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Low sperm count...anybody?
Tue, 03/20/2007 - 14:17Comments
Re: Low sperm count...anybody?
Submitted by Urbancowgirl on Sun, 2008-05-25 - 05:51
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting their information as it has helped me to start tests etc on my partner that has E.
We have been trying to conceive for a while now, i have done everything i can think of to 'catch the sperm' and got nowhere. I know i can have kids (got 4 already) but he wants one of his own...... so far, no good.
I spoke to our GP about the possibility of the AED effecting him and was told, probably not - this has given me more ammunition to take things further.
He is on a very high dose - Keppra 1000mg/day, Tegretol 800mg/day, Valproate Sodium 2500mg/day...... so i think there is a very high chance of this being a problem.
Thanks again
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting their information as it has helped me to start tests etc on my partner that has E.
We have been trying to conceive for a while now, i have done everything i can think of to 'catch the sperm' and got nowhere. I know i can have kids (got 4 already) but he wants one of his own...... so far, no good.
I spoke to our GP about the possibility of the AED effecting him and was told, probably not - this has given me more ammunition to take things further.
He is on a very high dose - Keppra 1000mg/day, Tegretol 800mg/day, Valproate Sodium 2500mg/day...... so i think there is a very high chance of this being a problem.
Thanks again
Re: Low sperm count...anybody?
Submitted by jp4rk3r on Tue, 2008-04-01 - 09:04
Hi all,
I read this thread a long ago (or one like it) as my wife and I were experiencing problems conceiving.
A short history:
We conceived twice - in 2002 and 2003. Both in the first month of trying. No fertiility problem there then.
In late 2003 I was diagnosed with AVM which had begun to cause complext partial seizures. I was prescribed Tergretol (which I think is Carbamazepine) to control these. I needed a fair dose - 1400mg/day - which eventually completely stopped my seizures.
Since 2005 we have been trying for another baby but nothing was happening. This was despite conceiving TWICE before, both on the FIRST MONTH of trying (as I said above).
We had my wife checked out (ovulation tests, etc) and everything was fine. I had a test which showed low count, then a retest showed evn lower. My doctor said it was impossible for us to have children - but couldn't explain we had conceived so easily before.
......
So having read up on the possible effect of AEDs on fertility, I pushed my epilepsy nurse for a change in drugs but she was adamant that it would not be the drugs affecting it. More pushing (eventually involving a consultant neurologist) finally saw me given a change in AEDs which started around October 2007.
By end of Feb 2008 I was completely off the Tegretol having dosed up to 1500mg/day on Keppra (Levetiracetam) by December. I have had no seizures during the switch which is great.
On 31st March 2008, my wife (5 days late) took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. We had not even been trying that hard for a child since we though it would take a while for effects (if any) of AEDs to go away. It's still not confirmed by a doctor but this, for me at least, is living proof that fertility IS affected by some AEDs but also that recovery is possible.
I hope this can bring some hope to anyone affected by these issues.
cheers, James.
Hi all,
I read this thread a long ago (or one like it) as my wife and I were experiencing problems conceiving.
A short history:
We conceived twice - in 2002 and 2003. Both in the first month of trying. No fertiility problem there then.
In late 2003 I was diagnosed with AVM which had begun to cause complext partial seizures. I was prescribed Tergretol (which I think is Carbamazepine) to control these. I needed a fair dose - 1400mg/day - which eventually completely stopped my seizures.
Since 2005 we have been trying for another baby but nothing was happening. This was despite conceiving TWICE before, both on the FIRST MONTH of trying (as I said above).
We had my wife checked out (ovulation tests, etc) and everything was fine. I had a test which showed low count, then a retest showed evn lower. My doctor said it was impossible for us to have children - but couldn't explain we had conceived so easily before.
......
So having read up on the possible effect of AEDs on fertility, I pushed my epilepsy nurse for a change in drugs but she was adamant that it would not be the drugs affecting it. More pushing (eventually involving a consultant neurologist) finally saw me given a change in AEDs which started around October 2007.
By end of Feb 2008 I was completely off the Tegretol having dosed up to 1500mg/day on Keppra (Levetiracetam) by December. I have had no seizures during the switch which is great.
On 31st March 2008, my wife (5 days late) took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. We had not even been trying that hard for a child since we though it would take a while for effects (if any) of AEDs to go away. It's still not confirmed by a doctor but this, for me at least, is living proof that fertility IS affected by some AEDs but also that recovery is possible.
I hope this can bring some hope to anyone affected by these issues.
cheers, James.