I. Clomid Fact File

Clomid is manufactured by Aventis.

Aventis is now part of the Sanofi-Aventis Group. The Sanofi-Aventis Group is the world's 3rd largest pharmaceutical company, ranking number 1 in Europe. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, Sanofi-Aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular disease, thrombosis, oncology, diabetes, central nervous system, internal medicine, and vaccines.

II Clomid Medication:

Clomid medication is an ovulation inducer. Clomid medication (Clomiphene citrate) was first synthesized in 1956 and introduced for clinical trials in 1960. Since then, Generic Clomid has been widely used as a "first line" treatment to induce and regulate ovulation.

Ovulation: Information

Information on Ovulation: Ovulation is when one or more eggs are released from the ovary and is the fertile time of your menstrual cycle. Each month, many eggs mature inside the ovary. The largest is expelled into the pelvic cavity and swept into the Fallopian tube. Which ovary releases the egg is fairly arbitrary. Ovulation does not necessarily rotate between ovaries each cycle.

		FSH from the pituitary causes some of the follicles in the ovary to develop and to make oestrogen.   As more and more FSH reaches the ovaries, the follicles make increasing amounts of oestrogen and move towards the surface of the ovary   One of the follictes reaches the surface and presses on the outer skin of the ovary, forming a bubble.   When a girl is making enough oestrogen, the pituitary slows down its production of FSH and makes LH. The LH travels to the ovary, causing the follicle to burst and release its tiny ovum.
Ovulation

What is the menstrual cycle?

Information about menstrual cycle : The menstrual cycle varies from one woman to another woman; it first begins when a girl becomes sexually mature at puberty. The majority of women will have a cycle that lasts between 25-35 days, with the average being 28 days, but this can be longer or shorter. The first day of bleeding is counted as the beginning of your cycle (day 1). Your menstrual cycle is then the number of days before your next period starts (the first day of bleeding). The period can last anything from 3 to 10 days.

What happens during the menstrual cycle?

The menstrual cycle is a complicated process involving many different hormones, women's sex organs and the brain. The activity of a woman's sexual organs, including their development is under the control of a small gland at the base of the brain, called the pituitary gland

Two of the most important hormones of the pituitary gland are Follicle Stimulating Hormone (F.S.H.) and Luteinising Hormone (L.H.). A woman has 2 ovaries in her reproductive system, each ovaries stores thousands of follicles, within these follicles are the immature eggs. More than one follicle may start to develop at a time, but usually only one reaches maturity each month.

At the start of each menstrual cycle the pituitary gland releases F.S.H. which makes the immature eggs (follicles) grow (this is why F.S.H. gets it name). While the follicle is developing, the cells around the egg produce the female hormone - oestrogen. Each month oestrogen causes the lining of the uterus to grow and prepares the lining of the uterus (womb) to receive the fertilized egg.

When the follicle has reached a certain size and development, the rising level of oestrogen in the blood, signal to the pituitary gland that the ovary is ready to release the egg. The pituitary gland then sends out a high level of the hormone L.H. (this is commonly known as 'the L.H. surge') and this signals the ovary to release the egg (ovulation).

The follicle bursts and the egg leaves the ovary and travels through one of the fallopian tubes to the uterus. The cluster of cells, which formed the follicle, now called a corpus luteum remains in the ovary and starts to produce the female hormone - progesterone.

When woman has sexual intercourse with a man at this time and his sperm fertilizes the egg, the woman becomes pregnant. The fertilized egg attaches to the uterus and the corpus luteum keeps producing all the progesterone needed, to keep the egg implanted and growing. Progesterone also blocks the release of more hormones (L.H. and F.S.H.) from the pituitary gland so that further ovulation does not occur during pregnancy If after a few days, no egg is implanted the corpus luteum stops producing hormones and gets reabsorbed in the ovary. The levels of progesterone and oestrogen fall and the lining of the uterus starts to break up. The unfertilized egg and the lining of the uterus are released through the vagina as your 'Period' (this process is also called menstruation). The cycle then starts all over again.

A summary of the hormones:

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (F.S.H.)

Follicle Stimulating Hormone ( F.S.H.) is produced by the pituitary gland. F.S.H. operates with L.H. to encourage the development of the small follicles (like tiny blisters) in the ovaries. F.S.H. also stimulates the production of the ovarian hormone oestrogen.

Follicle Stimulating Hormone ( F.S.H.) works with L.H. to regulate the activity of the sex organs in men and women. In men F.S.H is necessary for the development of sperm.

Luteinising Hormone (L.H.)

hormone from the pituitary gland that stimulates ovulation and the development of the corpus luteum. In men Luteinising Hormone L.H. stimulates the cells of the testes, which secrete the male sex hormone testosterone.

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is produced mainly by the ovaries and is largely responsible for the changes that occur in young women around puberty (e.g. breast development and hair growth).

Oestrogen helps stimulate the growth of the egg within the follicle. In USA oestrogen is spelt estrogen.

Progesterone

Progesterone is produced largly by the corpus luteum in the ovary following ovulation. When progesterone is produced it causes a slight increase in body temperature. It is this rise in temperature that is monitored by women using methods of natural family planning, though this is very unpredictable. .

Progesterone prepares the lining of the uterus to accept a fertilized egg so that the egg can develop. Progesterone also prevents the release of any further eggs until the pregnancy is terminated.

Generic Clomid is typically administered on either days 3-7 or days 5-9 of the menstrual cycle with "day one" defined as the first day of normal menstrual flow.

Generic Clomid works at the hypothalamus, a small gland at the base of the brain. Clomid medication stimulates the production of gonadotropin releasing hormone, which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).

FSH stimulates the development of the ovarian follicles, which contain the eggs.

Side Effects Of Ovulation Inducers

Side effects of Clomid may include: hot flashes, ovarian enlargement, breast tenderness, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, headache, and multiple pregnancy.

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III. Useful links

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.fda.gov/

http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd/

http://www.nih.gov/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/

National Library of Medicine

World Health Organization

http://www.mayoclinic.com/index.cfm

MedicineNet.com

Drugdigest.org

Healthsquare.com

Pharmacy sites

Sanofi-Aventis

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1509 ,

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1516

http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1504,

http://www.people.vcu.edu/~urdesai/atc.htm#Process%20of%20clotting

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