What Is Clomid
All women who are finding it difficult or trying to conceive would
have heard of this name at some point or the other.
But what exactly is its function and why is it prescribed? Let us take a look
at some information on Clomid.
Clomid is the trade name of the fertility drug Clomiphene and is used to stimulate
ovulation in a woman and produce multiple eggs. The other trade name of this drug is Clomifert and this medicine
stimulates the ovaries to go into the ovulation phase by acting as a selective estrogen receptor modulator or SERM
as commonly known. What Clomid actually does is that it helps to increase the level of the gondotropins by a
negative feedback mechanism on the hypothalamus.
In some countries, the pharmacist may ask you ‘what is Clomid?’ when
you ask for this drug as it also goes by the brand name of Serophene. So do not worry if you are taking Clomid or
Serophene or Clomiphene citrate; all are in the end the same fertility drug and functions in the same manner in
your body.
This fertility medication is the most popular one simply because it is the most
commonly prescribed by gynecologists as well as infertility specialists. This is because around twenty five to
thirty percent of the infertility problems are due to a defect in ovulation. The other reason why this drug is so
popular is because it is an oral pill and not an injection unlike many other fertility medications. Clomid is also
quite inexpensive and has considerably lesser side effects than most of the other fertility drugs.
What is Clomid and what is its success rate in
stimulating and improving signs of ovulation? Clomiphene is an extremely effective pill and is successful in
stimulating the ovaries and production of eggs eighty percent of the time. This medicine is only effective in
situations where the cause of infertility is with poor ovulation. But if the woman suffers from a blockage of the
fallopian tubes, then this drug is not very effective in conception as the egg and sperms cannot meet in this
instance.
Clomid is also used to treat women who have irregular menstrual cycles and
anovulatory cycles which means menstruation without the ovulation phase. This drug is also used as a first line of
fertility treatment in women who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS caused infertility. Unexplained
fertility is another scenario in which the gynecologist prescribes this drug. Many couples are now asking ‘what is
Clomid’ and its effectiveness in addressing ovulation related infertility as they are not interested in opting for
costly and invasive treatment options like in vitro fertilization.
This oral pill is also prescribed to women before undergoing intrauterine
insemination or IUI to boost the production of multiple eggs so that when the sperms are directly injected into the
uterus, the chances of fertilization are increased manifold. Clomid or Serophene must always be taken in accordance
with the protocol mentioned by your doctor and this schedule can vary from practitioner to practitioner.
What is Clomid and what is the usual recommended dosage for taking Clomid? Though the
protocol varies slightly between doctors, the usually prescribed dose is 50 mg taken for five consecutive days
either starting from the third day to the seventh day of your cycle or starting from the fifth day to the ninth day
of your cycle. It is important to remember that the first day of your menstrual cycle should be taken as the day
you notice real bleeding and not just spotting. Studies have shown that there is no difference in ovulation and
rate of pregnancy even if the pill is taken on the second, third or fifth day of your cycle and hence there is no
reason to worry even if different doctors prescribe different protocols.
The dosage of this drug can be increased by your doctor if 50 mg is found to be
insufficient to improve ovulation but higher doses of Clomiphene is not recommended and has a negative effect on
conception. How to take Clomid should never be an individual decision and
should only be taken on the advice of a doctor.
An important doubt that every couple has when using Clomid is when you should have
sex.
The best time to get pregnant is two to three days before ovulation and the day of
ovulation itself. The drug information chart of Clomid states that ovulation usually occurs five to ten days after
consuming the last pill; so if you are following the third to seventh day protocol, then ovulation can be expected
between the twelfth to the seventeenth day of the cycle and if you are following the fifth to ninth schedule, then
ovulation will occur between days fourteen and nineteen. Sexual intercourse one to two days before the predicted
ovulation period will be the best time if you are taking Clomid.
What is Clomid and its side effects? Clomid side effects are less when compared to
its goodness and effectiveness in stimulating ovulation and increasing your chances of getting pregnant.
