PSA: CB Digi HPT w/ Weeks Estimator Being Pulled (?)

[shadesofgold]

I just wanted to post this PSA - maybe flag it to be investigated by NariaDreaming, wordsy, bibliothecary?

I tried to purchase a box of Clear Blue Advanced Digital HPTs (the kind with the weeks estimator on it) at CVS today. An error message came up upon scanning: "do not sell." The manager said it was probably due to a manufacturer's recall, that she couldn't override it, and that she was going to go pull them all from the selves. 

I found this story about CB losing a case in July about their misleading packaging - the issue in question is to what the weeks estimator really means. So, the tests work for people who can understand the concept of weeks since ovulation, but they can't sell them because the packaging isn't clear enough. I assume this is the reason for any recall, but I don't see an official statement from CB yet. Maybe this is just at CVS? Who knows. Obviously eBay and Amazon vendors may still sell them.

Just an FYI in case you were trying to purchase these any time soon!


ETA: Just searched for them on Amazon and they have been pulled there, too. 

[joy]

About fucking time.

That weeks estimator thing is a. bullshit (hCG doesn't correlate perfectly with weeks), b. confusing (weeks past ovulation not weeks pregnant), and c. unnecessarily frightening (when your weeks and their weeks don't match up).

[NariaDreaming]

Announced it since it's of interest to many people here

[mrsg80intn]

Those tests scared the crap out of me... I took one at 6+ weeks and it came in at way less than that... I freaked that I was having another m/c and called my doc the next day.  he let me come in and we found the HB right away.  I'd be ok with them being pulled.

[renbee]

I have gotten a couple robocall voicemails about this since I purchased some recently. The first one talked about how there was a ruling saying the results were inaccurate/misleading, and I could return the item. But then I got a second voicemail that said they were "mistaken in informing me that the test was being recalled for unreliable results" but that it was just a packaging issue.

[renbee]

Do you think I should try to return the tests I already peed on?? LMK.

[vh2014]

Wow. I bought one at CVS a week ago... not for the weeks but because I was worried about the bad stuff I had read about the FRER and I didn't want to squint or deal with evap. I'm discovering I don't like digital anyway... I want to know how dark that line is... or isn't... if it comes up. Still, curious as to why they pulled... off to see what I can find...

[joy]

Sept 3, 2015 14:28:50 GMT -5 vh2014 said:

Wow. I bought one at CVS a week ago... not for the weeks but because I was worried about the bad stuff I had read about the FRER and I didn't want to squint or deal with evap. I'm discovering I don't like digital anyway... I want to know how dark that line is... or isn't... if it comes up. Still, curious as to why they pulled... off to see what I can find...

The new FRERs are ridiculous.

I don't need a curved handle or an extra wide absorbent tip.  WTF?  Who actually needs either of those things?

I need a test that is accurate with lines.  I like lines - digitals annoy me.

All I care about is if your science is sound enough for me to call my doctor with my own results. 

That curved viewing screening is like an optical illusion now.  It's not a fun house mirror - it's a medical test. 

....I have feelz.

[vh2014]

Sept 3, 2015 14:41:19 GMT -5 joy said:

Sept 3, 2015 14:28:50 GMT -5 vh2014 said:

Wow. I bought one at CVS a week ago... not for the weeks but because I was worried about the bad stuff I had read about the FRER and I didn't want to squint or deal with evap. I'm discovering I don't like digital anyway... I want to know how dark that line is... or isn't... if it comes up. Still, curious as to why they pulled... off to see what I can find...

The new FRERs are ridiculous.

I don't need a curved handle or an extra wide absorbent tip.  WTF?  Who actually needs either of those things?

I need a test that is accurate with lines.  I like lines - digitals annoy me.

All I care about is if your science is sound enough for me to call my doctor with my own results. 

That curved viewing screening is like an optical illusion now.  It's not a fun house mirror - it's a medical test. 

....I have feelz.

