There are also a number of drug treatments your partner can be offered if problems are found with the quantity or quality of his semen.
hCG and hMG
These two drugs (the same ones as those mentioned above) can be used either separately or together for men who are deficient in LH and FSH, which in turn causes problems with sperm production. Men with a lack of GnRH can benefit from this treatment or the use of pulsing GnRH. It is interesting that many of these men (and women with a lack of GnRH) may have lost their sense of smell, which can also indicate a deficiency of zinc, a vital nutrient for fertility.
Bromocriptine
Men can also have high levels of prolactin which can cause loss of libido and impotence. This drug lowers prolactin, just as it does in women.
Clomiphene or tamoxifen
These are both anti-oestrogens which have been given to men where no hormone imbalances have been found but the sperm count is low. However, these drugs do not have product licenses for male infertility. And the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that the use of these drugs has been shown to be ineffective in treating male infertility.
Testosterone
This is another hormone which is of questionable value in fertility treatment. It is often given where there is no hormone imbalance but there is a problem with the sperm count. Proper development of sperm is dependent on high levels of testosterone and the amount that would need to be taken orally to get the required effect could have a destructive effect on the liver. Also, giving testosterone creates a vicious circle by decreasing levels of FSH and LH, causing further problems with sperm production. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, reviewing the papers on the use of testosterone, felt that there was no evidence for effectiveness and even if it had a placebo effect the dangers of using it were too great.
Corticosteroids
These are sometimes used for men who have anti-sperm antibodies. But there is no real evidence for the effectiveness of this treatment. The side-effects can include weight gain, dyspepsia, facial flushing, bloating, skin rashes, irritability and insomnia.
Case History
Jennifer was 34 and had been trying to conceive for the ten years since she had been married, but her husband had been told that he had a low sperm count. Two varicoceles were diagnosed and operated on but this did not improve his sperm count. Four years previously he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and one testicle had been removed, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Some sperm had been frozen before treatment. Jennifer had tried two ICSI treatments but they had been unsuccessful. She contacted me in August 1997 on her own, as the couple lived abroad and she was going back straight away. Her nutritional analysis showed very low levels of magnesium and high levels of copper (common after fertility treatment). I gave her a programme of supplements and suggested changes in her diet which she followed for the four months of the Preconception Plan. At the end of December the same year I received a fax from her telling me she was five weeks pregnant. She now has a lovely baby girl.
*90/73/5*
