Sperm quality and count - could it drop after a few years?

[Mamabear12]

Sorry, if I’m not wording it right, but basically my husband took HairLoss pills prior to us dating. Once I found out he was taking them I made them stop (but he was already taking for 3 years 😳). Anyway, it messed with his libido causing a lower sex drive, a now known side effect of the pill. We were lucky in that we managed to conceive 2dc one try first cycle (low s drive so literally 1 try!). Anyways now several years later we are trying for a third and after a few tries it doesn’t happen so I’m starting to get worried. I bumped into a friend whom I haven’t seen for years and she was pregnant with her third and mentioned the struggle to conceive the third and she finally did ivf. Basically her husband also took the same pills, but she somehow managed to conceive the first two no problem. After speaking to her I’m now very worried. My husband would never agree to ivf.

Can anyone tell me more about low sperm count? Is there anything that can be down to help? Is it easy to go get it checked? I assume we would have to get it checked private as nhs probably wouldn’t bother since we have two kids together.

I'm currently TTC DC2 and have been for 18 months. In November I had blood tests (all normal) and DH had semen analysis. It came back very low (2.3million per ml). Also very poor motility with 86% dead. Since then he has changed underwear, started eating Brazil nuts daily and continued with male conception vitamins as well as started running. We got results from second semen analysis on NYE and found had increased to about 13million per ml. Less than 15million per ml is considered low. Motility is also better, although still 0% grade A motility (the best ones).
He has to go back in April for another test but feeling hopeful.

I'd suggest getting DH to go to GP and request a semen analysis and then go from there.

Good luck.

Thank you! I hope he will. Problem is he drags his feet to ever go to GP 🙄 or for anything health related issues. It took him 3 years to get his eyes check bc he obviously needed glasses and couldn’t read well. Finally I booked him and made him go and he got reading glasses!

Jduh, also what pills did your dh take? Someone mentioned fertilix to me.

In my experience sperm quality can be improved, we didn’t have any issues with quantity.

We had less than 0.5% normal form sperm and only 10% mobile (but “sluggish”)

DH changed to boxers from tight pants, stopped using his laptop on his lap, started exercising, stopped drinking and took a range of vitamins.

4 months later we conceived twins so something must’ve sorted itself out.

@Mamabear12 he takes Wellman vitamins. The doctor was very adamant that tight boxers really have a significant effect on sperm. Maybe try with that if your DH is a tight boxer wearer.

@Stinkytoe this is reassuring for our situation reading this. Congratulations!!

I will tell dh to stop using laptop on his lap! He doesn’t wear tight boxers. Hopefully he will listen to the advice given about eating healthy, vitamins and exercise! I’ve been trying to get him to take vitamins, but it’s so annoying bc he always forgets unless I hand it to him and tell him swallow now! Argh! Wish he would take more responsibility for his health!

And stinkytoe congratulations on the twins!

Hey hun we tried for 7 years before we fell pregnant with my little boy, my OH has a daughter from a previous relationship, so I thought the problem was me we had tests done and it turned out my OHs sperm count and motility where really really poor!
IVF was our only option, but we couldn't afford it, my oh started going the gym 5 days a week and drinking loads of water & orange juice, and after 2 months we found out I was pregnant, and we both believe it was the gym and his fitness levels that helped improve his swimmers 😊
Also when he was under investigation they found a varicocele which he had minor surgery to correct, maybe that is something to look into, and he had no symptoms with it at all it was undetected for years

Me and my (now ex) dh we're trying for 3 years with no luck, I'm not sure if hair loss tablets are similar but he was taking testosterone steroids for the gym and we both had no idea it had affected his sperm until he got tested, read online that hcg injections can improve sperm so he managed to get some from whoever was selling him the steroids, within months his sperm was back to normal and I got pregnant. I'd definitely push for your dh to get tested and then make a decision depending on the results.

Yes, I will make him get tested if we don’t get pregnant this cycle. The last few we tried only one time. This time we will try 3 times during fertile week. I do have a feeling it’s his sperm. I thought it was me at first until speaking w my friend and now it makes sense. Although, not sure how we got pregnant so easily the first two times (perhaps the hairloss pills makes a bad long term effect, which is more apparent a few years later?). Now I’m kicking myself for not insisting more we try earlier when dc2 was 3 (he is 5 now). Ah well. I should be thankful we were lucky enough the first two times. When I read online about the side effects for the sperm from these pills it’s a miracle we managed to get pregnant. I’m so angry the they can even sell these stupid pills that ruin so many peoples lives!