Clomid: Uses, Benefits, Risks, And More

Clomiphene citrate, commonly called Clomid, is a well-known drug^[1] to treat the problem of certain types of infertility in women wanting to get pregnant.

It is an oral medication that is taken via mouth. It is generally prescribed to women with ovulatory dysfunction.

This medicine stimulates the process of ovulation which might raise your probability of getting pregnant.

This medication is generally prescribed^[2] to women with some particular type of infertility.

Clomid is not the only solution for all infertility concerns and not all medical conditions are appropriate for the therapy.

Therefore, only take this pill when prescribed to you in person by the doctor. Certain criteria are to be fulfilled^[3] to proceed with the Clomid treatment.

• The patient should not be pregnant.
• The patient’s liver should be perfectly fine and functional.
• Patients with an ovarian cyst and ovarian enlargement might not be suitable except for the ones with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)^[4].
• Pelvic area examination might be very important before as well as with each proceeding course of treatment.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding might not be an appropriate condition for Clomid treatment.

The other criteria considered before starting with the treatment with Clomid include the following:

• Estrogen levels
• Uterine fibroids
• Other obstacles to pregnancy
• Endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma
• Ovarian failure

This is an important topic to be aware of, the inappropriate amounts may lead to disastrous health issues.

The treatment generally begins with as low as 50mg Clomid tablet daily for five days alongside the monthly menstrual cycle.

The fourth and fifth days might be ideal for beginners with Clomid therapy. The dosage might be increased in case the subject does not ovulate in response to the prior measured quantity.

It could be one, two, three, or even four per day depending upon your body’s response rate. The dose could be in increased gradually month after month, according to the doctor’s instructions^[3].

If the doctor increases your Clomid dose, it is nothing to be worried about. It could be because a lower quantity isn’t making the desired effect on your body.

In some cases, women are advised to approach fertility specialists for better treatment.

Other than being a reputed and effective medication for the treatment of infertility in women, there are a few more benefits to Clomid therapy.

Some of these are listed below:

• It might be economical in terms of cost when it comes to infertility treatments as compared to other expensive treatments available.
• Being an oral medication, it might be mild and less intrusive than the other options.
• The side effects are comparatively low and are bearable for most.

The medicine works^[2] strangely. When consumed, it tricks the brain into thinking that estrogen^[5] levels are unusually lower than the actual amount present within the body.

Due to this, the pituitary gland releases^[6] follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in higher quantities.

The FSH is responsible for the egg follicle(s) in a way that its higher concentration stimulates the ovaries to manufacture more follicles that would further mature and release at the time of ovulation.

On the other hand, the increased LH stimulates the process of ovulation. When these follicles would develop, estrogen is released.

Isn’t it too good to be good? Are you also wondering about the same thing?

You need to understand that while this pill could be cost-effective when compared to other infertility treatments, it might even be very effective in its job.

Though there are certain side effects, that one might experience, that would possibly range from mild to severe.

The following list of side effects includes^[2] the ones which are most likely to occur are-

• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Bloating
• Breast discomfort
• Ovarian enlargement
• Abdominal- pelvic discomfort
• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Headache
• Visual symptoms like blurring

Don’t cast your no-confidence vote already. Although the list of side effects might be a bit long most of these are tolerable.

But they could become severe in some cases and women should report it openly to their doctors instead of bearing it.

Also, these symptoms would decrease or might probably last until you have your next period.

However, if ovulations take place and you get pregnant, then these symptoms might take some more time and extend longer.

Pregnancy could even worsen the situation and make things more complicated.

Women under the treatment must inform their healthcare providers about the slightest changes they are undergoing to prevent any complexities.

Some of these might seem normal to you but asking for the doctor’s advice could be a better option to consider here.

There are a few measures that one can take, sitting in the comfort of their home, to lower the pain or seriousness of the side effects one is suffering.

The undermentioned are some of the effective remedies that you can try.

• One could go for pain killers (on the doctor’s advice) for relieving pain.
• It might be better to not panic or rush while you are still recovering.
• One could do some light physical activities and manual work without exerting upon themselves.
• One should take a lot of rest but one must not consider taking total bed rest as an option as it might make your condition more complicated.
• You might have to avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, etc, and alcohol too.
• Sexual activity could make things worse, so avoid it.
• Report immediately to your healthcare provider in case the side effects become any worse or unbearable.

Moreover, seeking some expert advice would rather be a great idea. Keeping your doctor up to date about your condition would prevent you from other complexities.

Also, take precautions as directed by the doctor, if any.

Taking Clomid for being pregnant might often result^[7] in the birth of more than one child. It is called multiple pregnancies.

Multiple pregnancies are the situation in which a woman is likely to give birth to two or more babies at a time

It is been observed in a clinical trial that women taking Clomid might have a higher chance (approx. 8%) of experiencing a case of multiple pregnancies.

Out of which the probability of having twins might be roughly 7% and approximately 1% of having more than two.

Although the excitement of being pregnant might be overwhelming it might be risky for some women or a deliberate choice of others to be pregnant with more than one baby.

One might need to discuss with their doctors if they are fine with multiple pregnancies or not and continue the treatment accordingly.

Clomid is a medicinal drug that is often prescribed for the treatment of infertility in women. This pill, when taken, stimulated the process of ovulation that results in pregnancy.

Just like any other medicine, the Clomid tablet might have some side effects which, in most cases, are tolerable.

Apart from this, it has great advantages, in terms of cost, over the other infertility treatments available.