Stunned and upset by fsh levels

[Mamaonion]

Hi, I would be grateful to hear your insights. I am 40, had a baby 2 years ago (my family is complete), and my periods returned as before quite quickly despite breastfeeding. I had an implant fitted to prevent further pregnancy whilst my OH had his vasectomy completed. The implant was awful - I bled constantly on and off and suffered anxiety. I was thrilled to have it removed in December after a year and get back to myself.

However the irregular bleeding and bad anxiety / mood swings continued. After 3 months of very irregular periods I asked for a blood test - I’ve been under a lot of stress and even was considering if I had a thyroid problem. I’ve put on a few kg which I’ve not been able to shift and I have noticed achy joints. I have had some irritation around my vagina but I thought this was due to the contraceptive implant and breastfeeding.

They told me on Friday my fsh level is extremely high at 74 and this likely indicates menopause and I’ve been in pieces since then. The will repeat the blood test in 4 weeks.

I know this is part of life but I was not prepared or expecting it. I have spent my whole life since early teens caring for others and I’ve just had a horrible divorce. I was just embracing turning 40 a few weeks ago, enjoying my life with my partner, changing my career, getting into shape, having counselling to improve my body image etc and this has hit me like a brick. I am devastated and terrified and don’t feel ready to process this change. I feel so upset to discuss this with all my friends I feel I can’t talk to them and I’m avoiding calls. I feel like I’m so alone and all of a sudden not one of them if I’m in the middle of a menopause, and although my partner is lovely and trying to reassure me I’m so anxious about all the changes to my sexual identity. I don’t mean to be offensive to anyone here, I know my fears are not informed or rational but it was just a shock and I am still reeling. I also have only had a quick phone consultation when the news was broken in the middle of teatime and haven’t had any more info on hrt etc so I’m very much at the start of the journey so please be gentle with me.

Does anyone know the meaning of an fsh reading so high as this? I understand 30 is the mark to indicate peri menopause . Is there any chance this is a hormonal blip? My paternal grandma and auntie did have an early menopause I’ve recently learnt 😔

I went into menopause at 36 due to autoimmune issues. Honestly - a lot of your reaction is shock but you said yourself you’ve completed your family so that’s the main thing and the rest (any menopausal symptoms) can be addressed with HRT. Have a google of the Newson health clinic website and Louise Newson on you tube for good evidence based HRT advice. You don’t actually have to tell anyone you’re in menopause if you don’t want to! Although it’s nothing to be ashamed of- it happens to us all, some sooner than others! Some younger women have a medical menopause caused by all sorts of things - it helped me to think of that.

Hi @Mamaonion, so sorry you’re struggling. Yes one hormone level result on its own can just be a blip. During perimenopause hormone levels fluctuate wildly so you won’t really know for sure until you have a second result.
Having said that I was diagnosed as menopausal aged 43 and my hormone levels were similar to yours. I went to GP after feeling unwell for a while and had full bloods done. The results were a big shock to me. I don’t have kids and didn’t plan to so that wasn’t an issue. But I felt like you did, alone and no one to relate to. I also felt as though I was ageing prematurely and felt a bit unattractive I guess. I can’t even articulate what it was I struggled with exactly but I was in tears and felt devastated for a few days afterwards. However, I did get my head round it and started on hrt which also helped me feel more positive and relieve my symptoms. I am almost a year on now and feel full of energy, attractive, happy etc again. Give yourself time to process your news and then maybe focus on the positive things you can do. Eg I am prioritising my health, done a lot of reading re menopause and feel much more informed and hopeful about things. I think informing yourself is a positive thing as I find a lot of people don’t really talk about menopause that much, other than mentioning hot flushes, so there was a lot I didn’t know

Just another thing to consider…. Women don’t actually need any blood tests to start HRT now. The NICE clinical guidelines say if someone is having menopausal symptoms that they should be offered HRT - although before 45 many doctors like to do bloods to exclude other conditions. The reason for this is that hormone levels do vary so wildly - so you could repeat the test and have a different result, potentially anyway. So I wouldn’t get too caught up on the blood test results but instead focus on the symptoms you have (?) and finding a good HRT regime to manage them.

