become more regular. I had years of 3-6 periods a year in my 20s, and some that were a bit closer to normal (never closer together than 35 days). In early thirties I developed a regular cycle. Conceived within two months both times I tried in my late 30s.

Original poster
hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:36

massifcentral · 28/02/2023 23:33

It's almost certainly PCOS. Don't worry. Did you get your FSH tested. Is it quite a lot lower than your LH? The low progesterone just shows that you haven't recently ovulated (ie you were not in the luteal phase when this test was done). LH:FSH is increased in PCOS.

Your fertility is almost certainly fine and you may like many PCOS-ers find your periods soon become more regular. I had years of 3-6 periods a year in my 20s, and some that were a bit closer to normal (never closer together than 35 days). In early thirties I developed a regular cycle. Conceived within two months both times I tried in my late 30s.

Please don’t think I’m doubting you or being rude here but I was definitely in the luteal phase at the time of the test, that’s what was really confusing me 😭 I’d just come out of the ovulation phase and I was definitely in luteal phase x

thank you so much for the info! It’s such a relief to hear other people with similar problems managed to successful conceive etc! Congratulations 🥰

It’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about it. x

OP posts:
massifcentral · 28/02/2023 23:37

As for weight, my BMI in my 20s was always between 20 and 22. No extra hair, no spots (though I had them as a teen), narrow enough waist.
The problem with PCOS if you wanted to get pregnant tomorrow is that you aren't ovulating regularly. You hadn't recently when that test was taken. But may have done not long afterwards.
But ovulation can fairly easily be induced.

As you get older and the number of follicles in your ovaries decreases, your hormone levels tend to normalise. Women with PCOS start with more follicles and often go through menopause later not earlier than most other women.

MarshaMelrose · 28/02/2023 23:38

Because you're so irregular, is it possible you were mid cycle rather in the luteal phase? That would fit with the FSH result.

MarshaMelrose · 28/02/2023 23:39

Oh, sorry. Cross-posted.

Original poster
hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:40

MarshaMelrose · 28/02/2023 23:38

Because you're so irregular, is it possible you were mid cycle rather in the luteal phase? That would fit with the FSH result.

I did initially think that but I was definitely just out of the ovulation phase and I’d actually had normal periods for the last 2 so I could track it and knew where I was in the phase, that’s why the private doctor told me to get the test done when I could track it rather than when my last period was 5+ months before and it’s obvious to harder, so this time I definitely knew I was in the luteal phase x

OP posts:
massifcentral · 28/02/2023 23:41

The definition of being in the luteal phase is that you've recently ovulated. The corpus luteum produced after the egg is released pumps out progesterone (and estrogen).

Your progesterone when this test was taken is so low that you wouldn't have ovulated in the previous 13 days or so. What even makes you think that you were in the luteal phase? Ovulation is hard to predict and literally the only proof it has happened, other than pregnancy (which also of course means raised progesterone) is a higher level of progesterone on a blood test.

With PCOS you spend 3, 4, maybe more weeks at a time in a sort of follicular phase, the body gearing up and then failing to ovulate, before eventually managing to, and then will sporadically have the normal two weeks in the luteal phase. Ovulation is a much less frequent than normal event. But don't worry. It is common. It does not make you infertile. Read more about it.

Original poster
hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:44

massifcentral · 28/02/2023 23:41

The definition of being in the luteal phase is that you've recently ovulated. The corpus luteum produced after the egg is released pumps out progesterone (and estrogen).

Your progesterone when this test was taken is so low that you wouldn't have ovulated in the previous 13 days or so. What even makes you think that you were in the luteal phase? Ovulation is hard to predict and literally the only proof it has happened, other than pregnancy (which also of course means raised progesterone) is a higher level of progesterone on a blood test.

With PCOS you spend 3, 4, maybe more weeks at a time in a sort of follicular phase, the body gearing up and then failing to ovulate, before eventually managing to, and then will sporadically have the normal two weeks in the luteal phase. Ovulation is a much less frequent than normal event. But don't worry. It is common. It does not make you infertile. Read more about it.

