Ovulation monitoring with test strips

[Anonymous]

Has anyone out there found success with ovulating testing, specifically using test strips alone? I'm using ANSWER, but I realize each woman has her own product preferences/experiences (which is why I'm asking) ... Thank in advance.

[Anonymous]

I never had much luck, switched to charting temp and works like a charm

[Anonymous]

I used test strips for about 4 months before declaring them un-helpful. I was always guessing at the result. Charting hasn't been that helpful either, but I do get my period, so I must ovulate at some point? Anyway, my gyn said not to waste my money on them and this joint CBS/Consumer Reports article supports that advice:

"Frighteningly, Consumer Reports found "Though most of the kits are labeled as having 99 percent clinical accuracy, in actual use even the best-performing models are likely to detect LH surges in a considerably lower percentage of women. At their peak, most women's LH surges range from less than 20 to 100 mIU/ml.

The top-rated product, the ClearPlan Easy Ovulation Test Pack, was the only one able to detect LH concentrations as low as 22mIU/ml. It was also easier to read than most other models. But even this product will not detect ovulation in the 12 percent of women whose LH peaks at below that concentration." The costlier ClearPlan Easy Fertility Monitor (the electronic tester) was the second most sensitive model tested, detecting LH concentrations as low as 36 mIU/ml, meaning it may work for about 65 percent of women.

"At the other end of the spectrum," CR says, "we had to spike the test urine with the highest LH concentration we tested - 91 mIU/ml - before we obtained a positive reading from the First Response Pregnancy Planning Kit. Only 20percent to 25percent of women have an LH peak that high. Those results cast doubt on the product's label, which claims it contains enough test sticks 'for 90percent of ovulating women to detect hormone surge.'"

Amazingly, though, that wasn't even the worst-performing test Consumer Reports found. Answer Quick & Simple One-Step Ovulation Test got that dubious honor. "In laboratory tests using urine with an LH concentration of 91 mIU/ml, only one of six tested Answer kits registered positive. When we tested another six samples at a concentration of 96 mIU/ml, we got only two positive readings," CR reports."

Full story here http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/27/earlyshow/health/main538075.shtml

[Anonymous]

OP here: Gee, talk about choosing the best product (!) Thanks PPs, for both responses. I'll take a look at that report ...

[Anonymous]

I just saw the date of that article and it was written in 2003. I sure hope that the manufacturer's have fine-tuned their products over the past 7 years! And, my personal experience shows that they have. I have monitoring done for natural/timed intercourse cycles and go in when the OPKs are showing surge. I use First Response and have had my blood level come back at 27 when I have a positive on the First Response OPK.

[Anonymous]

I really don't like the Answer Test Strips at all. I'm an experienced charter and sometimes use OPKs in conjunction with charting. I did not get a clear positive with the Answer Strips even though I know from my chart when I ovulated. I found the First Response ovulation tests work pretty well. I think they come in a box of 7, purple plastic wrappers on each test stick. They are more expensive than the Answer strips, but at least they work.

[Anonymous]

You can have periods and not ovulate. I say if charting doesn't help, buy the fertility monitor.

[Anonymous]

I've used the CVS predictor strips. They worked fine for me showing a surge a couple of days before my BBT elevated. But I guess they don't work for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I have gotten pregnant three times using them (mostly CVS brand). Only one of the pregnancies stuck though.

[Anonymous]

OP writing ... Thanks everyone, it's great to get this feedback...

[Anonymous]

Is the issue that some women don't have a sufficient surge to register on the strips, or that if the surge is indicated, it could be erroneous? In other words, if a surge is showing up on the strip, are the strips likely to be accurate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the issue that some women don't have a sufficient surge to register on the strips, or that if the surge is indicated, it could be erroneous? In other words, if a surge is showing up on the strip, are the strips likely to be accurate?

Yes I think it is an issue of the strips not showing a surge for everyone. But if you see one it is accurate.

These tests are a bit more difficult to interpret than the HPTs as you need to make sure that the test line is darker than the control line.

[Anonymous]

In general, OPKs are just more difficult to use than HPTs.

With an HPT, you can get up first thing in the morning and pee on it and it's going to be very accurate if you're far enough past ovulation.

With OPKs, you need to test in the late morning/early afternoon because that is when LH typically surges, and you have to control your fluid intake and how long you hold your urine before testing so it's not too dilute. It's very hard to do this consistently from one day to the next so you are using consistent samples (at least, it's difficult for someone like me who drinks & pees constantly!). Also, some women have a very short surge, so if you test at, say, 11am each day, you might surge at 2pm and miss it completely b/c it could be gone by the next day at 11am. So around ovulation time, you may need to test 2x day, again trying to get a good, non-dilute urine sample each time. And finally, the lines are not always easy to interpret.

I find BBT charting, either alone or with OPKs, to be much easier than relying on OPKs alone.

[Anonymous]

Another thing to consider is that you can have a surge and NOT ovulate. That is why temp or ultrasound is the most accurate

[Anonymous]

OP again ... I think trying charting might be a good idea and/or supplement. The Answer strips I'm using now suspiciously show an LH surge for over 4 days (test line consistently stronger than control line over this time). This seems off; in past tests the surge really didn't last more than say 2 days (was a gradual reversion of the intensity, back from test to control line).