Clomid
From LoveToKnow Pregnancy
When getting pregnant seems like a distant dream, Clomid, also known as clomiphine, may be the key to making those dreams a reality.
What is Clomid?
Clomiphine citrate, which is marketed as Clomid and Serophine, is a medication designed to action as an anti-estrogen agent. In effect, it creates conditions that stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs and follicles during the days immediately preceding ovulation. Best of all, Clomid is taken orally, meaning no injections.
What Should I Know?
You should know that Clomid will not solve every fertility problem. It is designed to help women who have ovulation problems. It will not help if the male has a low sperm count, or the woman has other reproduction problems, such as blocked fallopian tubes or a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOS). For this reason, it is advisable for your doctor to a thorough preliminary fertility examination to eliminate other possible reasons why you have not been able to get pregnant. You will want to remain under medical care while taking clomiphene, to ensure the medication is doing its job, and to ensure you are not suffering from additional reproductive medical problems.
Additionally, as with most medications, clomidiphine does come with possible side effects and risks:
- The most prevalent side affect is extreme mood swings;
- Creates hostile or dry cervical mucus that may kill sperm;
- Thinning of the uterine lining, which makes it more difficult for the egg to become implanted and can lead to a miscarriage;
- Hot flashes;
- Breast tenderness;
- Increased risk of ovarian hyperstimulation, which can lead to cyst eruptions and enlarged ovaries;
- Multiple gestation pregnancies.
What is the Cost?
Clomid is one of the more affordable fertility medications, and it is also available as a generic drug. Normally, Clomid is taken five days per menstrual cycle. A five-day supply of a single dose costs less than $50. Of course, if the doctor prescribes a larger dosage, you cost would rise exponentially.
Is there anything I can do to ensure I get pregnant while taking clomidiphine?
Since clomidiphine is taken to help regulate ovulation, the best thing you can do is to carefully track your Ovulation cycle by charting your basal body temperature or using a ovulation kit.
What if it Doesn’t Work?
More than likely, the doctor will start you out on a very low dose of Clomid. If further testing convinces him you are not ovulating regularly, he will probably increase the dosage of Clomid before recommending more drastic fertility methods. If you are ovulating but experience no increase in luteinizing hormones (LH), then he may recommend an injection of human menopausal gonadotropin (HCG). HCG acts like LH and can stimulate egg maturation. Women will typically ovulate in about 36 hours from the time of the LH surge or HCG injection. Other options may include in vitro fertilization.
In Conclusion
When it seems like Mother Nature has short changed you in the fertility department, Clomid may be able to improve your chance of conceiving a child..
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Comments
Jillian, I did six rounds of Clomid without conceiving and am now moving on to fertility shots. If you don't seem to be getting the results from Clomid, you could discuss being more aggressive with your doctor and trying something else. Has your fiance been tested for male fertility problems?
I'm afraid I can't offer you good news from my perspective, but talk to your doctor about she recommends as your next step. Even if you're not ready to take it, it's good to start researching and making decisions.
-- Contributed by: HollySwansonI'm about to start my 4th round of clomid. I'm just hoping that this will be the month, every month on the clomid i have had very bad side effects. My doctor increase my dosage from 50mg to 100 mg for my 3rd round. Nothing happened i start my period on friday. Made an appointment with my doctor for tomorrow to get my 4th round of clomid. I use opk's twice a day everyday, i take a temp every morning and chart cm also. Sometimes i feel like i'm so wrapped up in charting and making sure i have sex every other day. It's starting to seem like sex isn't fun anymore. I notice myself getting upset if my fiance doesn't want to have sex and i know we need to. I have been doing alot of research and i see everyone getting pregnant after only 3 rounds. And here i am going on 4th round and i feel like it's never going to happen! I know my doctor has talking about doing IUI. Im not sure about what the success is on that and truely don't know what to do from here. Any advice will be help and any website that i can get good research on clomid and IUI would be a great help. And i wish the other women out there good luck!
-- Contributed by: jillianIf you take Clomid and Provera at night, the side effects are much less noticeable. :)
-- Contributed by: Tamara
This page has been accessed 13,047 times. This page was last modified 20:45, 6 February 2010.
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