So confused!, Hormone levels normal but I am not! Options

[sunnylou]

Okay, I finally got my hormones checked this month and went yesterday for the results. All were in the normal range, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid. So what gives? I had a D&C to remove hyperplasia in April which the doctor says is usually from hormone imbalance but if my hormones are balanced where did the hyperplasia come from? And why do I have to take the antidepressants to keep from freaking out with anxiety all the time? If nothing is wrong with me then why do I feel like crap all the time? I am 36, currently on 5 mg. lexapro and still have times of anxiety, fuzzy heads, migraines, pms (that I have never had before), heavy bleeding, clots, restless legs, insomnia....

[Marrin7]

I am awaiting test results as well and if they come back "normal" I am going to......well, I don't know WHAT I am going to do.

Some of my many symptoms are:
lethargy
poor concentration
palps
puffiness and swelling
muscle aches in neck/shoulders
cold hands/feet
flu-like feelings all day long
low BP
muscle cramps in calves/feet
weight gain esp. in the middle

I have already been dx'ed hypothyroid but the meds don't seem to be helping.

[kath S]

Hello Sunnylou,

Have also had the "normal" bloods,as you I feel anything BUT normal, I think sometimes Dr,s say "normal" meaning normal for our age.
I can,t imagine if mine were taken 10 years ago they would be in the range they are at present, as I feel so awful most days.

I,m going back to Dr,s next week (need prescription for cramping soooo bad) and am going to ask what they mean by "normal"

Not that I,m holding out much hope for any answers,as I,ve drawn blank faces from most of them regarding anything Peri.
It is so frustrating and scary to be thrown into this and noboddy other than the good ladies on here know much about this horrible time.

You are not on your own Sunnylou that I can answer

Take care Kath

[leanne0721]

Hello Sunnylou,

Have also had the "normal" bloods,as you I feel anything BUT normal, I think sometimes Dr,s say "normal" meaning normal for our age.
I can,t imagine if mine were taken 10 years ago they would be in the range they are at present, as I feel so awful most days.

EXACTLY... "normal" means normal for our AGE. My tests came back normal for years when things were clearly NOT normal. Only after not having a period for 8 mos did my tests come back menopausal... which by the way was still NORMAL for my age.


Sunny- you need to get down and dirty with the doctor. Get NUMBERS and go from there.

[scbev]

Okay, I finally got my hormones checked this month and went yesterday for the results. All were in the normal range, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid. So what gives? I had a D&C to remove hyperplasia in April which the doctor says is usually from hormone imbalance but if my hormones are balanced where did the hyperplasia come from? And why do I have to take the antidepressants to keep from freaking out with anxiety all the time? If nothing is wrong with me then why do I feel like crap all the time? I am 36, currently on 5 mg. lexapro and still have times of anxiety, fuzzy heads, migraines, pms (that I have never had before), heavy bleeding, clots, restless legs, insomnia....

I wish I knew the answer. All of my hormones are optimal!! but I still feel horrible. I mean I don't feel any better and don't understand it either. My hormone levels are now at the levels of a very young person with the help of BHRT but feel no relief.

[Lady E]

Hormones fluctuate all the time,while the tests may show normal levels it does not mean that they are always at normal levels.Have you tried some hormones or low dose bcp?It could help.GOD-bless

[kath S]

Hear Hear Leanne,

Think we all need to kick our Dr,s into shape.

I,m sooooo fed up with the word "normal" If my Dr next week tries telling me my cramps are "NORMAL" so help me Lord

[joyceveronica]

Okay, I finally got my hormones checked this month and went yesterday for the results. All were in the normal range, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid. So what gives? I had a D&C to remove hyperplasia in April which the doctor says is usually from hormone imbalance but if my hormones are balanced where did the hyperplasia come from? And why do I have to take the antidepressants to keep from freaking out with anxiety all the time? If nothing is wrong with me then why do I feel like crap all the time? I am 36, currently on 5 mg. lexapro and still have times of anxiety, fuzzy heads, migraines, pms (that I have never had before), heavy bleeding, clots, restless legs, insomnia....

Dear 'sunylou'
Doctors and their normal ranges!Will they ever get it.Hormones fluctuate constantly and you are in the age of Peri. as many do start fairly young.
I think you need to discuss with the Gyno.what are the options that will help your symptoms.This maybe be BCP or Bio-identicals to suit your needs.
Please get a second opinion and do not give up till you find some relief.
Life is made to be lived not endured.I think I told you I was actually Post Menopausal at 39 and it was a young smart Egyptian Gyno.who spotted this and put me on the HRT.I have investigated all the pros. and cons and am satisfied with my choice.

