Blood testing in perimenopause... ❤️

Hello M-bracers 🙂 The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that we don't 'do' blood test results and analysis here in the group. That's cos to my knowledge, nobody in the group is qualified to do those 😁 Contrary to what you might see in some other groups, bloods need to be properly analysed by a properly qualified healthcare professional in context and with access to your medical history. That said, there are some general points about blood tests in peri/menopause that are worth making and might help clear up some confusion. This information is in line with current research and evidence-based information. 🩸 In the UK, and many other regions, bloods to check oestradiol levels are not routinely offered, and this is for good reason! It's nothing to do with cost-cutting or denying effective treatment to patients...Most people in perimenopause don't need them. 🩸 When perimenopausal our blood oestradiol levels fluctuate - they are not at all helpful for diagnosis over the age of 45 (when we are pretty much ALL perimenopausal or postmenopausal), and the UK NICE guidelines state this. NICE guidelines are not optional in the UK, and your doctor/healthcare professional must follow them. 🩸Under 45s may be required to have blood tests to check certain levels and rule out other causes. BUT! Even so, 'normal' results should not rule out a perimenopause diagnosis - symptoms should be used. Bloods are to *help* confirm perimenopause, not to deny it! 🩸If you're already using HRT, oestrogen dose is 'titrated according to symptoms', not to some blanket hormone level applied to the whole population. This means that the dose should be GRADUALLY increased and allowed to settle until 80-90% of symptoms are controlled, if not totally eliminated... 🩸If you're still experiencing symptoms, it's appropriate to tweak the oestrogen dose upwards over time, within the licensed dose range. Again, bloods are not necessary whilst making these adjustments! 🩸There is no 'normal' level of oestrogen for peri/postmenopausal women using HRT. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. 🩸If you're at the top of the licensed dose range and still experiencing symptoms that are not controlled, it is appropriate to then check blood levels to see if you are absorbing sufficiently from your product... 🩸 At less than maximum licensed HRT dose, blood oestradiol levels can be misleading and unhelpful, hence the reason why the most important element is how you are feeling. Monitoring absorption from HRT is a waste of time and resources, as your own hormones are probably still doing their own thing alongside - albeit erratically! 🙂❤️