Thank you for the info, i had been going to a private doctor who was tracking it and they were the one who tracked it and said I was out of the follicular phase and into ovulation then into luteal etc, I also had all the symptoms and changes on top of that so I knew I was in the luteal phase x

OP posts:
BananaCocktails · 28/02/2023 23:46

I had similar, but my prolactin was slightly more raised but still within the normal range
turns out I had a benign tumour in the brain called a microprolactinoma which was causing my periods to be absent and irregular
this can affect fertility and I take a special tablet once a week to lower the levels

purplefacemask · 28/02/2023 23:48

Looks like polycystic ovarian syndrome. If it is, there's a wide spectrum of how women are affected, with most being able to fall pregnant. Your FSH does not suggest menopause.

Golightly133 · 28/02/2023 23:54

I found acupuncture really helped with my irregular periods went from all over the place to 28 day cycles x it completely balanced my hormones

SleepingisanArt · 01/03/2023 00:02

Do you have an appointment with the private doctor to discuss the results? If they have organised the tests then surely you should be discussing the results with them?

Poopgal · 01/03/2023 00:06

hormomehelp · 28/02/2023 23:44

Thank you for the info, i had been going to a private doctor who was tracking it and they were the one who tracked it and said I was out of the follicular phase and into ovulation then into luteal etc, I also had all the symptoms and changes on top of that so I knew I was in the luteal phase x

Show quote history

With respect to your doctor, being regular for two periods isn’t tracking. It’s impossible to establish any sort of pattern when your dataset is two. Like another poster said, you almost certainly didn’t ovulate in the past two weeks of that test given your progesterone numbers (which don’t lie).

PCOS makes sense.

Original poster
hormomehelp · 01/03/2023 00:06

SleepingisanArt · 01/03/2023 00:02

Do you have an appointment with the private doctor to discuss the results? If they have organised the tests then surely you should be discussing the results with them?

No because I stupidly didn’t book one and said I would take it to my nhs gp and now they’re fully booked! It’s my own fault and I should have booked the follow up with them but it’s so expensive and I was really struggling to afford it anyway x

OP posts:
Deathbyfluffy · 01/03/2023 00:07

I can’t help with the ‘lady’ things (I’m a man) but what I can say is that 111 are good for things like this - they have access to GP appointments and can signpost you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Bunnyfuller · 01/03/2023 00:13

Get your thyroid checked too. Scientifically without a series of blood tests your private doctor is guessing when you should have ovulated. With all due respect, your doctor is ripping you off. Start tracking yourself, by doing basal body temperature (google ovulation tracking by temperatures).

VenusStarr · 01/03/2023 00:13

Agree with others saying you weren't in the luteal phase when you had these bloods done.
You need cycle day 1-5 bloods to test your lh, fsh and estradiol. Then you need a progesterone blood test, typically called a cycle day 21 test. The best times to do it is 7 dats before your period. I think its possible you aren't ovulating but you can have regular periods and not ovulate. Hopefully you can get in with the GP to arrange the bloods.

septembersapphire7 · 01/03/2023 00:15

I’d say pcos based on those results too.

fsh: lh ratio should be 1:1 and yours is 1:5 (ideally should have been taken on day 2/3 of your cycle)9
testosterone is high
progesterone is low (ideally should be taken 7 days post ovulation) and this suggests that you haven’t ovulated for this cycle.

are you worried because you are trying to get pregnant or you want to regulate your cycles? There are supplements you can take (myoinositol for one) or gp can refer you to a gynaecologist who will assess what suits you to regulate your periods/symptoms (this will depend on your symptoms and priorities).

but overall, nothing to be anxious about. Very common and very treatable.

RandomMess · 01/03/2023 00:23

I always had very long cycles 6-7 weeks until after I had my 2nd child aged 30. I was incredibly fertile though.

BritInAus · 01/03/2023 00:40

Another vote for PCOS. Could you ask a GP for a referral to a fertility specialist? They are much more experiecned and knowledgeable. They'll take your history, run some baseline tests (bloods, pelvic ultrasound, AMH) and be able to tell you what's going on and if there are any impacts for future fertility. Please don't panic.

Puddlelane123 · 01/03/2023 01:46

OP as others have said those blood results are absolutely classic for PCOS. They also indicate that you have not ovulated / are not in the luteal phase. Make an appointment with your gp and ask for day 1-5 bloods when you next have a period, and get a referral to gynaecology. Try not to worry - there are numerous lifestyle changes and medications than can make a huge difference with PCOS.