[Janney]

Hi,

I'm 37 and have been struggling with irregular periods for a few years. I spent quite some time with either not getting my period to it lasting for weeks and weeks. I was placed on birth control and that seemed to regulate my periods. Then the chin hair started, ugh. Just one at first, in the same pesky spot, then more. I finally mentioned it to my new primary care physician and he sent me to an endocrinologist and she sent me for blood work to check my hormone levels. I have a follow-up appointment next month but the lab posted my results and I took a look.

My estradiol is 610 H - I know that's really high but all the other levels seem high but still considered normal. Has anyone experienced this? What is the treatment? Will I be placed on medication until it becomes normal or is it something that will required medicine for the rest of my life?

[Alison H.]

Hi Janney,

I'm not sure if it will definitely require medication for the rest of your life — it may only be until menopause (but I'm not sure). Given the high estradiol, the period irregularity, and the chin hair.... have they looked into PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) by chance?

I only ask because my oldest daughter was diagnosed with it (around age 13 or 14) and her symptoms were very similar. At one point, she went more than 100 days without a period, and then had a period that lasted 26 (heavy flow) days. She was put on birth control pills and took those for quite some time, but hasn't seemed to need them recently (her cycle is regulating on its own, at least for the last little while). So it might be something you'd only need sporadically — sometimes our hormones get back in balance on their own, while other times they need more help.

It's good that you're seeing an endocrinologist and having your bloodwork done. Hopefully that will set you on a path to effective treatment soon. And it might not be forever — especially as we age, our hormones just can get out of whack. But I imagine that it will require periodic blood testing whether you're taking BC or not — just to monitor all of your hormone levels over time.

[Laura V.]

Hi Janney,

What cycle day were you on when you had those tests? I'm no doctor, but I have a lot of experience with hormonal tests as I have PCOS and have struggled with hormonal imbalances most of my life. These tests should be done in the first few days of your cycle (the usual recommendation is days 3-5). From that point forward, they begin to fluctuate and it becomes harder to figure out which hormone levels are normal and which aren't. For instance, estradiol can be as high as 800 pg/mL around ovulation and it is considered normal.

Otherwise, like Alison said, your symptoms do sound a lot like PCOS. If it turns out to be that, the situation isn't hopeless, I say that from experience I stayed on birth control for a lot of years but had to come off it 2 years ago due to a blood clot, so I'm done with synthetic hormones. PCOS can be managed naturally. It's not an easy ride and there is no quick fix, but it is doable, so if you don't want to be on hormones, there is hope.