Content

• Steps
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Clomid, also known as clomiphen citrate, is a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration that has been used to stimulate ovulation and ovulation in women for over 40 years. If you are infertile and the cause is not ovulating, then Clomid may be a good choice for you. Your doctor will be the one to explain how to use Clomid and evaluate if it is the right medicine for your situation.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing Before Using Clomid for Infertility

1. 

   Pregnancy test. Before taking Clomid, you must make sure you really need this medication. Since Clomid is only sold by prescription, you need to see an obstetrician and gynecologist to comprehensively check your fertility. There are many causes of infertility, so it's important to identify the right cause of infertility in order to apply the right treatment.
   • It is very likely that the doctor will ask your husband or partner to come together for a fertility test.

2. 

   
   
   Discuss treatment options with your doctor. If they determine your problem is not ovulating and prescribe clomid, then you need to find out about the treatment plan they plan to use for you. The treatment plan involves using drugs to stimulate ovulation, and then inserting the sperm into the uterus through natural intercourse or artificial insemination (IUI). Artificial insemination is a technique by which a doctor sends sperm into the uterus to make sure the sperm enters the correct position.
   • They also schedule multiple follow-up visits for blood tests or ultrasound to continuously monitor the state of your health and reproductive organs.

3. 

   
   
   Contact your doctor on the first day of your menstrual cycle. Before each treatment you need to see your doctor on the first day of your period to make sure you are healthy. Usually your doctor can advise you over the phone.
   • If you don't have a period on your own, your doctor will prescribe progesterone to induce menstruation.
   • It is important to contact your doctor early as they need an ultrasound to get background information about the cyst before starting the treatment cycle.
   • This procedure needs to be done during the entire treatment period because the ovarian cyst may have developed after the last Clomid administration.
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Part 2 of 3: Using Clomid for Infertility

1. 

   
   
   Start taking medicine. After checking to determine that everything was fine, the doctor began to work on a treatment plan. Usually they ask you to start taking Clomid on day 3 to 5 of your period and to take it at the same time for 5 consecutive days. Initially they give you a low dose, say 50 mg a day, to reduce your likelihood of developing ovarian cysts, reducing side effects and the probability of having multiple pregnancies.
   • If you are unable to conceive, your doctor will increase your dose of Clomid so that you can start taking it for your next period.
   • You must take the medication exactly 5 days as required without missing a day. If you have trouble remembering to take your pills, write a sticky note on a conspicuous place, or set a reminder on your phone to take your pills at the same time each day.
   • If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if you remember it is almost time for your next dose, you need to call your doctor for advice. Are not be given two consecutive doses.

2. 

   Schedule a treatment. During fertility treatments, you have a lot to do with taking Clomid. That's why you need to schedule the days to take your medication, as well as all other activities, tests, and periods to follow. Your doctor will tell you all the information to include in your treatment schedule. You should mark the days of your period, starting with day 1 as the first day of your period.
   • You then mark the days you need to take Clomid, the date you need to have sex, the date you take the ovum stimulant, the date of artificial insemination, and all the days you need to have a blood test or planned ultrasound.

3. 

   Follow-up on schedule. Your doctor needs to closely monitor your condition during the treatment cycle. Specifically, they want to test your reaction to the drug Clomid, either by measuring the estrogen content or by an egg development ultrasound.
   • Instead, your doctor may ask you to monitor your reaction to the medication yourself using an ovulation predictor kit. You need to let them know about the results.

4. 

   Learn about the effects of medications in the body. After the first round of treatment you may wonder about the effects of the drug on your body. The drug Clomid makes hormonal changes, thereby promoting the development of follicles containing eggs in the ovaries. Normally, one of the follicles containing an egg grows larger than the rest and the eggs in it ripen, which is when your body is about to ovulate.
   • If your body does not respond to the medication and your follicle is not growing properly, your doctor may stop the cycle of treatment. They will increase their Clomid dose in the next cycle.

5. 

   Monitoring the ovulation process. About 12 days after the start of your cycle, you should check for ovulation as it is time to conceive. Ovulation is different for each person, but usually on the 16th or 17th day of your cycle. However, in order to pinpoint this point, your doctor must monitor your ovulation in a number of ways.
   • They ask you to take your temperature at the same time each morning. If your body temperature rises by about 0.3 degrees Celsius, that's a sign that the egg is about to release within the next two days.
   • Your doctor may also suggest using an ovulation predictor kit, which is available from pharmacies. The device looks like a pregnancy test but is used to check for the presence of luteum stimulating hormone (LH). The LH hormone peaks about 24-48 hours before ovulation, and you're most likely to conceive at this time and two days after.
   • Instead of using an ovulation predictor, your doctor can do an ultrasound to check if an egg is ripe or released.
   • They also measure progesterone levels 14 to 18 days after you have taken Clomid. An increased level of progesterone is a sign that you have fallen out and that it is time to conceive.

