# DHEA can u use Clearblue fertility monitor? No surge detected



## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi ladies,
Wondered if anyone who has taken/is taking DHEA can help me?

I've been taking DHEA for about 7.5 weeks but due to surgery last month didn't test for ovulation. This month I've been using Clearblue Fertility Monitor but its just said high fertility for the last 8 days and I'm now on day 15 - normally I get ovulation surge day 11/12.

Am worried its stopping me ovulating but not sure if I should continue with it any longer or not? My clinic are aware I'm taking it - I was selected to be part of trial they're doing but opted to do it independently to avoid placebo. Aside from this problem I've noticed my hair is greasy & few spots but nothing major.

Has anyone else had problems with their cycle, and lack of ovulation, whilst taking DHEA? If so what did you do?

Thanks x


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## jdm4tth3ws (May 20, 2012)

hi fififi,

if you've had the CBFM, t wont detect your surge for another 4.5 to 5 weeks.  when i went through the instructions it said it takes 12 weeks for the monitor to get to know your body. as it also takes 3 months for any vits to really have an effect. 

all i can suggest you do is carry on dtd every 2 days from day 10 through to day 21. and keep using the sticks, it will be getting an ideaa of how your body works but it takes a full 3 months of use continously to give a good idea of ovulation.

good luck honey, i found my monitor very useful after the 3 months. i always thought i ovulated on day 15 (or around that) its actually day 12 .

xxxx


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks jdm4tth3ws - although I was aware the monitor took a while to get used to your body I didn't think this would affect the readings so much. Guess I'm just panicked as not like me to not show ovulation - have used test sticks until this month and these have always detected ovulation.

Really appreciate your reply


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Just wondering if CBFM compatible with DHEA or whether it is messing my results up?
Has anyone managed to use both?


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Discovered today that my oestrogen levels are now really high - blood tested on day 3 of cycle showed 110. Since CBFM uses estrogen levels to detect high & surge now even more unsure whether compatible.

Anyone got any insight?


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## Molly99 (Apr 16, 2012)

Hi Fififi, 

Sorry to restart your old thread but I could have written it and I was wondering whether you ever found an answer to this?

I have been using my CBFM for a very long time and this month is the first month that I haven't had a peak so far.  I started taking DHEA last month and I'm wondering whether this might be the cause?  I have always ovulated on day 10/11 too and it's now day 15 and still no peak, which is unheard of for me.

Did you detect a surge in the end?  Sorry for all of the questions, but did you also have any symptoms of ovulation even though the CBFM didn't pick it up?  I've had lots of cramps and sore bbs, everything that I would expect before ovulation but no peak.  The sticks are still showing a dark estradiol line and a light LH line and the monitor seems stuck on high.

Given my age, I guess that I could just not be ovulating this month, which I've never noticed before, but I'm a bit confused about all of the ovulation symptoms and whether DHEA has caused them.  I guess that I keep on testing but I'm not sure whether DHEA is for me or not and I'm not with a clinic anymore (seeing as I should be moving on now ... whoops!)

Did you carry on taking DHEA?

Thanks so much x


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## fififi (Mar 16, 2011)

Hi Molly,

No worries about restarting old thread. I've done same thing many times!

I'm no longer taking DHEA as moved to DE. However I did continue taking DHEA for about 6 months after my initial post.

My hormone levels were quite radically changed and I ended up feeling quite grumpy & "hormonal" at both ovulation time & around AF. I didn't show as positive on CBFM for first two months (just high) and was very concerned that the DHEA had actually stopped me ovulating. But this did change & I went back to regular cycles of around 26 days with ovulation day 12/13.
I was recommended by my acupuncturist ground flaxseed to take to help balance my changed hormone levels which may have been the solution or possibly just coincidence.

When I stopped the DHEA my cycles became very irregular and I had mixture of extra long cycles (38 days) and stupidly short ones (14 days) for several months so it obviously did affect my body quite considerably.
I don't know whether it helped egg quality or not as didn't do further OE ivf. I too was supposedly stepping away from tx & this was to up our natural chances before I gave up totally. (Though stepping away never happened as you can tell!!!)

If I think of anything else I'll update.
Hope this helps x


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## MissBopeep (Aug 18, 2014)

Hi
after 4 chemicals in 5 cycles, in desperation I started taking DHEA first at 25mg for a month with seemingly no effect and then in desperation (after 4th chemical) upped it to 50mg dose at the start of a cycle. I was worried because my OD was 10/11 every cycle and I hoped it would extend it a day or two for a better quality egg. Well that cycle I surged on day 9!!! and kept surging with ovary pain for 3 days until the egg finally popped out on day 12, that was a complete bum cycle no bfp and I knew we had not got to the egg or the egg was ruined by over stimulus of LH. I stopped the DHEA, next cycle I still surged at day 9 but didn't ovulate til day 11 but got a good BFP 13dpo & 14dpo just for it to go with my period 
Its an absolute casino, I just don't know whether to continue at a low dose or ditch altogether. Im thinking the DHEA may have been responsible for the promising last cycle which was my strongest and longest BFP and definitely the closest I have come to a 'sticker'. I feel nervous to take it and worried to stop taking it!!!!


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## MissBopeep (Aug 18, 2014)

Oh I'm just 44. forgot to add. Also should say I always ovulate on the same day as the surge, thats why I was panicked by the day 9 surge, even though the egg didnt actually pop until day 12


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