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Commonly referred to as the “fertility pill”, clomiphene citrate can be used for either ovulation induction (causing a women who does not ovulate to ovulate) or controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (causing a woman who ovulates to ovulate several eggs). Clomiphene works by tricking your pituitary gland into releasing more FSH so that your ovaries can mature and release an egg.

For ovulation induction, it is most common to begin your clomiphene dose on the 5th day of your cycle. For women who have very infrequent periods, your doctor may cause you to have a period by giving you a short course of a medication called medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) prior to starting the clomiphene. In general, the clomiphene is continued for 5 days.

In order to assess your response to clomiphene, you come to the office for monitoring about 2 days after the last pill. On occasion a woman may not respond to the starting dose of clomiphene. When this occurs, your doctor may elect to cause you to have another period with MPA and increase the dose of the clomiphene citrate.

After a response is noted, some women who are given clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction will use a urinary LH predictor kit to time intercourse. This will be made clear to you when your plan is described by your doctor and nurse coordinator.

You will get further instructions after your monitoring.

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