Six hormone tests for irregular menstruation

The problem of irregular menstruation can reflect the existence of various diseases in the female body. Therefore, if women have irregular menstruation problems, they should go to the hospital for relevant tests in time to determine the cause and find targeted treatment methods. Irregular menstruation in women is mainly a symptom caused by abnormal hormone secretion in the body, so what are the six main hormone tests for irregular menstruation?

1. The third day of menstruation is the time to check basic endocrine system. At this time, we don’t need to look at how low E2 is to determine whether there is estrogen deficiency. It is already low at this stage. Instead, E2 should be less than 50pg/ml at this stage. If it is higher than this value, it indicates poor ovarian reserve, and menstruation will often come early, every 21-25 days. At this time, FSH above 10 also indicates poor ovarian reserve. At this time, the progesterone level must be low. This is why some doctors only check five items of basic endocrine examination and do not check progesterone. At this time, both LH and FSH should be between 3-7 IU/L and the values ​​should be close to ideal.

It will definitely be inaccurate to check endocrine levels on the third day after using progesterone and then having menstruation (withdrawal bleeding). It takes 20 days after using progesterone to completely eliminate its effects. Therefore, the hormone level can be checked 20 days after stopping progesterone (or artificial cycle). If the patient has amenorrhea and no ovulation, and if the progesterone level is still low, the hormone level at this time is close to the basic endocrine system. At this time, E2 is less than 50pg/ml, or even less than 20pg/ml, which can be said to be a serious estrogen deficiency in the patient.

2. Ovulation period check. At this time, the main checks are E2, LH, and P. The main purpose is to see whether there is a pre-ovulation LH peak and determine whether ovulation is approaching or has occurred, and to use it in conjunction with B-ultrasound follicle monitoring to diagnose the condition and guide treatment (whether HCG injection is needed to promote ovulation and when is the best time to inject)

3. Luteal phase examination. The best time is one week before menstruation. If you measure your basal body temperature, you should usually check it when your basal body temperature rises for 6-7 days. At this time, theoretically, progesterone is at its highest level in the luteal phase, reaching over 40nmol/L. If the time calculation is accurate (menstruation occurs about 7 days after blood collection) and the progesterone level is 15nmol/L at this time, the diagnosis of luteal insufficiency can be considered. I personally think that it is more meaningful to check at this time for those with recurrent miscarriages (miscarriage is often caused by low progesterone levels during pregnancy). If the progesterone level is <3nmol/L at this time, it can be confirmed that there is no ovulation.

In addition, if you come here specifically to check your sex hormones, it is recommended that you have your blood drawn around 9:00-9:30 in the morning, sit quietly at the door of the laboratory for 10 minutes, and then have your blood drawn in a resting state, so that the error fluctuation will be smaller.

What are sex hormones? Six tests for sex hormones

What are sex hormones? Sex hormones are steroid hormones synthesized by the gonads of animals, as well as tissues such as the placenta and the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex. They have the functions of promoting the maturation of sexual organs, the development of secondary sexual characteristics, and maintaining sexual function. The ovaries of female animals mainly secrete two sex hormones - estrogen and progesterone, while the testicles of male animals mainly secrete androgens, mainly testosterone. Sex hormones have a common biosynthetic pathway: cholesterol is used as a precursor, and through the shortening of the side chain, 21-carbon progesterone or pregnenolone is first produced, which is then transformed into 19-carbon androgens after the side chain is removed, and then the 18-carbon estrogens are generated through aromatization of the A ring. The metabolic inactivation pathway of sex hormones is also roughly the same, that is, they form highly water-soluble conjugates such as glucuronic acid esters or sulfates in metabolic organs such as the liver and kidneys, and then are excreted in the urine, or enter the intestine with bile and are excreted in the feces.