Expert: Scott Roseff, MD, FACOG - 8/28/2008

Question
My PCP recently referred me to a fertility specialist at my request because I
notice that I may have a luteal phase defect.  In the past six months of
charting, my LP has varied from 9 to 17 days, so I'm suspecting a hormonal
issue.  Low progesterone is my guess because I don't have really high temps
during my luteal phase, and I get very sore breasts for about a week each
cycle.  I have regular cycles, am ovulating, and am seeing a thermal shift each
cycle.  

I had CD 3 bloodwork done while waiting to see the specialist, and I'm
confused by the results because the lab paperwork says I am likely post-
menopausal based on the progesterone & estradiol test, yet at reproductive
endocrinology websites, I seem to fall in the optimum fertility ranges for all
six hormones at this time in my cycle.  

I'm guessing that the lab doesn't look at where you are in your cycle, but only
takes an average of the whole cycle and compares your figure to that number.   

I'm 35 and electing to become a single mom by choice since time and a
potential husband are not on my side right now.  Because of this, it's
expensive to try to get pregnant.  I won't see the fertility specialist for several
weeks and would like to try to conceive again this cycle if the hormones look
okay, so I'm trying to figure out what my CD 3 screening means.  Can you
provide some input?  Here are the labwork results:

Progesterone - 0.6
Prolactin - 11.4
FSH - 6.5
TSH - 1.25
Estradiol - <35 (no exact number provided on the labwork)  
LH - 3.7

I know CD 3 numbers don't tell the whole picture without LH surge day and 7
days past ovulation bloodwork (and maybe a couple ultrasounds and an HSG
test), but based just on those figures alone, am I in the post-menopausal
range or still fertile?

Answer
Those levels are in the normal range for a woman who tests on cycle day 3.

Good luck!
Dr. Roseff, Director - Palm Beach Center for Reproductive Medicine In Wellington, Florida;
PERSONALIZED/Individualized Successful care by a Board Certified reproductive medicine specialist in a warm and caring setting....
See why we're DIFFERENT at http://www.reproendo.com/different.htm
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