Clomiphene

Clomiphene is a prescription medication used to induce ovulation and promote pregnancy in women who have dysfunctional ovaries but wish to become pregnant. Clomiphene belongs to a group of drugs called ovulatory stimulants. These work by mimicking the effects of estrogen, a female hormone that causes eggs to develop in the ovaries and be released.

This medication comes in tablet form and is usually taken once a day by mouth, with or without food, for 5 days per treatment.

Common side effects of clomiphene include hot flashes, upset stomach, and nausea.

Clomiphene can also cause blurred vision and/or dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how clomiphene affects you.

Clomiphene is a prescription medication used to induce ovulation and promote pregnancy in women who have dysfunctional ovaries but wish to become pregnant.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses.  Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Clomiphene may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Clomid

• Serophene

Serious side effects have been reported with clomiphene. See the "Drug Precautions" section.

The most common side effects of clomiphene include the following:

• hot flashes
• upset stomach
• nausea
• vomiting
• blurred vision
• headache
• breast discomfort

This is not a complete list of clomiphene side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No drug interactions have been documented by the manufacturer of clomiphene. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with clomiphene including the following:

Visual symptoms. Blurring or other visual symptoms may occur during or shortly after clomiphene therapy. Visual symptoms may make driving a car or operating machinery more hazardous than usual, particularly under conditions of variable lighting. Inform your doctor if any visual symptoms occur while using clomiphene.

Abdominal/pelvic pain. Ovarian enlargement may occur during or shortly after therapy with clomiphene. To minimize the risks associated with ovarian enlargement, inform your doctor of any abdominal or pelvic pain, weight gain, discomfort, and/or bloating after taking clomiphene.

Multiple pregnancies. There is an increased chance of multiple pregnancies when taking clomiphene.

Ovarian cancer. Long-term use of clomiphene may increase your risk of developing ovarian cancer. Clomiphene should not typically be used for more than six treatment cycles. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking this medication.

Clomiphene can cause blurred vision and/or dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how clomiphene affects you.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of clomiphene, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking clomiphene, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• have an allergy to clomiphene or any of its ingredients.
• have liver disease or liver dysfunction
• have abnormal uterine bleeding
• have ovarian cysts
• have uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal dysfunction
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Clomiphene falls into category X. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed while using clomiphene.

It is not known if clomiphene crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. You and your physician will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using clomiphene.

Take clomiphene exactly as prescribed.

Clomiphene comes in tablet form and is typically taken by mouth, once a day for 5 days per treatment. 

Ovulation most often occurs from 5 to 10 days after a course of clomiphene therapy. Intercourse should be timed to coincide with the expected time of ovulation. Appropriate tests to determine ovulation may be useful during this time.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to clomiphene.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of clomiphene at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication
• your weight
• your age

The recommended dose of clomiphene to induce ovulation and promote pregnancy in women who have dysfunctional ovaries is 50 mg daily for 5 days per treatment. If ovulation does not appear to occur after the first course of therapy, a second course of 100 mg daily (two 50 mg tablets given as a single daily dose) for 5 days may be prescribed.

If you take too much clomiphene, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

• Store clomiphene at controlled room temperature 15°-30°C (59°-86°F).
• Protect from heat, light, and excessive humidity, and store in closed containers.
• Keep clomiphene and all other medications out of reach of children.