Yet more proof that i/cs are unreliable - man gets BFP!

[Kittykins]

I've posted a number of times on here about how unreliable internet cheapies can be - I've had positives on them several times, including a couple of days after the end of my period, when I POAS'ed as an experiment. My GP has also told me that the clinic stopped using them because 50% of tests gave a false result.

Anyway, I was browsing the FF forums and found this thread, with a pic of someone's DH's BFP - hilarious!

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Circles/viewtopic.php?t=1476577


Yes, they're cheap, but I just don't think they're worth the heartache any more. A faint line on an i/c could be the start of a BFP - or equally likely is just an evap. After 8 months, I can't take that agonising is it/isn't it situation any more.

So - make up your own minds! But if you don't think you're strong enough to take the disappointment of days of faint lines followed by AF, then either don't use the cheapies, or wait until AF is at least a couple of days late!

 

[Tasha20]

I get really annoyed with the internet cheapies, so I use them after my af is late.

Hate all the squinting hurts my eyes.

Saying that they are all I have left, so I will use them up, but would confirm with a better brand.

 

[Cupcake]

Do you think that this would apply to the i/c OPKs too? Are they just as unreliable?

 

[Kittykins]

Cupcake - I use i/c OPKs without any concerns. The difference is that on a HPT, any second line is a positive. On an OPK, it's only positive if the second (test) line is as dark as or darker than the control line.

So on an OPK, it doesn't matter a fig whether the second faint line is an evap, or whether it's detected a small amount of LH, you're not going to think it's positive.

FWIW, I always get at least a faint line on OPKs too - I posted a bunch of pics on here recently to show progression over several days and over the hours before ovulation.

It makes sense to buy i/c OPKs - I bulk buy in packs of 100 now, so that I can test 3 or 4 times a day leading up to ovulation. But then, I have irregular cycles, and I've been TTC for long enough to have lost the optimism of only buying 5 or 10 OPKs!

 

[Cupcake]

Thanks for the fast reply Kitty. That makes sense.

Best of luck TTC x

 

[Redshoes]

I've read that tumors can lead to higher levels of the hormone the tests dectect, so a man could realistically get a positive, but not because he's pregnant, obviously heehee

 

[Kittykins]

yep - benign pituitary tumours often result in HCG production and are relatively common. However, even if your pituitary function is well within normal parameters, it can still result in HCG production high enough to be detectable on HPTS (usually consistent levels of below 5 on betas - but on some tests, 5 would be just about visible as a faint line). However, the way in which i/cs are manufacture also makes them more prone to evaporation lines, apparently.

I only know this because my doctor was concerned enough about all the faint lines to send me off for pituitary tests - and the bloodwork results show no HCG and no overactive pituitary gland at all, implying the faint lines are just evaps. So I spent a few months worrying I was having more chemical pregnancies, then another few months worrying I had a pituitary tumour, before discovering that actually, I appear to be perfectly normal and just unlucky not to have conceived. So at the moment, stress seems to be the most likely reason for lack of conception!



meanwhile though - to me those pics look like classic evaps - they're greyish rather than pink/red. Dunno what anyone else thinks?

 

[Rachel]

I've never liked internet cheapies. I've never got a false positive on them but when I was earlier on in this pregnancy I tested loads with various brands lol and got very dark lines on them all but when I used internet cheapies they were all very faint which got me worried and I went out and bought another first response and the line on that was really dark like my others had been and stopped me worrying.

The line I got on first response was alot darker than the control line but on internet cheapies that were meant to be the most sensitive I was getting really faint lines so if they were that faint when my line was darker than the control line on FR I don't think they would be that good for early testing or even testing just after period is due