Most patients who just start out on the most popular fertility drug on the market today will be initially given a dose of 50 mg. The dose is usually upped only if the lower dose is not working. It is possible to notice some side effects after you start on Clomid, and even likely. But there are also women who take Clomid without ever having any unpleasant side effects, and in any case you are probably not going to experience every side effect in the book.

Let’s take a look at some of the more common side effects that women who use Clomid can encounter. Nausea, hot flashes, tender breasts and mood swings on Clomid are the most common side effects. As far as fertility drugs go, the side effects are pretty mild actually. It might be best to go into taking Clomid with an open mind. Thinking you are not going to have any side effects is unrealistic, but being sure you will have them can be equally unrealistic.

Two things are for sure, though. First, any side effects you get will go away as soon as you come off Clomid. Secondly, around 80 percent of women will have ovulation successfully stimulated on Clomid, almost half of them will get pregnant within six months. Those are without a doubt some very encouraging figures!

Clomid, also known by its generic name Clomiphene, does not actually have side effects as terrible as sometimes rumored. Most women who have been prescribed Clomid tolerate the drug fairly well, with few side effects. But side effects can pop up and yes, cramping can certainly be one of them. In fact, mild cramps are among the most common side effects experienced by women taking Clomid.

In medical terms, cramping is often described as “abdominal discomfort”, something that you will find in Clomid’s package insert, along with abdominal bloating. These mild cramps most often show up right during your ovulation, and before your period. Mild cramping can also last during your menstrual flow. According to studies into Clomid, around five percent of patients using the popular fertility drug experience abdominal discomfort.

As a rule, cramping caused by Clomid should stop as soon as your cycle is finished. It should be noticeable, mildly uncomfortable, but no more than that. Cramping of this type is annoying, but not dangerous. If you are experiencing heavy abdominal pains or cramps that stop you from sleeping normally, then you should definitely be contacting the doctor who is treating you.

Is there anything you can do about mild cramps that are caused by Clomid, you might want to know? Women who have “been there, done that” often suggest that you wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes to ease the discomfort. You should try to take it easy and relax as much as possible. Take a pause from vigorous physical activity if you are crampy, and take a tylenol if you have to! And remember, it is all for a good cause!

Clinical studies that looked into the side effects of Clomid, which is the most popular fertility drug on the market today, and also the most effective one, found that less than one percent of women who were prescribed Clomid experienced mood swings. That does not sound too bad, does it?

Personally, I find that slightly difficult to believe, because I have just heard too many stories from women who felt rather dreadful while taking Clomid over the years. Ranging from uncontrollable crying to aggression, to simply depression, I have heard it all when it comes to moods that can be caused by Clomid.

That does not mean that you will have mood swings when you start taking Clomid. Many women who are on this drug have hardly any unwanted side effects at all. Being prepared for anything, and realizing that your mood swings and anxiety could be due to infertility rather than Clomid itself, might help you. Be gentle on yourself, and don’t stop reminding yourself what you are doing it all for.

Have you been on Clomid, and did you have mood swings? Did you find any way to treat the mood swings you experienced as a result of Clomid, and will you tell us about it?

There are many advantages with Clomid, and apart from its quite amazing success rate, it is easy to use and not as expensive as many other fertility enhancing drugs. How about the side effects? If you have looked into Clomid, you probably already know that “an increased risk of twins” is the Clomid side effect that is mentioned most often. Twins are a very welcome side effect to some people, of course.

Other, more unpleasant, side effects that are relatively frequent with the use of Clomid are hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, and bloating. Some women also have headaches, get dizzy, nauseous and have problems with thick cervical mucus or vaginal dryness. While these are certainly annoying side effects, if they will help us conceive a baby, most women have no problems with tolerating them for a while.

But how about the baby we are hoping to conceive? Does Clomid pose any risk to a fetus? I am sure there are many parents who are worried about this.

When looking at clinical studies into the use of Clomid, there is no evidence that using Clomid correctly increases the risk of birth defects and miscarriages. However there might be a slight increase in the number of ectopic pregnancies with Clomid.

Continuing to use Clomid while you are already pregnant could harm your fetus though, so it is extremely important to follow your cycle and do regular pregnancy tests while you are using this drug. There have not been clinical trials into the effects of Clomid intake during human pregnancies, but studies on animals indicate that Clomid is not safe during pregnancy, and ongoing use can lead to birth anomalies.

Clomid (clomiphene, serophene) is a very popular fertility drug, but it is definitely not suitable for every woman and definitely not for all fertility problems. If Clomid is not taken under medical supervision and if it’s taken under wrong diagnosis, Clomid can cause permanent infertility, it can cause liver failure and finally can put your life at risk! To put it in other words – perhaps you are taking the wrong drug!

Clomid can only be taken by a woman who has ovulation problems. The drug is prescribed for inducing ovulation.
Clomid shouldn’t be taken by a woman who suffers from fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts or enlarged ovaries. If woman with these conditions takes Clomid, this could make her situation even worse and could additionally reduce the chance of successful conception. Moreover, women who are prone to developing blood cloths or who suffer from depression or even worse, woman who suffers from liver disease should never be exposed to clomid. In cases mentioned above taking clomid could be life-threatening.

