Clomid: 7 Facts to Know

clomid

Clomid: 7 Facts to Know

Did you know Clomid (chemically named Clomiphene Citrate) has been around since the 1960s? Its historical safety record and efficiency at helping women conceive is one of the many reasons why Clomid is considered a first-line fertility treatment for most women with an infertility diagnosis.

The following are 7 facts worth knowing, and potentially discussing with your gynecologist or fertility specialist, if you are considering using Clomid to stimulate ovulation for your first or next round of fertility treatment.

1. Clomid is an oral fertility medication

Fertility medications are divided into two types: oral and injectable. Clomid is an oral fertility medication, take in pill form with water. Once it is dissolved and absorbed by your digestive system, Clomid gently stimulates the body to ovulate and to release more than one egg, without releasing the plethora of eggs stimulated by injectable fertility medications.

Click Here to read more specific information about Clomid.

2. It blocks estrogen production

Estrogen is famous for being the female fertility hormone, so it can surprise women and their partners to learn that Comid actively works by blocking estrogen production. However, by doing so, the active ingredient Clomiphene Citrate stimulates the pituitary and hypothalamus glands to produce gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).

That hormone trifecta results in our goal of inspiring your body to mature and release at least one if not more eggs – which exponentially improves the chances of an egg(s) being fertilized by a sperm(s).

3. Clomid is better for women with PCOS than injectable medications

If you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, you want to steer clear of injectable hormones unless you’re working with a highly experienced and successful fertility specialist. Women with PCOS have hormonal imbalances and metabolic processes that stymie ovulation. This means they typically have an ample supply of immature eggs ready to be released.

If you have undiagnosed PCOS and your physician prescribes injectable meds, you can wind up releasing dozens of eggs and are at high risk for conceiving a dangerous number of multiples. Think “Octomom.” Our goal is always to support the healthy conception of a single egg at a time to optimize the health of our mothers and babies.

4. You will experience more mild symptoms

Along those same lines, women who take Clomid do experience side effects, typical to those experienced with PMS or an early pregnancy, but they aren’t as dramatic as the side effects experienced with injectables.

Typical side-effects of Clomid include:

  • Being emotional of experiencing mood swings
  • Headaches
  • Mild bloating, cramping, or abdominal tenderness
  • Blurred vision (less common)

More severe side-effects are rare with women who take Clomid.

5. Reliable success rates

Because Clomid has been used as an FDA-approved method to stimulate ovulation since 1967, we have more than 50 years of data to review. That means we can very confidently tell you that Clomid’s success rates are quite high.

  • Women who take Clomid have an 80% or higher chance of ovulating
  • This leads to a 10% – 15% chance of conceiving with each Clomid cycle (roughly the same as women without infertility factors who time conception at home without fertility treatment)

While it is not an infertility cure-all, the reality is that millions of babies have been born around the world as a result of Clomid’s success.

6. This is your most likely “first step” in the fertility journey

There are cases where we will move further down the fertility treatment path. For example, women experiencing low ovarian reserves, early menopause, or who are 40-years old or more are more likely to skip straight to IVF. However, because of its success rates and minimal side effects, Clomid is almost always a fertility specialist’s first choice in treating infertility.

7. We prescribe Clomid for male infertility factors, too

While your male spouse or partner will never be prescribed Clomid, you may wind up with a prescription if he is the one with the infertility factors. If your partner’s sperm count is low, we may use Clomid to boost your eggs’ presence in the fallopian tubes, so the fewer sperm have a better chance of meeting an egg.

We also use Clomid to boost your chances of fertility success if you are opting to pursue intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a result of your partner’s low sperm count or poor sperm morphology/motility.

Are you interested in working with Virginia fertility specialists who have great success in using Clomid to help our patients get pregnant? We would love to meet you. Schedule a consultation with us here at the Virginia Fertility & IVF.

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