Confused – negative OPK, yet ovulated!

[bella1]

Hi all,

New to forums, but am a little at lost at the minute over my recent OPK tests and I cant seem to find an answer anywhere so I am hoping that someone here might be able to shed some light.

I have been using the First Response Ovulation kits for 4 months now while TTC for #2, however the last two months the kits have failed to show me a + LH surge test result even though I have ovulated. I also check/chart my BBT so I know what days I am expected to ovulate, give or take a day or two.

I have one cycle which I had a slow release ovulation and a negative OPK test despite taking the test from 4 days prior expected ovulation and continued for 4 days after expected ovulation. My cycle this month show a 0.3 degree temperature spike and continued high temperatures to confirm ovulation around the expected day, yet I still kept getting negative OPK test results, again four days before and after ovulation.

Why is my LH surge not being detected?

I should also note that leading up to ovulation i get really sensitive nipples, but this month nothing. Which got me really confused as to whether I actually ovulated or not, but I now know I did.

I am currently doing acupuncture and combining it with the chinese herbs mud drink (I call it), one for follicular phase and one for luteal phase.

Does anyone have a clue WTH is going on?

[Goldengirl85]

How do you know you ovulated? Are you temping? From what I can tell the only way to know for sure that you ovulated is to temp, the other tests indicate ovulation should happen but it doesn't mean it will

[Arcadia]

I think the tests need to have a certain level of hormone to show a positive, so perhaps your levels are lower? It's like home pg tests that show false negatives (which happened to me) because some people have lower levels of hcg.

It sounds like you are able to predict ovulation without the kit. Can you just trust in your own knowledge and do without it?

[AlligatorsMum]

How often are u using the opk's? I know one month I ovulated but didn't get a positive opk and I think is because I was only using an opk once a day. I know always test twice a day incase my surge is short and I miss it. Could this be happenig to u?

[Calluna]

I never got a positive OPK. A couple of times came close but not true positives. Was definately ovulating though. I think they just don't work for everyone.

[bella1]

Thanks for you replies.

To answer them all, yes I do know I have ovulated. I check my BBT and chart it every morning. And since ovulation I have had consistent high temps. The OPK tests I do one a day between 12pm and 2pm. When I first started using the OPK tests I was doing them twice a day and then I thought it wasn't necessary to as I was getting strong positive results for two days. I guess I need to go back to two a day then. Can I trust my own knowledge? Yes and no. I rely on the OPK tests as I don't have much cervical mucous and never see EWCM (which I am trying to help by taking Robitussin, grapefruit juice, EPO - but still no results). So I can't use that as a reliable ovulation predictor. I can only anticipate ovulation occurring any day from CD14-16.

Could I be estrogen deficient?

[Goldengirl85]

I never got a positive OPK. A couple of times came close but not true positives. Was definately ovulating though. I think they just don't work for everyone.

I'm on my second cycle of OPKs and I'm yet to see a positive one