Are you aware of the dose you are taking?

Taking the right dose is essential when taking Clomid, and there is no general dose – the dose varies with every woman. Besides, if the dose is wrong, woman is risking the chance of multiple births which may cause pregnancy complications such as low birth weight and premature birth.

If the dose is too high, cause could be damage the ovaries and can even be life-threatening. No doctor will prescribe you Clomid for more than six cycles because this may increase the risk of ovarian cancer and infertility. Moreover,  clomid can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome which is definitely a condition that can happen with dangerously high doses that are not prescribed by a fertility specialist.

In conclusion, if you are thinking of buying fertility drugs such as clomid (or any other) online, think again, perhaps you are not aware of the dangers buying clomid online you are exposed to. Do not do it. Respect your doctor’s advice, and if you don’t like him or her, it is better to change doctors than putting your own life at risk.

It’s usually your doctor who will determine that Clomid is the best fertility option for you. You will be asked to start taking Clomid 2 to 5 days after you begin your menstrual period. Your doctor will carefully monitor your hormone levels during the week of taking Clomid.
If you start ovulating, you will be instructed to stop taking the medication and when to have intercourse after in order to increase the chances of successful conception.

If you were not successful in getting pregnant with the first cycle, you will repeat Clomid, but no more than six menstrual cycles. You will be advised to look for another fertility option.

However, if your treatment with Clomid was successful, inducing the ovulation after the first cycle, you should be aware of the fact that this fertility drug could have potential side effects after the ovulation.

Most common problem when taking Clomid is probability of having twins and multiple pregnancies. During clinical trials of Clomid, 6.9% of pregnancies were twin pregnancies, while the 0.5% were triplets, 0.3% were quadruplets, and 0.1% were quintuplets. To reduce the chances of having multiple pregnancies while taking Clomid, your doctor should always start you on the lowest dose of Clomid first, before trying higher doses of Clomid.

Another common side effect are hot flushes or night sweats, with 10% of women experiencing them as feeling of sudden warm episodes, followed by chills. It’s not dangerous, but it is uncomfortable.

Changes in cervical mucus as well as dry vagina could be frustrating potential side effect of Clomid. Cervical mucus helps transport the sperm into the cervix, and if it becomes thick because of treatment with Clomid, this can decrease the chances of getting pregnant.

More or less uncomfortable conditions such as headaches, dizziness, weight gain, nausea and bloating are also side effects of Clomid. They all could be lessened with medications, proper diet and hydration during treatment. However, severe nausea could be a sign of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which is rare, but dangerous side effect of fertility drugs.

Spotting in the middle of your cycle can be related just to the Clomid and doesn’t necessarily indicate pregnancy. However, if accompanied with other symptoms such as fever, nausea or abdominal pain, you should contact your doctor.

Besides these ‘mild’ side effects of Clomid, treatment with this fertility drug could cause more serious conditions such as ovarian cysts or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Less than 1% of women treated with Clomid will develop an ovarian cyst, which is typically benign (not cancer), disappearing on its own not long after the treatment cycle is over. If the cyst does not go away after the treatment is over, the doctor should be consulted.

As been said, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is rare but potentially dangerous condition. It means dangerous enlargement of the ovaries with a fluid that could leak into the stomach or chest, causing further complications. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can only occur once ovulation takes place after treatment with Clomid. Symptoms may occur a few days after ovulation, including:

Mild symptoms:

• Bloating
• Mild pain or discomfort in the abdomen
• Mild weight gain
• Mild nausea
• Diarrhea

Or serious symptoms:

• Excessive weight gain, more than 10 pounds in 3 to 5 days.
• Severe nausea
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe bloating
• Dizziness
• Trouble with urinating
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heartbeat

If you are using Clomid and have one or more of symptoms, you should visit your doctor immediately.

Though the exact reason why some women will experience Clomid-related hot flushes while others do not is not completely understood, it is believed to be connected to hormonal fluctuations.  Hot flushes can also present as night sweats in which a woman will become completely drenched in sweat.  Nightly hot flushes can lead to difficulty sleeping and daytime tiredness, which robs a woman of energy.

After a hot flush, a woman can be left feeling very cold and even shaky. But the good news is that these flushes are never dangerous – just mostly uncomfortable.  There are many ways of alleviating the symptoms of hot flushes which  include cold packs on the neck and head, non-estrogen medications and alternative or natural treatments that can be very effective.  Alternative treatments for hot flushes can include incorporating soy, phytoestrogens (plant estrogens), black cohosh and Vitamin E into the diet.

Prior to beginning any type of alternative treatment for hot flushes due to Clomid, the issue should always be discussed with your obstetrician or fertility specialist.  A woman should never attempt to treat hot flushes using any type of herbal supplements without consulting her doctor, because of the risk of contraindications between the medication and Clomid.  There may be dangerous or serious side effects if another medication is mixed into the equation and is something that women should completely avoid.

Hot flashes while sometimes uncomfortable are nothing to worry about and can be completely normal for women taking Clomid.  With some lifestyle adjustments and natural home remedies, hot flushes can be handled and addressed with relative ease.  If the hot flushes become severely uncomfortable or diminish the quality of a woman’s life, the best thing to do is talk with your physician for more advice and any possible relief.

