Menopause Hormone Levels Chart: Understanding the Changes

Let’s talk about hormonal changes during menopause and what they mean for your health, which is where a menopause hormone levels chart can be invaluable.

Life is full of major milestones and gradual transitions — and the move to menopause is one of the biggest shifts we experience.

It’s a time when our hormone levels change, sleep can feel near impossible, and chills and hot flashes alternate like unpredictable waves.

Fun times, right?

With so much going on, the role hormones play in menopause is often misunderstood and little discussed.

But knowledge is power.

And we’re all about empowering women to take control of their own health and bodies within a supportive environment.

So, here’s a simple menopause hormone levels chart to help you gain a better understanding of your own menopause journey.

In this article: 📝

How do I know I’m in menopause?

Menopause is officially defined as twelve months after your last period.

One of the most reliable signs you’re going through the menopause transition is changes in your menstrual cycle.

The longer you go without a period, the more likely you are to be gearing up for menopause.

These changes, coupled with common symptoms such as thinning hair, mood swings, and hot flashes, are the main way doctors tell if you’re in menopause.

(Check out this guide to menopause symptoms for more info.)

Your doctor might also confirm you’re in menopause with blood tests — and this is where a menopause hormone levels chart comes in.

The two main hormones doctors check for are the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol.

Here’s each in more detail.

What level of FSH indicates menopause?

FSH is a hormone released by the brain. It stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles, the little sacs in your ovaries containing immature egg cells.

If you’re in menopause, your ovaries won’t respond to FSH.

So, what does your brain do?

It sends out more!

If you have consistently high levels of FSH (classed as over 30 milli-international units per milliliter, or mIU/mL), you’re probably in menopause.

But FSH levels swing wildly on a daily basis.

They can be high one day and low the next, so tracking these results over time is the only way to confirm their significance.

What level of estradiol indicates menopause?

Estradiol is the main form of estrogen found in pre-menopausal women.

Alongside the luteinizing hormones (LH), it helps support our reproductive systems.

During each menstrual cycle, a rise in estradiol levels causes the release of an egg from one of your ovaries.

It also leads to the thickening of your uterus lining so that a fertilized egg can implant successfully.

While estradiol is our main estrogen (we have ten estrogens total), during menopause, this switches to estrone as estradiol levels fall rapidly.

Before menopause, amounts range from 30 to 400 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).

And afterward, estradiol commonly falls to below 30 pg/ML. Like FSH though, estradiol levels fluctuate throughout your cycle.

They also tend to go up and down in the time leading up to menopause (aka perimenopause before they finally drop.

What should my hormone levels be in menopause?

Each individual’s hormones during menopause will be different and may even change daily.

Hormone levels also differ according to your age, lifestyle, and other health conditions.

So, while certain levels of hormones will be normal for one person, they might be dramatically high or low for another.

In short, think of it more as a range of hormone levels that you might experience during menopause.

While FSH rises after menopause, estradiol falls.

The exact amount will be different from person to person, though.

Your doctor can explain these changes as well as how other hormones interact with FSH and estradiol, helping you understand more about their roles and what to expect.

And there are also women in our Peanut Menopause community who have a wealth of first-hand experiences to share.

As a rough guide, though, here’s a simple menopause hormone levels chart with ranges for both FSH and estradiol.

Menopause hormone levels chart

Let’s face it, the menopause brings change and challenges — but you don’t have to be in the dark about your own health.

While the main ways to tell whether you’re in menopause are changes in your periods coupled with the onset of the common symptoms, menopause hormone levels charts can help you visualize what’s going on in your body.

It’s all about empowering all of us to talk about menopause with confidence and knowledge.

Let’s do this together. 💪