Co-enzyme Q10 (Co Q10) is often recommended by reproductive endocrinologists to help improve egg/embryo quality for women who may be classed as poor responders with poor ovarian reserve. But Co Q10 may have more diverse uses in female reproductive medicine than was previously thought, it may help women with PCOS to conceive more successfully with clomiphene (Clomid).

A 2014 study (1) examined the effect of prescribing Co Q10 in Clomid cycles to women with poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) who had failed to ovulate with Clomid alone. Women who have failed to ovulate with increasing doses of Clomid are usually labelled ‘Clomid-resistant’ and hurried along towards gonadotrophin injections.

This is where Co Q10 can sometimes work a little magic, with considerable cost savings! A 2014 study (1) randomized one hundred and ten Clomid-resistant women to receive Co Q10 with Clomid (150 mg day two through six) or Clomid alone and examined various metrics such as ovulation and pregnancy rates, endometrial thickness and hormone levels.

Women co-treated with Co Q10 demonstrated multiple benefits. The number of ovarian follicles produced measuring greater than 14 mm or 18 mm was significantly elevated in the Co Q10 treated women, endometrial thickness was greater (8.82 versus 7.03), ovulation rates were higher (65.9% versus 15.5%), as were clinical pregnancy rates, reaching a whopping 37.3% versus 6.0%. The study concluded:

“Combination of CoQ10 and clomiphene citrate in the treatment of clomiphene-citrate-resistant PCOS patients improves ovulation and clinical pregnancy rates. It is an effective and safe option and can be considered before gonadotrophin therapy or laparoscopic ovarian drilling.”

Both lean and obese PCOS women responded similarly in this study, so, if you have been labelled Clomid-resistant, whatever your BMI, before you hurry along to gonadotrophin injections you may want to discuss a co-treatment cycle with Co Q10 with your physician.

This article is for purely informational purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice.

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Reference:

Reprod Biomed Online. 2014 Jul;29(1):119-24. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2014.03.011. Epub 2014 Mar 26. Combined coenzyme Q10 and clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction in clomiphene-citrate-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome. El Refaeey A1, Selem A2, Badawy A3.