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Conception

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Original poster

Azoospermia

14 replies

RB1985 · 05/02/2020 20:09

Hi. Just looking for some advice and anyone’s story who has been through a similar thing. My husband has just been diagnosed with azoospermia and we are currently waiting on referrals to the urologist, genetics and for an ultrasound. We haven’t yet had his blood results back (maybe today) but our GP has already said that there is basically no hope. I haven’t ovulated for the last two months, he has said this can likely be treated but it obviously adds an extra complication. We have no idea whether it’s obstructive or non obstructive but the GP feels strongly that it’s a genetic problem, although we aren’t sure how he knows that it’s non obstructive as the bloods were only taken for the first time yesterday. We are obviously devastated.

OP posts:
Trying2b · 05/02/2020 20:27

Really sorry to hear that. I had never heard of azoospermia until recently when I watched a documentary on Netflix. Its called 'Sex Explained' and there's an episode about Fertility. There's a couple on there with azoospermia and I think they were trialing something to try and help (although you never find out if it works or not). It might be worth a watch, if you haven't already seen it? X

Original poster
RB1985 · 05/02/2020 20:46

No, hadn’t heard of that. I’ll have a look, thank you.

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HighwayCat · 05/02/2020 20:54

I’ve been where you are but it wasn’t totally unexpected (DH had undescended testicles which were operated on quite late). We now have children through ICSI, although it has been a long road. Knowledge about male factor infertility is improving all the time. Much will depend on any clues you get about the cause, and also finding the right urologist.... where in the country are you?

Original poster
RB1985 · 05/02/2020 22:11

We are in Scotland. We have booked a private consultation with a urologist for 20th Feb so we can get some advice as the NHS appointments are a while away. The blood results have come back today (I tried to post yesterday but on came on the page today) and his FSH levels were 28, testosterone 9.2 which would indicate that it is non-obstructive as the GP suspected. This makes it all the more difficult from what I’ve read. I do think that there may be some hope but the GP said that there was zero chance of him fathering a child and started to discuss adoption, which we are not ready to consider before we have been through our options.

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Original poster
RB1985 · 05/02/2020 22:14

And when you say a long road, how long did I take for you? Not sure what we have ahead of us.

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HighwayCat · 05/02/2020 22:50

Occasionally we had samples with a couple of sperm in, so the urologist used medication to boost production which took a few months to work. So from the first zero sample it was a year until we were ready to start IVF. Even then we got max a couple of hundred sperm which is nothing compared to to usual 20 million per ml! Make sure all samples are centrifuged as any sperm seen improves chances of getting some for IVF. They should be testing him for kleinfelters and ideally y-microdeletions and it’s worth reading up on microTESE. Had he had any surgeries such as hernia repair? Or mumps as an adolescent?

Original poster
RB1985 · 06/02/2020 08:36

Thanks, Highway Cat. He doesn’t have any of the other stamp tins of kleinfeters but we are assuming that some other genetic condition is present. He has no other history/stamina whatsoever. Genetics testing on the NHS is a 26 weeks wait so we may need to go private for that as the wait is killing us already. Not sure if this is essential to do before doing a microTESE procedure? Can this be done on the NHS? Did you have anything done privately or was your wait due to NHS waiting times?

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Original poster
RB1985 · 06/02/2020 10:23

*symptoms

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HighwayCat · 06/02/2020 15:17

They will need the genetic tests before IVF as it may need you to have genetic counselling if it’s something that could be passed on to your children. We had a wait for the urologist (6-8 weeks from memory) but they then ordered the main genetic tests we needed then - karyotype, y micro deletions and cystic fibrosis. One of them took some time to come back. We were then referred a specialist urologist which took a further few weeks, but then spent 6 months with DH trying various medications (tamoxifen/clomid/anastrazole) to get him in the best place for the microTESE to be most likely to work, although this is not a licensed use. We planned to do the surgery privately as in our area at that time the NHS would only do microTESE and freeze what was found and we preferred the option of synchronising the mTESE and IVF as there was a question about how well testicular sperm would freeze and thaw. I’ve since heard some places do this on the NHS now though. Amazingly each time we’ve ended up with enough fresh sperm for the cycle without having to do the surgery, but we knew our cause wasn’t genetic.

Original poster
RB1985 · 06/02/2020 15:48

Thank you for all that information. We’re both just trying to get as much information as possible before we see the urologist in a couple of weeks. It’s just the worst time just now.

OP posts:
jb85 · 16/04/2020 21:07

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PurpleDaisies · 16/04/2020 22:32

Are you sponsored by wellman? They’re not miracle tablets. Stop bumping old threads.

nancyalan · 26/10/2021 08:49

Hi @RB1985 how did your treatment go? I’m in Scotland and in same boat.

IslaO · 20/11/2022 16:34

@RB1985 i am in the same boat as you now, just a few years behind. How did things turn out for you? X

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