No Period ..... Negative Test.... Brest Changes ... Can Anyone Help Please ??

[Confused91]

My last period was 20th of may , I Took a test about two weeks ago and two since then, the last test i took was Monday, they all came back negative ? I Have also noticed blue veins showing up on my breast's and they feel sore and bumpy underneath, i havnt been pregnant before so i dont know what to look out for ..... Can anybody help me please xxx 

[Jaimee]

Welcome to MDC! 

The veins you're describing are a classic sign of pregnancy.   But keep in mind that almost all pregnancy symptoms are pretty much the same as PMS symptoms. And some women get a lot of signs and others get virtually none.  Let's break this down...

CD 1 May 20th

CD 34ish HPT-

CD 45 HPT-

When did you have unprotected sex?  Do you have any idea when you ovulated?  Do you recall any days with fertile cervical fluid (creamy or eggwhite in texture)?  How long are your cycles usually?  Is there any other information you can share?   If you ovulated around the time you normally would then you're definitely far enough along that you should be getting accurate results on HPT's.  However, many common things can delay ovulation like stress, illness, injury, travel, poor diet, strenuous exercise, etc.  Ovulation can be delayed by just a few days or by a few weeks.  So it is possible that your period will still show, just much later than usual due to delayed O. 

What type of test were you using?  Some are more sensitive than others.  And some women don't test positive on HPT's at all.  If your period does not show up for another week and you still are testing negative, I would suggest going in for a much more sensitive blood test.   Just call your OBGYN or doctor and tell him/her that you think you're pregnant and would like a blood test.  Often you can just go in that day to get it down and you'll have definitive results.

If it turns out you're not pregnant, I would say your O day was just quite delayed.  Alternatively a benign corpus luteum cyst can delay bleeding and mimic pregnancy for a few weeks.  They usual resolve on their own without issue and then you bleed.   Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!

[JMJ]

Welcome to Mothering!

What else can you tell me about your cycles?  How long are your cycles normally?  Are they usually regular?  Do you remember experiencing any slippery feelings or observe mucus that looks kinda like egg whites when you wiped after using the bathroom at any time this cycle?

What has your stress level been this cycle, and more or less than normal?  Have you gained or lost weight recently?  Have you been sick?  Are you exercising more than you usually do?

What kinds of tests are you using?  How sensitive are they (should be in the packaging materials)?

Usually, when your period is late and you're still getting negative pregnancy tests, it means that your ovulation was delayed for whatever reason.  Common reasons are stress, weight change, sickness, or new work-out routine, but really, it can be a lot of things, and it's hard to know what caused delayed ovulation.  Personally, I ovulated 5 weeks into my cycle this cycle, and I have no idea why.  If you remember any egg white-like mucus this cycle, ovulation probably happened about the time that it ended.  If ovulation happened later into this cycle than normal, it is likely that you will either get a positive pregnancy test or your period soon, so you could just keep testing every few days and hope that something happens.

It may help to use a test that is more sensitive that can detect 20 or 25 units of HCG.  Some of the tests don't detect anything until 50 or 100 units HCG, so it could be several days later before they could detect a pregnancy.  Also, if you use urine first thing in the morning or at least 4 hours after using the bathroom and not drinking a whole lot of water, you're more likely to detect a pregnancy.

In a very small minority of women, they never show positive on urine tests.  They have to go in to a physician and get a beta HCG blood test that will show you exactly how much HCG is in your system.  If the watching and waiting drives you absolutely nuts, if you feel like you're sure you're pregnant and the tests just won't show it, this is the way to go.  However, in all likelihood, it will tell you the same thing that the home pregnancy tests are showing you, that you probably ovulated late and will get your period or a positive pregnancy test sooner or later.

[JMJ]

Jaimee, I saw this one and just knew you'd be working on a response to it sooner or later.  Of course you beat me to it!  Good information all around.

[Jaimee]

   It's good to hear it from more than one person anyway b/c then the OP can see that the information is valid.  Plus you and I always seem to include slightly different tidbits beyond the basics, so it's good we both respond, I think. 

