Women who have anovulatory cycles (they don’t release an egg or oocyte from their ovary) can take medications to induce ovulation.
Clomid and Letrozole are two commonly used oral medications to induce ovulation. They both lower the estrogen levels in the body so the brain produces more hormones (gonadotropins) that are sent to the ovary to grow follicles and induce ovulation. However, even those these medications have the same effect on the body, they have different mechanisms of action.
Clomid blocks the estrogen receptors in the brain while Letrozole blocks aroma tase, an enzyme in the ovary. So which one should you take? It depends. If you have PCOS, research suggests that letrozole is associated with a higher live birth rate and ovulation rate. Talk to your reproductive endocrinology and infertility doctor about the best medication to help build your family 🤗