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Infertility

Need help with OPK - Told I do not Ovulate, but.....

20 replies

mawinter · 16/11/2013 08:42

I was told i am unable to Ovulate on my own, but......on Monday I had the oddest slight bit of pain just above my hip bone, along with twinges on and off. By Tuesday evening I started to get dull cramping in both Ovaries and by Wednesday evening the cramps ended. Thursday I had a meeting with my OBGYN who was going to give me referral paperwork to a Fertility Clinic with the diagnoses of "Unable to Ovulate on own". Well short before the appointment I started to spot and told her of my symptoms and she said it is possible I am Ovulating or going to, so she examined me and said "Hrm, no I don't think so" and still insisted I visit the clinic. She also said I probably just have mid cycle bleeding and nothing more and sent me on my way with my papers. By Friday the bleeding got a little more, but nothing which ever reached a pad.
This morning I was feeling a little extra randy, which I thought odd since I really was convinced I was starting a new cycle all over again.
Well I decided to pee on my Ovulation Test Strips for the heck of it and I got what i believe to be a positive or almost positive on the 10miu one.

Can anyone help me?

de.tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2vb23pu&s=5 It's the last pink one at the bottom. The last green one at the bottom is slightly positive, but I never had much luck with these 25miu ones I believe.

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erilou38 · 16/11/2013 09:23

I have used the green sticks before and kept getting a positive result for about a week around the time i thought i may have been ovulating. The nurse at the infertility clinic told me that they don't recommend using ovulation tests as they are unreliable. Indeed, in my case they were giving me false positives. They detect LH which is meant to rise just before ovulation. Ovarian cysts or women with polycystic ovaries often have high levels of LH. I have some cysts so of course this is why i was getting a false positive . I'm not saying that you have cysts or polycystic ovaries but if i were you i would give up with the ovulation tests. They are shit and just cause anxiety. Have you had a cycle day 21 progesterone test ? This usually detects wheather you have ovulated or not as progesterone rises after ovulation. Iv'e had several day 21 tests over the past year and all of them have shown depressingly that my progesterone is low and i haven't ovulated. Then, this week i had a breakthrough. A clever lady doctor at my surgery suggested that i should have a day 28 test as this may pick up ovulation. Sure enough it did, i have ovulated this cycle and i'm told my progesterone was at a good level. If you are having irregular cycles, like i am, you could well be ovulating later in your cycle and not at the textbook 14 days. If you ovulated at day 14 then a day 21 test would pick it up. In my case i didn't ovulate on day 14. More likely i ovulated around day 21 which is why ovulation was detected a week later on day 28. I know just what you are going through, it's a horrible time. I'm 38 so not getting any younger and i feel time has run out. Iv'e been trying to conceive for 15 months now. I'm getting more and more pissed off and upset as each month passes and having no luck. If i were you, i would insist that your doctor give s you a day 28 test as well as the standard day 21. You might well be ovulating. Like me, you might just be ovulating later in your cycle. It's so hard with all this pissing about with hormone tests when all we want so badly is a baby. Why can't it just happen for us!! Feel free to private message me anytime if you feel you need to get things off your chest. It does help a little when talking to others who are going through the pain of infertility. Erin

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mawinter · 16/11/2013 14:36

Thanks Erin! I did recently have a day 21 (did not even know it was called this until back at the doctors). It showed all levels normal this time around, except the progesterone which was low again.
I will keep checking with the stick though (doesn't bother me really one way or the other) and temps and if it does show anything, I will give my doctor a call on Monday and ask for another blood draw.

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erilou38 · 16/11/2013 17:25

Yes, definately ask your doctor for a day 28 blood test. Have you had a day 3 FSH test to check your ovarian reserve (how many eggs you have left) ? As you are 37 it really is worthwhile getting it checked. I'm 38 and my most recent FSH was 11.2 which my infertilty nurse said was reasonable. I wanted her to say it was lower as the lower the FSH the better. It seems likely that i am starting to run out of eggs. You need to push these tests along as we are running out of time at our age. It really all turns to shit once we reach our mid 30s.

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mawinter · 16/11/2013 19:50

Previous Blood draw showed FSH at 4.9 and most recent at 5.01. My latest draw also showed a bit of a thyroid issue, so I am now taking additional Iodine.
I'm really so angry at myself for just thinking I could magically pop out another one so easily and so late in life. :/ Kind of wish I mentioned to my OB earlier that we have been trying for so long as well.
Clinic is well booked up in to the New Year already. :(

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erilou38 · 16/11/2013 20:14

That's great news about your FSH levels, they sound perfectly normal. Mine has always been above 8. You must still have good ovarian reserve so that is very promising. I know the waiting times with infertility clinics. My last appointment was in August, then i have had to wait almost 4 months for my next one which is in 2 weeks. If i could afford it i would go private.

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mawinter · 17/11/2013 12:33

Well today is a rather confusing day...... lots of pinching feelings on and off in both ovaries, as well as increased CM.

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erilou38 · 17/11/2013 15:30

That definately sounds like ovulation to me. Make sure you have lots of sex!

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mawinter · 18/11/2013 08:17

We DTD on Saturday AM an hour after I noticed the OPK was quite dark. We plan to DTD again today, but looking at the OPK strips after the first darkened one I see the ones from Saturday evening had a really dark (as dark as the control line) thin left line at the side of the second line. The tests from Sunday morning also show the same. Now they are still dark, but getting lighter. So maybe I really did O on Sunday?
Last night that pinching pain was constant and I still feel it a bit this morning, with what also feels like a party on and off in my uterus area.
I also have some slight pelvic pains, AF like. The spotting I was having is really barely there at all since last night as well.
Do you think I should phone my doctor and ask for another test or just wait two weeks and see if pregnancy happens?

