Clomid (Clomiphene) Review

Clomid is a brand name for the generic drug clomiphene citrate. It is given in tablets for the treatment of women whose ovaries do not function efficiently enough to allow for pregnancy. In most cases, the best results are seen in women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, a disorder which prevents women from ovulating every month, as well as other conditions which prevent women from ovulating. Once regular ovulation has been established, treatment includes proper timing of sexual intercourse and beginning each new course of Clomid on the fifth day of the cycle.

Only certain patients qualify for treatment with Clomid. You must not already be pregnant to begin a course of treatment. If you have ovarian cysts or ovarian enlargement, you are not eligible for treatment with Clomid, so your doctor will want to do a pelvic exam both before you begin treatment and before you begin every new course. You cannot be suffering from abnormal vaginal bleeding or neoplastic legions, and you must have normal liver function. It is better if you have normal estrogen levels; although lower estrogen levels can provide less favorable results, they do not automatically exclude you from treatment. All causes of pituitary or ovarian failure must be thoroughly investigated before beginning treatment with Clomid, as Clomid will not treat all problems. If you have previously had endometriosis or endometrial carcinoma, your doctor should do a biopsy to make sure you are not suffering this at the time of treatment. You should also be evaluated for uterine fibroids, as Clomid can cause them to enlarge.

Some of the most common side effects of Clomid include ovarian enlargement, flushing, bloating, nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness, headache, uterine bleeding, and spotting between periods. Some people also experience blurred vision, sensitivity to light, double vision, lights, floaters, and other visual complaints. Other side effects can include acne, itchy skin, migraines, numbness or tingling, seizure, stroke, anxiety, chest pain, cataracts, eye pain, fluid in the eyes, temporary blindness, back pain, muscle pain, liver inflammation, several different types of neoplasms, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, ringing in the ears, and fever. Other side effects are rare, occurring in fewer than one percent of patients, and can include increased appetite, constipation or diarrhea, rash, depression or fatigue, hair loss, increase in volume or frequency or urine, dizziness, vaginal dryness, or weight gain or loss.

Clomid is in Pregnancy Category X, which means that it is not to be taken once a woman is already pregnant. To avoid accidentally overlapping doses with pregnancy, appropriate tests must be administered to ascertain whether ovulation has occurred and whether pregnancy has been achieved. Several fetal abnormalities have been reported in cases where Clmoid was inadvertently administered in early pregnancy, including congenital heart lesions, Down syndrome, club foot, congenital gut lesions, hypospadias (in which the urethra does not develop properly), harelip and cleft palate, undescended testicles, extra fingers or toes, conjoined twins, spina bifida, still birth and neonatal death.