Cycle lengths varying between 28 and 42 days - so when to start using Clearblue digital OPK 7-day sticks??

Mummy

You are right in that Ashermans is very much underdiagnosed.

Knowledge is indeed power. Women certainly have to be their own best advocate when it comes to making treatment decisions.

With best wishes

A

Thanks Attilla, I have had a hysteroscopy now with an AS specialist and so far it looks like the treatment has been very successful (still awaiting a confirmation sHG though.) I was "lucky" in that I managed to self diagnose it in time, AS is also described as "very rare" - it isnt, its just underdiagnosed. I guess this is why I feel strongly that you shouldnt put women off charting and using OPK's. They enabled me to see I had a normal cycle and cyclical pain when I should have been bleeding. I think that charting can also alert women to other conditions, including PCOS, so it is very useful. The more information women have to empower themselves with, the better in my view.

I am also sorry you had a bad day, and I agree entirely that GP's are rubbish, if I had followed their advice I would be at risk developing endometriosis and uterine cancer and would still be infertile Its a sad fact that women have to be their own advocates when seeking diagnosis for fertility related problems and health issues, but in many many places, that is the way it is.

Hi Getdown

Apology accepted.

I do not personally mind people disagreeing with me as we are all entitled to our opinions. I do not wish for any rancour.

I did not have a good day at all yesterday. I am only trying to help others by the benefit of my experience after all as are you. As I did state originally I only named two possible causes of long cycles, of course there are others as Mummy has stated (I am very sorry to read you were subsequently diagnosed with Ashermans).

If any of my counsel makes anyone think that their irregular and or painful cycle does warrant further investigation then I have done my bit.

Personally speaking only what gets my goat is GPs telling me what I know to be incorrect like for instance that piece of misinformation, "endometriosis is not common".

My best wishes to you all.

A

thanks MummyA I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been feeling this.

Hello Attila and GetDown, I have met you both of other threads. (My non Christmas name is MummyAbroad)

I couldnt help wanting to comment on this, as GetDown has pointed out something that I have wanted to say for quite sometime about some of Attila's comments. Attlia, You also made many strongly worded comments to me on more than one occasion stating I had PCOS and belittling my use of OPK's and charts, which offended me.

I have since found out that my lack of periods was caused by Ashermans Syndrome and charting was one of the very things that enabled me to get doctors to take me seriously.

I hope you dont see this as another personal attack, I have seen other people thank you for your insight and helpful suggestions, so obviously your advice is useful to some, but I do want to point out that not all of your diagnosis are correct and it might be better to keep more of an open mind about peoples conditions. Not all long cycles are caused by PCOS, and charting and OPK's are beneficial to a lot of people.

ChateauMargot sorry for barging in on your thread, looks like you have had some really good advice already I hope you get lots more and that Attilla is able to answer your question about the source of anovulatory long cycle theory, I am curious too!

Sorry Attila I wasn't attacking you as a person, I'm sure you are lovely, it's just I don't agree with your view. It's ok to disagree isn't it?

I was quite upset by you some time ago where you replied to one of my posts and basically claimed that there was something wrong with me, I most certainly needed blood tests and using OPKs was pointless. I have found all of this to be untrue.

Since then every time I've seen you post, you've said similar things to others, and as I know how upsetting it can be to read these things, I just wanted to say that having long cycles is not always as disasterous or requiring of medical intervention as you make out.

I'm sorry to hear you have PCOS and long cycles. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that just because something is true for you, doesn't mean it's true for everyone else too.

"Sorry but I do feel quite strongly about this. Attila is well known for posting doom and gloom about PCOS and long cycles, and how OPKs are totally useless if you have long cycles, which is not true. And I know myself how upsetting it can be to have a complete stranger suggest that you might never be able to conceive. It is really upsetting. And not to be believed"

This in unfair. I have not said that at all.

For what its worth I have long cycles and the cause in my case was PCOS.

I can only go by fact; irregular cycles have a cause. Two possible ones are PCOS and thyroid imbalance. You can ovulate even with long cycles but this is rarer than supposed and charting will not see it. I stand by my claim that charting and OPK's are pretty much useless when it comes to long and irregualr cycles. I know of too many women who have turned up with charts and the like to gynae offices only to have these dismissed. You can imagine how they feel so I am just pointing that out. I would not want that to happen to you people. You have the right to disagree but I also have the right to have my views also respected even if disagreed with. Personal attacks are not allowed.

