To help you in making your decision of whether to buy Clomid UK or not, you need to learn about what Clomid is all about through any means possible including using frequently asked questions.
Clomid is known to be a brand name that is quite popular and a nickname for the clomiphene citrate. The FDA – food and drug administration in the USA approved it as medication for oral fertility for use in women who aren’t able to become pregnant. It affects the balance of hormones within the body and promotes ovulation.
The Clomid which is FDA approved is for use only in women. At times it is prescribed off-label as a men’s infertility treatment.
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How Clomid works
The Clomid blocks the estrogen hormone from having to interact with the pituitary gland. Whenever the pituitary gland and the estrogen interacts, less LH – luteinizing hormone and the FSH – follicle-stimulating hormones are produced.
It is what leads to a decrease in testosterone and thus, decreases the production of sperms. Because the Clomid has the power of blocking the interaction of the estrogen with the pituitary gland, it causes an increase in the FSH, LH, and body testosterone.
Dosing which is optimal in males has not been established yet. The dose that is given can range from 12.5mg to 400mg daily. As per a current review, it recommends that an initial dosage of 25mg at least three days weekly and titrating slowly or having to adjust the dosage, until it is at 50mg daily is required.
Going for high doses can have an effect that is negative on the sperm count and motility. Always try working with the healthcare provider, ensuring correct dosage.
Prescription of Clomid
Clomid gets prescribed off-label for infertility of men, especially where the levels of testosterone tend to be observed. As per a recent study, both females and malefactors tend to be identified in 35% of couples that encounter challenges while trying to conceive. In 8% of the couples, only the factor of the male gets identified.
Several things contribute to infertility in men that include:
- Age
- Injury of the testicles
- Obesity or overweight
- Heavy use of anabolic steroids, alcohol, or cigarettes
- The hormonal imbalance is caused by the pituitary gland not functioning well or the exposure to too much testosterone or estrogen.
- Medical conditions include cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and some autoimmune disorders
- Treatment of cancer that involve certain types of radiation or chemotherapy
- The varicoceles are enlarged veins that cause the testicles to overheat
- The disorders of the genes such as the y-chromosome microdeletion or Klinefelter syndrome.
If the doctors are suspecting there is male infertility, they will go ahead and order a semen analysis. It will be done by using a semen sample in assessing the sperm count and sperm movement and shape.
What are the side effects of Clomid?
There are very few studies that are controlled regarding the use of Clomid in males. But the side effects that are expected because they induce hormonal changes include:
- Acne
- Irritability
- Tenderness of the pectoral muscle
- Acceleration of the growth of prostate cancer in case the cancer is already there
- Vision changes are a result of a pituitary gland swelling – which is quite rare
The Clomid side effects are known to be reversible after you stop the use of the medication. If some of the listed side effects above occur while taking Clomid, discontinue taking Clomid and seek medical treatment.
Efficacy for the fertility
There is a review that used the male infertility cases that are found mixed results that regard effectiveness or efficacy. Certain studies reviewed a demonstrated moderate improvement in sperm count or infertility unexplained.
Others did show no improvement when compared to improvement when compared to either an untreated control or placebo. It was mostly true when looking at the outcome of pregnancy. There is a study that showed an increase in the number of pregnancies when infertile males took the combination of vitamin E and Clomid when compared to taking the placebo.
But the study didn’t compare the vitamin E/Clomid group with the group that took Clomid alone. Because of that, the study was unable to give information about whether when Vitamin E and Clomid combine efficacy as it tends to relate to pregnancy.
In a study carried out in 2015, participants were divided by researchers into three groups for male infertility
Group A: Those that took vitamin E only
Group B: Clomid only takers
Group C: Vitamin E and Clomid participants
According to the study results, it showed an increase in the sperm concentration on average across the three groups. The results of group C showed the highest increase. Group A brought out the second increase. It was a study that was limited. Limitations of the study include:
- No placebo
- Small sample size
According to another recent review, the most likely population that can benefit from the treatment of Clomid is the males who have both unexplained infertility and the below-average normal sperm shape and motility.
It is believed that males in such a population would be able to utilize the Clomid to reach the sperm count of the Clomid which would make them be great candidates for artificial insemination.
Other factors for male infertility treatment
Depending on what caused it, male infertility might be treated by use of various methods which include:
Medications
Other medications are available which your doctor might prescribe for any hormonal imbalance. The drugs also tend to increase the testosterone amount and decrease the estrogen amount in the body.
- The HCG – human chorionic gonadotropin can be administered as an injection. It can stimulate the testes to be able to generate testosterone.
- Arimidex – anastrozole is a drug that was developed for use on breast cancer. It prevents testosterone from having to be converted to estrogen in the body.