Men's Meds and Sperm

There are many commonly used social drugs and prescribed medications that are really detrimental to making a baby from a man's perspective. Cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana are all directly toxic to sperm and cigarettes and alcohol also directly affect sexual performance by causing erectile issues.

Blood pressure medications such as metoprolol reduce libido and also are renown for erectile dysfunction whist calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine can directly block the ability of sperm to fertilise eggs.

Many men are being given testosterone supplements to boost libido or energy levels. Testosterone very powerfully suppress sperm production by blocking the hormones produced by the brain which cause the testes to make sperm. Any guy wishing to become a father should avoid testosterone supplements as there can be a very protracted time before sperm production turns on again. 

Building muscle and improving athletic performance by using anabolic steroids is also almost guaranteed to turn off sperm production so also should be avoided.

A number of psychiatric drugs are also asssociated with erection issues, libido reduction and altering the hormones to the testes such as olanzepine, amitryptilene and nortryptilene. Lithium also causes reduced libido and erection problems.

Some antibiotics such as nitrofurantoin, erythromycin and gentamycin are directly sperm toxic whilst tetracyclines can block fertilisation.

Gout drugs colchicine and allopurinol can also block fertilisation and inflammatory bowel disease drug sulphasalazine affect sperm motility.

So al men on meds should check with their doctors and also check out our website and many doctors and patients alike are unaware of the bad effects that many commonly used drugs have on sperm.

Best wishes,
Mary