Give up on Clomid?

If you're trying to conceive with little success, you may have considered asking your doctor about Clomid. Some of your friends swear by the drug, and you're wondering if it might do the trick for you and your partner. The answer of just how effective this medication will be has to do with identifying the cause of your infertility.

A Bargain Drug

Clomid treats women who have trouble with ovulation, the luteal phase, or who suffer from PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). The drug is a bargain in relation to the cost of some of the more expensive fertility treatments. This may lead some couples to beg their doctors to prescribe the medication in instances where Clomid may not be indicated.

The effect of Clomid is to help eggs along in their efforts to mature while they are still in your ovaries. Clomid keeps the estrogen action down on the group of cells known as gonadotropes, which are found in the pituitary gland. This tricks the body into giving off lots of FSH or follicle stimulating hormone. Clomid also acts to get the pituitary gland to secrete LH, or luteinizing hormone. All this FSH and LH lend their hand at giving you a better success rate for ovulation, because they help to create more eggs and follicles, and sometimes, more, or multiple babies.

It can be hard to pinpoint the smallest dose of Clomid that will give results. Most times, the doctor starts off by prescribing a 50 milligram dose, a conservative course of treatment. There is a danger that giving too much Clomid can lead to a condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome where too many follicles are created and the ovaries swell and become painful.

If, however, a cycle of 50 mg. of Clomid proves to be unsuccessful, your doctor may increase your dose to 100 mg, and so forth. The maximum dose of Clomid is 200 mg, but most doctors won't go this far, fearing hyperstimulation, which occurs in 10% of women treated with the drug.

How Long?

The question you may want to ask is, "How long will it take me to get pregnant with Clomid?"

In general, if Clomid is going to work its wonders for you, it will happen within six cycles, though most doctors agree that three unsuccessful cycles suggests that the treatment isn't going to work. The really good news is that Clomid works for most women, some 80%, within the first three cycles. The general success rate for Clomid varies from between 30-90%, and the reason for the wide variation has to do with many factors. In general, Clomid succeeds in 70% of the cases for which it is prescribed.

If the medication doesn't work right away, don't despair: sometimes the doctor needs to up the dose a bit and sometimes you may need to take other medications in conjunction with Clomid. The important thing to remember is that when it is prescribed for an appropriate case, it pays to keep trying with Clomid for as long as your doctor deems appropriate and not to give up hope too soon.