CAN YOU TAKE A TEST FOR PERIMENOPAUSE?

You think you might be in perimenopause. You’ve looked at the list of symptoms and said Wait, that’s me! and you would like to know for sure. You wonder if you can take a test for perimenopause?

You assume your OB-GYN or primary care doctor will want to see you on a particular day of your cycle. After all, they will need to draw blood or do a transvaginal ultrasound or something, right? Guess what? They won’t need to do any of that. You don’t even really need to see the doctor in person. Telehealth works, too.

“Often blood tests will show very high estradiol (estrogen) levels, but that just means at the time of the blood test hormone levels were high.”

 “During the perimenopause, our hormones really fluctuate. Sometimes they are high, sometimes low,” says Dr. Louise Newson, the UK’s foremost menopause specialist. “Often blood tests will show very high estradiol (estrogen) levels, but that just means at the time of the blood test hormone levels were high.”

Essentially, you’ll only ever know what your hormones were doing at the exact moment you went to see your doctor. But, really, your hormone levels in peri hop up and down like crazy throughout the day. Levels can be low one minute and super-high an hour later.

So, how do they test for it, then? It turns out, that doctors who are up-to-date on female hormone literature can diagnose peri simply by having a conversation with you. But but but what about all those special hormone tests you see online, like urine or saliva tests? Says Dr. Newson: “They’re just a waste of money."  

“What’s necessary is two things: a really knowledgeable clinician, and you knowing your symptoms very well.

“Lab work isn’t really all that necessary,” says Dr. Heather Hirsch board-certified internist, and founder and CEO of Health by Heather Hirsch.  “What’s necessary is two things: a really knowledgeable clinician, and you knowing your symptoms very well. Lab work is a snapshot of where your labs were on that day. If you have a good clinician who can view your symptoms and do some trial and error testing such as trying progesterone and then adding estrogen and testosterone. That’s all you need.”

Unfortunately, the majority of healthcare providers are not at all up to date in the peri arena, and even your favorite OB-GYN or PCP might do a blood test and tell you that your hormone levels are normal. Even worse, they might simply say you’re “too young” to be in peri. You take your butt home without any solutions or treatment and your peri symptoms continue to bother you.

But the thought that you might be in peri won’t leave your mind. You’ve done your due diligence and researched reliable resources online, you know peri hormones can start to affect women anytime from mid-thirties onwards. But here is your OB-GYN, a trustworthy medical professional, telling you it’s not peri? Unfortunately, it happens all the time.

Lack of awareness around peri in the medical community means reaching a diagnosis isn’t as easy as it should be. Monitoring your symptoms and taking the list along to an appointment can be very helpful. It's important to remember that symptoms may not be peri-related. However, if your doctor refuses to acknowledge even the possibility that you are in peri, see another doctor!

The North American Menopause Society has a database of doctors who are board-certified menopause specialists. You simply enter your zip and find the one near you. Many doctors do telehealth now, too, so you may have that option available. You can search by zip here.

The Perisphere is not medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider.