Clomiphene Citrate 50 mg

Clomiphene is a tablet that changes the way your body responds to oestrogen, one of the sex hormones. By doing this it makes the brain send stronger signals to the glands that control the release of eggs or the making of other hormones. Your doctor has prescribed it for you and will follow your progress closely, often with blood tests or scans. It is a prescription-only medicine and must not be shared with anyone else.

There are several conditions that must be ruled out before this medicine is started, so read this section and answer your doctor's questions carefully.

Warnings and precautions

• +Talk to your doctor before using clomiphene if you have polycystic ovary syndrome, because your ovaries may react strongly to this medicine and will need to be watched.
• +Talk to your doctor before using clomiphene if you have ever had a blood clot, or if clots run in your family, as this medicine can make clots more likely.
• +Talk to your doctor before using clomiphene if you have problems with your eyes or your sight, or if you wear contact lenses.
• +Talk to your doctor before using clomiphene if you have an underactive thyroid, high levels of the hormone prolactin, or a problem with your adrenal glands, because these need to be treated first.
• +Talk to your doctor before using clomiphene if you have endometriosis or fibroids in the womb.
• +Talk to your doctor if you develop severe pain in the lower tummy, bloating that gets worse, or a rapid gain in weight, as your ovaries may have become over-stimulated. This needs to be checked without delay.
• +Your doctor will normally only prescribe this medicine for a limited number of treatment courses, and will explain the chance of having twins or more than one baby.

Other medicines and Clomiphene Citrate

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines, including ones bought without a prescription, herbal products and supplements. It is particularly important to mention other fertility or hormone treatments, medicines containing oestrogen such as the contraceptive pill or HRT, tamoxifen, thyroid medicines, and blood thinners (medicines that stop the blood clotting so easily), because your doctor may need to adjust your care. Also mention any herbal product taken for hormones or fertility, as these are not harmless.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility

Clomiphene must not be taken during pregnancy. Your doctor will make sure you are not pregnant before each course, and will tell you how to check. If you become pregnant, or think you may be, stop taking the tablets and tell your doctor at once. Do not breastfeed while taking clomiphene; it may pass into breast milk and it can also reduce the amount of milk you produce. This medicine is used to help fertility, and it increases the chance of a pregnancy with twins or more than one baby, which carries extra risks for you and the babies. Your doctor will discuss this with you.

Driving and using machines

Clomiphene can blur your sight, cause spots or flashes in front of your eyes, or make you sensitive to bright light, and some people feel dizzy or light-headed. Do not drive, cycle or use tools or machines if you are affected. Be especially careful driving at night or in dim light. Tell your doctor about any change in your sight, because treatment may need to be stopped.

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. It is a tablet that you swallow whole with a drink of water, with or without food. Clomiphene is taken in short courses linked to particular days of your cycle, and your doctor will tell you exactly which days to start and stop, and will arrange blood tests or scans to follow how you respond. Never change the amount or the timing yourself. If you forget a tablet, do not take a double amount to make up for it; contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice, as the timing of this medicine matters. If you take more tablets than you were told to, contact your doctor straight away or go to the nearest hospital, and take the pack with you.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Other possible side effects

• +Hot flushes, or sudden feelings of heat
• +Enlarged ovaries, felt as discomfort or fullness in the lower tummy
• +Bloating, or pain or cramps in the lower tummy
• +Blurred sight, spots or flashes before the eyes, or being dazzled by bright light
• +Feeling sick, being sick, or discomfort in the stomach
• +Breast tenderness or discomfort
• +Headache or dizziness
• +Mood changes, feeling low, restless or irritable
• +Difficulty sleeping
• +Heavier, lighter or irregular bleeding between periods, or spotting
• +Thinner hair, which usually returns to normal after treatment stops

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Store below 30 degrees Celsius in the original pack, away from light and moisture. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date shown on the carton and the blister; the expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Do not use it if the blister is damaged or the tablets look broken or discoloured. Do not throw medicines away in your household waste or down the toilet. Return any medicine you no longer need to your pharmacy so it can be destroyed safely. This helps protect the environment.

Each tablet contains clomifene citrate as the active substance. The other ingredients are the fillers, binder and lubricant that form the tablet; the full list is printed on the carton. The tablets are plain, uncoated and round, and are supplied in blister strips inside a cardboard carton, in packs of 10 to 100 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be available in your country. Each carton carries a printed square barcode (a GS1 DataMatrix) and a verification code that you can enter at ergopharm.net to confirm the pack is genuine. Manufactured under GMP conditions by Ergopharm, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.