Clomiphene is used mostly in women with near normal ovaries and normal female hormone levels. This drug can usually make 80 percent of these women ovulate and half of those will get pregnant when using clomiphene. Twins are slightly more common when pregnancy is assisted with clomiphene. The side affects of clomiphene include hot flashes, nausea, breast tenderness, and rarely, vision changes. Bromocriptine is used in a specific group of women that have a high prolactin level.
Prolactin is a hormone secreted by the brain.
Bromocriptine returns the pregnancy rate to normal in these women. The side effects can be headache, upset stomach, light-headedness, and a stuffy nose. Gonadotropins are used in women with low female hormone levels. Close monitoring is needed with this therapy in an effort to prevent severe side effects and multiple pregnancies. Success is related to the cause of the problem and the age of the woman.