What Does Clomid Do for Men?

Male fertility problems can be caused by various influencing factors, and unlike female infertility, male infertility hasn’t always received sufficient attention. In recent years, understanding the changing patterns of male infertility in the world has resulted in different options that help men deal with infertility.

One such solution has been Clomid. Let’s take a deeper look at what Clomid is and how it works.

Key Takeaways

• Clomid is a medication primarily intended for use as an ovulatory stimulant.
• There are numerous off-label uses for Clomid, including as a treatment for low sperm concentration or poor sperm motility.
• Clomid is just one of many options available for treating men’s fertility issues - a qualified healthcare professional can assist in determining the appropriate route forward for each individual’s circumstances.

What Is Clomid?

Clomiphene citrate is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which are medications that impact different estrogen receptors throughout the body. Its active ingredient Clomid is taken as an oral medication commonly given to assigned females at birth struggling with infertility. 

The medication stimulates the ovaries to produce hormones that will trigger ovulation. When given, Clomid is known to result in a 10-12% pregnancy rate per cycle. However, the medication can’t work for women who don’t or can’t ovulate. 

Additionally, Clomid has been found to successfully treat several other conditions, including certain menstrual abnormalities, fibrocystic breasts, and now male infertility. The dosage given varies depending on what it intends to treat. If given an ovulatory stimulant, the medication can produce results in as little as five days.

Why is Clomid Given to Men?

Though it’s commonly used as an ovarian stimulant, in male infertility, SERMs like Clomid target the anterior pituitary gland where estrogens have negative feedback which results in a decrease in FSH and LH stimulation.  

Clomid is being prescribed off-label to treat male infertility by increasing testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Testosterone, a hormone produced in a male's testicles plays a key role in sperm production in males and works with luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), to stimulate sperm production. 

Some studies on Clomid have shown that it has the potential to increase sperm concentration and motility, making it safe for the treatment of infertility in men. 

Dosage

Clomid was originally approved by the FDA for the treatment of female ovulatory dysfunction and has now been offered as an off-label for the treatment of male hypogonadism for decades. This means that the treatment regimen in a male is different than in a female. 

For example, the dosage in women is given for five days at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, while in men, the dosage is given every day. The stark difference in dosage is because sperm production is a daily occurrence. 

The starting dose for a man is usually 25mg of Clomid or half a pill every day. The drug can take between 90 to 108 days for the results to be seen. This is because it takes the same amount of time in the life cycle of the sperm (production to ejaculation). 

The dosage has to be monitored closely since one can over-respond to Clomid by making too much testosterone, which can be counterproductive and lead to a decrease in sperm count. Therefore, it’s important to reevaluate the hormone levels a few weeks after taking the drug. If the levels of testosterone are too high, the dosage is reduced to half of a pill every other day.

Side Effects of Clomid

Though Clomid has been used for some years now, it is still a relatively new solution to male infertility and there’s still a lot to be learned. While most men choose to take it off-counter, it’s important to work with a qualified healthcare professional to ensure any potential side effects can be mitigated or avoided.

Before prescribing Clomid to females, healthcare professionals at  Dallas IVF will conduct a series of tests to test hormonal levels. It is no different with men. The healthcare professional will determine the man’s levels of testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone as a baseline. 

Hormonal treatments tend to have various side effects and Clomid is no different. Clomid side effects can include:

• Changes in mood or energy level
• Male pattern baldness 
• Headaches
• Enlarged prostate gland
• Acne
• Weight gain
• Nausea

If any of these side effects present themselves during a round of Clomid treatment, consult with your healthcare professional about continued use to avoid complications.

Other Ways to Help With Male Fertility

Male infertility is very common, affecting approximately 9% of men trying to conceive. Infertility causes are just as varied as the treatment options available and even though Clomid has some positive results, other tested and approved treatments produce better results when it comes to treating infertility.  

Hormonal Treatments: Other hormonal medications like Gonadotropins, Dopamine agonists, and Aromatase inhibitors are available for the treatment of infertility in men, depending on the cause of infertility. However, you should always talk to a qualified healthcare professional before starting any hormonal medication.  

Assisted Reproductive Technology: Assisted reproduction technology (ART) includes fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination. Both treatments require a sperm sample either through normal ejaculation or surgical extraction. The sperm is then processed to optimize its viability. Although these forms of treatment can be quite expensive in many cases, they are generally considered to be highly effective for many patients.

Bottom Line

When used in properly selected patients, clomiphene or Clomid has been shown to have the ability to improve male fertility potential by increasing both sperm counts and sperm motility. It’s important to understand that Clomid is still not FDA-approved as an infertility treatment for men. 

In most cases, usage is usually prescribed off-label for the treatment of male infertility. Due to its recent rise in popularity, there are several variations of the drug in the market. This means that there are sellers of the drug that are not well-researched. For this reason, one must be careful and only buy Clomid from well-known sources.