Form: Oral tablet

Dosage & Use: Usually started at 50 mg per day for five days; may be increased in future cycles

Patients using CC should begin testing urine for an LH surge daily with an ovulation test kit, beginning on day 11 or 12 of the cycle, and notify the prescribing physician's office when an LH surge occurs.

Risks, Side Effects:

The anti-estrogenic effect of Clomiphene Citrate can create a "hostile" environment for conception.

Women with liver disease should not use Clomiphene Citrate. Patients with abnormal or irregular uterine bleeding should be examined for endometrial or cervical abnormalities before treatment. This medicine should not be given to patients with ovarian cysts, since they may grow larger. It should not be taken by a patient who may be pregnant, although there is no proof of fetal damage. If a patient has not had a menstrual period for a significant length of time, there may be a benefit from inducing menstruation with progesterone before using clomiphene citrate therapy.

Some patients who use clomiphene citrate get blurred vision or other visual symptoms. In these cases, driving and operating machinery may be dangerous, especially in conditions of variable lighting. If eye symptoms persist, therapy should be stopped, and the patient should have a complete eye examination. Common side effects include ovarian cysts and ovarian enlargement. Some women feel "throbbing" in the ovaries before ovulation, and others report occasional "hot flashes," insomnia, or irritability. About six percent of clomiphene citrate-induced pregnancies are multiple pregnancies, which is more common than for spontaneous ovulation. Most of multiple pregnancies that result from CC are twins.