Drug

Many people may consider what foods they eat to maintain or increase fertility. However, one thing that is sometimes forgotten or maybe even some people don't know is medicines. Medicines that are consumed by women and men who are planning to have children can also affect their fertility.

How can drugs affect fertility?

Reporting from parents.com, Alan Copperman, a director of reproductive endocrinology at Icahn School of Medicine, New York, said that because a woman's menstrual cycle is very much controlled by the interaction between the brain, ovaries (ovaries), and the uterus, then health and drug problems- drugs that interfere with this interaction process can affect ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary) and make it difficult for women to achieve pregnancy.

In men, drugs can affect sperm production. According to Valerie Baker, head of the division of reproductive endocrinology and fertility at Stanford University School of Medicine, drugs can affect a woman's body's ability to ovulate or release eggs, and in men it affects her sperm count by affecting the production of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or luteinizing hormone (LH) by the pituitary gland.

What drugs can affect fertility?

Some drugs affect male and female fertility in different ways. The following are medicines that can affect your fertility.

Medicines that may decrease female fertility

Types of drugs that can affect female fertility are:

• Steroids. Steroid drugs, such as cortisone and prednisone, are made from the hormone testosterone and are widely used to treat asthma and lupus. Use in high doses can inhibit the pituitary gland from releasing the FSH and LH needed to release eggs from the ovaries (ovulation).
• Products for hair and skin that contain hormones. Skin creams, gels, and hair care products that contain the hormones estrogen and progesterone can also affect ovulation. Although absorption of this product through the skin may not cause problems, it is still a good idea to avoid using these products.
• Antihypertensive or anti-high blood pressure drugs. Some old medicines that are useful for treating high blood pressure or hypertension, such as methyldopa, can increase levels of the hormone prolactin and can interfere with ovulation.
• Central nervous system drugs. Almost any drug that targets the central nervous system, such as sedatives and drugs to prevent seizures, can cause increased levels of the hormone prolactin and interfere with ovulation. However, most antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs) do not negatively impact ovulation.
• Thyroid medication. Medicines for hypothyroidism can also affect ovulation if too much or too little is taken. This thyroid drug can affect the levels of the hormone prolactin. So make sure this drug is consumed in the right amount.
• Cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other cancer treatments can damage eggs or cause premature ovarian failure in which the ovaries stop functioning before a woman reaches 40 years of age. Chemotherapy, especially alkylating agents, can be toxic to the ovaries and can cause permanent infertility.
• Antiepileptic drugs. For example, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproate can affect fertility by inhibiting ovulation.
• Antipsychotic drugs. For example, risperidone and amilsulpride, both can affect the pituitary gland and increase levels of the hormone prolactin, which can interfere with or stop ovulation.

Medicines that can reduce male fertility

Types of drugs that can affect male fertility are:

• Testosterone therapy. Men who take testosterone replacement therapy for lower testosterone levels may not produce sperm.
• Steroids. Steroid drugs that affect female fertility also affect fertility in men because they can decrease sperm count in some men.
• Sulfasalazine. This medication is used to treat inflammation or inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Sulfasalazine can also reduce sperm count and sperm count will return to normal after using this drug is stopped.
• Antihypertensive drugs. Medicines used to control blood pressure, such as beta-blockers and diuretics, can cause impotence (erectile dysfunction).
• Depression medication. Antidepressants can cause erectile dysfunction and difficulty ejaculating.
• Cancer treatment. As in women, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other cancer treatments can affect fertility in men by damaging sperm cells or their ability to produce sperm.

How long can fertility return after stopping taking these drugs?

How long the drugs can affect your fertility depends on the type of medicine you take. Each drug has a different effect and time on fertility. Stopping the use of drugs that can affect fertility may not have an immediate impact on your fertility. The body needs time to recover to its original state before it is affected by drugs.

The effects of the drugs on the body may wear off within a few days to several months. So, you should stop using these drugs a month or two months before you plan to try to get pregnant, so that your fertility returns to optimal levels.

We recommend that you consult with your doctor in advance to plan a pregnancy so that at that time your fertility and your partner are at optimal levels.