Prescription medicines - Causes of Male Infertility
A prescription medicine is designed to treat a particular complaint but many of them have side effects which can affect fertility. The use and indeed the overuse of these have been found to cause infertility.
What doesn’t help matters is when the medicine prescribed for a condition then causes another set of symptoms which impact upon fertility levels.
Problems to be aware of include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low sperm count
- Hormone imbalance
If you are trying to conceive but require prescription medicines then discuss your concerns with your GP. He or she can recommend an alternative and the best way of changing from your current medication to a less risky one.
This also applies to over the counter medicines. These may seem fairly innocuous but they can have side effects, and one of these may be infertility. We tend to buy these assuming that they will cure whatever condition we have but they may not be the best option.
If you are thinking of doing this then check with your GP first before purchasing over the counter medicines from your local chemist or pharmacy.
At the end of the day you want to ensure that your reproductive system is in the best shape it can be when planning a family. So ensure that your lifestyle poses no or minimal risk to your fertility.
Another issue is that of cancer treatment: if you have been receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy then this does affect fertility. In some cases it causes short term infertility but in others it can lead to long term infertility problems.
Cancer drugs can affect the quality and quantity of sperm produced as well as problems with ejaculation.
Speak to your GP or fertility specialist about this if you have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy. He or she may advise you to store your sperm in a sperm bank prior to your cancer treatment which will help to preserve them.
Male Infertility Guide Index:
- Hormone disorders
- Abnormal/low sperm count
- Genetic disorders
- Variococele
- Disease or trauma to the testicles
- Blockage in the ejaculatory duct
- Vasectomy
- Lifestyle issues
- Environmental issues (exposure to toxins etc)
- Prescription medicines
- Failure to ejaculate
Infertility Guide
- Infertility Guide
- what is infertility?
- infertility myths
- infertility facts
- female infertility
- medical conditions
- emotional aspects of infertility
- donor insemination
- infertility and your general practitioner
- fertility success rates
- fertility treatment abroad
- infertility tests
- infertility treatment
- infertility faqs
- the cost of infertility tests and treatment
- ivf (in vitro fertilisation) and gift (gamete intra fallopian transfer)
- finding a fertility clinic
- male infertility
- miscarriage
- pregnancy tests
- Fertility Extension
- glossary