Stay strong and above all be pro-active about your health.

God Bless
Elizabeth

[sunnylou]

Thanks all. I had to laugh at your suggestion to get a second opinion. This is actually the 5th doctor I have seen in the last year. The first 3 said I was just depressed and take more antidepressants without looking at anything other than iron and a simple thyroid test. The 4th is who finally looked to see what was causing the heavy bleeding and found the hyperplasia and then referred me to this doctor who does bhrt and hormones. So I thought I was finally getting somewhere when she actually tested my hormones. I don't know what to think now. I guess I was hoping for a magical explanation with a magical answer and I don't think that was realistic. She did go ahead and prescribe 200 mg. of Prometrium to cycle for the next 3 months to take care of the hyperplasia so I guess I will see if this helps things out or not. And if I hear anyone else say you are getting older.. I am going to slap him or her! I am only 36, I'm not dead yet.

[Iradan]

Thanks all. I had to laugh at your suggestion to get a second opinion. This is actually the 5th doctor I have seen in the last year. The first 3 said I was just depressed and take more antidepressants without looking at anything other than iron and a simple thyroid test. The 4th is who finally looked to see what was causing the heavy bleeding and found the hyperplasia and then referred me to this doctor who does bhrt and hormones. So I thought I was finally getting somewhere when she actually tested my hormones. I don't know what to think now. I guess I was hoping for a magical explanation with a magical answer and I don't think that was realistic. She did go ahead and prescribe 200 mg. of Prometrium to cycle for the next 3 months to take care of the hyperplasia so I guess I will see if this helps things out or not. And if I hear anyone else say you are getting older.. I am going to slap him or her! I am only 36, I'm not dead yet.

Sunny,
The 200 mg prometirum for hyperplasia is good idea, taking for 3 cycles should help, you never know, it also may help with other symptoms, some women love prometrium.
Good luck, I.

[wildflowers]

Does anyone know the ranges of "normal" for certain ages?

I've had blood work done several times in the past year and all come back "normal". I'm 3 and a half years post meno and haven't had hormone levels checked as I figure..ok..so I'm in post. I mean the thyroid, iron, vitamin d etc.

From reading powersurge I noticed someone (i forget who and i apologize..short term memory isn't my greatest thing lately....) said for post meno the vitamin d levels should be 30-50. My d level came back as 22. The lab chart that came w/the tests said normal was 20-100. I am now thinking the dr/lab doesn't acknowledge the actual age of the person being tested. So, after reading the d should be 30-50 I started taking d3 supplements along w/the centrum multi and omega3 and when i remember..the super complex b vitamins.

I'm switching primary drs because my now dr (same one for 15 or so years) will soon not be on my insurance plan. I have to do this (or pay out of pocket to him) by the first of october. I've a different dr., appt. in early july. The new one is a lady and the schedule person said she is really good with women issues. He offered that comment w/o me mentioning any age/problems. So I thought....well have to start somewhere. My gyn., who i've had for 23 years is good for gyn. checkups, but doesn't offer much in the way of meno.

[Michah Hadley]

Sunnylou, forget the blood sweetie........blood is not a true diagnostic tool in peri.......I have eostrogen dropped from 1310 to 500 in two years EVEN THOUGH I am still in range. According to our range here, I am "400" away from menopause, even though this level fluctuates. I started having symptoms at 31. It took four years of hell before I was dx by a fantastic doctor who looked at my symptoms, my family history and my age.

Get the help you need from a doctor who will look at you, NOT the blood.........you do not need to suffer with no support.

Hope you get help, babe

[didgens]

Look up a naturopath.. I hear from some they do wonders ..

[egm]

I am awaiting test results as well and if they come back "normal" I am going to......well, I don't know WHAT I am going to do.

Some of my many symptoms are:
lethargy
poor concentration
palps
puffiness and swelling
muscle aches in neck/shoulders
cold hands/feet
flu-like feelings all day long
low BP
muscle cramps in calves/feet
weight gain esp. in the middle

I have already been dx'ed hypothyroid but the meds don't seem to be helping.

OMG! Marrin7, I have all these same symptoms! But my thyroid test was normal, AS was my female hormone test. I am 41 and had hysterectomy in Jan. They took one ovary,and since then, I've gained 16lbs and my boobs hurt all the time! And all the above you mention. I was an avid exerciser, but have been having problems with muscle cramping in the feet calves as well. And the swelling... oh man.

