Opks & consultant??

[jammia]

Hi

I had concerns that I have a v.short luteal phase, which I had charted over 14 months by the time I was referred to the fertility clinic. My luteal phase is just over a week and I have based this on positive opk's (few different types all confirming the same) also sometimes I get ov pain and the cm also confirms this.

The Consultant who I saw who is very senior and a professor told me not to worry as it takes a couple of days for the hormone to reach the urine stream so I had probably ovulated a couple of days before the opk showed a positive. I have asked him 3 times over the last year (at every appointment) and he has repeated this.

has anyone heard of this? As i understood you probably ovulate 24-72 hours after the positive opk (I understand it is not conclusive proof of ovulation too).

Has anyone ever heard this theory? It is difficult to question him as he is such a senior authority?

He also refused to give me clomid to bring forward my ovulation so I feel left in limbo and also have a blocked tube so it is absolutely essential I get my timings right.

Any suggestions? Last saturday I got a positive opk and I can feel my period is coming today as i have the sore breasts and cramps :( so as you can see it is too short a luteal phase.

Thanks
J

sorry I should of said that I don't always get ov pain so was mainly relying on the opk's!

It's certainly not what the opk packets say is it? We'd be missing the eggs if they were realised days before a positive opk, surely?
What do you think about temp charting, another way to demonstrate exactly when you've ovulated (and easier than you think to do)

Well by my temps and ov pains I ovulate after a positive opk. On some cycles I have also had scans which have confirmed this. This diagram shows how I understood it to work:

www.thefertilityrealm.com/luteinizing-hormone-lh.html

I ovulate after a positive ok too. I also had a short luteal phase and a combination of acupuncture and taking vitamin B6 extended it from 9 days to 13

BTW, last cycle I had IUI. I had a dildocam scan on the Friday which confirmed a follicle of 19mm, ready to pop in a day or two. The next day I had a positive OPK, so I definitely hadn't ovulated before it. My consultant uses OPKs to time IUI - you had a positive and then have the insemination the following day. Which would be a bit pointless if you ov before the opk turns positive!

Hi everyone, thanks I just can't understand why he is saying this and I just feel like I am being fobbed off.

Re the luteal phase, how much b vitamins did you take and what strength. I just feeling like everything is against me at the moment so at least if I can lengthen my luteal phase that is one problem off my list!

Thanks everyone

Jx

Jammia I have been taking a b complex to stop my spotting. Spotting was much later last cycle but also LP was 2 days longer, not that it was an issue in the first place.
I took 100mg of b complex every day. I was taking b6 on it's own but found that made no difference.
You may find that it helps you, certainly worth a try.

OPK are supposed to show positive 24 to 48 hours in advance of ovulation. However it can be much shorter time.

I recently was involved in a 6 month fertility trial comparing opk's, fertility duo and baby comp, I am hoping the results will be released soon as I would love to know what the result was, as they were using the opk's as the 'gold standard' by which to compare the other two, but both devises each time gave my ovulation days as on the day I got my positive opk and not after! It is possible that like Maples and I, not all women's bodies metabolise and excrete the hormone exactly as we are supposed to do, so whilst in theory I would disagree totally with what your consultant is saying, I do have to say that my experience of OPK's is that they can sometimes show a positive at the point you are ovulating and not beforehand as they should (ie too late for me to use the information!).

I would suggest charting using Basal body temperature (BBT), and seeing if that shows a short luteal phase. With taking your temperature you might find that OPK's are not a reliable indicator of when you ovulate, (like maple and I). However if the temping helps determine your luteal phase is indeed too short, then I would suggest getting back to your consultant with some information on short luteal phase and request that he treats it or refers you to someone who will!

I was taking 50mg of B6 (in addition to conception vitamins which have a range of B vitamins in them).

Using fertility friends (temperature charting) is also worthwhile and helps you really get to know your cycle. I then took out print outs of those to my GP to show her how short my luteal phase was (but she doesn't believe short luteal phases are a problem!) However my acupuncturist agreed with me and helped.