OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

Okay so I got my period on 8/6 (after stopping the pill) so that is CD1
I started using first reponse OPK's on CD7 or 8
on CD 9 I had some spotting and then for a few days after--nothing heavy (I spoke to my doctor and she just said that it a reaction from my body coming off of the pill ect....)
so anyway
when I started the OPK's for CD 7, 8 and 9 there was nothing that appeared on the test line
On CD 10, 11, 12,13 the test line was appearing to get darker in color but still not as dark as the control line
Just took the OPK today CD 14 and now there is nothing at all as far as color in the test line?
What is going on???
Did I miss my O?
Has anyone else had this happen?
I was so hopeful that it was getting darker and darker and I was soon going to get my surge that indicated O

Thank you if you have followed this whole thing

ps----I have tested the same time every day. Have not drank anything and held my urine for two hours before testing.

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

my motto is to just bang...those opks with the lines can make u go insane. I'm sorry I'm not much of a help...this whole process is confusing!!
good luck to u

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

If this is your first cycle off the pill it may take a while to ovulate (and regulate). My first cycle off the pill was 57 days. This is my second cycle off and I've been using OPKs this time, and I'm on CD31 today with still no positive OPK yet.
Coming off the pill can do wacky things to your cycle so just try to be patient (I know it's hard!)

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

that happened with me before too. it doesnt mean you missed it or it wont happen cycle. prior to O your LH levels can fluctuate so sometimes the test may pick up some while other times if the levels are lower it may not pick anything up at all. because you just came off the pill (especially since you had spotting) your estrogen levels may be low and your body may take some time to build it up and result in an LH surge (which is really what OPKs test for) prior to O.

to get a better read on what your body is doing you can also monitor your CM so you dont have to use OPKs every single day (unless you like to like i do lol) . when it starts getting wetter and waterier and more like eggwhite (EWCM) you should use the OPK's because chances are that's when your body is gearing up to O.

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

if it's your first cycle off the pill then you might not have ovulated. My first cycle afterwards was so screwed up. i got AF 2 weeks early and my dr said it was because i skipped ovulation or something like that. I dunno. But it regulated perfectly for next cycle.

I'm not much help, however, because i despise those OPKs. I've never seen a positive on them and that just stresses me out horribly. I'll admit though that i really haven't been doing them long. I think I only used them for maybe 2 cycles and then gave up. I'm starting a new kind this month - as soon as it arrives in the mail (saliva based instead of urine) so I'll share with you guys how that one works. If it's any better than the regular OPKs maybe you'll want to go with that kind instead

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

As mentioned above, the color of the line will fluctuate day to day - the thing is that the OPK test will not get increasingly darker each day as you get closer to ovulation. The idea is to not worry about how light or dark the line is - JUST to see if the line is AS dark or DARKER than the control line.

Women always have some LH in their system and it fluctuates hour by hour - so the test will sometimes pick up a lower level and sometimes a higher level. The ONLY time you really want to care is when it's positive. So even if yesterday it was medium colored and today it's very light or there's no line at all, that doesn't mean that tomorrow you won't get your positive!

Good luck!!!! Keep testing until you get your positive. Keep track of your CM as well since that will be a really great sign of when you are entering your fertile phase.

ETA: Oh and I forgot to add - holding your pee for 2 hours may not be long enough. It's recommended that you hold your pee for at least 4 hours so try that. Try testing in the afternoon or evening.

Message edited 8/19/2009 11:46:37 PM.

Re: OPK confusion/fustration? --sorry a little long

Thank you for all the responses.
I am still going to stick with the OPK's and see what happens. I am also just going to keep forcing my husband to BD as much as I can

Good Luck to everyone!!!!