Infertility Treatment for PCOS – Clomid
Unfortunately, many women have found out the hard way that PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) can cause infertility. Most doctors diagnose infertility as a couple’s inability to conceive naturally after one year of actively trying. Some women who are older may be diagnosed earlier, at 6 months. Infertility can be caused by a few different factors. Many women with PCOS have very irregular periods, or none at all. Some women do not ovulate (anovulation). Seeking infertility treatment for PCOS is how many women even find out they have the disease.
Clomid is a prescription medication that helps induce ovulation. Clomid may not work for everyone who tries it, and if you do conceive you have an increased chance of twins or multiples. Clomid is started at the beginning of the menstrual cycle that may need to be induced with a medication such as Provera, and is generally taken for 5 days in the cycle (days 3 to 7 or days 5 to 9) at a dose of 50 mg. The dosage may later be increased to 100 mg if the starting dose did not result in pregnancy. Sometimes 150 mg is tried. Ovulation should then occur within 8 to 10 days of finishing Clomid, but this can vary per person. A few cycles on each dosage are generally tried, depending on how fast the couple would like to give it a chance to work.
Clomid may not be covered by many health insurance policies, as fertility treatment often is not seen as a medical necessity. However, Clomid is not that expensive and there is a generic version available. You are probably looking at paying anywhere from $15 to $30 per cycle.
Side effects of Clomid could include mood swings, hot flashes, abdominal pain, cyst formation, nausea, low quality cervical fluid, multiple pregnancy or visual changes. Mood swings tend to be pretty common, but we all have suffered PMS symptoms at one point or another (ladies at least!).
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