Hello!
So I'm still struggling with lack of libido and so I've done the medichecks female hormones blood test.
I've got no idea how to interpret the results and would be grateful if someone could offer any guidance! They all look 'fine' but then I kept getting told my thyroid results were fine so I'm hesitant to believe it. 😂
Thank you x
I was told that if you are menopausal taking bloods is not really conclusive because they will fluctuate daily 🤷♀️. Having said that the Estradiol looks low. If you have other symptoms if the menopause talk to your GP about adding HRT. There are many menopause forums who could help. Sarah
I'm only 36! I would hope I've still got a wait for menopause. 😂
😂yup ……which begs the question why have female hormones tested 🤷♀️
As I said, I still have zero libido despite my thyroid results being pretty great so I'd like to rule in/out a physiological issue.
Ok 👌 makes sense. How were your testosterone levels?
Just saw it 🤦♀️. I’m not sure if that’s particularly low. You can get testosterone gel prescribed by your GP. I did but I think my libido was long gone by the time I tried it 😂
Hi plant_lady,
Really sorry I can't offer any advice on your blood results. But your problem of reduced libido is something in retrospect I've struggled with since I was a teenager (50+ now)
I just assumed that for me that's the way I was although depressing when I think about how it has affected my life 😐
I'm at the start of getting possibly diagnosed with a thyroid problem; it's only now when I've started to get blood tests done and discovered I have persistent low FT4 (now below range) and have had for many years I realise now how those low hormone levels may have affected my relationships and fertility.
You are only 36 but my periods started to become heavier and longer and more erratic in my 30's. Again looking back I think that I was perimenopausal then. I'm not saying you are but it's something to be mindful of!
Many years back when I asked my GP about hormone tests for perimenopause he said " if you are there's nothing we can do about it! So he was no help whatsoever! 🤔🤣
As SarahJane1471 says there are good forums out there that will be able to help; hope you get some good advice soon 😊
Yes, I think the same. I've always had a pretty low libido but it's been getting worse and now is literally non-existant. Having 2 small children had masked a lot of it because it was never sure how much was hormonal and how much was sleep deprivation!
My periods are really light and only ever last 3 days and recently have 3/4 days of spotting after. Average cycle length is 23 days. 😫
Something is not right but I'm way out of my comfort zone interpreting these results! X
radd I think you've knowledge on hormones! I hope it's ok to tag you, but I'd be grateful for your thoughts. 
plant_lady
What day of your cycle was blood drawn?
Day 3.
Did you have to identify which day to the lab?
Yeah, had to fill in a questionnaire about my cycle, including the first day of my last period. So I'm hoping they figured out i was in day 3!
plant_lady,
So presumably lab has sent ranges for follicular phase.
FSH is high and commonly elevated during menopause transition but as you are too young it should be lessoning whilst converting androgens to building oestrogen levels in a negative feedback loop in preparation for ovulation. FSH is also regulated by progesterone.
Because both your FSH & oestrogen are elevated it looks like you have some oestrogen excretion issues. It is a shame progesterone wasn’t tested too but I think you can assume you are oestrogen dominant with levels nearly 200% through range. These excessively high levels of oestrogen can impact how thyroid hormones work quite significantly which could also be effecting your libido.
High FSH can cause ovarian cysts, and is usually when too little oestrogen is produced (though this isn’t your problem) or to ensure more likelihood of successfully maturing an egg for ovulation when the number of follicles is small. If you have had previous normal pregnancies it could be due to smoking and/or excessive alcohol, but also Vit D deficiency that is commonly seen in hypothyroidism. Have you had Vit D tested?
Normal follicular growth is encouraged by balanced FSH & LH. LH doesn't peak until before ovulation, so your levels are right for day 3. Prolactin is a good level, and as it usually corresponds with TSH indicates good levels of thyroid hormones (although as we know isn't always a good measure in hypothyroidism where we might suffer some sort of thyroid signalling disconnect).
Both testosterone & free androgens are low and that is where your lack of enthusiasm for sex comes in. When FSH is high, testosterone falls in an inverse correlation the same as in males hypogonadism. How to raise androgens? Reducing oestrogen will hopefully encourage FSH to follow which will encourage higher levels of testosterone.
