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Why am i still having regular periods when my tests show post menopausal?
I'm really concerned. My doctor said I should not be having my period but I have been every month. What is wrong with me?
In March of this year I had blood work done to see how fertile I was since I was 39 years old. The tests showed Estrodiol of 17 and FSH of 38.5. My doctor told me i was post menopausal and to stop taking the pill and that i would most likely never have a period again.
I went off the pill immediately, had hot flashes for about 2 weeks then they stopped completely. I have had a normal period every month since.
In July I repeated the blood work and it showed ESTRADIOL of 37 and FSH of 40.3. My doctor still says im post menopausal and said it is abnormal to have my period and that I shouldn't.
I am now very worried that there is something wrong with me. If I am supposed to be post menopausal- why do I keep getting regular periods right on time every month?
I've had a complete physical and my health is fine - no thyroid or other issues.
In March of this year I had blood work done to see how fertile I was since I was 39 years old. The tests showed Estrodiol of 17 and FSH of 38.5. My doctor told me i was post menopausal and to stop taking the pill and that i would most likely never have a period again.
I went off the pill immediately, had hot flashes for about 2 weeks then they stopped completely. I have had a normal period every month since.
In July I repeated the blood work and it showed ESTRADIOL of 37 and FSH of 40.3. My doctor still says im post menopausal and said it is abnormal to have my period and that I shouldn't.
I am now very worried that there is something wrong with me. If I am supposed to be post menopausal- why do I keep getting regular periods right on time every month?
I've had a complete physical and my health is fine - no thyroid or other issues.
I feel much better now! My doctor really made me feel like there was something seriously wrong with me. I'm just going to concentrate on getting very healthy and if pregnancy happens, then it does. I'm not going to stress about it.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
Your doctor is wrong. By definition you are NOT postmenopausal if you are having periods. Menopause is defined as going more than one year without a period, it is not defined by hormone levels. At 39, it is unlikely that you would be postmenopausal anyway--average age is 51. Also, unless you want a baby, I would use some sort of protection. Just today, I heard a story similar to yours--she went off pills thinking she was "OK" and got pregnant.
It is unlikely that you will get pregnant. And, if you were actively trying to have a baby, I would certainly recommend considering donor eggs.
There is nothing wrong with you at all. A majority of 39 year old women have regular monthly periods. At that age hormone levels are all over the map. I would say that you are peri-menopausal, and that you will stop having periods earlier than later, but I wouldn't hazard a guess as to when that will be. I'm also assuming that the second set of hormone levels was done when you were off all hormonal medications (birth control, etc) because any type of hormone can affect your levels too.
You don't need to worry about regular monthly cycles. But if you begin having irregular bleeding--too frequent or too heavy, you should check in with (another?)doctor!
Good luck!
Dr B
Your doctor is wrong. By definition you are NOT postmenopausal if you are having periods. Menopause is defined as going more than one year without a period, it is not defined by hormone levels. At 39, it is unlikely that you would be postmenopausal anyway--average age is 51. Also, unless you want a baby, I would use some sort of protection. Just today, I heard a story similar to yours--she went off pills thinking she was "OK" and got pregnant.
It is unlikely that you will get pregnant. And, if you were actively trying to have a baby, I would certainly recommend considering donor eggs.
There is nothing wrong with you at all. A majority of 39 year old women have regular monthly periods. At that age hormone levels are all over the map. I would say that you are peri-menopausal, and that you will stop having periods earlier than later, but I wouldn't hazard a guess as to when that will be. I'm also assuming that the second set of hormone levels was done when you were off all hormonal medications (birth control, etc) because any type of hormone can affect your levels too.
You don't need to worry about regular monthly cycles. But if you begin having irregular bleeding--too frequent or too heavy, you should check in with (another?)doctor!
Good luck!
Dr B
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