Infertility
High FSH levels on home test - panic!
SammyL100 · 06/01/2017 10:34
Hi
I am 39 years old and was ttc for 3 months fell pregnant before I had a mc at 12 weeks.
I took a home FSH test which are meant to be reliable. The result is good if there is no line or a feint line in the test window ( FSH below 25 which is very high) . I have attached my result:
I am panicking! As although the line is thin it is definitely there and this seems to indicate high FSH levels so shows I have an egg quality issue?
Does anyone have any advice? I am scared of going to docs as I suffer from great anxiety and a full blood test would make me lose hope totally.
Kintan · 06/01/2017 14:02
I did one of those home tests too, got the second line, and slightly panicked - so booked a doctor's appointment to get checked out. But then I got pregnant the next month, so don't worry too much. I would say it's best to get checked out though - despite your anxiety - in case there is an easily fixable problem, like an underactive thyroid, or any kind of vitamin/mineral deficiency. Good luck!
Chattycat78 · 06/01/2017 14:09
I have no idea about the accuracy of those tests, but just for clarity, high fsh has nothing to do with egg quality- it can suggest a low number of eggs yes, but there is no test which exists for egg quality, and it is quality which determines whether pregnancy happens or not.
You could go and ask the gp to do you the fsh blood test if you're worried, but even then, the result won't tell you if you'll get pregnant or not.
I was given a fsh score of 12 when I was 34- caused massive panic and I was sure I'd never conceive. I now have 2 little boys- one via ivf and one naturally.
SammyL100 · 06/01/2017 14:35
Thank you!
Just spoke to my GP. He said don't worry, we will do a 21 day blood check and said that FSH levels vary so much between people its hard to say what is normal! He said progesterone was the real thing to look for. So am going for tests but binning the FSH tests!
Feel relieved now! Thank you Chatty and Kintan for your reassuring words .
SammyL100 · 06/01/2017 16:51
Hi Chattycat, I did some reading and seems lits of women csn deluver to term with high FSH but a lot of sites say FSH is an indication of egg quality, as it is the gas that fuels the ovaries.
www.babymed.com/fertility-tests/fsh-follicle-stimulating-hormone-ovarian-fertility-egg-quality-test
Interested to hear your take??
Chattycat78 · 06/01/2017 18:56
Yeah sorry I don't buy it. I did loads of reading too and everything suggested that high fsh means that Ovaries are struggling because of low egg numbers. This makes sense but I can't see how fsh can say anything about egg quality. You'd have to take the eggs out and look at them to get an idea about that. Connections have been made as some fertility doctors assume that less eggs mean that the ones left are poor quality, but it's not necessarily the case.
Blueroses99 · 06/01/2017 22:10
Agree with Chattycat in that the link between FSH and egg quality is suspect.
I have normal FSH but poor egg quality - lots of eggs collected but low proportion of mature eggs that could be used by ICSI among them.
SammyL100 · 07/01/2017 09:31
The more I have read the more I think FSH is too unreliable to be an effective measure. Young women with high FSH have success naturally and with IVF, older women with high FSH often barred from IVF, have success naturally. Levels fluctuate so greatly. It seems surprising its viewed as such an important measure.
I did another home FSH test yesterday morning where I followed the instructions to the letter and this time, I got a very very faint line barely visible.
Interesting info collated from a blogger:
singledigitpercent.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/over-40-high-fsh-success-stories.html?m=1
Seems cruel some women with high FSH are being written off when it is so unreliable.
bananafish81 · 07/01/2017 14:15
Are you doing your FSH test on day 3 (day 2-4 is fine) of your cycle? It's completely irrelevant and useless to take a level at any other time as levels start to rise with follicular development - it's the baseline level that's meaningful
And it is absolutely true that levels do fluctuate month on month. AMH and antral follicle count are much more reliable indicators of ovarian reserve. However as chatty says, this is only a measure of egg quantity and likely response to ovarian stimulation. It's got no bearing on ability to conceive naturally, where you're ovulating only one egg anyway
SammyL100 · 07/01/2017 14:51
Hi banana,
I did do the test on day 4 of my cycle though it says on my test pack you could do it on any day. I also took it in the evening and sorry for the tmi but my sample was contaminated with blood.
I took the test next day (they provided 2 tests and urged you to go to the docs if BOTH were positive which I think backs up your baseline comment) and followed the test instructions to the letter. I got a more fainter line. Also speaking to my GP did reassure me as he said FSH levels vary too widely to be a good measure!
I don't know if these tests are accurate I was pregnant a few months ago so that seems to fly in the face of this test. But I know as an older woman my FSH are bound to be higher (whatever that really means)
Nic21 · 23/08/2017 15:10
Not sure if anyone will still be checking this thread but I was hoping for some thoughts.
I hadn't had a period in over 2 months so took a couple home tests but both were negative. I booked a Dr's appointment for a check and she requested a blood test. The results came back as FSH of 27 and the other hormone level of around 20. This was the first test that I have ever done and she told me that it is likely that I won't be able to conceive now and with a reading that high IVF will most likely be impossible. I had never worried about the timescale that I was hoping to get pregnant as I never thought this would be an issue and now I'm panicking. I'm only 36 and want to have a family and it seems like that is going to have to be sooner than later; both my mother and grandmother were fully menopausal by the time they were 40. Does anyone have any advice on lowering FSH levels or success stories of conceiving after having a reading that high?
Any thoughts/advice/stories would be appreciated!
Chattycat78 · 23/08/2017 15:49
Id start your own thread if I were you.
The problem with the result you've had is that fsh is supposed To be measured day 1-3 of cycle. I'm. Not sure if it can be accurate if taken at any other time....?
As for lowering fsh- it's not possible- and even if it was- it doesn't matter because it's what fsh shows that's not reversible- i.e. If you have high fsh it means you have few eggs left as your body is struggling to ovulate, and you can't make any more.
However- that said- fsh only tells you about egg numbers and not quality, which is the most important bit.
TBH i would find out how relevant those fsh scores can be if I were you before going any further.
Chattycat78 · 23/08/2017 16:02
Also - I'm a little surprised that you didn't think timescales were an issue if your mum and grandma went into the menopause at 40. The menopause timing runs in families usually (although not always).
JoJoSM2 · 23/08/2017 22:44
Nic, if the timing of the test is valid, it looks like you could be in perimenopause already :( That would tally up with your family history of premature menopause. If you're serious about having children, it'd be useful to do more tests asap to get a fuller picture based on thorough investigation.
Chattycat78 · 24/08/2017 08:11
Yes- I'm afraid I agree- which Is why it's essential to make sure the test is accurate in case you're panicking for nothing. You need your amh testing too and maybe an Antral follicle count scan.
Nic21 · 24/08/2017 13:09
JoJo and Chattycat - thank you for your advice! Much appreciated! Have made another appointment with GP to discuss test and other options to me and will have to just go from there. I always thought if it is meant to happen it will or we will find a way.
Thanks again :)
ItsLikeRainOnYourWeddingDay · 24/08/2017 13:17
Not rtft but look at AMH testing. It is the gold standard now in determining ovarian reserve.
Many clinics offer an ovarian MOT now which includes the AMH blood test and a scan.
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