How do you diagnose a progesterone problem?

Long story short, I suspect my progesterone levels are causing me probs. Not 100pc but here's my story:
Diagnosed with pcos (though no BT or ultrasound utilised in this diagnosis) in May 2011
Prescribed 50mg Clomid - didn't make me ovulate
Increased to 100mg Clomid - first cycle I O'd on day 19 (poss day 18) on CD19 my progesterone was 5, and CD24 (5DPO) my progesterone level was 16. While I thought that was really positive, I ended up getting AF on what should have been CD28.

I can't work out how my progesterone level 5DPO can be 16 and yet AF arrives 9DPO. Obviously my hormones are playing havoc.

I'm now on my second cycle of 100mg of Clomid, and I'm just going to wait and see what happens. Naturally, in an idea world I'd ovulate on CD14 ... but who knows.

Anyway, if I get AF so soon after ovulation again, I'm going to have to get it investigated. Given my "diagnosis" of PCOS without any tests, I want an idea on what I should ask for to diagnose a progesterone issue. Is it just a case of more frequent BTs post-ovulation?

Who are you seeing right now? A proper FS or gynae?
It does sound a bit like there's a luteal phase issue.

Dammit - lost my reply (stoopid touchy laptop!). So I'll keep it brief this time round:
I'm with a gynae - I'll get a referrel to a FS if the next cycle or two is still out of whack.

I agree with MadB.

Go to a FS. Basically it will involve having blood tests during your cycle though...

Good luck!

My gyn told me that anything under 25 didn't suggest that ovulation happened. Sounds very strange to me, I'd say they will get you to have several BT throughout your cycle to confirm. Good luck! :)

Thanks Tasha. That's interesting. My gyn told me 10-20 indicated ovulation. I'm certain I did though, all the signs were there plus a positivie OPK (plus the blood test results).
Am waiting on my gyn to return my call today - I want her thoughts on what's happening.

Different labs can have different refence ranges I think.
I think also it's possible to not ovulate 'well enough', resulting in luteal phase defect (it's reliant on progesterone released from corpus luteal cyst)

Agreed, I think everyone is different. My gyn did say I'd "definitely ovulated" when the BT results came back.
I'm on another cycle of 100mg Clomid this month, so I'm going to ask for a couple of extra BTs to track my progesterone levels after ovulation this time.

I agree with MadB.

One of my issues was an ovulation/luteal phase issue - both intertwined. My ovulation was late and my luteal phase was short (9 days). I was told that for best conditions for implantation luteal phase needs to be 12 days, possibly 10 as a minimum (I have however seen ladies on BB get UTD on 9 days though). I had been charting and googling before I saw my FS for the first time and as soon as she saw my ovulation and luteal phase issues she popped me onto clomid to bring ovulation sooner and progesterone pessaries to lengthen my luteal phase. My luteal phase on progesterone was as long as the time I took the medication as AF didn't come until I stopped the meds. I had to have a BT each month to confirm I wasn't UTD before stopping the meds. When I got pregnant on IVF I had to take crinone (progesterone substitute) for the entire 1st tri as it was assumed my progesterone could be a problem. So, the diagnosis for me was basically taken from my charting. Apparently there can be a link between the follicular and luteal phase so my FS decided to treat both.

I also saw a naturopath and took vitex the cycle before I saw my FS and got my first 12 day luteal phase from that but I came off when I started on progesterone.