PLEASE, PLEASE PM/email me if you find anything out from a doctor. Mine all say I am normal.

EGM

[Marrin7]

OMG! Marrin7, I have all these same symptoms! But my thyroid test was normal, AS was my female hormone test. I am 41 and had hysterectomy in Jan. They took one ovary,and since then, I've gained 16lbs and my boobs hurt all the time! And all the above you mention. I was an avid exerciser, but have been having problems with muscle cramping in the feet calves as well. And the swelling... oh man.

PLEASE, PLEASE PM/email me if you find anything out from a doctor. Mine all say I am normal.

EGM

EGM - don't know how to PM peeps so I'll reply here and hope you find it.

Got my results back yesterday. The doc I work for ordered the bloodwork, he scanned the results and said they looked pretty good and I about cried right then and there. But had to chin up and keep working. Later tho as he was leaving the clinic, he said what he meant by that they looked pretty good was that he was expecting them to be much worse. Anyway, we really didn't discuss yet in depth because he had to leave early last night, but his initial working Dx givem my symptoms and the results was Adrenal Fatigue and/or Metabolic Syndrome X. Tonight we will discuss what the next step is but yesterday he said that he will most likely put me on DHEA/cortisol compound and start turning that around. High protein diet and very low carbs diet will be started as well. No sugar!! I've been sugarless for many months now anyway so that won't be a big deal. My estogen was very low as well so we'll deal with that as well.

My doc is not an MD. He is a holistic practioner. He ordered the tests through Life Extensions. Only 3 things were "flagged" on the results and they were glucose, cholesterol, and estriol. However, things like cortisol, DHEA, Vit D3, and some others (I don't have the results in front of me - he's still looking them over) were close enough to the highs and lows of the reference ranges that he thought given my symptomology should be treated as well.

I am hopeful and ready to start getting all this under control. My dad has terminal lung cancer and in order to be of any help to my parents through this I need to be physically and emotionally in shape.

PM if you like. I will noodle around with the PMing feature and see if I can alert you to this thread.

[egm]

EGM - don't know how to PM peeps so I'll reply here and hope you find it.

Got my results back yesterday. The doc I work for ordered the bloodwork, he scanned the results and said they looked pretty good and I about cried right then and there. But had to chin up and keep working. Later tho as he was leaving the clinic, he said what he meant by that they looked pretty good was that he was expecting them to be much worse. Anyway, we really didn't discuss yet in depth because he had to leave early last night, but his initial working Dx givem my symptoms and the results was Adrenal Fatigue and/or Metabolic Syndrome X. Tonight we will discuss what the next step is but yesterday he said that he will most likely put me on DHEA/cortisol compound and start turning that around. High protein diet and very low carbs diet will be started as well. No sugar!! I've been sugarless for many months now anyway so that won't be a big deal. My estogen was very low as well so we'll deal with that as well.

My doc is not an MD. He is a holistic practioner. He ordered the tests through Life Extensions. Only 3 things were "flagged" on the results and they were glucose, cholesterol, and estriol. However, things like cortisol, DHEA, Vit D3, and some others (I don't have the results in front of me - he's still looking them over) were close enough to the highs and lows of the reference ranges that he thought given my symptomology should be treated as well.

I am hopeful and ready to start getting all this under control. My dad has terminal lung cancer and in order to be of any help to my parents through this I need to be physically and emotionally in shape.

PM if you like. I will noodle around with the PMing feature and see if I can alert you to this thread.

Marrin,

Thanks for the reply! I just picked up my lab tests from the 3rd gyno. All look really normal to me, but I don't know if that is real or not. Thyroid definitely normal. I am curious about the DHEA you will take. Is it from a seafood source? I thought all DHEA was, and I am allergic to seafood. If you find out, post back here what you find out. Did your dr. address why you are having the muscle cramps in your legs/feet? Will the DHEA help this? Sorry for so many questions!!!! Thank you for replying. I wasn't even sure if we could PM here... just assumed. don't worry about figuring that out. I will ck this posting.

Thanks again! and I hope you feel better soon!

EGM

[Marrin7]

Marrin,

Thanks for the reply! I just picked up my lab tests from the 3rd gyno. All look really normal to me, but I don't know if that is real or not. Thyroid definitely normal. I am curious about the DHEA you will take. Is it from a seafood source? I thought all DHEA was, and I am allergic to seafood. If you find out, post back here what you find out. Did your dr. address why you are having the muscle cramps in your legs/feet? Will the DHEA help this? Sorry for so many questions!!!! Thank you for replying. I wasn't even sure if we could PM here... just assumed. don't worry about figuring that out. I will ck this posting.

