OPKs don't work for me. Anyone else?

chloe97

Ok, curious if any one else has this issue. I'm charting Bbt and am on day 15 right now. My temp dropped from 97.4 (cover line) to 96.8. I'm once again having more intense o-pain than I did before my MC. Based on last cycle, I'm pretty confident that I'm either ovulating now or about to ovulate. But I can't turn an OPK to save my life. I started testing on cd 10 and I still got nothing. I try morning and afternoon and evening. Not eve a faint line. This happened my first temping cycle and somehow I managed to get pregnant. Any idea why I can't turn an OPK positive? I've only use Wandfos, are there better ones I should try? I'm not sure why it freaks me out so much, but I'm worried I'm not turning OPKs bc I'm missing a hormone you need to sustain a pregnancy.

Eta I have polycystic ovaries, but very regular cycles, so no PCOS. I'm wondering if that could have anything to do with this.

MissAmeliaPond

I can't get an OPK to turn true positive, but I do see the test line get a bit darker and then fade back out. I also use the wondfos.  OPKs measure leutenizing (sp?) hormone, which is the last hormone to surge prior to ovulation - but I don't think it plays a part in pregnancy. 

I don't know much about PCOS or polycystic ovaries, so I am not much help here. Maybe you want to mention this to your doctor and they can run a blood test for LH? I hope you find some answers soon! 

PeggyOlsonFTW

When are you trying? Like what time of day?

catiecatp

PeggyOlsonFTW said:

When are you trying? Like what time of day?

I'm considering investing in OPK if this cycle and the next don't pan out - I think it might give me a sense of control - is there a time of day that is better/worse?

BooksForMe23

I've never turned an OPK either.  I don't have any wonderful insight; I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

chloe97

@PeggyOlsonFTW I try at all times of day- morning, afternoon, evening, before bed. I'm visiting my parents this weekend and used the last one last night, so I doubt I will try today at all. I'm just trying to figure out why I'm not getting an LH surge. They Would register for me when I was pregnant, so I know it's not a faulty bunch. It's just another thing for me to worry about. I wish I had an answer. I know women with PCOS usually don't get positives and so now I'm wondering if my polycystic ovaries have something to do with it.

BornReady

I hear you, I think that OPKs are the most frustrating things. In the past I would only get positives when I tested around 6PM. I was also a short surger, so I typically ovulated the day of my positive OPK. This cycle I got my only true-blue positive testing with FMU. I had intended to use a digital which required FMU, but when I went to test I didn't have any left and used  a Wondfo. It was the most positive OPK I have ever seen, so I'm assuming I had my surge overnight? So much guess work involved!.

I have used the ClearBlue Advanced Digital OPKS and despite their cost found those to give me the least headache. I plan to buy some for my next cycle if we aren't successful this time. 

PeggyOlsonFTW

@chloe97 and @catiecatp I use Wondfos and usually test around 2pm. I stop drinking water around 11am, pee one last time and then hold it til 2 so my urine is more concentrated.

susykat77

I was able to get a positive this month by testing 4x a day. I have never been able to get a positive testing once or twice a day.

megsbrock

Like @MissAmeliaPond I don't usually see a true positive on the Wondfo OPKs...it's usually a fade in then fade out pattern which I use to try and pinpoint O-day.

Since you've noticed this in other cycles I'd definitely mention it to the doctor. Clearly you ovulated the cycle you got pregnant but the doc might be able to answer why the tests don't seem to work for you.

I'd also suggest trying the Clearblue Advanced Digitals, if you are willing and able to fork over the $. However i only use these after a few regular cycles, so that i don't waste money and stress when they take days upon days to show a peak reading.

FiancB

I have a really hard time with them as well. I notice I get darker lines in the morning, contrary to typical advice, probably because I drink a lot of water and coffee. This morning I did get a pretty dark line, still not as dark as control, but I count that as positive. The only time I got a truly positive OPK was when I was pregnant and obviously not ovulating. It's not unusual for me to get nowhere near a positive OPK yet still confirm O through temping and other signs, including in the cycle that I got pregnant. 

Meh. I'd say I'll stop bothering with them when I run out but who am I kidding, I'm obsessed with this stuff. But I certainly don't rely on them as heavily as I do temp and CM. 

strickland8052

@megsbrock and @fiancb - Thanks for that info. This is helping my sanity today.

My OPKs faded into an *almost* positive line on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Monday, and today the line is basically not there at all. Do you think that Saturday was my positive? Do the lines ever fade in, fade out, fade back in again? I'm wondering if I should just stop peeing on things and call it quits with the OPKs this month. I'm on CD 16 with a huge temp drop yesterday and today, so the almost positive on Saturday kinda makes sense if yesterday or today is O.

