PCOS and OPKs

[Andrea]

Is it even worth trying? I have just started a new cycle on my own (hooray!) and my husband is convinced this is our month. My last cycle was 38 days and the one before that was 74 (ended thanks to Provera). Before that I had not had a real period in years (IUD & Depoprovera). 

I had been doing OPKs and had been tracking my temps (took like a 6 day hiatus to pout after getting the PCOS bomb dropped on me). I am back to temping; as most of you with PCOS know, my chart is a hot mess.  I am not sure about getting back on the OPK train; I just don't know if I want to seeing those stupid faint lines day after day without ever seeing them get as dark as the control line. I also don't want to miss it if my ovaries finally decide to do their freaking job. Am I being completely delusional? 

My doctor gave me until June (that would put us at 7 months of TTC) to see if my body gets it's shit together after being on 1000mg of Metformin. If I am not pregnant by then, she said I would be referred to an RE. Should I just hold off on the OPK madness till then? 

[cateyes]

I still use OPKs mainly because the PCOS can make O day so unpredictable. Sometimes I use a ton (glad wondfos are cheap) and sometimes not as many. I like the fact that I do have some warning and don't have to try and HIO EOD for weeks. I think it is super valuable, maybe even more valuable with PCOS.

[Andrea]

Apr 5, 2015 17:44:10 GMT -5 cateyes said:

I still use OPKs mainly because the PCOS can make O day so unpredictable. Sometimes I use a ton (glad wondfos are cheap) and sometimes not as many. I like the fact that I do have some warning and don't have to try and HIO EOD for weeks. I think it is super valuable, maybe even more valuable with PCOS.

Thanks for the info!

[requiressnacks]

I don't have PCOS, but I do have long cycles and multiple surges (feel free to chart stalk!). I've never actually gotten a positive wondfo. Not sure if it's because I only have FMU that is worth testing (pm urine is too diluted from water.

Anywho, I've had much better luck with the clearblue digital OPKs with the digital smiley face. It's a lot more money, but it was the only thing that actually gave me a legit positive. If you are struggling with wondfos, I would recommend it.

[Andrea]

Apr 5, 2015 18:16:48 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

I don't have PCOS, but I do have long cycles and multiple surges (feel free to chart stalk!). I've never actually gotten a positive wondfo. Not sure if it's because I only have FMU that is worth testing (pm urine is too diluted from water.

Anywho, I've had much better luck with the clearblue digital OPKs with the digital smiley face. It's a lot more money, but it was the only thing that actually gave me a legit positive. If you are struggling with wondfos, I would recommend it.

requiressnacks, I hear you on the long cycles! 

How early do you start testing? How many tests come with the Clearblue packs? 

[requiressnacks]

Apr 5, 2015 18:20:28 GMT -5 Andrea said:

Apr 5, 2015 18:16:48 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

I don't have PCOS, but I do have long cycles and multiple surges (feel free to chart stalk!). I've never actually gotten a positive wondfo. Not sure if it's because I only have FMU that is worth testing (pm urine is too diluted from water.

Anywho, I've had much better luck with the clearblue digital OPKs with the digital smiley face. It's a lot more money, but it was the only thing that actually gave me a legit positive. If you are struggling with wondfos, I would recommend it.

requiressnacks, I hear you on the long cycles! 

How early do you start testing? How many tests come with the Clearblue packs? 

The one I buy has 20 sticks. Depending on your average cycle, the instructions will tell you when to start testing.

www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Advanced-Digital-Ovulation-Count/dp/B00AOJ5R8W

[anonymouseliza]

Some women with PCOS never get positives, or conversely, get multiple positives. Some women are able to use them normally and they pick up an lh surge that coincides with a confirmed ovulation. You won't know unless you give it a try!

Clearblue OPKs come in packs of 7 or 20, I think?

[ghostmonkey]

Were your LH levels elevated? The issue with PCOS is constant positives, not never getting a positive.

Others having success with CBE Advanced is because it measures more than just LH, which might be a better choice for you as well.

[Andrea]

My LH/FSH ratio was 2:1, which my doctor said helped with my diagnosis. I am going to look into CBE Advanced. Thanks ghostmonkey!

[renbee]

I would ask your doctor about possibly upping your metformin dosage. I didn't see an effect until I was at 1,500mg, and I have also heard many women who take 2,000mg. Just something to talk to your doctor about if you don't want to try additional treatments yet. I hope you start seeing metformin do its trick soon!

[renbee]

But to answer your initial question, I don't bother with OPKs much anymore. I would either never get a positive, or I would get a positive but then wouldn't see a temp shift. I just got sick of peeing on things.

[peaseblossom55]

I have PCOS before the diagnosis I was using OPK's I'd get multiple positives within a cycle and my temps were all over the place, none of the positives ever resulted in ovulation it was very frustrating. Now I'm ovulating on medicated cycles metformin & femara, and I had very clear positives in my first medicated cycle.

[JulietRose]

Apr 5, 2015 21:33:36 GMT -5 peaseblossom55 said:

I have PCOS before the diagnosis I was using OPK's I'd get multiple positives within a cycle and my temps were all over the place, none of the positives ever resulted in ovulation it was very frustrating. Now I'm ovulating on medicated cycles metformin & femara, and I had very clear positives in my first medicated cycle.

Exactly the same here. Once I was on a medicated cycle, I had clear positives. I still always have a faint line, outside the positive, for my entire cycle. Before medicated cycles, temps were all over, had super long cycles, and couldn't use opks because they were never clear. 

[Deleted]

I've never gotten a positive OPK. I don't know if this is because of my PCOS or because I suck at testing.

[Andrea]

Apr 6, 2015 11:34:12 GMT -5 @pugsandwine said:

I've never gotten a positive OPK. I don't know if this is because of my PCOS or because I suck at testing.

I think we are on the same boat. This is why I asked, I am not sure if it is a total lost cause. 

[wowcheezits]

Snap that's what I'm going to get, the CBE advanced OPKs because I get a lot of positives as well, and that's with the CBE digital. Not sure if I have PCOS but I'm suspecting I do. I have an apt. next month to talk to my GYN about all the testing that goes with it. ghostmonkey, thanks for suggesting that!