A prescription medication, Clomid is an orally-ingested pharmaceutical that is used to fuel normal ovulation in women who do not ovulate regularly because of any number of factors. This result is achieved by the pill’s stimulation of hormones that naturally occur in the body.
Clomid has been around for many years and is often turned to as a first line of defense by reproductive health physicians. When it works as intended, Clomid allows a woman’s body to essentially “reset” itself from a reproductive standpoint. Thus, it’s easier to track when a woman will be most fertile. This can be an enormous benefit for women who have been unable to have a child because of an irregular menstrual cycle but who have no other fertility issues.
There’s little doubt that Clomid can be somewhat of a “jumpstart” in terms of being able to conceive, but as with every medication, it has its limitations and shouldn’t be considered a panacea for infertility. After all, there are side effects and long-term success rates to consider.
The side effects can run the gamut from mild to severe and include:
· allergic reactions to clomiphene citrate (an ingredient in Clomid);
· visual blurring, spots or “flashes”;
· ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHS);
· abdominal pain;
· bloating;
· weight gain;
· increased risk of ovarian tumor;
· breakthrough bleeding (very rare); and
· multiple pregnancy.
Additionally, Clomid has a rate of decreased effectiveness over time, which is rarely reported in the media. This means that each time Clomid is taken for a 30-day cycle, it’s less and less likely to work. Therefore, it’s not recommended that women take Clomid for more than four cycles.
Dr. Abraham K. Munabi, M.D., Reproductive Science Institute, Suburban
“Clomid is an excellent choice for the right patients, but is only one method of tackling infertility. Generally, I don’t recommend staying with Clomid for long, as it’s not as successful as some couples have been led to believe. It’s fine to try it, and it’s wonderful when it works as intended, but I prefer to use it in tandem with other interventions.”
Dr. Munabi also cautions against buying Clomid online. “Clomid is available by prescription only, although some websites try to sell it without the involvement of a doctor. No one should purchase this medication over the Internet if they aren’t under the care of a knowledgeable reproductive health specialist. Too many terrible consequences of consumers ingesting dangerous ‘medications’ have been reported.”
If you’re curious about whether or not Clomid will be right for you, make an appointment with your fertility specialist to discuss your options. Just be certain to look beyond Clomid; if it doesn’t work within a few cycles, it will be appropriate to move on to other choices.
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