What Does Clomid Do for Men?

Infertility is common in both men and women. Men are said to be infertile when they are unable to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of having intercourse without using birth control. Furthermore, studies suggest that 15% of couples are unable to conceive after 1 year of having unprotected sex. 

Several treatments exist for male infertility and one treatment that has been touted to help with male infertility is 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 an estrogen blocker or what is known as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) in medical terms. These are medications that impact different estrogen receptors throughout the body. 

Clomid is usually given to women in its active ingredient Clomid. The drug is taken orally and is usually given to women struggling with infertility. Clomid is given to stimulate the ovaries so that they can produce hormones that will trigger ovulation. 

When given at the right time, Clomid can result in a 10-12% pregnancy rate per cycle. It has also been found to successfully treat menstrual irregularities, fibrocystic breasts, and more recently,  male infertility.

Clomid For Men

At the moment, Clomid is only FDA-approved in the treatment of infertility in women. However, some healthcare providers still offer it as a solution for male infertility. This is because research has shown that in males, Clomid targets the anterior pituitary gland where estrogens have negative feedback which results in a decrease in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulation.  Both of these play a key role in male fertility.

While men don’t have ovarian follicles, FSH is still essential for their reproductive system. FSH is responsible for testicular growth and the production and maturation of sperm cells while LH when released causes the cells of the testes to produce testosterone. A low FSH or LH level can result in low libido or in some cases infertility. On the other hand, a high FSH or LH means damaged testicles, which can happen due to infection, chemotherapy, or excessive use of alcohol. 

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. 

In some studies, Clomid has shown it has the potential to increase sperm concentration and motility, making it safe for the treatment of infertility in men. 

Dosage

Since Clomid has only been approved for the treatment of infertility in women, the treatment regimen in a male is different than in a female. For example, women are given the drug for five days at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, while in men, the dosage is given every day. This is because sperm is produced every day and hormones have to be triggered to do so.

The starting Clomid dose for a man is usually 25mg or half a pill every day and it can take between 90 to 108 days for the results to be seen. The dosage has to be monitored closely since overdosage is a possibility. Overdosage of Clomid can result in too much testosterone and in turn a decrease in sperm count. Therefore, it’s important to reevaluate your dosage and its effect on your body every few weeks. If the levels of testosterone are too high, your doctor will reduce the dosage to half of a pill every other day.

Side Effects of Clomid

Though Clomid has been used as a solution to male infertility for a while, it is still a relatively new solution to male infertility and there’s still a lot to uncover. For this reason, it’s important to work with a qualified healthcare professional to ensure any potential side effects can be mitigated or avoided. 

The healthcare professionals at NOVA IVF will conduct a series of tests to determine the man’s levels of testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone as a baseline. 

Any hormonal treatments have the potential of side effects and Clomid is no different. Side effects of the drug can include:

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

If you face any of these side effects, consult with your doctor who will be able to adjust your dosage or stop the drug altogether. 

Other Ways to Help With Male Fertility

Male infertility is very common, affecting approximately 9% of men trying to conceive. If Clomid doesn’t work for you, there are other treatment options available that are tested and approved. These treatments have produced better results when it comes to treating infertility.  

Hormonal medications like Gonadotropins, Dopamine agonists, and Aromatase inhibitors are available for the treatment of infertility in men, depending on the cause of infertility. Your doctor will prescribe these treatments depending on the tests done. 

If medications don’t work, assisted reproduction technology (ART) such as in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination can help a couple conceive. 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

Male infertility hasn’t always received sufficient attention. In recent years, understanding the changing patterns of male infertility in the world has resulted in the creation of different solutions that can help men deal with infertility. One such solution has been Clomid. Though the drug isn’t FDA-approved, Clomid has been shown to improve male fertility potential by increasing both sperm counts and sperm motility.