I suffered low testosterone too but unusually my O & P were deficient through worn out adrenals. I am older than you and was menopausal when adrenals were supposed to take over from ovaries. My own resolution was the opposite to you in raising oestrogen & progesterone. Low thyroid hormone effects us all differently but the main objective is always about bringing these sex hormones (and progesterone) back into balance in order to achieve wellness.
This is a big subject and if you can afford to have the DUTCH with a good practitioner to interpret results they will be able assess much better why your oestrogen & FSH are so high, and how other oestrogens, hormones and their metabolites are being made, utilised and excreted even down to cortisol and cortisone. It is an amazing exploratory test carried out on dried urine strips.
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FSH
yourhormones.info/hormones/...
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Oestrogen Dominance
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
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FSH negatively correlates with Vit D
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/250...
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DUTCH
dutchtest.com/info-dutch-co...
This is all such a brilliant explanation. Thank you SO much. 🙏🏼
I was trying to research on Google but didn't feel like I even had that first foothold on understanding what I was reading.
I do have a question though, I make my estrogen to be 9.5% through the range and testosterone is 35% through. Am I missing something? I would have thought those would need increasing?
Is this likely to resolve itself once I get fully stable on NDT?
plant_lady,
Oh, ok sorry, I read that range completely wrong 🤪 … so oestrogen is low but then at least it better emulating time of the month 😬.
Testosterone production follows a circadian pattern like cortisol so if blood was drawn early morning your labs are showing highest output. Your total testosterone is low anyway but it can also be useful having ‘total’ T3 tested. It is not usual to test ‘totals’ but it happens sometimes depending on your endo as enables assessment for the risk of elevated SHBG that binds too much testosterone & oestrogen.
If you have weight gain & possibly a little bit of (still unknown?) insulin resistance, this can influence testosterone levels too. When fat is in the insulin resistant state it converts testosterone to oestradiol, and then it becomes too complicated for me to understand 😁 but somehow the adipose tissue decreases gonodotropin activity.
The ovaries, adrenal glands, fat and skin cells all make oestrogen and androgens, and no hormone works in isolation. When thyroid hormones were optimised & working effectively, my testosterone raised slightly (enough for post menopause) and O & P have been replaced by HRT. Also supporting adrenals as there’s literature showing low cortisol & DHEA can lead to low libido. (DHEA is first converted to androgens & then oestrogens).
Hopefully your sex hormones will balance once your thyroid hormones are stabilised. Remember no thyroid meds will work effectively without good levels of iron and nutrients. Good about Vit D levels.
'Is there an 'optimal' range for female hormones like there is for thyroid?'
They fluctuate so hugely so are measured according to whether you in the follicular, mid-cycle or luteal phase, and then there's just one range for post-menopause.
SHBG was tested; 88 (32.4 - 128)
Ok. I think then I need to look into trying to encourage my levels up. I'll speak to my consultant soon, hopefully.
My thyroid levels have plummeted again so hopefully I'll get to my sweet spot soon. 😩
Just to add Vit D last tested 9 months ago and was 135 (75 -175) and I've kept up my maintenance dose so I'm assuming it's probably fine. 
And while I have you! 😂 Is there an 'optimal' range for female hormones like there is for thyroid?
I'm still struggling with lack of libido
If you take an SSRI e.g. citalopram, prozac, seroxat or any other drug in the same drug family one of the well known side effects is loss of libido.
I don't know if this is relevant to you or not.
You can see a longer list of possible side effects of SSRIs here :
drugs.com/sfx/citalopram-si...
Thank you! Although I don't take any other meds.
I've just increased my NDT so hopefully that will help. 🤞🏼
In case anyone was wondering...! 😂
I rang my GP to talk about it and see if they could offer any help/support/advice.
I was offered psychosexual counselling... That I would have to pay for. 😂
Apparently My results were fine and 'hormone levels change every day ' so it's pointless testing and despite me sobbing on the phone to her she remained cold and unrelenting. When I tried to suggest I'd been in therapy and dealt with previous sexual trauma and this isn't because if that she just kept saying I needed counselling. 🤷🏻♀️
She implied that I was bored of my husband to which I responded if I was I'd not be ringing up for help.
If you want any help with hormones and you're not menopausal then the NHS can't offer anything. 🙄
Can anyone help with my results 
Can anyone help interpret results 
Can anyone help with these blood results?
Blood results - can anyone help?