Supersunnyday what a wonderfully clear and helpful post. Thank you

Sorry but I do feel quite strongly about this. Attila is well known for posting doom and gloom about PCOS and long cycles, and how OPKs are totally useless if you have long cycles, which is not true. And I know myself how upsetting it can be to have a complete stranger suggest that you might never be able to conceive. It is really upsetting. And not to be believed.

Well I know for a FACT that you can and do ovulate with long cycles. My DD is living proof of that. As I said before I ov'd on CD32 with her, which would have made a 46 day cycle, had I not conceived.

I have been charting for quite a long time and always see the temp shift, which to me indicates I am ovulating, even on long cycles. And I get the other indicators such as EWCM and ov pain.

I don't think people should be scaremongered into thinking that they are not normal or have PCOS just because they have long cycles. It is very worrying, and frankly, not accurate.

I would be interested as well, particularly in the cycles over 35 days being anovulatory (presume this means no egg laid?). Have been trying to convince myself that my random cycles since the beginning of the year (and they do vary by more than 4 days easily) are due to chemical pregnancies, not that that is a good thing but then neither is not ovulating at all. I guess for me I would prefer to think that I do ovulate and I can conceive, even if they aren't sticking.

I had more or less discounted PCOS - don't have bad skin and hairiness not really an issue for me (apart from the odd stubborn bugger - electrolysis is useless!). Slightly unnerved to see that irregular cycles can be the only sign. Have never read up about PCOS, and I know I need to speak to my Dr about my irregular cycles before assuming a cause, but - and at the risk of sounding v dim/naive - does it completely bugger up with all attempts TTC? And does anyone know if it is something that can occur later on having previously had regular cycles (am 35).

Ovulation is not an exact science and it can happen earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle. It is certainly not the case that ovulation happens around 14 days before the start of the next period; that is completely false.

Hi Chateau,

re your comment:-

"I'm of normal weight, exercise fairly regularly, eat healthily and am not yet 30, so it would be a real bummer if PCOS is the culprit"

PCOS is actually a very individualistic disorder and does affect each woman with it very differently. There is no one type of person who is more prone to developing either polycystic ovaries (around 1 in 5 women have PCO) or PCOS; they are certainly not all overweight, spotty and or hairy for instance. That is a fallacy. The fact that you have some spots and your periods are irregular could well point to this being the cause of the irregularity of periods. Cycles of over 35 days are more often than not anovulatory ones. There is always a cause for irregularity of periods (the pill leaves your system very quickly after taking the last tablet) and it is in your interests to find out what it is. OPK's won't help here.

A "normal" cycle is a cycle length of between 21 and 35 days or with less than 4 days of variation from month to month.

Would not suggest you use OPKs at all in your circumstances as you may well get multiple positive OPK results. What these kits do is measure LH hormone; many women with PCOS have an excess of this and the kit ends up reading that excess level. Infact I would go as far to say that these kits are actually a waste of your hard earnt cash!.

Do go to the Doctor's early in the New year as you have previously planned.

This is a really helpful thread. My cycles also vary (from 28 days to 47ish) and to date I've been observing my discharge but not temping or using OPKs. Now that we're TTC I was thinking of using OPKs to check when ovulating as the timing can vary. I think the time between ovulation and AF arriving is always bang on 16 days but time from CD1 to ovulation can vary and I think the only way to confirm when this is happening is with the OPKs. Observing EWCM is a good indicator but feel like I should be doing more..! Good luck both.

Good luck Chateau! Hope we both have success soon

well I am no expert but it doesn't sound like you've got many of the features of PCOS. You are still young, and sound like you have a healthy lifestyle. I suspect your body is just still settling down after the pill. It seems to take a lot longer for some people than the dr. says (e.g. people like you and me!)

No I didn't use OPKs when trying for DD, I just did temp charting, which I found invaluable. When you see the shift in temp you know you ov'd a day beforehand. That's how I knew I'd ov'd on CD32. The bizarre thing was that we'd pretty much given up trying that cycle (because it was so long) and we actually last had sex 6 days before I ov'd!! So just goes to show that sperm can hang around!!

I've only recently bought OPKs - in a new fit of obsessiveness interest in my menstrual cycle