should I be worried?

[Birdbrain2]

I've been charting for about 6 months, ttc for almost 2 years and my temp went down cd16 and shot up cd17 and cd18 down again, and today it went back up. Im almost positive that I ovulated b/ I had a lot of the "fertile" CM this month. Ive never really had that before b/ I dont ovulate often. (I have PCOS btw)
I have had a lot of discomfort since cd15, so I was thinking ovulation...but i dont know....very frusterating!!
thanks
k

[BC-DKNY]

hi k....

i'm sorry for your confusuion. it's reslly hard to speculate without seeing your temps. although i will tell you i've had those months. the month i conceived my ds i had the same exact thing happen. i was covered either way with the BMS, but the 2 dips and rises made it difficult to pinpoint the actual date of O. even my software program was confused.

can you contrtibute the erratic temps to anything? inconsistancies in sleep, illness, different waking time?

if you'd like to post your temps we'll be glad to try and help you make some sense of it.

[Birdbrain2]

I cant really determine like a "stress" level b/ we're always stressed anyway...we live on a farm . Well you asked for it , here's my temps.....I didnt start until cd2

2-97.9
3-97.1
4-97.5
5-97.9=started taking femara 5mg a day
6-98.0
7-98.0
8-98.0
9-98.1=last femara pill
10-98.0
11-97.7
12-97.9
13-98.1
14-98.2
15-98.2=started having discomfort and "fertile" mucus
16-97.5
17-98.0 18- 97.6 19-97.9

I really appreciate you looking at it Sorry for the trouble, but im really frusterated!
K

[BC-DKNY]

hi k....ok, i'm officially confused by your chart and hoping maura will step up to the plate here and bail me out

if you didn't make mention of the "discomfort and fertile cm" i'd swear you haven't O'd yet. i can see where you could've possibly O on cd 16 (based on the low temp and the notes you made) however, the temps folliwng don't really validate that. that would make your coverline 89.3, making all 3 of the following temps falling below your CL. there is such a thing as a "fallback" after O, which i've seen in my own charts...but you would've at least had to have had your 'rise' first, KWIM?

do you OPK at all? i'm guessing not b/c you would've mentioned it.

you also said you've been charting for about 6 mos. what's your normal pattern like? do you have a definitive point of O and temp shift? also, do you have an average day that you usually O on?

sorry for all of the questions...just trying to get a handle on the big picture so we can figure this out.

[Birdbrain2]

I NEVER have a consistant chart. I've only ovulated twice, and both times have been on day 16...thats the only thing consistant. I cant use the OPK's b/ they never work right for me. There are always two lines on them and they are missleading. I guess its b/ my hormones have always been wacko. I have to fax my chart to my RE tomarrow, so i guess ill just wait and see what he thinks. Thank you so much for looking at it!! I never know what to think, I just figure Ill wait and if God gives us a child, Ill go from there. If I did ovulate, is it bad for me not to get to "that" line? Does that have something to do with low progesterone? I hate this whole deal!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much!!

Karen

[BC-Maura]

Hi K: I'm having trouble seeing O too... sorry! Those high temps on cd 12-15 make things difficult because any temps following O should ideally be higher than them... unless you haven't O'd and your temps now stay down and then shoot back up again.

I think Dina has asked good questions too... I'll be interested in hearing more about past cycles...

I would keep BMSing as if you haven't O'd and keep temping... maybe things will be clearer in a few days!

All the best and keep us posted+++++++++
Maura

[BC-DKNY]

k...the confusion with the OPK's is extremely common when dealing with PCOS. it's my understanding that women with PCOS have an elevated LH level at any given time of the month, therefore making the OPK unreliable. i have heard some of our members with PCOS do have success with OPK's even with their PCOS, so i was kind of hoping you were one of them

as for the low temps (post O), this could be indicative of low progesterone and/or even a thyroid that could be out of whack.

i'm glad you're faxing this info to your RE. i'd be interested in knowing what he says if you'd like yto give us an update.

[Birdbrain2]

Just got off the phone with my RE's office, my RE is out of town ( of course my luck) but his partner called me to discuss things. He said being that I had the pain and everything that it might be a good sign, but i had to wait a few more days to see anything. My RE will back back in the office on Monday so he told me to fax an "updated" chart to him then. He said from the looks of it, I havent yet, but he said it is very possible for this to be a flook and my temp to go on up. this morning it went up again to about 98.2! I dont know, but what I do know is that this whole deal is getting old fast! I wasted so much time with a regular GYN that told me flat out I didnt have PCOS, but the first visit with my RE proved her VERY wrong. I dont have any of the weight issues, just the IF and acne and a little extra hair. The put me on Met at my GYN's office, and I just couldnt handle the side effects and went off. I was taking 1500mg a day(only for about 1 month; 1000mg for about 6 months) and it didnt seem to change anything. Ive heard some good things about the ER met, do you guys think i gave up too fast? Anyway thanks for your help!!
k

[BC-DKNY]

hi k....don't beat yourself up for not moving on quickly enough. i did the same thing. you want to believe your doc is always treating you in your best interest, and we are laymen in the medical field, so we rely on them. unfortunately it doesn't always work out for the best. you had the sense to move on, and that's all that matters.

that said...i think when your doc comes back on monday, you might want to discuss with him the options you have re: medications. sometimes there's a big differnce in ER meds vs regular ones. if the side effects were more trouble than they were worth, then it's not the right med for you. there's always more than one way to skin a cat, and that's what our docs are for.
if you have faith in this RE, then consult with him about all of your options.

keep temping. the more info you can provide to your doc the better. please give us an update after you speak to you RE.

[BC-Maura]

Once again, I agree with the sage Dina. I too spent a lot of time with my OB when I could have had success earlier with the RE that I eventually saw. But, it's all a process and we can't beat ourselves up for things that happen along the way. I learned a lot about myself during my IF struggle and although it was painful and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, like many people who have been through turmoil, I grew from it.

So, now you are with an RE and it sounds like an attentive practice, which is great. Have you talked over taking Metformin again with your new doctor?

Good luck and let us know how things are going, ok?
++++++++++++++
Maura