The rate of female Infertility has skyrocketed over the years. Getting pregnant and nourishing a body inside you is indeed a wonderful feeling.
Therefore, the females who are unable to conceive face depression or anxiety. The good news is that sometimes infertility is not very complex and can be solved easily by consuming a medicine.
Instimulation of the pituitary gland to release hormones for ovulation is the main problem regarding infertility.
But to make it happen, a medicine called Clomiphene promotes the release of hormones for successful ovulation and pregnancy.
It also has other uses like treating abnormal menstruation, fibro cystic problems in breast etc. Its dosage varies from person to person because everyone’s case is different.
Furthermore, it also has some side effects that you must know before consuming it.
What is Clomiphene?
Clomiphene is a fertility medicine for females which is non-steroidal. It belongs to a class of drugs called ovulatory stimulants.
The function of clomiphene is to stimulate the pituitary gland to release hormones for ovulation (releasing of egg from the ovary). It works like estrogen in a female’s body that stimulates the egg to develop and release.
Clomiphene can only be used in some instances for certain females like the ones with PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome)
It has been used orally for 50 years to induce ovulation in females. According to results, clomiphene can treat anovulation in 80% of women, and from them, only 40% conceive.
Results
Using clomiphene results in treating female infertility, which leads to successful ovulation and pregnancy. Besides, in some cases, medicine can also help treat male infertility.
You will not need to worry much about its side effects as it has a low risk of side effects. Other than that, if you are facing menstrual problems or abnormal production of breast milk or fibro cystic problems in your breast, it can cure all of them.
Benefits
Although, The primary use of clomiphene is to treat female infertility. It increases the chances of becoming pregnant for a female who ovulates irregularly.
Interestingly, it also has a lower risk of side effects; that’s why it is prescribed to most females with ovulation issues.
Furthermore, in the case of unexplained infertility, clomiphene can also be used with intrauterine insemination for satisfying results.
However, it can sometimes also be used to treat male infertility.
Other than that, it is also used to treat menstrual problems or abnormalities, continuous production of breast milk, breast with fibrocystic problems etc
Recommended Dosage
The starting dose of clomiphene for an adult should be 50 mg once a day which should continue for five days.
But there are some exceptions to the statement above. Let’s have a look at them:
- If *continuous* uterine bleeding occurs before the therapy starts, the medicine intake should start near the 5th day of bleeding.
- If the patient has no recent uterine bleeding, the therapy can be started at any time without any bleeding calculations.
The second course should only be started if ovulation didn’t occur in the patient after the first or initial course. It is 100 mg once daily for five days.
Initiation of the second course should start after 30 days of the previous course.
Side effects
Clomiphene has some side effects, and some people can even have symptoms of allergic reactions like swelling of the facial area, including the tongue, throat, lips and even the whole face.
Besides, some people can also have difficulty breathing as an allergic reaction.
After using Clomiphene, some females can also face a condition named ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This condition can occur specifically after the first treatment.
Remember that you should not take OHSS lightly as if not taken care it can be life-threatening.
Following are the symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS):
- Little to almost no urination
- Bloating or stomach pain
- Sudden weight gain
- Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting
- Fast heart rate
- Experiencing pain while breathing or getting short of breath when lying down.
Some conditions under which you should stop clomiphene and immediately call your doctor are:
- A heavy flow of vaginal bleeding
- Enlarged pelvic area/pain/pressure
- Problems in your vision, i.e. seeing light flashes or floaters
- Increased sensitivity of your eyes to light
Besides the symptoms and conditions of OHSS, Clomiphene has its side effects, too, which are:
- Headache
- Breast Pain/tenderness
- Having symptoms on your skin like Warmth, tingly feeling or redness
- BreakThrough bleeding/spotting
- Weight gain
- Blurred/double vision
Some very crucial points and precautions that you need to follow are:
- Long-term use of clomiphene is unhealthy and can raise the chances of ovarian cancer.
- Stop using clomiphene after the completion of 6 cycles
It would be best if you also kept in mind that the following side effects mentioned above are not the complete list of side effects, and there can be other side effects too.
Therefore, talk to your doctor if you notice any abnormality in your body after consuming clomiphene.
Is It Worth Checking Out?
Clomiphene is one of the best drugs to treat infertility in women. It works effectively because it works like estrogen when it comes to helping in the process of fertilization.
It is non-steroidal and belongs to the class of ambulatory stimulants. Proper and constant use of clomiphene will result in successful fertilization (Pregnancy).
The medicine can also treat other female problems like abnormalities in menstruation etc. Though the benefits and effectiveness of the drug are great, there are side effects too.
Headache, blurred vision, weight gain etc., are the common problems one might face after consuming the medicine. On the other hand, OHSS having symptoms like weight gain, diarrhea, rapid heart rate etc., is a severe side effect caused by Clomiphene.
Moreover, the adult dosage of clomiphene is 50 mg per day. The second course should be started if the previous could not induce ovulation.
The dose for the second course is 100 mg daily, continued for five days.
