Follicle-Stimulating Hormone: How To Prepare

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How To Prepare

Many medicines, such as cimetidine, clomiphene, digitalis, and levodopa, can change your test results. You may be asked to stop taking medicines (including birth control pills) that contain estrogen or progesterone or both for up to 4 weeks before having a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test. Make sure your health professional has a complete list of all the prescription and over-the-counter medicines you are taking, including herbs and natural substances.

Tell your health professional if you have had a test that used a radioactive substance (tracer) within the last 7 days. Recent tests using a radioactive tracer (such as a thyroid scan or bone scan) can interfere with FSH test results.

Let your health professional know the first day of your last menstrual period. If your bleeding pattern is light or begins with spotting, the first day is the day of heaviest bleeding.

Talk to your health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?) .

Last updated:	June 06, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine, Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer