Clomiphene Citrate

Clomiphene citrate is indicated for the treatment of ovulation dysfunction in women desiring pregnancy. It initiates a series of endocrine events culminating in a rise of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

The EMD Serono brand of clomiphene citrate is Serophene^® (clomiPHENE citrate tablets USP).

Clomiphene citrate (commonly known as CLOMID^®) has been shown to induce ovulation in roughly 80% of women who have trouble ovulating on their own. About half of these women achieve pregnancy during treatment.¹

But there’s a flipside to this equation. Roughly 40% to 44% of women treated with clomiphene citrate won't get pregnant.² That's why it's important to work with your healthcare provider to closely monitor your response to treatment and to discuss other treatment options if clomiphene citrate isn't successful.

How it works

Clomiphene citrate comes in a pill, which a woman will begin taking on the third to the fifth day of her menstrual cycle. The typical starting dose is one 50mg tablet per day for five days. If a cycle is unsuccessful, the healthcare provider may increase the dose by 50mg increments in subsequent cycles.

Clomiphene citrate "tricks" the body into believing that the level of estrogen is low. As a result, the hypothalamus in the brain sends a signal to the pituitary gland to release more FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) into the bloodstream.

The high level of FSH, in turn, stimulates the development of a follicle and egg. If the treatment cycle is successful, a surge of LH may occur about a week after the last tablet is taken.

This surge of LH causes the egg to be released in a process called ovulation. In some cases, the treatment may result in more than one egg.

If ovulation does occur, fertilizing the released egg, either through timed intercourse or intrauterine insemination, is the next step. Your healthcare provider will determine which method is more likely to lead to successful fertilization.

Your healthcare provider may also choose to use other medications in combination with clomiphene citrate to improve the chances of conception. Low-dose estrogen may be used to thin the cervical mucus, or progesterone may be used to maintain the thickness of the uterine lining (endometrium).

Tracking your response to clomiphene citrate

Monitoring if and when ovulation occurs is a key to successful treatment with clomiphene citrate. During treatment, your healthcare provider will track your response using your menstrual pattern, a basal body temperature (BBT) chart, an ovulation predictor kit, or blood tests to check serum progesterone levels. For a free ovulation kit, just click here and register.

• Learn more about appropriately timed intercourse
• Clomiphene citrate therapy comes along with some risks and side effects
• Always inform your healthcare provider if you experience side effects while taking your medication

If you have questions about taking Serophene^® (clomiPHENE citrate tablets USP), please speak to your healthcare provider or call Fertility LifeLines™ at 1-866-LETS-TRY (1-866-538-7879). All calls are free and confidential.

Before you begin treatment with clomiphene citrate, your healthcare provider should first rule out other potential causes of infertility like male tubal factors. These factors will make conception difficult (if not impossible), even if a woman is ovulating.

Once you begin taking clomiphene citrate, you should be aware that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends that patients generally be limited to no more than six ovulatory cycles of this medication.³

At that point, your healthcare provider may recommend pursuing another treatment. And if you're over 35 years of age, you may consider seeing a Fertility Specialist, also called Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE), at an earlier stage.

As with all medications, talk to your healthcare provider about possible risks and side effects if you are prescribed clomiphene citrate.

Important Safety Information
As with all prescription medications, side effects may occasionally occur with use of fertility drugs. Doctors specializing in fertility or reproductive health should only prescribe these products. Patients prescribed gonadotropins and GnRH analogs should be monitored carefully by a trained fertility specialist. Risks include the following events which can be serious: hypersensitivity reactions; ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS); pulmonary and vascular complications, and multiple births. For complete product details about a specific fertility drug, please refer to the Full Prescribing Information offered below.

• Full Prescribing Information for Serophene^® (clomiPHENE citrate tablets USP)

To view the download, you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® installed. Don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer? Download it free, here.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

• 1. Steiner AZ, Terplan M, Paulson RJ. Comparison of tamoxifen and clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction: a meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2005;20(6);1511-1515.
• 2. IBID p-1511,¶2, line 5
• 3. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Medications for inducing ovulation: a guide for patients. Birmingham, Alabama: American Society for Reproductive Medicine; 2006.