Does Clomid (Clomiphene Citrate) Work and What Are the Side Effects?
Clomid is indicated for the treatment of conditions of lack of ovulation in patients desiring pregnancy, when there is an established satisfactory ovarian function. Good levels of endogenous estrogens (detectable by vaginal smears, by endometrial biopsy, by assay of urinary estrogen or haemorrhages in response to progesterone) constitute favorable prognostic elements, a reduced level of estrogen does not always exclude the good outcome of the treatment.
In patients who have not had recent menstruation treatment can be started at any time. If you are going to induce menstrual bleeding by administration of progestin or if it occurs spontaneously just before the programmed therapy, treatment of 50 mg daily for 5 days should be started on the 5th day of the cycle.
When ovulation appears at this dose there is no sense in increasing the dose for subsequent courses of treatment. For the purposes of a possible pregnancy there should pointed out the importance of choosing an appropriate time for intercourse. If after the first cycle of therapy ovulation does not appear, you can start a second course of treatment lasting 5 days with 100 mg / day (2 tablets of 50 mg in a single daily dose).
This cycle of therapy may begin 30 days after the previous one. It should never be undertaken with a treatment duration or dose above 100 mg / day for 5 days. A 3rd cycle of therapy can be established with the same modalities. If you do not get ovulatory menstruation after 3 cycles, you will have to conduct a review of the diagnosis.
It is not advisable to extend therapy beyond the limits set forth above in patients in whom there were no signs of ovulation. The majority of patients have a response within 3 ovulatory cycles. Clomid should not be administered monthly as maintenance therapy in those patients in whom recourse anovulatory cycles after discontinuation of treatment.
The possible side effects of Clomid
- hot flashes,
- abdominal discomfort (bloating and / pain)
- nausea,
- vomiting,
- constipation or diarrhea,
- enlargement of the ovaries,
- vision problems,
- fatigue,
- dizziness,
- breast pain,
- most abundant menstruation,
- skin allergies,
- hair loss,
- weight gain,
- increased urine output,
- increased frequency of the need to urinate,
- endometriosis,
- onset or worsening of cancer,
- depression,
- convulsions,
- changes in the amount and consistency of cervical mucus.