Clomid – Drug Description and Side Effects

US brand name: Clomid

U.S. drug manufacturer: Sanofi-Aventis

Other brand names: Milophene, Serophene, Clomifert, Fertomid, Siphene, Omifin

Generic name: clomiphene citrate, clomifene citrate


How is it taken? Clomid is taken orally, in tablets.

What type of drug is Clomid? Clomid is used as a fertility drug for women with ovulatory dysfunction, who are not ovulating properly. It is from a class of drugs known as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM).

What Clomid (Milophene / Serophene / Clomifert / Fertomid / Siphene / Omifin) is approved to treat:
Clomid is prescribed to treat PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), amenorrhea-galactorrhea syndrome, psychogenic amenorrhea, post-oral-contraceptive amenorrhea, and specific types of secondary amenorrhea of undetermined etiology.

Off-label uses of clomiphene: Some fertility specialists prescribe clomiphene to treat men with a low sperm count due to low testosterone levels. However, the success rates for clomiphene treatment for males are about a third of those for females). The U.S. FDA hasn’t approved it for use in men.

How Clomid treats female infertility: Clomid works indirectly to induce ovulation. It causes the hypothalamus to produce more GnRH which stimulates the pituitary to produce FSH, which helps establish a normal ovulation cycle.

Recommended dosage A treatment cycle usually begins with a low dose, 50 mg daily (1 tablet) for 5 days. The dose should be increased only in those patients who do not ovulate in response to 50 mg treatment. A low dosage or duration of treatment course is particularly recommended if unusual sensitivity to pituitary gonadotropin is suspected, such as in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

When to start a second Clomid cycle: If ovulation does not appear to occur after the first cycle of Clomid, a second course of 100 mg daily (two 50 mg tablets given as a single daily dose) for 5 days should be given. This course may be started as early as 30 days after the previous one after precautions are taken to exclude the presence of pregnancy. Increasing the dosage or duration of therapy beyond 100 mg/day for 5 days is not recommended.

Success rate: Numerous studies show that pregnancy usually occurs during the first three cycles of Clomid therapy. Taking Clomid after the sixth cycle is usually not recommended.

Multiple twin births: Because it can cause women’s ovaries to produce more than one egg to develop, it increases the odds of a multiple pregnancy to about 8%, usually twins.

More common side effects: Ovarian enlargement, hot flushes, abdominal discomfort, pelvic discomfort, distention, bloating

Less common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, breast discomfort, blurred vision, other visual complaints, headach, and abnormal Uterine Bleeding