Question:

Is it possible to go thru menopause and not know it? I am 54, and I’ve been on Depo-prevera for five or more years. I have had some hot flashes and night sweats. My FSH level is 40.3. I will stop taking the Depo now, as per my doctor’s advice. She said I am not fertile because of my FSH level.

Lynette

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Answer: 

It’s certainly possible. Your doctor would know better than we would, but one concern about using FSH levels as the sole determinant of passing menopause is that those levels can be disrupted – abnormally high or low – by some forms of hormonal contraceptive. This may not apply to Depo, however. And given your age, night sweats and hot flashes, it certainly seems likely that you’re close to, at, or past menopause.