Help with progesterone testing

I'm so confused. I'll try to make this as short as possible. I had extremely low progesterone when I was pregnant back in January for about 5 weeks and had my blood tested. I was obviously losing the pregnancy at that point. My doctor was being proactive and told me to wait out the cycle since after the m/c it's not considered a regular cycle. He said when you get your period next call us and we'll send you to test progesterone around CD23. He told me that he was checking for "strong ovulation". I got my period and called. The nurse calls back and says ok go between CD21-23 to check for ovulation. I tried explaining that I KNOW I O because I got PG and temp. After all my research I see most people go at 7dpo for this test.
Ok so I went for the test Friday, CD23. At that point I wasn't seeing clear O, but now it's saying that I Oed CD21. So I call today concerned that I should've gone later past the O. She tells me that the test came back and "although it's extremely low, it's showing that I'm in my luteal phase". First of all, I would've never know what she meant if it wasn't for this site. Second, she's ready to hang up with me like "ok, you O". GRRRR!! I didn't try this cycle because we were checking for "strong O" I thought!!! So she's like well you can go back "if you want". So I said yes, please write the script.
So, here's the question. Looking at my chart it says I Oed on CD21. I went for the test on CD23. There looks to me like quite a dip on CD23.
Do you girls think that I Oed that day instead or would it be impossible to see that in the blood the same day as O?
Second question: Do you think I should go back to test the progesterone tomorrow or Thursday??
Hope that all made sense! Thanks!!

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Message edited 3/22/2011 6:42:58 PM.

Re: Help with progesterone testing

I was hoping someone would have some advice for me, but I guess I should've tried the fertility board because I'm not sure how common this testing is. I decided to just go this morning for the second test and when I call for results will ask to speak with the dr. I'm tired of talking to the nurse because I feel like she has no idea what my dr wanted. I just feel like I wasted a month of trying. Maybe I'll start the 2ww thread for May soon Thanks to all who attempted to read through my novel

Re: Help with progesterone testing

i think going back was a good idea. based on your chart, it actually looks like you ovulated on CD23, the day you went for testing. i am not a dr, but i do know that the reason your temp rises after ovulation is the rise in progesterone. you had a dip that day and then a strong rise the next day. so i'm not sure how accurate your blood test would be on CD23 for progesterone, considering it was most likely on the rise that day. today should give you a much better result.

testing for progesterone after you ovulate will tell the dr if your prgesterone is high enough for implantation. if it starts out low after ovulation, they will most likely have you start progesterone supplements next cycle.

Re: Help with progesterone testing

I can't help with the chart.

I go for mid luteal progesterone testing. I saw one doctor who kept referring to it as day 24 testing but when I spoke to my OB she explained how we'd check the level.

I use an opk and then 7 days after I get the :) I have my blood drawn to check my progesterone level. From what my doctor's office said anything over a 10 means I ovulated. Anything above a 20 is good. The other doctor said he wanted to see 26 or higher but my OB says 20. This past month we tried and my level was 19.4 so I was put on progesterone in case I became pregnant. I tested this month and bfn so I stopped the medication and I am waiting for AF.

I'm not sure what I will do next cycle. The first time I had my level checked it was 23.6 but we weren't trying yet. I'm not sure if my doctor will test me every month or if she'll have me use the medication after O every cycle without testing the level since I had one low month out of two.

I am doing this as a precaution because I had a miscarriage a few months ago. All of my other test came back normal. My doctor figures lets try this and see if we can get a successful pregnancy.

Both doctors did say that an appropriate amount of time passed since my miscarriage to start checking the levels. They started checking on my third cycle. This past one was my fourth.