FiancB

@strickland8052 it sounds about right, then. It is possible to have multiple surges, often before/after O and I think maybe before AF as well. Or if your body is trying to O but not quite making it, which seems to be the case for me lately. But if you also had a temp drop it makes sense, especially if CD15/16 is pretty normal for you as it is for most people. FX that your temp is up tomorrow. 

I think maybe next month I'll hang onto the OPKs to be able to better compare them. But for me, I pretty much count them as positive if the test line is about half as dark as the control line. That's not how they're supposed to be used, but that's about as good as it gets for me. 

RiverSong15

I have the same issue as @MissAmeliaPond. I get a day or two of almost positives that fade in and then fade out. Then BBT confirms O one to two days after the almost positive OPKs. You could always try another brand - they each test for different amounts of LH (just like HPT brands each have different HCG thresholds).

Side note: if you have polycystic ovaries @chloe97, has your doctor ever done any bloodwork? PCOS is a 2 out of 3 diagnosis, where you need two out of three to have PCOS: polycystic ovaries, abnormal bloodwork (FSH:LH ratios, estrogen levels, among others), and long cycles. If you have abnormal bloodwork and polycystic ovaries, you don't need to have long, irregular cycles to still have PCOS.

@strickland8052 I'd keep taking OPKs until you confirm O with temping. You can have multiple LH surges (even with full positive OPKs) and still not O. I usually back off to once a day testing once the line gets light and until O is confirmed.

chloe97

@RiverSong15 My doc tested my thyroid and FSH levels last month and as they came back normal. She didn't test estrogen/LH or for androgens (is that a thing?). If I'm getting pregnant and have pretty regular cycles, it's nothing to worry about right? After I got the scan, she did mention that she's concerned that I could start having issues TTC down the road, so I should probably not wait too long. I'm seeing her beginning of Feb no matter what for my annual, so if I'm not KU'd at that point, I will see what she says. I specifically asked about PCOS and mc risk and and she said that there was not a greater risk. If I end up having another MC next time, I'm going to an RE who will explore the hormone issues more.

RiverSong15

chloe97 said:

@RiverSong15 My doc tested my thyroid and FSH levels last month and as they came back normal. She didn't test estrogen/LH or for androgens (is that a thing?). If I'm getting pregnant and have pretty regular cycles, it's nothing to worry about right? After I got the scan, she did mention that she's concerned that I could start having issues TTC down the road, so I should probably not wait too long. I'm seeing her beginning of Feb no matter what for my annual, so if I'm not KU'd at that point, I will see what she says. I specifically asked about PCOS and mc risk and and she said that there was not a greater risk. If I end up having another MC next time, I'm going to an RE who will explore the hormone issues more.

Testing for androgens is standard for diagnosing PCOS. See this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0024506/?report=reader

Thyroid problems can have symptoms that mimic PCOS, so that's likely why she tested that.

I'd recommend doing some research on the tests common for PCOS (stick to reputable medical sites - Mayo Clinic, NIH, etc) to see what is standard. If I had polycystic ovaries, I'd be pushing for at least testing androgen levels. She may be ruling it out if you don't have symptoms of androgen excess (excess hair growth, male pattern hair loss), but I think it's worth looking at once you meet one of the criteria for diagnosis. I'd at least ask your doc why she didn't test for it, and she what she says.

ETA: you're right in that the biggest issue with fertility and PCOS is not ovulating. That doesn't seem like an issue for you. However, women with PCOS may have a higher risk of miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preterm birth and hypertension during pregnancy. It also can put you at higher risk of other nonTTC health issues (cholesterol problems, diabetes).

https://americanpregnancy.org/womens-health/polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/

chloe97

@RiverSong15 Thanks for the info! Yes, I've been losing hair like crazy the last couple years, but I blamed it on my birth control pill at the time. I always had super thick hair and now it's just pretty normal, so people don't believe me. I do have excessive body hair growth. Im definitely going to ask for androgen testing at my next Drs appt.

megsbrock

@strickland8052 I usually consider my almost positive OPKs as positive...sounds like with your temps it makes sense for you to do the same!

SuperKristy85

@chloe97 I don't have much experience with them either so I'm no expert but I've never turned one posituve either and I have tried both the cheapos (are any of them actually cheap) and the pricey digital ones. I have read that they are more difficult to use if you have pcos, you may want to run that by your dr and just see what they say. Good luck!

RiverSong15

SuperKristy85 said:

@chloe97 I don't have much experience with them either so I'm no expert but I've never turned one posituve either and I have tried both the cheapos (are any of them actually cheap) and the pricey digital ones. I have read that they are more difficult to use if you have pcos, you may want to run that by your dr and just see what they say. Good luck!

With Wondfos, I got a pack of 100 OPK, and 25 HPT for $35. That's about as cheap as it gets for OPKs!

chloe97

@SuperKristy85 It's good to hear I'm not alone. My cycles still wacky from my D&C last month, so assuming no BFP this month, I will try again next month and try testing early afternoon and see if that helps at all!