What Is Clomid And How Does It Work? Fertility Medication's Side Effects And Success Rate | HuffPost Life

It's commonly used for women with PCOS.

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Life editor at HuffPost UK

Women who suffer fertility problems will be offered different treatments depending on what’s causing the problem.

However one of the most common fertility medicines on the NHS is clomifene, a medicine that encourages the monthly release of an egg in women who don’t ovulate regularly or who can’t at all.

Clomifene (which is often referred to by the brand name Clomid) is usually prescribed to women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Using the fertility drug can also result in a greater chance of having twins.

We spoke to Dr Geeta Nargund, medical director of CREATE Fertility and Dr Kim Clugston, fertility expert at DuoFertility to find out more about the fertility treatment option.

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How common is it for women to use clomid?

Dr Nargund told HuffPost UK: “It is used in women with PCOS to induce ovulation and in those where ovulation is irregular to regularise ovulation.

“It is commonly used as an effective first-line treatment for ovulation induction and is widely available on NHS.

“However, it should be prescribed by a fertility specialist (not by a GP) after pre-treatment counselling and tests in order to ensure that the dosage is tailored to achieve successful outcome and avoid risks.”

The most recent NICE guidelines suggest that Clomid should not be given to women with unexplained infertility as there is no evidence to suggest it increases pregnancy rates.

How does it work?

Women take one oral tablet daily (typically 50mg) for five consecutive days at the beginning of their cycle.

“Clomid is an anti-oestrogen,” explained Dr Nargund. “It stimulates the pituitary gland to release hormones needed to stimulate ovulation.”

Dr Clugston said it tricks the body into thinking that there is not enough oestrogen which sends a signal to the pituitary gland to secrete more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

“This promotes the growth of follicles and the development of a usually a single dominant follicle that contains a mature egg which is released at ovulation,” she said.”

Are there any side effects of clomid?

Clomid is generally “very well tolerated” explained Nargund.

“Mood swings are the most common side effect,” she said. “Visual disturbances and hot flushes are rare side effects. Other rare side effects include pelvic discomfort, breast tenderness and nausea.”

Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is a rare side effect that can result from an “over-response” to Clomid - this is a “rare but serious condition”.

You should seek medical advice if these symptoms persist or become severe.

What’s the success rate?

“The main aim of Clomid is to restore ovulation and it will do so in around 70-80% of women who take it,” said Dr Clugston. “Once ovulating, these women have a chance of pregnancy, which is roughly 20% per cycle.

“Clomid is generally well tolerated by most women but it can have some negative effects on cervical mucus and on the endometrium, which may have an impact success rates. However, for women who are not ovulating naturally the benefit of ovulating outweighs these changes.”

Women should talk to their GP regarding fertility treatment options. For more information on Clomid, visit the NHS Choices website.

Before You Go

10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility

(01 of10)

1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.

(02 of10)

2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

(03 of10)

3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).

(04 of10)

4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.

(05 of10)

5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.

(06 of10)

6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40s with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.

(07 of10)

7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!

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8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.

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9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.

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10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.

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