Clomifene is mainly used to treat infertility in women who don't ovulate or have irregular periods. For infertility, clomifene works by stimulating the release of eggs from the ovary (a process called ovulation).
Clomifene belongs to a group of medicines known as anti-oestrogens. It suppresses the amount of oestrogen in the body, and in this way ‘tricks’ the pituitary gland (in the brain) into producing more hormones that stimulate the ovary to ripen and release an egg.
Multiple births are possible with clomifene – about 10% of pregnancies from clomiphene treatment are twins, and about 1% are triplets. Quadruplets or more are possible but very rare.
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Clomifene
Sounds like 'KLOE-mi-feen'
Key points about clomifene
- Clomifene is mainly used to treat infertility in women.
- Clomifene is also called Clomid® or Clomiphene.
- Find out how to take it safely and the possible side effects.
- In Aotearoa New Zealand clomifene is available as 50 mg tablets.
- The usual starting dose of clomifene is 1 tablet (50 mg) taken once daily for a 5 day course. It is usually started by a specialist doctor.
- Your dose may be increased to 2 tablets daily on following courses if your doctor thinks this is necessary.
- Always take your clomifene exactly as your doctor has told you. The pharmacy label on your medicine will tell you how much clomifene to take, how often to take it, and any special instructions.
- When to start the course: If you have a menstrual bleed (period), your course is usually started on day 5 of the cycle. If you have not had a menstrual bleed it can be started at any time.
- Following courses are started at least 30 days after the previous course. You will not usually need to take more than 3 courses of treatment but no more than 6 courses in total should be taken.
- Timing: Take clomifene at the same time each day on each of the 5 days. Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water. You can take clomifene with or without food.
- Missed dose: If you forget to take your dose, talk to your doctor, as you may need to change your treatment cycle. Do not take 2 doses to make up for a missed dose.
- Do you think you may already be pregnant?
- Do you have liver problems?
- Do you have ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids?
- Are you taking any herbal supplements or rongoā Māori?
If you answered yes to any of these questions it’s important that you tell your doctor or pharmacist before you start clomifene. Sometimes a medicine isn’t suitable for a person with certain conditions, or it can only be used with extra care.
Like all medicines, clomifene can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. Often unwanted side effects improve as your body gets used to the new medicine.
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| For more information on side effects, see the Medsafe consumer information leaflet Clomid(external link) Did you know that you can report a medicine side effect to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM)? Report a side effect to a product(external link) |
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The following links have more information on clomifene.
Clomid(external link) Consumer Information Leaflet, NPS MedicinesWise, Australia
Clomifene(external link) Patient Info, NZ
Resources
5 questions to ask about your medications(external link) Health Quality and Safety Commission, NZ, 2019 English(external link),te reo Māori(external link)
References
Clomifene citrate(external link) NZ Formulary
Clomid Product Datasheet(external link) EMC, UK
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Credits: Sandra Ponen, Pharmacist. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.
Reviewed by: Maya Patel, MPharm PGDipClinPharm, Auckland
Last reviewed:
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