Help!! Day 21 blood test = Borderline??

[lindybooboo]

Hello.. My partner and I have been TTC for 6 months.. with no look yet i decided to get my hormone levels checked and speak to my doctor.. my day 4 results were normal however my day 21 blood tests have come back as borderline.. my doctors secretary wasn't very helpful and my doctor is on holiday for 2 weeks! It's driving me crazy that i don;t have a clue what it can mean.
I normally have a long cycle about every 33 days. i normally get a pain in my stomach when i think i ovulate which i had on day 24 of this month. I've always had this and it alternates sides each month.
can anyone help shed some light on what this could mean or what the doctor will suggest??

Thanks in advance ladies :) xxx

What was the number? And was the day 21 test taken at day 21 on one of your long cycles?

I guess if your progesterone is low (which means you likely didn't ovulate) then your doctor will repeat the test for another 2 months (that's what my doctor did) because you can have anovulatory cycles in between without having any medical issues. When I was diagnosed as not ovulating on my own the gp took day 21 bloods for 3 months and progesterone was low so I got put on metformin. Good luck! xx

Hiya :)
The receptionist said it was 7. Yes it was this cycle.. i'm currently on day 33 and no period yet. Thanks for your reply x

Hiya :) That's what i thought that they'd repeat the blood tests maybe.
I'm kind of new to all this and don't know much about it so any help is appreciated. x

My first day 21 progesterone came back as borderline and it turned out the timing was wrong - according to my printed test results, the results were only valid if the test is done no more than 7 days before the next period, which clearly wasn't the case for you.

I'd try to get the test redone a bit later next cycle - knowing when you ovulate and how long after that AF normally comes can help to get the right date. (Second time round for me the timing was fine and my results were consistent with ovulation.)

Yeah 7 sounds like mine. I had my first day 21 in May last year which showed that I didn't ovulate. I had an idea before as I used ovulation sticks which never showed positive. I had another 2 day 21 tests which were very low again so they sent me for a scan and I think in August last year we have been referred to our local fertility clinic. Before we had our first appt there I have been put on metformin. We are now waiting for our next fertility appt end of the month were we will probably be referred for IVF as in the meantime we found out that we possibly have a male factor (low sperm count) as well on top of me not ovulating . I'm happy to answer any questions xx

Hi the second test often known as day 21 needs to be taken 7 days before the end of your cycle. So if you have a 33 day cycle it should be done on day 33 minus 7 which is day 26 of your cycle. May be worth asking for another form and doing it again next cycle.

True what SilverStars says. I was never quite sure if my day 21 was the right day to test my bloods. Might be an idea to enquire with your doctor about it. xx

Hi Jess.. Yeah that's what i'm going to do. When i go for my appointment on the 29th i'll hopefully be able to book for another blood test this cycle without missing a month out. xx

Lindy definitely ask for a test later in your cycle, if it was on 21 and you ovulated on 24 that's not going to be accurate. It's frustrating that so much is based on assumption that all women have a perfect 28 day cycle. Fx for you xx

(However I would add that if you ovulate on cd24 on a 33 day cycle, your luetal phase is likely a bit short - maybe google things you can take to extend it, the pregnacare conception pills are supposed to be good for that, and maybe mention that to doctor as could be a very simple reason you're not getting a BFP) xx

Hi Kitty - thank you for your help.. I know that no woman or cycle is the same it's quite reassuring to know that i'm not on my own with it! As soon as i got the results i was in such a panic. It's all starting to make a lot more sense.
Fingers crossed for you! I hope you get there.
xxx :) xxx

It sounds like it was taken at the wrong time. For a day 21 test to indicate ov has occurred, a level of 30+ is usually needed.

Hi Brixtonbunny!

I've bought an ovulation kit that i'm going to use my next cycle to see when i'm ovulating hopefully that will give be a better indication.
I'm currently taking 'seven seas trying for a baby' pills and my partner has just started taking the adult multivitamins too.
Just for some clarification if i was to have a 34 day cycle this cycle.. do i need my 'day21' test roughly on 'day 26' instead next cycle?

Thanks girls! You've been a massive help xx

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, good luck! I'd say get a test 7 days before period is due xx

Hi, yes blood test 7 days before period starts. So length of cycle minus 7.

Hi lindy, am also quite new to this testing lark but as my periods vary in length, this month my doc wants me to test on days 21, 24 and 27. She's given me forms to book blood tests at local hospital on the right days. Maybe suggest that to yours?

Kitty, can I ask what metformin is? So far have only heard about clomid as an ovulation stimulator. Thank you.

Hi Lindy,

A few weeks ago I got a call from my Dr stating that my day 21 progesterone levels were borderline (level was 25.4). Dr said that although it was borderline it showed I definitely had ovulated (I think I ovulated on day 17 a few days later than usual). 3 days later I was in his office telling him I was pregnant!! Dr was really pleased and said regardless of levels, if you ovulate you can conceive.

There is hope, so keep positive!! :-)

DurhamRed that's such good news, thanks for sharing! Congratulations x

smogsville, metformin is mainly used to treat ladies who have PCOS as it seems to help make cycles more regular and ovulation to happen(there is actual research about it). In actual fact metformin is a diabetes drug which is used for type 2 diabetics - I am a type 1 diabetic (=on insulin) but also quite overweight so the consultant said we'll try you on metformin which is used to help overweight ladies with PCOS to lose weight as weight loss usually improves PCOS symptoms. You can find a bit more info on here: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/Pages/Treatment.aspx
My case is certainly more complex than "just not ovulating" unfortunately. It doesn't look like I have PCOS so it must be some other reason it's not happening for me. Good luck to you xx

I think there are two different scales, so a 7 on one is equivalent to (I think) 21 on another. Anything above 5 (on the lower scale) indicates that the ovualation did occur, but the hormone levels are not high enough to sustain a pregnancy. For pregnancy there needs to be at least 15 (45).
Yes, you need to take the test on a correct day, as others have already said 7 days before expected period.
And yes, your luteal phase is on the shorter side which is probably linked to your lower progesterone level because your period strats when progesterone level drops, which in your case happens a bit too soon after ovulation. Vitamin B complex can help with this.

Thanks Kitty.