Thanks again! and I hope you feel better soon!

EGM

We discussed results in length yesterday. With the endo system one hormone effects all the other. when one is non-functioning or functioning incorrectly, it throws all of them off. So if you treat one succesfully, again it affects the others and we're all happy campers for the most part. I would look at the lows and highs of the reference ranges. Are you closer to one or the other?? This is what Dr. M took into consideration. And when he put it all together like a big jigsaw puzzle, you can actually see the viscious cycle that's been created. I guess what I am trying to convey is that even tho some of my numbers were "normal", they were either at the high or low end of the ranges. The tests that were flagged as too high or too low impacted my other test results.

I will start DHEA - one from Life Extension. When he gives it to me on Monday I will check the label. Everything he uses is from Life Extension (lef.org) so maybe you can look on website and see if anything contains seafood.

He just gave me a huge amt of info yesterday so I'm still muddled. No wonder I've never been a fan of the endocrine system - just so much there to process!! But since I am also pre-diabetic we're going to start with the high protein/low carb diet. Cut out sugars. Start the DHEA. Ramp up my exercise a little bit. And as we go, we'll fine tune along the way.

I forgot to ask about the muscle cramps but I have a feeling they will eventually start going away as my system begins the healing process.

Keep in touch and I will post any news. Or I'll just email it to you through here.

Regards,
Mar

[egm]

Hi Marrin,

Thanks for the info! I got my test results back, and they were all normal, of course. So I am again at a loss.

I would appreciate hearing any additional info you may get..... I will check the posting here.

Thanks again.... I was thinking of trying the DHEA this weekend...

EGM

[joyceveronica]

Sunnylou, forget the blood sweetie........blood is not a true diagnostic tool in peri.......I have eostrogen dropped from 1310 to 500 in two years EVEN THOUGH I am still in range. According to our range here, I am "400" away from menopause, even though this level fluctuates. I started having symptoms at 31. It took four years of hell before I was dx by a fantastic doctor who looked at my symptoms, my family history and my age.

Get the help you need from a doctor who will look at you, NOT the blood.........you do not need to suffer with no support.

Hope you get help, babe

Exactly Girl-Friend
Leave the blood to the Vampires and try to find someone who cares.

Cheers
Elizabeth

[Marrin7]

Hi Marrin,

Thanks for the info! I got my test results back, and they were all normal, of course. So I am again at a loss.

I would appreciate hearing any additional info you may get..... I will check the posting here.

Thanks again.... I was thinking of trying the DHEA this weekend...

EGM

He did ask today if I am allergic to seafood.

LOOK at the results, EGM. Are any of them too low or too high and still within the normal range? I would start there and see if you see some commonalities. Can you take them to a naturopath in your area? Your symptoms speak louder than the results, keep digging!

[Pattyfl]

Hi Sunnylou:

I had symptoms of peri for years. Finally this year my gyno decided to do saliva testing, as he says it catches levels at 4 different times a day. When he got my results back he said you have adrenal fatigue, which in turn will cause the peri to be much worse and if your not peri then your body will react like it is. I don't know if you doc does saliva testing, but you may want to ask about it. The test you want to get is the one that also tests adrenals, cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid. I am hypothyriod, and your thyriod is what regulates all the hormones in your body. Without proper thyriod levels you can have peri symptoms. Adrenal symptos are, headaches that orginate in the back of the neck, neck and shoulder pain, muscle spasms and aches that feel flu-ish like and like fibromyalgia, short term memory problems, palpations, low blood pressure, low body temp, very fatigued - feel like you never can get enough sleep, crashing fatigue between the hours of 2 - 5 daily and feeling better around 6 til 9 pm then can't stay awake, constant nervousness and anxiety, can't handle stress anymore, quick to anger. Below is a list of symptoms and alot of them are similar to peri and thyriod. I hope this might help and that you can get the answers your looking for. You may want to do what I did, I took the symptoms ists for adrenal, peri and thyriod, checked off what I had on each list and presented to my gyno.

