The effects of superovulatory doses of clomiphene citrate on spontaneous luteinizing hormone peaks in regularly ovulating women.

The effects of superovulatory doses of clomiphene citrate (150 mg orally every day for 5 days) on normal spontaneous menstrual cycles were studied in 16 women. Eight-eight percent of treatment cycles had clearly defined, timely luteinizing hormone (LH) peaks indistinguishable from those observed in normal cycles. Eight percent of treatment cycles did not have clearly defined LH peaks but were ovulatory. One cycle (4%) was anovulatory. Treated cycles were 2.1 days longer than previous control cycles (p less than 0.005). The follicular phase was significantly longer than control cycles (p less than 0.025) whereas the luteal phase was not (p greater than 0.05). There was a direct positive correlation between previous menstrual cycle length and follicular phase length in the treated cycle (r = 0.730, 0.01 less than p less than 0.05). The conclusion was that 96% of menstrual cycles of normally ovulating women remained ovulatory when the women were given superovulatory doses of clomiphene and that 88% of the cycles had clearly defined LH peaks.