Comparison
Clomiphene vs Fisetin
Side-by-side of Clomiphene and Fisetin. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Clomiphene
Clomiphene citrate raises LH/FSH and endogenous testosterone in men. SERM TRT alternative, 25 to 50 mg, fertility preserved, visual side effects flagged.
Fisetin
Fisetin is a flavonoid found in strawberries with senolytic activity in mouse models. Hickson 2019 confirmed senescent-cell clearance in human adipose tissue.
Effects at a glance
Clomiphene
- •SERM that blocks estrogen-receptor negative feedback at the hypothalamus, raising LH and FSH
- •FDA approved 1967 for ovulation induction in anovulatory women at 50 to 100 mg cycle days 5 to 9
- •Off-label in men at 12.5 to 25 mg daily raises endogenous testosterone while preserving fertility
- •Enclomiphene (trans-isomer) is preferred for male use; cleaner PK and less estrogenic side effect burden
- •Visual disturbances occur in ~1 to 2% of users; persistent symptoms warrant immediate cessation
- •Letrozole has displaced clomiphene as first-line ovulation induction in PCOS (Legro 2014)
Fisetin
- •Flavonoid found in strawberries; most potent natural senolytic in screening assays (Yousefzadeh 2018)
- •Hickson 2019 confirmed reduced senescent-cell burden in human adipose tissue at 20 mg/kg pulsed for 2 days
- •Pulsed Mayo protocol (20 mg/kg/day x 2 days monthly) is the only dose with human biomarker evidence
- •Daily low-dose (100-500 mg) is mechanistically weaker but commonly used
- •Low oral bioavailability; with-fat dosing modestly improves absorption
- •Active cancer is a relative contraindication pending clearer polyphenol-treatment data
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Clomiphene | Fisetin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | supplement |
| Also known as | Clomid, clomiphene citrate, Serophene, enclomiphene | 3,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 168 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 25 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | 5-day pulse cycle days 5 to 9 (women); daily or every other day (men, off-label) | pulsed 2 days/month (Mayo protocol) or daily continuous (empirical) |
| Routes | oral | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 6 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 7 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 405.96 | 286.24 |
| Molecular formula | C26H28ClNO | C15H10O6 |
| Mechanism | Selective estrogen receptor modulator that antagonizes estrogen at the hypothalamus and pituitary, increasing GnRH and gonadotropin output, which drives gonadal steroidogenesis. | Senolytic via Bcl-2 family inhibition (Bcl-xL, Bcl-w); broad polyphenol with Nrf2 activation, mTOR inhibition at high concentrations, and antioxidant effects. |
| Legal status | Prescription only (FDA approved for ovulation induction; off-label in men) | OTC dietary supplement |
| WADA status | banned | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Rx only (not a controlled substance) | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Category X; contraindicated in pregnancy | Insufficient data |
| CAS | 911-45-5 | 528-48-3 |
| PubChem CID | 1548953 | 5281614 |
| Wikidata | Q416785 | Q230614 |
Safety profile
Clomiphene
Common side effects
- hot flushes
- mood changes
- abdominal discomfort
- breast tenderness
- visual disturbances (rare)
- headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active liver disease
- ovarian cysts (not PCOS-related)
- uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal disorder
- abnormal uterine bleeding of undetermined origin
- hormone-sensitive cancer
Interactions
- tamoxifen: competing SERM activity; not used together(moderate)
- ospemifene: competing SERM activity(moderate)
- anastrozole: additive estrogen reduction; sometimes combined in male protocols(minor)
- TRT (exogenous testosterone): TRT suppresses HPT axis that clomiphene targets; do not combine(moderate)
Fisetin
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- active cancer (theoretical, polyphenol interactions)
- pregnancy and lactation (insufficient data)
- concurrent CYP3A4-sensitive medications
Interactions
- statins (CYP3A4 substrates): theoretical reduction in statin clearance at high fisetin doses(minor)
- warfarin: theoretical CYP-mediated interaction; monitor INR if combining(moderate)
- other senolytics (rapamycin, dasatinib + quercetin): additive senolytic effect; pairing is investigational(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Fisetin comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Clomiphene is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is hormonal optimization, pick Clomiphene.
- → If your priority is fertility, pick Clomiphene.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Fisetin.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Fisetin.
Edge case: If you want to avoid prescription-only, Fisetin is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Fisetin. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Clomiphene only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Clomiphene and Fisetin?
Clomiphene and Fisetin differ in category (pharmaceutical vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Clomiphene or Fisetin?
Clomiphene half-life is 168 hours; Fisetin half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Clomiphene with Fisetin?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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