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erilou38 · 18/11/2013 13:56

I really think you should go to doctor and ask for the cycle day 28 test. I had never ovulated when i had a day 21 but this cycle i had ovulated when i had my day 28. I wouldn't trust the OPKS to be honest. As you mention that you have cysts they can interfere with the results as they produce high levels of LH hormone which is picked up with an OPK. Of course i could be wrong and the OPK might be accurate. The 2 week wait is awful. At least if you have the day 28 done and you have ovulated ther might be a chance of pregnancy. If you haven't ovulated then at least you will know not to get your hopes up. Did you say your cycles are irregular ?

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mawinter · 18/11/2013 16:01

I no longer have a cyst. I had one, but it shrank. I came off BC on the 7th of Sept, nothing happened due to the cyst so I was given meds with Agnus Castus in it and still nothing happened so my doctor put me on Duphaston in the hopes of breaking up the Cyst. It worked and 54 days after coming off BC (this time around) I got AF back. I never did have any interference with the OPK's while having the Cyst, but they did give me false positive HPT's, which is what initially lead to my visit to the OBGYN.
So for now my cycles are a bit irregular until my body gets back in to the swing of things. Which is another reason I was so surprised my doctor wrote me off so quickly as not Ovulating...
I called my doctors office and they told me I have to wait for the clinic to do any further tests, so I guess i will wait and see what happens. *sigh This is very frustrating!

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erilou38 · 18/11/2013 16:07

Oh tell me about it, i'm so frustrated too!!! I'm on day 35 of my cycle and still waiting for my period to arrive so i can have an HSG done before my next clinic appointment next Thursday. I'm so fed up with these irregular cycles. Just wish my body would get back to normal.

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erilou38 · 18/11/2013 16:19

Oh that is so annoying that you haven't a clinic appointment until the new year. I do hope it's sometime in January. My last clinic appointment was way back in August, so iv'e had to wait all this time until my appointment next week. I just keep hoping that i'll get pregnant naturally. Infertility is areal drain on your emotions. Iv'e been trying for 16 months and iv'e just about had enough now. I have actually said to myself that i can't possibly do this for another year, it's so stressful. I think if i'm not pregnant by the end of December i am going to quit. Just hope i can get the Clomid at my next appointment and that it will work. I do so hope you don't have as much trouble as i have done. It's heartbreaking when you want something so badly and it just doesn't happen.

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mawinter · 19/11/2013 10:06

I am going to put in another call to my OBGYN because I am still having these pinching pains and they are getting rather annoying, pinching is on and off in my uterus as well and I have a dull lower backache plus pelvic ache. Since I have never felt anything like this before it is actually freaking me out. Fertility Friend put me in cross hairs for Sunday, so I really would like to know wtf is going on! A friend told me all this pinching could mean I have a blockage somewhere in my tubes and that really scared me. :(

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erilou38 · 19/11/2013 11:25

An HSG test will reveal if you have a blockage in your tubes. This is usually done at the infertility clinic sometime after your initial appointment. They can't treat you with Clomid or any other drugs until it has been established that your tubes are not blocked. I'm actually having a tense wait at the moment! I have my next clinic appointment next Thursday and i NEED to have the HSG before then. Trouble is the HSG has to be done around day 5 of the cycle and i'm having a really long cycle thing time. I'm on day 36 and no sign of my period yet. I need to have a period in the next few days so i can have HSG on day 5 of my next cycle. Fuck sake i hate all this waiting!!!!!!!!! This waiting and all the anxiety is turning us pair into a couple of nutjobs!!!

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erilou38 · 19/11/2013 11:26

I'm actually thinking that the lower backache is probably your cysts playing up as i have have been getting a similar pain the last few months.

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Catinthebed · 19/11/2013 11:46

There is a great book by Toni Wschler called "Taking charge of your fertility". After years of being told I was infertile etc etc I got the book learned to read my body signs and now have 4 Dc.

It is possible to get false positives on OPK especially if you have high levels of certain hormones and especially with Polycystic Ovaries.

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mawinter · 19/11/2013 13:21

Got in touch with OBGYN. She assured me no rupture could take place. So my friend is an ass. hah! She did not say whether or not I could have possibly ovulated, but to stick with the original plan of going to the clinic. Which as nobody called back from the clinic (their calendar is messed up so they can book no new appointments yet), not sure when this will be. So I guess I have to wait and see what will occur and try and remain calm during this (yeah right).
She also felt given my history, there is no way a new cyst could have formed in between her exam on Thursday and now. I usually only ever formed them while on BC and not off.
I was checked awhile ago for PCOS and Endo as well she said and I do not show signs of either.

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mawinter · 19/11/2013 15:33

Fertility Clinic called us back and our first appointment is for the 7th of January. Not as far away as I thought it would be, but still seems ages away. :/

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erilou38 · 19/11/2013 18:20

That's not too long to wait, it will soon come around. You never know, you may even conceive before your appointment hopefully!

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mawinter · 19/11/2013 20:44

Yeah. I wish, it would be a nice little Christmas surprise!
I hope your AF arrives soon, so you can move things along or some good news for you as well!

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