Follicle stimulating hormone (2024)

FAQs

Follicle stimulating hormone? ›

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary

Normal Results

Before puberty: 0 to 5.0 mIU/mL (0 to 5.0 IU/L) During puberty: 0.3 to 10.0 mIU/mL (0.3 to 10.0 IU/L) Adult: 1.5 to 12.4 mIU/mL (1.5 to 12.4 IU/L)

Sometimes, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are measured to confirm menopause. When a woman's FSH blood level is consistently elevated to 30 mIU/mL or higher, and she has not had a menstrual period for a year, it is generally accepted that she has reached menopause.

That's because high levels of FSH are a normal sign of perimenopause and menopause. As your ovaries release fewer eggs, your body makes more hormones to try to trigger ovulation. But you may need an FSH test along with other hormone tests if there is a medical reason, including: Premature menopause (age 40 or younger)

Symptoms of high levels

Elevated levels of FSH rarely cause specific symptoms. In females, elevated levels may be a sign of menopause, which can cause symptoms including: hot flashes. weight gain.

Estrogen levels can be determined by a blood test. While it can vary from person to person, these are what's considered the normal ranges in picograms per milliliter (pg/mL): Adult female, premenopausal: 15-350 pg/mL. Adult female, postmenopausal: <10 pg/mL.

Generally speaking, your FSH levels will be at <10 mIU/mL during your non-fertile phase. However, this number will increase during the beginning of your LH surge and increase progressively to its peak on your ovulation day. On this day, FSH levels will increase to 30mIU/ml or higher.

If you have a persistent change of seven days or more in the length of your menstrual cycle, you may be in early perimenopause. If you have a space of 60 days or more between periods, you're likely in late perimenopause. Hot flashes and sleep problems. Hot flashes are common during perimenopause.

Hypothyroidism decreases levels of serum FSH and serum LH. Subclinical hypothyroidism is one of the major etiological factors of infertility. Autoantibodies against thyroid should be searched for in cases of female patients with infertility.

The FSH level is actually fairly easy to lower medically (with estrogen, the birth control pill, Lupron, etc.), but the underlying problem (diminished ovarian reserve) that causes the elevated FSH cannot necessarily be “fixed.”

Can stress cause high FSH levels? ›

Continuous evaluation by cycle phase indicated that recent daily stress was associated with lower total and free E2 and LH during the follicular phase and with lower progesterone and higher FSH during the luteal phase.

There are very rare pituitary conditions that can raise the levels of follicle stimulating hormone in the bloodstream. This overwhelms the normal negative feedback loop and can (rarely) cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women.

In females, the FSH level can show if there is a problem with the ovaries or ovulation. In males, a high level of FSH could mean there is an injury or problem with the testicl*s. The levels of FSH can also show if your pituitary gland is not working properly.

FSH is a hormone that helps regulate your menstrual cycle, and an imbalance of FSH can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, lower libido, and fatigue.

FSH levels rise, and this causes elevated estradiol levels in the early follicular phase (see menstrual cycle). To test for ovarian reserve, an estradiol level and an FSH can be checked on Day 3 of the cycle. FSH levels >10 - 15 mIU/ml and estradiol levels >60 - 80 pg/ml suggest low ovarian reserve.