[Sharlla]

i had this happen to me.  suddenly no periods, breast sore, tired, weight gain, nausea etc.  every classic pg symptom  but neg.  it even got to the point where  i felt flutters.  went in at what i figured to be 20 weeks for an U/S and there was nothing there, they did several tests to find out what could be the cause of my symptoms and no period but everything came back normal.  eventually i started having my periods again. it was very strange.

[JMJ]

Interesting, Sharlla.  Is it possible that your body fat had dropped below the fertile range?

[Sharlla]

No i was about 170 lbs at the time.  Ive never had any kind of irregularity to my periods no matter what weight I was.

[JMJ]

Very strange....

[Confused91]

Hi Thank you everyone for your support and advice , i remember having a white thick discharge about two weeks ago , also about a week ago i had like a clear lumpy discharge only once when i went to the toilet , since then there's been nothing just like a clear thin water like discharge , i had period pains and bloating about 3 weeks ago but didnt come on , i have done 2 more tests today both came back negative, the pregnancy test's are dip stick tests , they dont state what the amount of hcg it needs , i think it may be a cheap test should i try a different brand ?? 

Thank you everyone =] xx

[JMJ]

It's possible that either of those discharges could have been associated with ovulation, though the one a week ago sounds more likely.  Usually, you don't get much if any discharge after ovulation.  If you ovulated a week ago, regardless of what test you are using, you're unlikely to get a positive for a few days to a week.  Did your pregnancy tests come with instructions?  The sensitivity would be on the instructions, not the test itself.

[Jaimee]

I agree.... I would assume that you O'd extremely late.  If you go off of that date then you'd only be about 7 DPO.  Some women get accurate HPT results around 9 or 10 DPO, but many have to wait until 12-14 DPO.  So you could test again in a few days and if still negative and no AF test again in about a week.  I would be surprised if neither AF nor a BFP showed up within the next week (though of course it's still possible).   Are the tests from a dollar store or off the internet?  If so usually those have a sensitivity of 25.  But you could go get a First Response Early Response, generic drug store test (like CVS), or an Answer test which all only require an hCG level of 25.

[Confused91]

I had a look on the instructions it says nothing about the hcg , i think i may try a clear blue test next week , i have had irregular periods before, on some occasions i have been ill whilst coming on my period eg being sick , cold sweats , severe pain and diarrhea , do you think this could have anything to do with it ? i am actively trying for a baby and i have a google calendar set up telling me when i ovulate and when im due on my period , if i send you he link would this help ? iv also been very emotional lately ?? 

Sorry to keep bothering you , im really worried =[ xxx

[Jaimee]

I'm sorry you're feeling so anxious.  It's one of the many reasons that I love charting... I always know what is going on in my cycle.   Using a calendar can be helpful, but it cannot take into account delayed ovulation and irregular cycles in general.  Also, getting sick around the time of AF is pretty common as you are losing blood and your immune system is generally a bit depressed.  Some women preemptively take immune boosting supplements just prior to their periods to try and  prevent this type of issue. 

I wanted to give you this website: http://www.peeonastick.com/hpts.html.  It has sensitivities for most major HPT's.  Clear Blue Easy needs a level of 50 unless you get the more expensive digital version, which supposedly only needs 25.  But as you can see on the site there are many others that only require 25 that are much cheaper than CBE.  Just something to consider, especially if you're getting more than one test!

[Laurucha]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I am also waiting on a late period. Jaimee, what's this business about a corpus luteum cyst? I know they are somewhat common, but I had never heard that they interfere with periods.

[Jaimee]

Well, all I really know is from what is written in TCOYF.  She states that they are benign, usually resolve on their own, and women generally experience one in their lifetime (so not that common considering how many periods you have in your lifetime).  Basically what happens is the egg is released and the ruptured follicle (now referred to as the corpus luteum) seals off and fills with fluid forming a cyst.  This causes the corpus luteum to live beyond its normal length continuing to release progesterone, keeping your temps high and preventing normal menstrual bleeding.  They tend to resolve in a few weeks (though it could take longer) and once the corpus luteum disintegrates and your progesterone levels drop, you will have your period.

[Laurucha]

Thanks. Maybe it's time to reread TCOYF. I had it in my head that a late period is always caused by late ovulation or pregnancy, but I should have realized there are exceptions.