FSH levels and menopause: what the numbers mean

FSH goes up as the ovaries release fewer eggs. That is why it is the blood test usually linked to menopause. Here is what one laboratory publishes as its range, and why a number on its own says less than people hope.

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Published FSH reference ranges

The ranges below come from the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) laboratory test listing for serum FSH. They are the lab’s reference ranges for females, in mIU/mL, copied as published. This listing was chosen because it separates the cycle phases from the postmenopausal range.

Female	Reference range (mIU/mL)
Follicular Phase	4 to 12
Ovulation Phase	5 to 22
Luteal Phase	2 to 8
Postmenopausal	26 to 135

Source: Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Serum, OHSU. The listing gives no further notes on these ranges.

Other labs print different numbers. MedlinePlus says labs often use different testing methods, so they often use different reference ranges, and that you should check the range on your own lab report. Your report will show the range that goes with your result.

What FSH does as menopause approaches

MedlinePlus explains that high levels of FSH are a normal sign of perimenopause and menopause. As the ovaries release fewer eggs, the body makes more hormones to try to trigger ovulation.

The same page lists other conditions linked to high FSH in women, including primary ovarian insufficiency, PCOS, an ovarian tumor, thyroid or adrenal disorders, and Turner syndrome. A high result alone doesn’t say which applies.

Why one number isn’t enough

FSH levels change through the month in women who have periods, per MedlinePlus. So the cycle phase when you were tested matters, and a lab may ask for a specific day.

What the sources say about when to test:

• 45 or older. MedlinePlus says FSH testing usually isn’t needed. Separately, the Office on Women’s Health says your provider can usually tell if you are in perimenopause from your age, symptoms and changes in your periods, and that blood hormone tests are not usually needed.
• Under 45. The Office on Women’s Health says to tell your provider if your periods stop or become irregular before 45. Your provider may order blood tests, and testing is most useful before 40.
• Under 40. A 2024 international guideline on premature ovarian insufficiency says a clinician can make that diagnosis from irregular or missed periods for at least 4 months plus one raised FSH result (above 25 IU/L), and that a repeat FSH or an AMH test may be needed where the diagnosis is uncertain. That is a clinician’s diagnosis, not something a single home result settles.

If you want to check your own FSH

The FSH-only test is the cheapest one that gives you the number. The seller’s page says it measures FSH only, with no LH, estradiol or testosterone, that it is a blood draw, and that results appear in an online account within one to three business days. It says fasting isn’t required but gives no cycle-day instruction, so follow your clinician’s order if there is one. The cycle timing tool explains how timing is handled.

For the same ranges as they apply outside menopause, see FSH levels. For what the test is and how it is ordered, see the FSH test page.

What a result can’t tell you

Your number alone can’t settle whether you have reached menopause, and it can’t tell you why your periods changed. Take it to a clinician along with your age, symptoms and period history, and do so sooner if you are under 45 with changed or missed periods. If you might be pregnant, see a clinician.