I’m commonly asked are there tests to diagnose menopause, and that's a yes and no question. There's no really good absolute test. The most common test that we do is we check the follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which are hormones that are produced normally by the pituitary, which drive the ovary to form a follicle and to produce estrogen, and to ovulate, and to produce progesterone. After menopause, after the ovaries fail, then those hormones from the pituitary will become elevated and stay elevated.
Those are good indicators that menopause has occurred, if they're both elevated, but they can be elevated and still subsequently there still may be more ovulation events. The biggest test for menopause and for monitoring menopause is the patient herself. What kind of symptoms are you having? That's what I base our treatment on, too, is whether those symptoms are being relieved. The best lab is the patient herself.
