# Stress and high FSH



## Wendy Dee

Hi !
Does anyone know if there is a link between stress and high FSH??
My first FSH was 33. The doctor didn't seem to believe me when I denied any menopausal symptoms.  At the time I was involved in a terrible incident at work to the extent that I was in tears at least once a day over the 6 weeks preceeding my FSH test. The test was repeated at my request and this time came back at a level of 10- still high I know but considerably lower. A progesterone level done during the month of the second FSH test showed that I had ovulated that month.
The clinic tells me that there is nothing to be gained by repeating the FSH again as there isn't a link between stress and FSH and that once a level has come back at a very high level it will continue to fluctuate at high levels.  I am a bit concerned as I am due to start IVF soon and I know that FSH is one of the factors considered when deciding the dose of stimulating drugs abondoned cycle - I am worried about being over-stimulated and having to abandon my cycle.
I'd be grateful for any advice/information. Wendy x


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## Angelmummy

Wendy

I know they dont think there is... but I have been asking myself the same quiestion.

I had an FSH of 15 and 17 in April and May 2007. This was an extremely stressful time for me as my mum had just relapsed with cancer and I knew the prognosis was not good. she was only 57 and I was frantic with worry. 

I assumed I was perimenopausal ( I did not conceive for 14 months which was a long time for me) anyway my fsh last year was 11?! Now this was seen as just a blip and I was told donor egg still only hope.  I then fell pg (but sadly miscarried again)  Just had FSH done again and apparently now it is 5!!!

I dont know the answer apart from to say I am not sure how reliable it is. It fluctuates a lot. I thought I was ine the menopause but now I am not so sure!!!

Take Care
Kay
xx


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## Wendy Dee

Hi Kay.
So sad and sorry to read about your miscarriages in your signature and also about your mum. My stressful time at work seems so insignificant and trivial in comparison.
From your experience it seems that FSH really does fluctuate. I think I'll just have to trust the clinic doctors as the experts. I do wonder about asking my GP to do a sneaky FSH for me but then I don't really know useful the results will be.  
Thanks for the reply. Take care. Wendy x


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## Angelmummy

Wendy

Just remember though that the Drs dont know everything! I had one high test (about 4 yrs ago when having loads of investigations) they repeated it and next time it was normal so they said that is fine - it is normal! They said it just fluctuates and that one high result is not a high result??!

Wish they would make there minds up! 

Kay
xx


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## Kellois

Hi Wendy,

So sorry to hear your story. I've been told at my clinic (Create) that stress can raise FSH levels; I've also been told that they can fluctuate on each cycle. In just three months, I've gone from 10 to 7.1 to a whopping 29!

Any proven way of lowering them do you think?

K


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## Quest

My FSH has gone up and down quite a bit and I strongly feel stress is a factor is this. I also beleive that acupuncture helped me to get it down.
Quest x


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## guccimama

Hi ladies, 
I had my first FSH tested last July after a really bad few months, one thing after another with family and work over a sustained length of time. I have never been so stressed. My FSH came back at 10.7, I stopped smoking right in the middle of all the stress as I had begun chain smoking to help (not!) so had been tested 2 weeks into stopping smoking as well...as I say I was STRESSED...
When it was retested in November it had dropped, and so had my stress levels, each month it has fluctuated a little the lowest has been 5.7 and it is back to 9 at the moment.  I know Stress affects FSH, my Gp even said that to me, so did the nurses at the hospital. I have also read load on it. 
Just to say that my drug levels where set when my FSH was at 10.7 and they did not change them when we had tx when it was 5.7 nor now when at 9. so I would not worry too much. 
Hope this is useful
Guccimama


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## Harris Tweed

Hi

I know its a bit late, but have just seen this thread and wanted to jump in.  I am sure there is a major link with stress and FSH.  I used to have a consistent level of around 15.  I was having a mega stressie time - doing my teacher training course, getting married, two miscarriages and starting my new school in the space of five months.  I was also drinking far too much wine, tea and coffee, diet coke etc.  After a third miscarriage and a (unrealted) fall at work I stoped work, made some lifestyle / diet changes and did lots of accupuncture.  My level dropped to 13, but I couldn't get it down any further.  My clinic wouldn't treat me with more than 10.  I had 9 months of testing, becomming more and more frustrated.  

I then went to the Zita West clinic and did everything they told me to do!!  Lots of visulatisation, believing we could do it etc - I had to make a collage of DH and I as babies and hang it up in the kitchen.....  Their nutrition lady overhauled our diet - it was quite good already as I cook lots, but she really showed where we could improve it.  Lots of pulses, oats, rye bread, green leafy veggies.  I was told to try to avoid all transfats any foods I hadn't made myself...  I cut out all alcohol, fizzy drinks, squash etc and down to 2 teas a day.  I also did accupuncture with them twice a week.  It was surprisingly easy to do and my FSH came down another three points in six weeks!  At this point I very luckily had a BFP with IUI!!  Although my clinic don't agree, I think that lifestyle can make a huge difference.  I also met another teacher there who had reduced her FSH from 19 to 7 by following the instructions in the Fertility Cure by Randine Lewis.  I haven't read it, but it sounds like a similar approach.  Back to stress  I wonder if the body can be stressed by caffeine, the wrong type of food which is difficult to digest, too much caffeine, swings in sugar levels etc...  Just a thought.


Hope this is useful. Love, Harris xxx


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## The Moog

Hi, its definitely possible to change your FSH levels by changing diet and yes caffeine does affect hormones quite considerably - there is a very good article on caffeine on this site which you should read - caffeine cases stress in the body by affecting the adrenal glands

I have managed to bring my FSH levels from 12.5 to 6 and I can only assume that it is due to giving up caffeine & alcohol completely. Smoking is also pretty bad

I am 43 - have lost 2 baby's recently and now trying IVF for the first time so hoping new healthy eating will help

Wishing you every success xxx


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## Harris Tweed

Dear The Moog

Sorry to hear you've been having such a hard time.  Good luck with your IVF cycle - I hope you have some good luck.       Have your oestradoil (sp?) results been ok?  Do you know where I can find the article on caffeine?  

Fingers crossed for you.

Harris Game x


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## The Moog

Hi there,
sorry for the late reply, the article on caffeine/coffee was on one of the other pages - I am hopeless at finding things. Any way the basics are that even one coffee a day can reduce fertility by half - so that it no fizzy drinks, no coffee and no tea I have changed to redbush - naturally caffeine free and similar to tea and a Gillian McKeith natural coffee substitute also naturally caffeine free - got the lot in Holland & Barrett's my DH is drinking it with me so that helps - if I could just loose some weight and cut out the cakes at work - that would be even better!!

Well all the best with everything - it really is worth making the changes

Best wishes The Moog


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