Menopause and Perimenopause

Your age, your history of menstrual periods, your symptoms, and the results of your Reference pelvic exam will tell your doctor whether you are near or at menopause. If possible, bring a calendar or journal of your periods and symptoms.

If you have severe symptoms, if your doctor suspects another medical condition, or if you have a medical condition that makes a diagnosis difficult, your doctor may do one or more of the following blood tests:

• A Reference pregnancy test is done if there is a chance that you are pregnant. (This can also be a urine test.)
• A Reference follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test can be used to confirm whether you have reached menopause. Reference FSH Opens New Window levels increase during perimenopause and are high after menopause.
• An Reference estrogen test is sometimes done to see how low estrogen has dropped after menopause.
• A Reference thyroid-stimulating hormone test is used to see whether irregular menstrual periods or perimenopause-like symptoms are being caused by a thyroid problem.

If you have had no menstrual periods for 1 year, this is a good time to have a full physical exam, with particular focus on your heart health and risk factors for Reference osteoporosis Opens New Window.

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