This medication description is not meant for treatment prescription without the intervention of a specialist.

Common Uses

Clomifen is prescribed for the treatment of ovulatory failure in women who wish to become pregnant and whose husbands are fertile and potent.

How to Take

The recommended dosage for the first course of treatment is 50 milligrams (1 tablet) daily for 5 days. If ovulation does not appear to have occurred, your doctor may try up to 2 more times.

Warning and Precautions

Your doctor will evaluate you for normal liver function and normal estrogen levels before considering you for treatment with Clomifen.

Your doctor will also examine you for pregnancy, ovarian enlargement, or cyst formation prior to treatment with Clomifen and between each treatment cycle. He or she will do a complete pelvic examination before each course of Clomifen.

Clomifen treatment increases the possibility of multiple births; also, birth defects have been reported following treatment to induce ovulation with Clomifen, although no direct effects of the drug on the unborn child have been established.

Because blurring and other visual symptoms may occur occasionally with Clomifen treatment, you should be cautious about driving a car or operating dangerous machinery, especially under conditions of variable lighting.

If you experience visual disturbances, notify your doctor immediately. Symptoms of visual disturbance may include blurring, spots or flashes, double vision, intolerance to light, decreased visual sharpness, loss of peripheral vision, and distortion of space. Your doctor may recommend a complete evaluation by an eye specialist.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (or OHSS, enlargement of the ovary) has occurred in women receiving treatment with Clomifen. OHSS may progress rapidly and become serious. The early warning signs are severe pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting, and weight gain. Symptoms include abdominal pain, abdominal enlargement, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight gain, difficult or labored breathing, and less urine production. If you experience any of these warning signs or symptoms, notify your doctor immediately.

To lessen the risks associated with abnormal ovarian enlargement during treatment with Clomifen, the lowest effective dose should be prescribed. Women with the hormonal disorder, polycystic ovarian syndrome, may be unusually sensitive to certain hormones and may respond abnormally to usual doses of Clomifen. If you experience pelvic pain, notify your doctor. He may discontinue your use of Clomifen until the ovaries return to pretreatment size.

Because the safety of long-term treatment with Clomifen has not been established, your doctor will not prescribe more than about 6 courses of therapy. Prolonged use may increase the risk of a tumor in the ovaries.

Missed Dose

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose. If you miss more than 1 dose, contact your doctor.

Overdose

Taking any medication in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose of Clomifen, contact your doctor immediately.

Storage

Store Clomifen at room temperature, between 59 and 86 degrees F (15 and 30 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Clomifen out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Possible Side Effects

Side effects include: abdominal discomfort, enlargement of the ovaries, hot flushes.

More Information

The information given above is a summary. Your pharmacist can provide more information about Clomifen. Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. If using this medicine for an extended period of time, obtain refills before your supply runs out.