Chemopause, menopause or postmenopausal?

Hi Nancy -

I believe if your Estradiol, LH, and FSH all indicate post-menopausal, then you are indeed post- menopausal. But don't just take my word for it.

I was 48 at diagnosis and not even perimenopausal. Last period 2/2012. Ended chemo 7/2012. Labs continue to show Estradiol in post-menopausal range but LH & FSH clearly not even menopausal. Go figure. Right now I am stil taking Tamoxifen.

Do you have the numbers on all your labs? Reference ranges?

Diana

At 52 it's possible you are going to stay post menopausal but not guaranteed. I had my hormone levels checked and they all said post menopausal. Three months later we checked again and I was premenopausal again. I've even seen some women get their periods back two years after chemo. You'll need to discuss with your MO how she will monitor them

Nancy -

Different labs might have different reference ranges. The last lab that ran mine had the following for post-menopausal ranges:

Estradiol < or = 31

FSH 23.0 - 116.3

LH 10.0 - 54.7

BUT for the LH there were also these values for other points in one's cycle:

Follicular (1.9 - 12.5)

Luteal (0.5 - 16.9)

It's not that there aren't reference ranges for FSH like "mid-cycle peak". I pointed the ranges out for LH because according to the ranges one could be in any one of the 3 cycles or 2 cycles depending on the value. Eg. 10 falls in all three LH ranges.

I like that my MO keeps checking - but I have wondered lately when those other numbers are going to make it into the ranges.

My Estradiol is < 15. My FSH is 16.1 & LH 6.5. In the last 7 months the FSH went down 0.4 and the LH went up 0.4. I kid you not. Go figure?!

Diana

You're welcome Nancy. Glad it helped. It is somewhat a mystery. My next check is in July. Take care.

My last period was January 2014, but then had another surprise period in January 2015.  My doctor did a follicle stimulating hormone test, which confirmed I am in menopause.  I further had an ultrasound and biopsy to "figure out" why I had a random period a year later and there were no abnormalities.  My doctor believes my body is probably trying to act normal (I'm 35) and I may have still have some ovarian function although the chemo shut down my ovaries.  So pregnancy is still a possibility, although unlikely.