Short LH Surge?

[shauni27]

I think most of you will tell me without temping I will not know, but both the REs I have seen and my normal OBGYN have told me not to worry about temping...

Normally when I "track" I take an ovulation test every day during fertile week and as I see the line darken, I take one twice a day, morning and night.  Until the line is gone to confirm ovulation.

This cycle is our first on Clomid.  I took the clomid days 5-9 and started testing with OPKs day 10.  My RE said to use the fancy (read: expensive!!) digital OPKs, and on the directions for these OPKS they say to test at the same time every day and the kit will remember my LH levels from the previous day.  I am now on day 14 and still no LH surge/no positive OPK.  However, on the cheap tests I was always getting positives between days 13-14.  I have had some serious cramps the last two days which led me to believe I was ovulating, but why would the OPKs not show any surge?  Could my surge be really short and just not showing up because I am testing only in the mornings?

And can I disregard the directions on the digital OPKs and test morning and evening?

Thanks, guys.  Guess I am just over-analyzing, as usual, and looking for reassurance that my body is not totally fucked up.

[oneslybookworm]

I have no experience with Clomid, but my cycle was off this month too. I use the fancy OPKs (with the open circle for low fertility, a flashing smiley for high fertility, and a solid smiley for peak fertility...the CBE Advanced something or other OPKs). Well, this month, I started getting flashing smiley faces on CD 11 (never had a flashing smiley before...it had always gone from open circle straight to solid smiley, with no flashing in between), and only today (CD15) did I finally get a solid smiley. I've never had an LH surge this late in my cycle before (after 24 cycles of using OPKs).

Bottom line, I think it's fine. The Clomid might have caused you to surge late, or it could just be a wonky cycle. I've done both mornings and evenings, and just mornings, with these OPKs, and never had an issue (that said...I could be doing it wrong). Hang in there, I'm sure everything is fine and it's just a one-off cycle.

[MrsMB]

When I took Clomid, I had a later ovulation than normal. I have a post somewhere on here that compared people's normal ovulation to their ovulation on Clomid. That may help. If I remember correctly, almost everyone had their ovulation delayed at least 2+ days.

Also, I had similar pains prior to O. My thinking was that it was just the Clomid doing it's thing to the follicles. 

I know everyone is different though...

[preppy]

I used the digital OPKs for 13 months and sometimes I would get a negative in the morning, a positive at night, then negative again the next morning. I would maybe try twice a day to see if that helps to detect?

[shauni27]

Thanks, guys! All very reassuring and helpful. Appreciate it.

[lms]

I also experienced delayed O when I was on Clomid.