Completely agree.  FRER unimprovements actually drove me away but they are still better than the digitals... won't get another digital. 

[hobbesgal]

Plus the new curved window on the FRER makes it totes hard to take a pic of my pee stick without glare interference. Pics are srs bsns.

[agpjt413]

Doh!! That's all I have in the house now (purchased 2 months ago) since I just used my last FRER ugh!

Thanks for the heads up shadesofgold!!

[frankenboom]

Sept 3, 2015 15:02:39 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

Doh!! That's all I have in the house now (purchased 2 months ago) since I just used my last FRER ugh!

Thanks for the heads up shadesofgold!!

As far as I've experienced they work fine, as long as you understand that the increasing weeks correspond with increasing hcg. They don't necessarily correspond with your actual weeks past ovulation since hcg levels can vary wildly from woman to woman.

[agpjt413]

Sept 3, 2015 15:22:17 GMT -5 frankenboom said:

Sept 3, 2015 15:02:39 GMT -5 agpjt413 said:

Doh!! That's all I have in the house now (purchased 2 months ago) since I just used my last FRER ugh!

Thanks for the heads up shadesofgold!!

As far as I've experienced they work fine, as long as you understand that the increasing weeks correspond with increasing hcg. They don't necessarily correspond with your actual weeks past ovulation since hcg levels can vary wildly from woman to woman.

Yeah I'm pretty much just looking for a "yes" or "no" with these. I remember a few years back they had a ton that were w/o the estimator but I couldn't find them when I picked these up.

[agpjt413]

Sept 3, 2015 20:48:21 GMT -5 buttercup said:

I found this long article about the tests.

link

I also read an article about how a doctor on the Clearblue advisory board said it could be used to indicate a miscarriage risk. Ugh. I have seen several women freak out about the lack of changing weeks, who go on to have healthy pregnancies.

Oh hellz no!!!

(Hi btw buttercup!!)

[muscari]

I wonder whether they're just being pulled in the US (&Canada?) or also in Europe..

[bootsorhearts]

Sept 3, 2015 20:48:21 GMT -5 buttercup said:

I found this long article about the tests.

link

I also read an article about how a doctor on the Clearblue advisory board said it could be used to indicate a miscarriage risk. Ugh. I have seen several women freak out about the lack of changing weeks, who go on to have healthy pregnancies.

The author of the article says something like 'not sure why they didn't just add 2 weeks to the result'. That seems like the obvious answer. It seems like CB was on some mission to convince the world that we're doing pregnancy dating wrong, which, we are, but doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.

[joy]

Sept 4, 2015 9:32:47 GMT -5 bootsorhearts said:

Sept 3, 2015 20:48:21 GMT -5 buttercup said:

I found this long article about the tests.

link

I also read an article about how a doctor on the Clearblue advisory board said it could be used to indicate a miscarriage risk. Ugh. I have seen several women freak out about the lack of changing weeks, who go on to have healthy pregnancies.

The author of the article says something like 'not sure why they didn't just add 2 weeks to the result'. That seems like the obvious answer. It seems like CB was on some mission to convince the world that we're doing pregnancy dating wrong, which, we are, but doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.

This just removes one of the three problems with a weeks estimator test, though.

The whole test was poorly thought out in my opinion. 

[beckynsean11]

I'm glad they're finally pulling those things off the market. The new FRERs are shit too. The curve glare from the curve leaves a shadow that looks like a super faint squinter. I don't need the test to fit comfortably in my hand, I'm not holding that shit for hours. Gtfo

[tiresiastheblond]

**loss mentioned**

I hate those things. They scared me too (As it happens, I did go on to M/C, but my betas were actually rising just fine--it wasn't something that should have been picked up on these). I looked up the beta HCG values that were supposed to correspond with each week's reading, and I can tell you from taking these tests on the same days I had betas drawn that they're not even close.

Agree about the new FRER. Totally not sure who the audience for that thing is supposed to be.