[Ryeguy]

5 years ago we had a healthy baby girl. After she was born I had major post partum depression and anxiety and I am a man. The doctors tried various antidepressants and finally found 3 that helped me which I have been on the last few years. We have been trying to have a baby for 2 years and I have had 7 sperm tests (one every few months) and each time it has come back zero sperm. My doctor did some blood tests and my hormones are wacked out. My testosterone is normal but my prolactin and FSH (folicale stimiluating hormone) were elevated like crazy. My doctor suggested I go off of Risperdal 2mg and 2 months later my prolactin levels fell back to normal levels. Now I am still on Trazodone 150mg and Clomipramine 150mg only but my FSH level is still at 36. My doctor thinks I have testicular failure and to consider adoption or getting a sperm donor for my wife. I have heard about antidepressants causing infertility in some men. Do I come off of the drugs (through my doc) and see if I can grow sperm again or do I accept that I may testicular failure?

[Kris79]

Ryeguy - I don't know anything about antidepressants but I wanted to let you know that even with testicular failure, there may be options other than adoption or donor sperm. My husband was diagnosed with Azoospermia a couple of months ago and his general doctor told us adoption was probably the only route to children for us. Since then we have seen a urologist who specializes in male infertility and he says depending on what his bloodwork and genetic tests show that there is a chance of finding sperm and extracting directly from the testicles and then going the IVF with ICSI route. We're not that far in the process yet but there are women on the Azoospermia thread here who might be able to provide some further advice for you. Don't give up hope...I think there probably is some hope of finding something, especially if you have already fathered a child. Best of luck to you!

[justbreathe]

Ryeguy----Sorry about the situation you are in but I just wanted to second what Kris said in the previous post...don't give up hope! Being that you already fathered a child is a great advantage to you. Find yourself a reputable urologist specializing in male infertility and see what your next steps would be. I wish you the best of luck....

Katie

[Ryeguy]

Thanks for the support everyone! I have been to a urologist and a fertility doctor and they both think I have the same thing, secondary testicular failure. The doctors said that I could get a biopsy but there would be a low chance of finding some sperm and because of my high FSH levels they don't recommend getting it done. It is just so weird that when I came off the risperadol drug my prolactin fell back to normal. I wish I knew that my FSH could also fall back to normal if I came off the other meds. (I have been feeling great for 2 years now and haven't had any panic attacks, but my doctor thinks I should stay on a maintance dose just in case). Having zero sperm and a high FSH level makes me have little hope in getting a biopsy done from the sounds of it. Has anybody else had success?

[Kris79]

Ryeguy -

I might suggest checking out the Azoospermia thread, if you haven't already. Try posting your question over there because I think there have been women whose husbands have had high FSH and given very little chance, but they still found sperm. My sister told me once of a guy who had very high FSH and he was told there was little to no chance of finding anything and they found plenty to do IVF/ICSI with. I don't tell you this to raise your hopes (as I hate getting my hopes up unnecessarily), but only to let you know that sometimes there isn't a way to know until you do it and it seems that doctors like to present the worst case scenario (which I appreciate to an extent), but I know if we'd listened to our original doctor we'd have given up all hope of conceiving a biological child before we had to. I wish you the best. Come hang out with us in the Azoospermia thread sometime...it's a great group!