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Clomifene and IVF

This tablet form of ovulation induction is not suitable for linking in with procedures like IVF.

Most commonly it is a disturbance in the balance of hormones controlling the ovaries that causes irregular ovulation and this can be treated with medication, usually clomifene. Clomifene is given in tablet form and the medication enhances the body’s normal hormonal changes that lead to egg production – known as ovulation induction. Some side effects of clomifene are hot flushes, nausea and breast tenderness. Its success is checked by measuring progesterone levels in the blood.

One drawback of this therapy, however, is that sometimes the ovaries produce more than one egg in response to stimulation so that there is an increased risk of conceiving twins or even triplets. Where this is considered a significant risk, the response of the ovaries to the drugs is monitored through regular blood hormone measurement or ultrasound to visualize the eggs developing on the ovaries. These checks may only be needed during the first cycle of treatment so that your response to this medication can be assessed.

If you are overweight with a BMI of more than 25 and don’t respond to medication like clomifene, then metformin may be added to the clomifene treatment to improve the response. This medication can sometimes cause some nausea and gastric upset.

It is often useful to combine these ovulation induction treatments with intrauterine insemination, where your partner’s sperm is injected directly into the womb.