Faint line better than no line?

[smurphy90]

Hi girls,

I'm relatively new to OPKs and I just wanted to know if a faint line is necessarily better than no line at all.

I have PCOS and went 16 months between periods. After those 16 months, in April I had AF; I began using OPKs two weeks later, for about 2 weeks. I never got a line, not even a faint one.

In Aug I started thyroid meds and did get another AF about 6 weeks after (6 months after my last AF.) I'm using OPKs again and am getting faint lines this time. I know that these are not positive, but I wanted to know if it is at least an improvement over having no line at all? I'm assuming so, but I wanted to ask more experienced women their for their opinion.

I'm only on CD 13, so I'm not expecting a surge yet (it may be quite a while, given my history,) but I'm curious so I began testing each day between noon and 3pm. I began on CD 11 and have had visible (but not dark) lines each day. Is this better than no line, or does it not really make a difference?

Thanks for any input! Good luck with your own tests!

 

[KylasBaby]

In my experience, no. I have pcos and ALWAYS have the same faint line all through my cycle. Except when I ovulate then I have positives for 24-36 hours. I would honestly prefer no line because having a line shows elevated LH throughout the cycle. Rather than just at O time. So unless the line is getting darker as you get closer to o then, no, having a line isn't better.

 

[smurphy90]

Thanks! I didn't take photos of the first two days to see if they were getting darker, and it's my first cycle for 6 months, so I'm not sure if I'll O soon or if I just have elevated LH without O coming. If I were on a 28 day cycle I would O tomorrow or Monday, but it's probable that I'm not.

I guess we'll see. Thanks!

Edit: I actually think the line is getting fainter. I recall being able to see it well on CD11, but now on 13, I have to look for it. It's there, but quite faint. CD11's was definitely not as dark as the control line though. Is it normal for LH to be present enough to show for a few days without an O, and then show no line? I guess a spike could have happened on CD11 or before, but given my past of having verrrry long cycles, I highly doubt that.

 

[KylasBaby]

For PCOS it is. We tend to have high LH throughout our cycles that can be more or less some days. Without PCOS it isn't.

 

[smurphy90]

What method have you found best for tracking O? I don't have a thermometer to take BBT yet. Should be getting it this week. I've been tracking CM, but it hasn't changed for a few days. It's just been at the watery stage. No EWCM. At least not yet.

 

[KylasBaby]

I temp and use OPKs. I have a faint line all cycle except before I O when I have positives for 24-36 hours. Then back to the faint line. I temp to confirm. Many with PCOS find opks inaccurate. They either have a line all cycle or never see anything for never get a positive. And opks don't tell you you ovulate. Just that you have the LH surge to ovulate and for PCOS that surge doesn't always mean you will ovulate. Opks never worked for me until recently.. That's common with PCOS as we tend to have high LH all cycle. I also chart cm and I get some nasty o pain and maybe a day of ewcm but most times I only see it when I check internally.

 

[smurphy90]

I'll be temping soon, so that should help. My OPK is darker today than previous days, though still not close to positive, so it might be PCOS related LH levels.

Do you know how long before O LH shows on an OPK for an average woman? I've gotten lines for 4 days which seems long. My cervical position has changed from low, firm, and closed to very high, very soft, and (I think) open. It's so high that getting a good feel for openness is quite difficult. CM has remained the same since CD12: Almost like pure water, with the slightest bit of stretch. I'm on CD15 now.

It's frustrating to not know any patterns, when my cycle has been so far apart. I'm hoping thyroid meds explain my sudden ovulation last month and that I'll have a semi-regular cycle now. But there's no knowing until I get another. =/