Men who regularly take certain commonly prescribed antidepressants may be unwittingly lowering their sperm count, Fox News reported Feb. 6.
Lower sperm count and sperm motility is a little-known side effect of a class of drugs known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), writes Madeleine M. Castellanos, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist who specializes in male sexuality. Studies have shown that SSRIs may reduce sperm count by as much as 50 percent.
Combine the effect of antidepressant drugs with chronic stress (which can lower testosterone), and you may end up effectively infertile, she says.
The negative effects of SSRI use clear up when you stop taking the drugs, although it could take as long as three months for sperm counts to return to normal. So, if you are trying to get your partner pregnant, you may want to consult your physician and consider alternative therapies to manage your anxiety and depression, Castellanos recommends.
SSRIs include brand names drugs like Celexa, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.
Reader Question: Have you taken an SSRI?
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