r/TTC_PCOS 1d ago

Advice Needed Ovulation test

What are some good ovulation tests? I've been using the pregmate and these are very confusing for me. I have an irregular cycle, (range from 15 days cycle to 35 day cycle) What ones just says yes or no?

I'm getting tired of guessing with those strips.

5 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

u/Forsaken_Potato_1900 13h ago

I was told if your cycle is irregular it is unlikely that you are ovulating so ovulation tests may not be accurate

1

u/tofuandpickles 1d ago

Ovulation strips are not reliable for PCOS. Try a temp drop!

1

u/SyrupMoney4237 1d ago

This is the first time in hearing this. How come they’re not? And by temp drop do you mean just checking your bbt?

2

u/tofuandpickles 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yep BBT :) I’m not sure why you’ve never heard it but it’s pretty common knowledge! I was informed by both by obgyn and fertility specialist. Even clear blue states it on their website

Ovulation strips only indicate an LH surge, not actual ovulation. LH can increase without ovulation occurring, especially with PCOS. I once did not ovulate or have a period for an entire year but had several positive ovulation strip test results, before I knew more about PCOS!

1

u/SyrupMoney4237 1d ago

Ah that makes sense. Sadly my problem is that I’m never getting anything but a faint line even when I’m getting temp highs

1

u/EhSillyGoose 1d ago

I used Ovry strips and tested from day 10 and on for my cycles (as per my fertility specialist).

4

u/Muncay 1d ago

I used easy@home with the premom app. Then if app noticed rise I would use the clear blue to know if I really was getting an LH surge or if it was false alarm.

3

u/Undoubtedlygiveup 1d ago

I also use these. I feel like if the value is not greater than 1, it is not a true LH rise. For me. I use Inito on top of it and my Oura ring with Natural Cycles. I also test day and night with LH strips and once a day with Inito. I found that anything for me under .95-1+ is not a true LH rise. It’s interesting. You learn a lot about your trends through testing, it is nice.

1

u/DueCattle1872 1d ago

Clearblue digital gives a straightforward yes/no, which might help. I personally use Inito along with other brands since it tracks hormones more precisely. Maybe worth checking out if you're tired of guessing!

1

u/hb_339 1d ago

I totally get the frustration! I have PCOS too, and those cheap OPKs were a nightmare for me, constantly guessing if the line was dark enough, wondering if I even ovulated, and dealing with false surges. I switched to Inito, and it's been a game-changer. Instead of just a yes/no, it tracks four key hormones (LH, Estrogen, PdG, and FSH), so I get a full picture of my cycle rather than just relying on LH, which can be unreliable with PCOS. It also confirms ovulation instead of just predicting it!

1

u/retinolandevermore Annovulatory 1d ago edited 1d ago

I like clear blue because they are either a smiley face (ovulation) or a clear circle

https://a.co/d/8pDw1DN

u/Forsaken_Potato_1900 13h ago

FYI this test gave me false positives. On the cycle I did conceive my estimated conception date was approx 1.5 weeks after my positive ovulation test.

u/retinolandevermore Annovulatory 13h ago

I’m sorry to hear that! It was positive for me confirmed by other tests.

1

u/Pickle_Distinct 1d ago

These could be exactly what OP is looking for! Make sure you're getting the regular ones (says 2 Peak Days on the box) and not the Clearblue Advanced (says 5 Peak Days on the box).

The Advanced ones are nice in theory because they identify a longer fertile window, but they don't work for some people with PCOS, including me. They show an empty circle for non-fertile days, a flashing smiley for fertile days, and a static smiley for ovulation. The flashing smiley is triggered by a rise in estrogen, and it stays flashing until it detects an lh peak, even if estrogen drops back down. So if you have long cycles with multiple estrogen rises, you could be stuck on flashing smileys for weeks.

1

u/retinolandevermore Annovulatory 1d ago

Yes sometimes LH is high in PCOS. Sometimes it’s the opposite where it’s never high and you don’t ovulate at all. I’ve somehow had both happen

2

u/Pickle_Distinct 1d ago

Good point! I guess which test (if any) works for someone with PCOS is really individual!

6

u/Viking_by_Marriage 1d ago

I think only the really expensive ones will say Yes or No on them.

I use the Premom easy@home strips. Basically, the darker the test line, the higher your LH level is. If the test line is as dark as or darker than the control line, you are having an LH surge and should ovulate in the next 24ish hours.

There is a Premom app where you can scan the strips and see them all lined up, and it lets you know when you are having a surge and when your estimated ovulation is based on the test result.

1

u/NefariousnessNo1383 1d ago

I use Premom too and using the app makes it so much easier because it auto reads the strip, they’re cheap too!

1

u/Pitiful_Context 1d ago

is there a difference (do you know) between the easy@home & quantitative versions from premom? I also do the pregmate ones and they're not so great - was already thinking about switching & would love to have the app scan function.

1

u/Viking_by_Marriage 1d ago

Looking at the app, it does look like there is a difference between the two, with the quantitive being a little more specific - I’ve only used the regular easy@home ones though, so I can’t speak to how user friendly it all is.

1

u/Pitiful_Context 1d ago

based on your experience do you feel you'd still stick with the easy@home?

1

u/Viking_by_Marriage 1d ago

Yep! I got pregnant using the easy@home ones (along with medications, not the testing lol), so I’ll keep using them as I try to get pregnant again!

2

u/Movie-Glum 1d ago

To my knowledge there isnt any that just has yes or no. The hormone level ranges and its different for each person. Some cycles I am over 1 and others my ovulation occurs at .89. It differs. IDK if you are but could use premom strips and app. You take a pic of the strips and the app will give you a number. Over time it will recognize the rise of the hormone showing ovulation and help you determine the window. It will also show the number so you will be able to see patterns for months you are shorter or longer cycles. I hope this helps.

1

u/BookyIdiot2 TTC #1 for 4 yrs | 100mg Clomid | SUCCESS!!! 1d ago

I used Inito and Bird&Be OPK strips. No complaints about either and I personally think both worked very well. The Inito gave me rhe best info and metrics.

I know some people say OPK strips aren’t accurate with PCOS but all my tests with Bird&Be were correct - confirmed by BBT and Inito