Clomid-What is it?

Clomid is a synthetic chemical whose chemical name is Clomiphene
citrate. It induces ovulation by fooling your body into believing that
there is less estrogen. This leads to an increased production of  a hormone called GnRH, causing the pituitary to pump out more of another hormone called FSH and LH, thus inducing ovulation.

Read more about Clomid HERE

Ovulation is the release of the egg from the ovary. The release of the egg is necessary for your regular menstrual cycle and pregnancy to begin. Ovulation is preceded by a long chain of events involving several hormones beginning in your prior menstrual cycle.

To find out how Clomid works you need to know the interaction of these 4 hormones:

• GnRH (Gonotropin releasing hormone )
• FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)
• LH (Luteinizing hormone)
• Estradiol

Towards the end of a normal regular cycle, two hormones, estrogen and progesterone, slowly decrease. This eventually triggers in the first days of the next menstrual cycle a hormone called GnRH which is produced in a portion of the brain called the hypothalamus. GnRH stimulates another portion of the brain, the pituitary gland  to produce two hormones, FSH, and LH:

LH and FSH are also called ‘gonadotropins’ and they are directly responsible for ovulation:

FSH is responsible for the growth of the follicles and eggs, and it increases the size and number of the follicles and helps to trigger ovulation.

LH actually triggers ovulation when it suddenly increases 1-2 days before ovulation.

If GnRH, LH, or FSH are not produced in the right amount and at the right time, your ovary will not release an egg.

Estradiol is a hormone that’s being produced by the ovaries and the corpus luteum, which is the area in the ovary left over after ovulation. It is responsible for many functions in your body including the development of the egg in the ovary and the uterine lining.

In some medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome there is too much estrogen. Too much estogen may interfere with the body’s production of the correct amount of GnRH and LH and FSH, and is responsible for anovulation.

Although there is much information we still don’t quite know about how Clomid works, we do know that Clomid fools your body into believing that there is less estrogen. If your body believes there is less estrogen, it will produce more GnRH, causing the pituitary to pump out more of FSH and LH eventually triggering the release of an egg from the ovary.

Clomiphene citrate has been approved by the FDA in the US since 1967 for clinical use to induce ovulation, and it is being sold under the brand names of Clomid®, Serophene® Milophene®

Clomid is very powerful, and induces ovulation in over 50% of all women who take it.

Clomid is usually given as a pill once a day for 5 days. The typical starting dosage of Clomid is 50 mg/day for 5 days, and it can be increased monthly by 50 mg a day. The first pill of Clomid is usually started 2 to 5 days after the first day of you menstrual bleeding (cycle day 2-5) and ovulation usually happens 5-9 days after the last dose of Clomid.
If you don’t bleed, and after pregnancy is excluded, bleeding can be started with medication such as Progesterone.