Clomiphene_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as clomiphene citrate, Clomid, Serophene, CC
A fertility drug approved for women in 1967, now sold to men.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Clomiphene?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It blocks estrogen feedback in the brain so ovulation is triggered in women, or so testosterone rises in men.
Clomiphene citrate is a selective estrogen receptor modulator supplied as a mixture of two isomers, enclomiphene and zuclomiphene, which have opposite effects at the estrogen receptor.
What it's used for
An old oral fertility drug used off-label by men to raise testosterone and restart the hormone axis.
How does Clomiphene work?
What it does in the body, and where.Clomiphene is two drugs in one tablet, and they do not agree with each other.
- 01It blocks estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitaryThe brain reads low estrogen and releases more LH and FSH.
- 02In women, that triggers ovulationThis is the approved use and the reason the drug exists.
- 03In men, the same signal raises testosteroneThe testicles get told to work harder. This use is off-label and carries no label dose.
- 04Between 30 and 50 percent of each tablet is zuclomipheneThat isomer is a partial estrogen agonist, it lingers, and it is why clomiphene and enclomiphene are not interchangeable.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Ovulation induction in women with ovulatory dysfunction who want to become pregnantFDA-approved
- Raising testosterone in men with secondary hypogonadism, off-labelClinical use
- Restarting the hormone axis after a testosterone or anabolic cycleResearch only
The published record
Papers and trials about Clomiphene
385 papers tagged human · 206 not reviews or lab · 49 clinical trial publications
261 registered trials · 14 with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Approved in the US
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Prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. S4.2 Anti-estrogenic substances (clomifene named). Specified Substance.RegulatorsCounted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count. 501 papers and 100 trials indexed in detail.
At a glance
Four things to know about Clomiphene
Evidence
FDA-approved
Category
Sexual and hormonal
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
10 hours or 30 days, depending on which half
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.50 mg per day for a 5-day course, once a day for five days per cycle. Five-day courses, and not beyond about six courses FDA label
The label runs it as a five-day course per cycle and states that if three ovulatory responses occur without pregnancy, further treatment is not recommended, and that long-term cyclic therapy beyond about six courses is not recommended. The daily open-ended use common on the research market has no label behind it.
10 hours or 30 days, depending on which halfHuman study
Clomiphene is not one molecule. It is a roughly 50/50 mixture of two mirror-image isomers that behave nothing alike. Enclomiphene clears in about 10 hours. Zuclomiphene takes about 30 days and can still be detected a month after the last dose. The 5 to 7 day figure usually quoted for clomiphene is an average of the two, and it describes neither. The long-lasting isomer is the one blamed for side effects that outlast the intended effect.
Source: Wiehle R, et al. Fertil Steril 2014, ZA-203 phase II. Review: PMC5009465.
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What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.Clomiphene is not injected
It is taken by mouth (oral). The label dose is 50 mg once daily for five days, started on or about day five of the cycle. The label also says not to continue cyclic therapy beyond about six courses. Nothing on the label covers men, so the doses used for testosterone or post-cycle purposes have no label behind them.
Clomiphene starts at $29.97 across 4 vendors, typically $17.78 per mg.
5 listings, last read Oct 10, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature. Cool, dry, out of light.
Clomiphene is taken as a pill or capsule. Keep it in its original container at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and direct sun. No fridge or mixing needed. Check the expiration date on the bottle.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy
- Liver disease, since the label requires normal liver function before each course
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding that has not been investigated
- Ovarian cysts or ovarian enlargement, other than polycystic ovary syndrome
- Any hormone-sensitive cancer
- Banned in drug-tested sport
Stop and get help
- Any change in vision, including blurring, spots, flashes or reduced sharpness
- Severe pelvic or abdominal pain, rapid weight gain or breathlessness, which can signal ovarian hyperstimulation
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Hot flushes
- Bloating and abdominal discomfort
- Nausea
- Mood swings
- Breast tenderness, and gynecomastia has been reported in men
- Blurring, spots or flashes in vision
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Clomiphene approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Yes. Clomiphene is FDA approved and available on prescription in the United States.
- Approval statusFDA-approved
- RouteBy mouth (oral)
- Checked24 August 2026
- DoseFrom the drug label. The manufacturer tested this range and a regulator reviewed it.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
What has happened recently
Approved on 1 February 1967 for ovulatory dysfunction in women who want to become pregnant. That is the only indication. The label describes no use in men, and it sets conditions the research market ignores: a pelvic examination before the first and every later course, normal liver function, no ovarian cysts, and no uninvestigated vaginal bleeding. It warns that visual disturbances may be irreversible, especially with a higher dose or a longer course. Prohibited in sport at all times by WADA under section S4.
What regulators say
From official documentsProhibited at all times, in and out of competition. S4.2 Anti-estrogenic substances (clomifene named). Specified Substance.
Checked 12 September 2026WADA: The 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026)
Banned in drug-tested sport. Most research peptides are prohibited under WADA's S0 category, which covers any substance with no approval from any regulatory authority for human use. That means a compound can be banned without ever being named on the prohibited list. Check with your own anti-doping authority rather than assuming absence from the list means permitted.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Clomiphene?
Others in Sexual and hormonal, side by side.If you're weighing Clomiphene, it's worth reading Enclomiphene, Tamoxifen, and TRH (Protirelin) in the same class.
A fertility drug approved for women in 1967, now sold to men.
- Dose
- 50 mg per day for a 5-day course
- How often
- Once a day for five days per cycle
Half of the fertility drug Clomid, sold on its own for testosterone.
- Dose
- 12.5 up to 25 mg per day
- How often
- Daily
A breast cancer drug with a boxed warning, sold as a gyno fix.
- Dose
- 20 up to 40 mg per day
- How often
- Daily
The brain hormone behind a discontinued thyroid test, often sold under the wrong name.
- Dose
- Set by the label
- How often
- Once, for a test
Guides for this compound
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
Sources
- Clomid prescribing information, DailyMed(2025)Indication, five-day course, visual disturbance warning, and zuclomiphene persistence.
- FDA response to citizen petition on clomiphene citrate(2012)Confirms the 1 February 1967 approval date and the isomer persistence.
- US Department of Defense, Operation Supplement Safety on clomiphene and enclomiphene(2025)Clomiphene is not FDA-approved to treat any condition in men.
Beyond these, 601 records are indexed. Browse the records