After two years of unsuccessful pregnancy attempts and a miscarriage, Pamala Mohler cried in the hospital when she was told she was finally pregnant. Seven months into the pregnancy, she and her husband, Ted, thank the fertility drug Clomid.

“We’re pretty happy about Clomid,” Pamala Mohler said. “It has given us the ability to conceive a healthy child, and I can’t say that there’s anything better than that.”

40 years

Joe Karnitis, reproductive endocrinologist at The Toledo Hospital’s Fertility Clinic, said millions of babies have been conceived through Clomid since its 1967 release. He said it was the first fertility medicine.

“It is many physicians’ first-line drug, so it’s the first one they’re going to go to because it’s so safe, so inexpensive, and it has such a long, proven record,” Karnitis said.

Physicians will prescribe the drug to women who are not ovulating well, Karnitis said. He said the drug encourages the brain’s pituitary gland to stimulate hormones. Those hormones encourage the ovaries to produce more and better eggs.

“They trick the brain into sending more follicles to ovulate,” Karnitis said.

He said women take one 50 mg dose daily for five days at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. Eighty percent of women will release eggs on Clomid and within three cycles, half of women are pregnant, Karnitis said. He said women with normal ovulation typically have 20-25 percent success rates on their first cycle.

Mohler discovered she was pregnant in November. She had been on Clomid for one cycle before seeing results.

Her new physician had just prescribed it. It took two years of unsuccessful doses of hormone balance, HSG injections and a miscarriage before conceiving. Mohler received an ultrasound to find out the news.

“You can’t really tell what it is, they’re kind of just pointing to a dot on the screen,” Mohler said. “You’re lying on your back and they show something to you on a TV screen and I just started crying. It’s pretty emotional.”

Not ‘a miracle drug’

Karnitis said the drug is safe and inexpensive. He said eight percent of Clomid pregnancies are twins, compared to the national two to three percent. Less than one in one hundred Clomid pregnancies result in triplets or more, he said.

“It’s not a miracle drug, but it works well,” Karnitis said.

He said the only known side effects are hot flashes and aching of the ovaries for women who are not used to ovulating. He said the anxiety and expectation following each cycle can lead to irritability. Clomid itself does not lead to irritability, Karnitis said.

“It puts a lot of pressure on them on this cycle, and whenever someone’s under a lot of pressure like that, their nerves are going to be somewhat frayed from this extra pressure,” Karnitis said.

Mohler said she experienced some of the side effects after taking Clomid.

“I was a little less patient than normal,” Mohler said. “I didn’t go Barry Bonds or anything, but you could tell I had a little bit of a short fuse, and I would sweat a lot, which is odd for November.”

Karnitis said the drug is not a guarantee for pregnancy. He said many of his patients have already tried Clomid and are ready for more potent fertility drugs. Mohler said she has friends who have tried unsuccessfully for years to conceive with Clomid.

She had to watch her diet, asthma and blood pressure to maintain optimal health for pregnancy, she said.

“You can’t just expect to walk into the doctor’s office and then have it miraculously happen,” Mohler said. “You have to be willing to do what they tell you.”

1,300 local couples per year

Despite Clomid’s flaws, The Toledo Hospital Fertility Clinic prescribes around 25 Clomid prescriptions per week, about 1,300 per year, Karnitis said. In the Toledo area, Karnitis said a Clomid prescription ranges from $9 for a generic version to $77 for the Clomid brand. Karnitis said the generic version is just as effective.

Karnitis said he feels confident in Clomid and its ability to benefit millions of families.

“I think it’s wonderful to have this drug that is so safe and so inexpensive, and it helps so many people. It has helped millions and millions of women to start their families,” Karnitis said.

After taking the Clomid, the Mohlers said Clomid has allowed them to conceive and soon begin the joys of parenting.

“Within 30 days to be able to tell your family, ‘we’re having a baby’ — the whole thing is emotional,” Mohler  said. “But there’s just so much hope with that.”