Common drugs & conditions could be affecting your fertility
Unless your doctor informed you about it, the likelihood of you knowing which common drugs could be affecting your fertility is probably very small.
What to do?
Healthy pure diet and lifestyle promote robust health. The healthier you are the less likely you’ll need medications for pain, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Same goes for infections. The healthier you are the more robust is your immune system able to fight of and ward off pathogens before they get a chance to invade and multiply.However if you are currently taking some of those medications or are dealing with some of the conditions mentioned afore consider the following:
- If your condition can be modified with diet and lifestyle – diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, anaemia, allergies, frequent colds and flu and many more – start doing the necessary changes and under your doctors guidance gradually reduce medication and eventually come off it if at all possible.
- Seek natural alternatives that can be used in the place of the drug.
- Use complementary medicine treatments for your condition to help your body heal itself.
- And remember if you want a complete guide with step-by-step instructions on how to avoid fertility destroying drugs and conditions and dozens or more natural fertility strategies, see ‘Body Exposed – Reprotoxicants’ part of “Natural Fertility Prescription Program” by Iva Keene. Prominent fertility naturopath Iva Keene publishes the ‘Ultimate Fertility’ ezine with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get you FREE Fertility Tips now.
| Drug | What’s it used for? | How if affects fertility |
| Anabolic steroids | To build muscle | Interferes with testicular function |
| Anti-depressants | Depression | Inability to ejaculate, disrupt menstrual cycles, lead to birth defects in the first trimester. |
| Antibiotics | Bacterial infections | Disrupt ovulation/cervical mucus |
| Anti-anxiety drugs (diazepam, alprazolam) | Anxiety | Increased risk of birth defects |
| Cold and flu meds with antihistamines | Allergies, cold and flu meds | Thicken or dry up cervical mucus making it very hard for sperm to swim |
| Accutane | Acne | Severe birth defects |
| Corticosteroids | Psoriasis, itchy skin conditions | Disrupt menstrual cycles, decreased libido in men |
| Ulcer medication (cimetidine) | Stomach ulcers | Impact sperm production and the ability to have an erection |
| High Blood Pressure meds (potassium sparing, calcium channel blockers, alpha blockers) | High blood pressure | Decrease libido, interfere with erections, makes sperm sluggish, retrograde ejaculation, irregular menstrual cycles |
| Ibuprofen (Advil, Aleve) | Pain | Disrupt ovulation |
| Chemotherapy drugs | Cancer | Sterility and infertility in both partners |
Here are some conditions, infections and procedures affecting fertility:
| Condition/Procedure | How if affects fertility |
| Diabetes Type II (adult onset) | Irregular cycles, infertility |
| Insulin resistance | Irregular cycles, infertility |
| Obesity | Irregular cycles, infertility |
| Diabetes Type I – insulin dependent | Early menopause due to autoimmune attack on the ovaries, retrograde ejaculation, erectile dysfunction |
| Thyroid disease | Hypo and hyper thyroidism can cause irregular menstrual cycles and interfere with ovulation |
| Autoimmune diseases | Ovaries can be attacked by the immune system. |
| Anemia | Ovulatory disruption |
| Chlamydia infection (STD) | Ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, epidydymitis, infertility |