1. Excessive fatigue and exhaustion, chronic fatigue
2. Non-refreshing sleep
3. Sleep disturbance, insomnia
4. Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
5. Craving salty and/or sweet foods
6. Sensitivity to light
7. Low stamina and slow to recover from exercise
8. Slow to recover from injury or illness
9. Difficulty concentrating, brain fog
10. Poor digestion
11. Irritable bowel syndrome, IBS
12. Low immune function
13. Premenstrual syndrome
14. Menopause symptoms
15. Low blood pressure
16. Sensitivity to cold
17. Fearfulness
18. Allergies,
19. Frequent influenza
20. Arthritis
21. Anxiety
22. Irritability
23. Depression
24. Reduced memory
25. Low libido, sexual drive or interest
26. Lack of lust for life and/or food
27. Excess hunger
28. Low appetite
29. Panic/anxiety attacks
30. Irritability, impatience, quick to anger.

I hope you find help and feel better very soon.

Patty

Okay, I finally got my hormones checked this month and went yesterday for the results. All were in the normal range, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid. So what gives? I had a D&C to remove hyperplasia in April which the doctor says is usually from hormone imbalance but if my hormones are balanced where did the hyperplasia come from? And why do I have to take the antidepressants to keep from freaking out with anxiety all the time? If nothing is wrong with me then why do I feel like crap all the time? I am 36, currently on 5 mg. lexapro and still have times of anxiety, fuzzy heads, migraines, pms (that I have never had before), heavy bleeding, clots, restless legs, insomnia....

[Pattyfl]

Sunnylou,

I thought I would also send the thyriod list.


My risk factors for hypothyroidism include:

____ I have a family history of thyroid disease
____ I have had my thyroid "monitored" in the past to watch for changes
____ I had a previous diagnosis of goiters/nodules
____ I currently have a goiter
____ I was treated for hypothyroidism in the past
____ I had post-partum thyroiditis in the past
____ I had a temporary thyroiditis in the past
____ I have another autoimmune disease
____ I have had a baby in the past nine months
____ I have a history of miscarriage
____ I have had part/all of my thyroid removed due to cancer
____ I have had part/all of my thyroid removed due to nodules
____ I have had part/all of my thyroid removed due to Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism I have had radioactive iodine due to Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism
____ I have had anti-thyroid drugs due to Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism

I have the following symptoms of hypothyroidism, as detailed by the Merck Manual, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and the Thyroid Foundation of America

____ I am gaining weight inappropriately
____ I'm unable to lose weight with diet/exercise
____ I am constipated, sometimes severely
____ I have hypothermia/low body temperature (I feel cold when others feel hot, I need extra sweaters, etc.)
____ I feel fatigued, exhausted
____ Feeling run down, sluggish, lethargic
____ My hair is coarse and dry, breaking, brittle, falling out
____ My skin is coarse, dry, scaly, and thick
____ I have a hoarse or gravely voice
____ I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes and face
____ I have pains, aches in joints, hands and feet
____ I have developed carpal-tunnel syndrome, or it's getting worse
____ I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent)
____ I am having trouble conceiving a baby
____ I feel depressed
____ I feel restless
____ My moods change easily
____ I have feelings of worthlessness
____ I have difficulty concentrating
____ I have more feelings of sadness
____ I seem to be losing interest in normal daily activities
____ I'm more forgetful lately

I also have the following additional symptoms, which have been reported more frequently in people with hypothyroidism:

____ My hair is falling out
____ I can't seem to remember things
____ I have no sex drive
____ I am getting more frequent infections, that last longer
____ I'm snoring more lately
____ I have/may have sleep apnea
____ I feel shortness of breath and tightness in the chest
____ I feel the need to yawn to get oxygen
____ My eyes feel gritty and dry
____ My eyes feel sensitive to light
____ My eyes get jumpy/tics in eyes, which makes me dizzy/vertigo and have headaches
____ I have strange feelings in neck or throat
____ I have tinnitus (ringing in ears)
____ I get recurrent sinus infections
____ I have vertigo
____ I feel some lightheadedness
____ I have severe menstrual cramps

For a more comprehensive hypothyroidism risks and symptoms checklist, along with descriptions of each risk factor and symptom, read Living Well With Hypothyroidism.

Okay, I finally got my hormones checked this month and went yesterday for the results. All were in the normal range, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid. So what gives? I had a D&C to remove hyperplasia in April which the doctor says is usually from hormone imbalance but if my hormones are balanced where did the hyperplasia come from? And why do I have to take the antidepressants to keep from freaking out with anxiety all the time? If nothing is wrong with me then why do I feel like crap all the time? I am 36, currently on 5 mg. lexapro and still have times of anxiety, fuzzy heads, migraines, pms (that I have never had before), heavy bleeding, clots, restless legs, insomnia....