What should your actual estrogen level be at ?

I keep seeing threads on checking your estrogen level after being on estrogen replacement. But no one ever says what the actual level should be. I've been on the .1 vivelle dot patch for a couple of months. I asked my doctor to have labs done for my estrogen level (blood test). It came back at 152. Is this good or bad, I don't know. I'm having some issues with breast tenderness and achy joints, wondering if this may be due to high/low estrogen level.

Hi Rochelle!

My family physician who has managed my HRT for seven years explained to me that there is no normal, usual or standard level for all women. He said that women's needs in this regard are different, and -- on top of that -- each woman's needs vary throughout her lifetime. So, the estrogen level that I needed to feel good at age 20 was different than what I needed to feel good at age 40, at age 60, etc. And, those levels would be different for you or any other patient. This is why he feels that estrogen level testing is useless.

s,

It's true that we all require different levels to feel our best. I don't feel that serum testing is useless though. I was on what should have been an appropriate dose of Vivelle Dot. I felt beyond horrible. When my serum level was finally tested it was at 4! It was a useful tool in finally figuring out that I wasn't absorbing my estrogen with that form. It may not be the definitive way to decide how much estrogen to use. I think it's definitely useful though.

Rochelle, I've heard that 100 or so is about average for estradiol level. Some women feel great on much more though. Some do okay on much less. If you're having symptoms of excess, maybe your Dr will advise you to cut your dose some. For me, breast tenderness that doesn't go away means an excess.

My dr likes to keep it below 200. However, I feel the best when my level is double that. I think that some of us who take thyroid meds need more perhaps, as some is not able to be used (binding site interference between estrogen and thyroid meds).

I think the blood testing is useful to know if it is being absorbed. Like another poster, I was on high levels of the patch and still tested at post-menopausal levels (no estrogen). It helped me prove to my dr that I wasn't able to absorb it with patch delivery.

If you're not feeling like things are working, you could ask for testing and keep copies of those results to compare with future tests. Too often the dr says "you're fine" but you never get to see where in the "normal" range you fall. KEEP COPIES OF ALL TESTING!

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Originally Posted by gerryrose I'm having some issues with breast tenderness and achy joints, wondering if this may be due to high/low estrogen level.

The achy joints could be low estrogen. The breast tenderness could be too high progesterone or too high estrogen. My guess is that your progesterone level is too high, thus exacerbating your low estrogen symptoms (achy joints).

What about trying to lower your progesterone dose and see if that helps? I would only adjust one thing at a time and keep notes of how symptoms change.