Thank you for your kind replies. I’m definitely in shock and very emotional. I think this is as much due to my personal life journey as anything.
I might try and see the GP at the surgery who is apparently very knowledgeable for a bit of support/ information next week and I will look at the Louise Newson info. I’ve been a bit scared to delve into it but I think I just need more time. Mumsnet seems to always be my first place to come when I’m totally stumped 💐

I'm sorry you feel upset (understandably.)

I wonder if the implant is to blame for your blood results? It's only 4 months since it was removed. I don't know much about implants (not available in my fertile years!) but I am sure I've read that the effects of them can sometimes last a while.

I'd not rush into assuming it's menopause on the basis of 1 test.

On the other hand, menopause age does tend to be hereditary (but not always) so you are already aware of that.

As others have said, menopause isn't an issue in some ways now as HRT is available and completely safe for women your age, who'd be advised to use it up to age 52 ( average age of menopause.) It doesn't come with the same small risks as it does for older women.

Also, many women your age find they get on well with a couple of types of the Pill which have more estrogen in them and work like HRT - Qlaira is one of them. It's a natural estrogen the same as in HRT.

I'd wait and see what your blood tests say and if necessary take it further by seeing a menopause /fertility consultant (not that you want more children) but just to talk it all over.

It is ok to take the time before delving into everything. And I think it’s perfectly normal to be in shock too. One thing to note, you said you were very anxious about this too - may be not be the case for you, but anxiety is a very common symptom in menopause so it may all be linked.

It is good you have a knowledgeable Gp at your surgery. I was lucky in this too but it’s not always the case re HRT/ menopause. HRT is a personal choice but it is often recommended for those entering early menopause because it helps protect bone health as well as other health benefits. If you are in early menopause please ask to have a bone density scan too as we are at increased risk of osteoporosis (don’t want to worry you). My bone density was low and I am glad I know as I can try to prevent this developing into osteoporosis.

What day of your cycle were the bloods done? They're only really accurate CD2-5. If you had them taken just before ovulation then they will be much higher

Thanks Polkadot- I can’t honestly remember because my bleeding was so erratic since the implant came out… it was in between bleeds when I had about 10 days without bleeding… sometimes the bleeding is heavy as a proper period and other times it’s more like spotting.

I had similar last year OP. Like you, I'd had all the stressful life events in the previous few years. I'm embarrassed to say I blubbed in the surgery, as the GP delivered the results in passing - I'd previously been told they were normal, except I'm older than you and was arguing against a second blood test which wasn't available due to the lack of blood vials at the time. (As you can tell primary care has handled mine badly and continues to do so - do read up when you can face it!) I still haven't processed it, I'm not quite sure why it was such a shock!

EssexLioness I have felt the anxiety to really increase since I had the baby. I have felt more frequently completely overwhelmed and even sometimes feeling that I can’t do it anymore, not exactly suicidal but that I just don’t want to be here. It usually passes with a day or 2 with a lot of crying! But there are so many things in my life and I’ve been so stressed I attributed it to being postpartum, moving house, having the implant, being too tired etc etc
I guess I’d hrt does turn out to be needed and it helps that’s a positive thing.

Sorry to hear that @Mamaonion, sounds like you are having a real tough time. I hope things get easier for you soon.

@Mamaonion There is a charity that is led by specialist gynaes- it's The Daisy Network. They have a website with info and also a forum and support groups. It's aimed at women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) which is women who tend to have very early menopause.

Early menopause is classed as before 40, and if it's a long time before 40, it's classed as premature.

You might find their site helpful. There is a joining fee to access the forum but it's a way to chat to other women and they also have an annual conference (in London.)

Agree re The Daisy Network. @JinglingHellsBells the NHS define early menopause as anything before age of 45