Enclomiphene shows 674% testosterone increase vs Clomid’s 229% — so why isn’t everyone switching?
So I’ve been doing a deep dive on testosterone optimization and came across some studies showing enclomiphene (the purified isomer) produces way better T increases than regular clomid. Like we’re talking 674% vs 229% in one study I found. My doc originally put me on clomid about 6 months ago and my levels went from 287 to about 520, which is ok but not amazing. Now I’m wondering if I should ask to switch to enclomiphene instead.
The thing is, clomid has the zuclomiphene isomer which apparently causes a lot of the side effects and doesn’t even help with T production. Enclomiphene is just the good stuff (enclomiphene citrate) without the junk. But when I mentioned it to my doc last visit he seemed kinda unfamiliar with it and said clomid works fine for most people.
Has anyone here made the switch from clomid to enclo? Did you notice a difference in how you felt or your numbers? I’m 38M and really trying to dial this in properly. Also curious why more docs aren’t prescribing it if the data is this clear.
I switched about 4 months ago and honestly wish I’d done it sooner. On clomid I had this weird emotional blunting that I didn’t even realize was happening until it went away on enclo. My T went from 490 on clomid to 680 on the same dose of enclomiphene. The issue is availability and cost tbh. Enclomiphene isn’t as widely available and some insurance won’t cover it since clomid is the established option. I get mine through a compounding pharmacy now. Definitely worth asking your doc about it, but be prepared for them to not know much about it yet.
those percentage increases are probably from baseline though right? so if someone starts at 150 ng/dl vs 400 ng/dl the percentages look different even if the absolute increase is similar. Not saying enclo isn’t better – it probably is – but I’d look at the actual numbers not just percentages. Also agree w/ MetricMike that availability is the real issue. My clinic doesn’t even stock it and said they’d have to special order which adds like 3 weeks to getting started.
I work in an endocrinology office and can confirm most doctors just aren’t familiar with enclomiphene yet. Clomid has decades of data and is FDA approved for other uses, so there’s more comfort prescribing it off-label. Enclomiphene is newer for this application and some providers are hesitant. That said, I’ve seen several patients do really well on it with fewer side effects than clomid. If your doc isn’t open to it, might be worth getting a second opinion from someone who specializes in mens health or hormone optimization specifically.