Clomid is generally prescribed for following conditions that might be cause of women’s infertility: anovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or irregular menstruation. It is also used to increase the number of follicles available for IVF treatment procedures.

Clomid in particular works by acting on a number of different receptors in the body regulating production and release of three hormones involved in the ovulation process:

• gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
• luteinizing hormone (LH)
• follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

Clomid works by tricking the body into believing that levels of estrogen are lowered. As a result, brain begins to secrete increased levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which stimulates the release of other two hormones, LH and FSH. These hormones then trigger the ovaries to begin to mature more follicles, inducing the ovulation.

Clomid side effects are usually mild and not particularly troublesome, so women who are using this medication shouldn’t be worried. Side effects might include mood swings, nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness or fatigue. Also, changes in cervical mucus are noted in 30% of women using Clomid, where cervical mucus becomes hostile to sperm, making the conception difficult.

The main risk associated with Clomid use is the potential for developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can occur not only with Clomid, but also with use of any type of ovulation stimulating drug,  when cysts begin to form on the ovaries. Usually,  OHSS disappears without treatment but, without proper monitoring it could cause potential complications including kidney and liver problems, fluids in the lungs and stomach or twisting the ovaries.
So, it is necessary that fertility specialist monitor you for any signs of OHSS if you are taking Clomid.

The success rate with Clomid depends on several factors, including:

• Possible cause of infertility – Clomid is most useful for women with ovulation problems
• The fertility of your partner – Be sure that your partner visits fertility specialist as well for possible causes of infertility
• Timing of your intercourse – Ovulation usually occurs 5 to 10 days after finishing treatment with Clomid
• Chance – Even the fertile couples who had an intercourse at the time of ovulation, might not become pregnant

Clomid is generally a very effective medication for most women suffering from ovulation problems. Between 70% and 90% of women taking Clomid begin to ovulate within the first three cycles. Furthermore, 40% of couples become pregnant during the first three cycles. Be aware that there is a 5% to 10% chance of twin and multiple pregnancy when taking Clomid.
Of course, there are other fertility medications that may be advertised to have higher success rates in terms of conception, but they costs more than Clomid, and they tend to pose much higher risks in terms of side effects. But, their success rates are not that much higher than success rates with Clomid. This is why Clomid is often prescribed before other fertility medications.

Keep in mind that taking Clomid does not guarantee that you’ll have successful conception. However, try not to become discouraged if you do not become pregnant right away. About half of the patients who successfully ovulate as a result of taking Clomid, will have a successful conception within six months.
But, you will need some patience. Even fertile couples need some time to get pregnant. Be sure to adopt healthy habits and diet, and consult your specialist about taking Clomid while trying to conceive.

For example, some women have virtually no clomid side effects at all, while other women struggle with visual disturbances, hot flashes, mood swings and some even much more serious clomid side effects.

Possible clomid side effects include the following;

• multiple pregnancy (twins),
• hostile cervical mucus,
• hot flashes,
• mood swings and emotional outbursts,
• abdominal pain, bloating,
• pelvic pain,
• Upset stomach (nausea) or vomiting,
• breast tenderness,
• headaches and migraines,
• visual disturbances,
• ovarian enlargement,
• thinning of the uterine lining,
• abnormal menstrual bleeding (spotting between periods, heavy and long periods),
• increased risk of ovarian cancer,
• hyperstimulation syndrome.

Hyperstimulation syndrome is a condition that causes enlarged ovaries and can be very dangerous. In some serious, but rare cases can even cause ovaries to rupture. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome symptoms include upset stomach and bloating, stomach enlargement, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea and even weight gain. For this reason, if you are noticing some of these symptoms, you should contact your fertility specialist immediately.

Approximately 10% of women who are treated with Clomid have twins (multiple pregnancy), which is not so bad side effect if you ask me.

On the other hand, approximately 30% of women have more serious clomid side effect: a hostile fertile mucous and thinning the uterine lining, which means that consequently conception is even harder, since thinned uterine can cause an early miscarriage or can prevent conception, and the hostile mucus can kill sperm.

As much as 13% of women will experience enlarged ovaries, up to 10 % of women will have to deal with hot flashes, and up to 5% will have problems with abdominal pain or bloating or pelvic pain, 2% of women will experience vomiting and upset stomach (nausea), and breast pain, and  as little as 1% of women who are treated with this fertility treatment will have to deal with     headache and abnormal menstrual bleeding, which also includes spotting between periods, or will experience heavy and long periods. Less than 1% will experience signs of an allergic reaction, such as itching or hives, or unexplained swelling, or unexplained rash, or sometimes wheezing, or difficulty swallowing and breathing.

In conclusion, as with any medicine, Clomid side effects are possible, but not everyone who takes this fertility drug will experience side effects. As a matter of fact, most women will tolerate Clomid well, and most sources claim that even if they do develop clomid side effects, in most cases these side effects will be minor, which means that women will be easily treated by their healthcare provider or won’t need any treatment at all.