Not Responding To Clomid
If you have been taking Clomid (also known as Clomiphene) to help you get pregnant for at least three months already without success, it could be that your body is not responding to the drug. Before you jump to any conclusions, however, you must speak to your fertility doctor. He will make sure that you have been taking the drug correctly and having intercourse at the best time in your cycle for conception. Whatever you do, don't discontinue your treatment without first getting your doctor's advice. If it turns out that Clomid isn't working for you, don't panic. Clomid is used by many fertility experts as a first step on the path to helping a couple conceive. If it doesn't work, your doctor will advise you on what to try next.
How Do I Know If Clomid Is Working?
Most fertility specialists will prescribe between three and six cycles of Clomid (each cycle usually consists of five pills taken one per day on consecutive days each month) before making a decision about its effectiveness. During your treatment, your doctor will use various methods to measure your response to the drug based on your menstrual cycle. These may include blood tests, a Basal Body Temperature chart (BBT) and ovulation predictor kits. There are also methods you can use at home to check whether or not you are ovulating.
When Does Clomid Fail?
Clomid is considered most effective for women whose cause of infertility is known to be a problem with their menstrual cycles. This includes women who have irregular periods or even no periods at all, as well as women who suffer from PCOS. Researchers in the United Kingdom recently claimed that for women with unexplained infertility, Clomid is no more effective than no treatment at all. If you don't know the causes of your conception difficulties, it may be that your doctor is not yet sure what they are. You should, in any case, discuss this with him if you have any doubts.
So What Do I Do If It's Not Working?
You might not get pregnant in the first month of Clomid treatment. Remember, Clomid's job is to help you ovulate; your job is getting the sperm to meet the egg that Clomid helps you produce. If after a couple of months you are ovulating but still not pregnant, you doctor may advise you to keep trying. If he decides that you are not responding to the treatment, there are a range of options he may suggest:
- Metformin
Metformin is an insulin-sensitizing drug which may increase your responsiveness to Clomid.
- A combination of Clomid and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) such as IUI.
Here, Clomid is taken to stimulate ovulation and, at the point in the cycle where the chances of conception are highest, Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) is used to get sperm to meet and fertilize the egg.
- A combination of IUI with Follicle Stimulating Hormone Treatment (FSH).
Here, you will be given injections of FSH to administer to yourself. The FSH directly stimulates your ovaries to develop follicles, each one of which produces an egg. When the egg is released, IUI will be used to insert sperm, which will hopefully meet and fertilize the egg.
- A combination of Clomid and oestrogen supplements.
Here, oestrogen supplements such as Progynova may be used in combination with Clomid to boost your chances getting pregnant. These supplements help to regulate the thickness of the lining of the uterus, and create optimal conditions for implantation of a fertilized egg.
- In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Here, some eggs will be taken from your ovaries and fertilized with sperm outside the womb, in a laboratory. They will then be inserted back into your uterus, where, with some treatment to optimize conditions inside your womb, they will hopefully implant and remain. This method may result in multiple pregnancy, as do many of the fertility treatments listed above.
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