Husband antibiotics while TTC AIBU?

[fireburning]

Ok, so DH and I have been ttc for 3 months, this is our fourth go with an early miscarriage after month 2. I'm 38 in a few months and would really like to get pregnant before then, so have been so careful with no caffeine, keeping stress to a minimum at work and no alcohol, eating really healthily etc etc.. DH has also agreed to cut drinks and has been dutifully eating all the extra broccolli and taking the joint pregnacare vitamins.

Last week he went to the GP for a UTI and was given antibiotics, specifically ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, for 5 days. I assumed he would check that these would be ok while ttc but nope! Well, I've just googled it and it turns out that this medicine really messes with sperm count, motility and has even been linked to embryonic growth retardation. It's been advised that men with fertility issues are asked about whether they've taken it as it can have such long term effects!

AIBU that I'm bloody furious that he wouldn't check this before taking them? This is more than the mental load where I'm always putting the bins out! And that the GP wouldn't sodding well ask before prescribing them to a mid-30s married man?

I really don't know what do do now?!?

You need to calm down. Your loss is devastating but it's clouding your judgement. Your DH has to take the antibiotics to get better and his health should be your primary concern. Keep ttc, but seriously chill out.

In my limited medical knowledge, surely an untreated UTI would be worse for both of you whilst TTC than the antibiotics?!

To be fair, I'm in healthcare and it wouldn't have occurred to me to ask about antibiotics impacting fertility. Totally unaware of that as a possible side effect, so I'm not surprised it didn't occur to your DH to ask. I'm sorry you're having a hard time TTC, but you are having an unreasonable reaction IMO.

Thanks for your reply @Bobbiepin I did wonder if the miscarriage had made me go a bit obsessive about the ttc thing. Obviously he needs to get rid of the infection but there must be other antibiotics that aren't so damaging.
I'm frustrated I guess, because I'm trying to do everything to give us the best chance and it just seems to be stumbling blocks everywhere! 😔

Where are you getting your info from? Online; or the medicine booklet?

It is the standard antibiotic for UTIs of a certain severity; and your DH needed to be treated - it's unreasonable to be angry at him for that. I appreciate that you're on a deadline; but sometimes life happens and you don't want to drive a wedge between you for something like this.

Mother to Baby suggests there's no evidence of issue here, so I'd double check your sources just incase.

mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/ciprofloxacin-pregnancy/

It's not a stumbling block, its life. You mention keeping stress low at work but what about at home? Or are you constantly 'on' with anything fertility related?

You've been trying to conceive for 3 months and 1 of those cycles you got pregnant but sadly lost it (sorry for your loss )
You need to calm down! Some people don't conceive for over a year ! I think you will be perfectly fine x

If your husband needed antibiotics, he was obviously in pain. I'm in the middle of a UTI right now and it's agony. Please cut him some slack. It's not the first thing he or the GP would think of. He just wanted to feel better. I believe the risks you are talking about are rare. In the 20 years I have been giving out ciprofloxacin, I haven't even heard of this. (But then my patients have cancer and are less likely to conceive regardless.) Good luck with it all.

Having TTC for many months over my life it would never have occurred to me to ask if prescribed antibiotics would impact it, so I do think you’re giving him a bit of a hard time. He needs the antibiotics to get better.
Where have you found the information about it impacting sperm count?

Thanks everyone, ok I'm putting it a bit more in perspective. It was just internet as the medicine didn't come with a leaflet or anything, just in a box.
Thank you for the extra info @AnchorDownDeepBreath that info does make me feel better.
@Bobbiepin actually yeah, since getting pregnant and the miscarriage I have been stressed about the whole process even when trying not to.

@SoyDora it was here: www.bioline.org.br/pdf?rm08012

@idontknowwhattoput1 thank you, I feel like I'm going a bit mad.

@Spudina thank you, this is reassuring. Are you a doctor then?

I'm not being mean to DH or anything, I obviously want him to get better, he knows I'm worried about the antibiotics but am internalising most of it.

@spudina also, I hope you feel better soon

So many things can affect you while ttc and in early pregnancy, but rarely do. I had pelvic xrays the week before I found out I was expecting dd! I was terrified something would be wrong with her. But she's fine.

1. That's a study in rats
2. 5 days of Cipro is unlikely to have an perceptible effect on sperm count
3. No GP would routinely ask about this - it's a commonly used antibiotic.
4. To be really honest, you stressing about TTC is likely to have a much bigger negative effect that a burst of Cipro.

Relax, forget about the antibiotics.

Thanks OP. No im a nurse. We use Cipro long term in a lot of our patients. I've never heard this mentioned by our medical team. X

@Spudina thank you so much, I guess if this was a big thing it would be known about. Serves me right for using doctor-google. It just really did scare me. x

Thank you also @bobstersmum I've got a feeling I'm going to be anxious about a lot of things if we do get pregnant again. Glad your little one was fine xx

Relax and it will happen for you I'm sure, sending good luck your way.

It's normal to be anxious, especially after your loss but let's face it, you've fallen pregnant within 2 cycles. I was 27 when I got pregnant and it took me way longer than that. I used to get stressed at work then stress that work stress would stop me falling pg then stress that that stress would stop it. Horrible vicious cycle. Get support from your GP if you need it.

He needed antibiotic treatment for a nasty UTI. Plenty of people need treatment for something while ttc or even while pregnant. I know I did.

Commonly used and broad spectrum antibiotics are in most cases CV very well tolerated and cause few problems.

Don't always set too much store by something that you happen to read online. Just because something is on the internet doesn't mean it is unquestionably true. Better to just try to relax for now.

I remember getting pneumonia whilst heavily pregnant with DD2, who is now 19. I did worry about taking the antibiotics and strong painkillers, but had no choice because without them I couldn't breathe. DD was fine.

Generally, these things are risk factors. Not something that is definitely going to happen.

Relax more, and I do hope things work for you soon.