TESTS TO ASK YOUR PRACTITIONER TO DO WHEN CHECKING FOR AMENORRHEA
Beta HCG: This is primarily to rule out pregnancy if you are sexually active. If this comes back negative, then one can proceed with other lab values
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Note that having a FULL thyroid panel is IMPERATIVE.You can have normal TSH levels, which most doctors only check, and STILL have thyroid problems
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TSH: This isn’t even a thyroid hormone, it is a pituitary hormone that signals to the thyroid to make thyroid hormone. Average range is 0.5-2 ml.
Free T3: This is your active thyroid hormone mostly converted in the liver, that shows how well you’re converting your inactive thyroid hormone. Ideal range is 3.3-4ml
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Free T4: This is your inactive thyroid hormone, primarily made in the thyroid converted to T3. Range is 1.45-2.5 ml
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Reverse T3: This is an inactive thyroid metabolite and is created when the body is under stress, refusing to convert T4 to T3, thus “reversing” T3. Range is 9.2-24.1 ml
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TPO: This is an antibody marker to check if an enzyme that is being sued to synthesize thyroid hormone is working- primarily for autoimmune conditions. Marker should be 0
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TgAB: Again, antibody used to attack thyroglobulin, thus we want this at 0
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Estrogen: If you are not cycling, we cannot test on a specific day, thus we want to see estrogen at AT LEAST 80ml, no higher than 200ml
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Progesterone: Depending where one is in their cycle, this can change too, but we want progesterone ideally at a minimum of 15dl
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Testosterone: As mentioned with the two previous markers, this can change in one’s cycle, but we want a marker higher than 2dl
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DHEA-S: Most abundant hormone in the body and precursor to the 3 main sex hormones, so if this is low, all the others are most likely affected. Range should be 150-250 dl
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FSH and LH: Both work together, the ideal ratio should be a 2:1 ratio of LH to FSH, thus if FSH is between 1.7-7.7, we will want LH to be double. In PCOS, LH tends to be high, where as in HA both are low
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Prolactin: Usually high if one is lactating but also a stress response on the-synonymous to a pituitary signaling issue which can affect thyroid and ovulation. Ideal range is less than 25ml