Clearblue digital ovulation predictor dual hormone indicator...can't understand results!!

[erilou38]

Ok, so i bought myself this little gadget yesterday. I'm having irregular cycles, the last one being 38 days. Am currently on day 10 of my cycle. Because of my irregular cycles i wasn't sure when to start testing. Anyway i decided to test yesterday as i couldn't wait, didn't use first morning urine though. I got a blank circle which is a negative result, meaning no estrogen or LH detected. Well today i tested again and got a smiley face meaning 'peak fertility'. I expected a flashing smiley face to be displayed before this meaning 'high fertility' but i haven't seen this. It just jumped in 24 hours to low fertility to peak fertility. How can this be so ? My most recent day 3 FSH was 11.3 which is a little elevated for my age, i'm 38. Is it possible the test could be picking this up and that's why i am getting 'peak fertility', could it be a false reading ? Also on the instructions it says that if you don't see 'high fertility' it probably means that the estrogen level is too low to be detected. So it would seem that maybe i am ovulating as i'm getting 'peak fertility' on day 10. I think the test is most probably accurate and the reason i am struggling to conceive is that i just don't have enough estrogen. Any suggestions or advice ? Does low estrogen indicate low ovarian reserve ? I'm due to start Clomid with my December cycle but would this be successful if i have low ovarian reserve ?

Hello
I must admit I have a bit of a beef with clearblue digi ovulation tests having used them before I embarked on IVF for about 18 months. I would say that 75% of the time they were right, but every so often I would get a smiley face when I least expected it- on closer inspection of the test strip the second line wasn't there and my pee had essentially 'flooded' the window giving a false result. I know for a fact through monitored cycles that I didn't O around this time point. I know this is a new gadget but I'm guessing it works on the same principles so don't panic too much if you get the odd wonky result (as frustrating as it is though!!)
X

You mention irregular cycles and clomid. Do you have PCOS? The opk's can give very wonky results for people who have it. (Like me)

I don't have PCOS but i have had 2 or 3 cysts in recent months. I was scanned on Thursday this week and i don't appear to have any cysts. All the doctor found was a follicle. Maybe i am ovulating at the moment but it would be very early if i was at CD10. My boobs have swelled abit today, well my husband siad they looked bigger this morning! I had acreamy discharge although EWCM. When i ovulated last cycle i had no EWCM either. Just don't get how i went from 'low fertility' to peak fertility within 24 hours without seeing 'high fertility'. Maybe i should phone the Clearblue careline.

Have just taken a Sainsbury's own brand ovulation test and it's negative yet the Clearblue test was positive yesterday...arrrrgh!!

You will most probably only get a positive for one day anyway, I normally do.

Yeah i guess so, perhaps the surge ended today. Just think that if i hadovulated it would have been far too early on cycle day 10. Last cycle i don't think i ovulated until after day 21. It's areal pain having irregular cycles and having no idea when i'm likely to ovulate.

Yes it is a pain, as long as your having sex every other day then you should cover all bases so to speak. Have you spoken to a doctor about your irregular periods?

Yes i'm under an NHS infertility clinic. It is possible that i might be in perimenopause although the consultant says my hormone levels aren't consistant with menopause. Just wonder why i am having irregular periods. I try to have sex as much as i can, although maybe not enough, perhaps 2 or 3 times aweek, sometimes abit more.