6. 

   Stimulates ovulation. If your body is unable to ovulate on its own (or instead wait for this to happen), your doctor may prescribe Ovidrel to stimulate ovulation. Medicines that contain the hormone hCG have a role similar to that of the hormone LH, which is when ovulation occurs.
   • After the injection, ovulation is expected to occur approximately 24-48 hours later.
   • If the treatment plan includes the step of artificial insemination, it will be scheduled about 36 hours after the injection of Ovidrel.

7. 

   Have sex on the days your doctor recommends. After you begin treatment with Clomid, you need to make the most of all of your chances of conceiving. That means you have to have sex at whatever time your doctor tells you to, those are the days around the expected date of ovulation.
   • If you have an injection that stimulates ovulation, your doctor will tell you the days it takes to have sex for the best chance of conceiving.

8. 

   Check the results of your treatment. After completing the Clomid course of treatment, you must check the results because the timing of ovulation is when you have more chances of fertilizing an egg with sperm. If fertilization is successful, the embryo begins implantation in the uterus several days later.
   • If you haven't had your period after 15 days since the peak of your LH hormone, your doctor will ask you to come in for a pregnancy test.
   • Clomid treatment may be stopped after the test shows you are pregnant.

9. 

   Keep on trying. If you are unsuccessful in the first month, you should not be disappointed, as next month you can continue your Clomid treatment. If you are unable to conceive, you will usually return to your period on the 14th or 17th of your ovulation. The first day of the new treatment cycle is the first day of the next menstrual period.
   • Your doctor may increase your Clomid dose or suggest an additional treatment.
   • In general, treatment with the drug Clomid can not last more than 6 cycles. If you are still unable to conceive after 3 or 6 cycles then another treatment option should be discussed with your doctor.
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Part 3 of 3: Understanding Clomid

1. 

   How does the drug work? Clomid is classified as an ovulatory stimulant used by women with fertility problems. The drug works by binding to estrogen receptors, blocking estrogen production and mistaking the body for insufficient estrogen. The body responds by producing a hormone that releases gonadotropin (GnRH). This reproductive hormone stimulates the body to produce more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which in turn promotes egg production and egg ripening.
   • The hormone FSH enhances the development of follicles, which store eggs in two ovaries.

2. 

   Know when to use Clomid. Doctors often prescribe Clomid for a number of different reasons, the most common being to treat infertility that stems from not ovulating, meaning you are unable to produce or release a ripe egg. Signs that you have an ovulation problem are not having a period or having irregular periods.
   • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is also a common case of Clomid for treatment. Symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, excessive body and face hair, and male pattern baldness. This condition can also lead to cysts on the ovaries. Various drugs are commonly used to treat PCOS symptoms, but Clomid was the first used drug in treating PCOS-induced infertility.
   • Do not use Clomid while you are pregnant. Your doctor will usually have to perform a pregnancy test before prescribing Clomid to you.

3. 

   Take the correct dose. Clomid dosage information will be prescribed by your doctor, but in most cases the initial dose is usually 50 mg per day, taken for 5 consecutive days and starts on day 5 of the period. If the egg still does not ovulate, they can increase the dose to 100 mg per day, taken for 5 days into the next period.
   • Treatment may change after each cycle, especially if there is no improvement in ovulation.
   • Do not increase or decrease your dose by yourself. You should always follow your doctor's instructions in this regard.

4. 

   Know the side effects. Clomid usually causes a few side effects, but only mild, such as flushing, general warming, stomach upset like nausea and vomiting, chest pain, headache, dizziness, flow abnormal vaginal blood and blurred vision.
   • More severe cases of the drug can lead to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which occurs during or after the treatment cycle. Although it is quite serious, OHSS is rare. OHSS causes dangerous problems like fluid accumulation in the abdomen and chest. Get medical attention immediately if you experience severe pain or swelling, rapid weight gain, nausea or vomiting.
   • You should also contact your doctor right away if there are severe vision problems, swelling in your abdomen or gasping for breath.

5. 

   Understand the risks. Although Clomid can aid with ovulation, be careful with this medication. You should not take Clomid for more than 6 cycles of treatment. If you have been on Clomid for 6 cycles but are still not pregnant, your doctor will recommend other treatments such as hormone injections or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
   • Ovarian cysts can develop from ovarian hyperstimulation, so the doctor must do an ultrasound to check the ovarian cyst before starting the next cycle of treatment with Clomid.
   • Long-term use of clomiphen, the drug in Clomid, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer, but recent studies do not support this view.
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Advice

• Remember, there are many reasons for the inability to conceive, many of which cannot be resolved with Clomid.