The fact of the matter is that most prescription drugs have some potential side effects. That doesn’t mean that a majority or even a large number of people taking that medication will experience them, of course. It just means that, while taking those medications, it’s possible you’ll experience some of the possible side effects.

Naturally, women who are taking fertility medication are concerned about side effects, too. It’s important to understand a little bit about the different types of fertility medication in order to understand their possible side effects.

First of all, you need to know that fertility medications generally come into two types.  The first type, which is given in the form of a pill, would include drugs such as Clomid.  Other types of fertility medications are typically injected, such as Repronex, Follistim, Pergonal, Repronex, and Gonal-F.  In general, the injectible fertility medications tend to have fewer side effects than pill fertility drugs.

One side effect that is common in both types of fertility medications is the risk of multiple births. In somewhere around half of cases, fertility medications lead to a pregnancy with twins or multiples.  Multiple births and multiple pregnancies carry with them certain inherent risks, which should be discussed with your health care provider before starting fertility medications.

Another concern with fertility medication is the risk of ovarian cancer.  There is some research to suggest that drugs that induce ovulation, such as Clomid, help raise the risk of ovarian.  This is because an increased amount of ovulations that are not interrupted over the lifetime of a woman makes a woman more likely to develop ovarian cancer.

Side effects that are unique to Clomid do not occur in all women but are significant.  These can include severe hot flashes, and enlargement of the ovaries.  These are the most common side effects, and occur in around 10 to 14 percent of women who take clomid.  Less than six percent of women on Clomid will have abdominal or pelvic bloating or discomfort, nausea, breast discomfort, or problems with vision.  Less than two percent of women on Clomid will have headache or uterine bleeding.  In addition, some women report that Clomid causes their cervical mucus to become hostile, leading to additional infertility difficulties.