Clomid Fertility Drug: Ovulation Induction in Infertility Treatment

Clomid fertility drug therapy is one method used in infertility treatment to induce ovulation. Its primary use is to treat women with ovulation disorders who experience irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles with the goal of therapy to induce the growth and release of a single mature egg. It is also used in women with regular menstrual periods to induce the growth and release of multiple eggs in an individual menstrual cycle, which is called superovulation, in order to enhance the chances of success of intrauterine insemination (IUI). While clomid drug therapy has been used to improve sperm quality in men with male factor infertility, most studies have been reported to reveal it to have little or no benefit.

Clomid (also called clomiphene citrate) is taken orally and works by confusing your brain to alter the production of certain hormones, which results in the stimulation of the ovaries to produce multiple eggs during the fertilization process.

Prior to the use of infertility treatment with Clomid, your doctor may ask you to take Clomiphene citrate challenge test (CCCT) to evaluate your ovarian reserve before fertility treatment is initiated or to predict the potential success of infertility procedures. The CCCT is a simple blood test that measures certain hormone levels (FSH and estradiol) before and after Clomid is taken to evaluate ovarian response to chemical stimulation.

Clomid therapy is started in the first few days of the menstrual cycle. It is typically taken for 5 days beginning on days 3 to 5 of the menstrual cycle after a negative pregnancy test, baseline ultrasound and hormone tests. The schedule and dosage is determined by the prescribing physician. During infertility treatment, egg development is monitored by urine/blood tests and vaginal ultrasounds to determine when the egg(s) is/are mature at which time an injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) may be given to trigger release of your egg(s). If this option is chosen, the IUI will be scheduled to be performed 36-40 hours after the hCG injection. While Clomid has a high rate of success in inducing ovulation, there is no guarantee that pregnancy will result.

Clomid has the potential for some adverse side effects, which are seen in some, but not all, women using the drug:

Mood swings, psychological/emotional effects Hot flashes Abdominal discomfort/cramping Visual disturbances Ovarian cysts Nausea Thinning of the uterine lining Reduced production of cervical mucous Multiple births with the risk of twins at approximately 7% and triplets at 0.5%.

While there are no long-term side effects of Clomid, it is essential that a full infertility evaluation be completed before clomid fertility drug therapy is prescribed. While the use of Clomid is often the first line of therapy used by fertility specialists for ovulation induction and superovulation with IUI, there are some situations in which Clomid is not used as a starting point. In those cases or in the event that a woman does not respond to Clomid or is not able to conceive, treatment will typically progress to injectable fertility medications.

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