PCOS using LH strips

[LexyLouSJ]

Hi all

Does anyone else have PCOS and is using LH test strips to work out when /if ovulation is happening?!

I've been using them daily for a few weeks now because I'm currently in a long 70+ day cycle (PCOS sucks). I can see that my line has just gone really dark... could I be ovulating?

Xx

Hi @LexyLouSJ. I have irregular periods, wouldn’t be surprised if I have PCOS (there’s lots of it in the family, i am a little hairy!). I’m ttc#2 and using sticks to test for LH. So far I’ve sometimes had more than one LH surge in a cycle, but only the last one before AF shows up (so the one that I think is actually causing ovulation) is darker than the control line.

Is this your first cycle using them?

@crazychemist Thanks for your reply! Have you ever been on the contraceptive pill?

I think that's what made me realise I had pcos when I came off the pill and didn't have a period for almost a year.

I had a scan at the hospital and it was only until I changed my diet completely, cut out sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, processed foods, high GI foods, fun and joy etc that I finally had a period, and another the next month!

Then I went on holiday in May, my healthy diet stopped and so did my periods. Haven't seen them since.

I've heard you can have more than one LH surge per cycle and also that the tests aren't that accurate if you have PCOS which sucks! Just want to be able to see what's going on!

How long have you been TTC#2? I'm new to the lingo here, does that mean trying to conceive for baby number 2, or trying to conceive for the second month/window?

I was on the pill for 15 years as I had truly horrific periods as a teenager (I used to be sick a lot and fainted quite a few times). Ttc#2 means I am trying to conceive a second child (DD is going to be 3 in September). Been ttc for a year now, so I know all the lingo pretty well!

The multiple LH surges thing seems fairly common with people with PCOS, so although I imagine the sticks are still accurate, it’s hard to tell if the Surge was sufficient to trigger ovulation. For example, I just had a pale positive on cd (cycle days, I.e. days since AF started) 11&12. For someone with a regular cycle, that would probably mean ovulation on cd14. But what seems to happen with me is that it isn’t enough LH (hence only very pale positive). If I’m unlucky and it’s an anovulatory cycle, AF will show up around cd22. If I’m lucky, I’ll have another LH surge that will be bigger, hopefully ovulate that time! But my LP (luteal phase, the gap between ovulation and the next bleed) can be very short. If it’s less than 10 days, there isn’t much chance for a fertilised egg to implant.