This is it: I am infertile!

[Fanjeera]

Just got my sperm test. The doctor is stunned and so am I. How is it possible? What to do next?

Results (december 2009):
sperm capacity -- 2,83 ml (norm: > 2ml);
viscosity -- 1 cm (norm: <2)
sperm count -- 33 millions/ml (norm: >40 millions/ml);
sperm whole count -- 93,4 millions;
mobility -- 0% fast, 16% moderate, on spot 19%, immobile 65% (norm: >25% fast)
morphology -- 0% normal (norm >10%), 99% head defect, 58% middle part, 61% tail defect, 1% development errors.

How's that? I can't believe it's possible taking a pill so wide spread for such a little time... but it is. The character of my semen changed within a day or so: it's amount decreased by like 2/3, it became transparent and somewhat watery and jelly, its volatility became nonexistent. Any suggestions what to do next?
Immediately after getting the results I called my GP and was able to get an endocrinologist appointment right away. She told me that she doesn't believe low FSH could cause it, because the sperm count itself is pretty high and the defects are coming from the testicles. I as well showed her my hormone test results and she found nothing to worry about, though my estradiol and LH are above the reference ranges. Umm... so finasteride affects the testicles somehow?

All my blood tests:
1) Done in October 2009:
S-LH 7.03 U/I (1.7 - 8.6)
S-FSH 2.63 U/I (1.5 - 12.4)
S-Estradiol 99.5 pmol/l (28-156)
S-Testosterone 26.3 nmol/l (9-27.8)
2) Done in November 2009:
SHBG 28 nmol/l 1,3-71
LH 11 U/l 1,7-8,6
FSH 2,49 U/l 1,5-12,4
Prolactin 150 mU/l 98-456
Estradiol 162 pmol/l 28-156
Testosterone 17,7 nmol/l 9-27,8
3) Done in March 2010:
FSH 1,72 (0,7 ... 11,1 U/L)
LH 3,93 (0,8 ... 7,6 U/L)
Estradiol 244 (<206 pmol/L)
Testosterone 36,6 (nmol/L)
DHEAS 9,74 (2,2 ... 15,2 mmol/L)
Androstenedione 16,5 (2,1 ... 10,8 nmol/L)

My latest sperm test (March 2010):
Capacity 4,57 ml (>2)
Sperm count 35 M/ml (>40)
Whole count 159,9 M
Mobility 5% fast (>25%), 21% moderate (>50% the last 2 together), on spot 19%, immobile 55%
Morphology 4% normal (>10%), 91% head defect, 51% middle part defect, 22% tail defect, 2% development errors (<160% the last 4 together)


As you can see my sperm has got a little better, but my estradiol values are still growing. Any suggestions?

 

[Nene]

Just got my sperm test. The doctor is stunned and so am I. How is it possible? What to do next?

Results:
sperm capacity -- 2,83 ml (norm: > 2ml);
viscosity -- 1 cm (norm: <2)
sperm count -- 33 millions/ml (norm: >40 millions/ml);
sperm whole count -- 93,4 millions;
mobility -- 0% fast, 16% moderate, on spot 19%, immobile 65% (norm: >25% fast)
morphology -- 0% normal (norm >10%), 99% head defect, 58% middle part, 61% tail defect, 1% development errors.

How's that? I can't believe it's possible taking a pill so wide spread for such a little time... but it is. The character of my semen changed within a day or so: it's amount decreased by like 2/3, it became transparent and somewhat watery and jelly, its volatility became nonexistent. Any suggestions what to do next?
Immediately after getting the results I called my GP and was able to get an endocrinologist appointment right away. She told me that she doesn't believe low FSH could cause it, because the sperm count itself is pretty high and the defects are coming from the testicles. I as well showed her my hormone test results and she found nothing to worry about, though my estradiol and LH are above the reference ranges. Umm... so finasteride affects the testicles somehow?

You don't know for sure what caused it. I'm not saying it wasn't finasteride, but then again it could've been anything.

 

[Axl_Rose]

Interesting.

 

[barcafan]

High LH WITH over range estradiol is strange. Normally high estradiol inhibits LH/Fsh production. Are you sure you got the right E2 Test done? If so, try some arimidex to get E2 down to normal range.

 

[Boondock]

Dang that's pretty crazy. I can only suggest that your doctor is on the right track. There has never been much of a suggestion that finasteride affects sperm production, in the long-term, in the way that it seems to have affected you. Generally sperm quality is the result of either low FSH, or some malfunction in the testicles. It's conceivable that finasteride could have a knock-on effect to cause problems in the former, but it's hard to see how it would have affected the testicles.

Seeing and endocrinologist and/or urologist is probably your best bet to get to the bottom of this.

 

[barcafan]

You need to find your

5a-thf/thf ratio. Usually offered by Urine testing.

This will reflect intracellular 5AR activity. If its normal then its unlikely finasteride is having any lingering effects in your body.

it's not always usefull to just check DHT levels.

This is because DHT is not a viable indicator of peripheral 5-alpha-reductase activity, because the ability of 5-alpha-reductase to process testosterone is not the first biochemical reaction to suffer, when 5-alpha-reductase is downregulated.

 

[Fanjeera]

Dang that's pretty crazy. I can only suggest that your doctor is on the right track. There has never been much of a suggestion that finasteride affects sperm production, in the long-term, in the way that it seems to have affected you. Generally sperm quality is the result of either low FSH, or some malfunction in the testicles. It's conceivable that finasteride could have a knock-on effect to cause problems in the former, but it's hard to see how it would have affected the testicles.

Seeing and endocrinologist and/or urologist is probably your best bet to get to the bottom of this.

Like it was suggested by the doctor... I wanted to do it myself.
Anyway, I went straight to an endo and asked, if low FSH could cause it. She told me that low FSH was very good for fertility and that the problem has to be in the testicles. Isn't that the other way round?

 

[Boondock]

^ I'm no endocrinologist, by my assumption was that testicular dysfunction was usually accompanied by high FSH, because the brain is trying its hardest to ramp up sperm production in face of what seems to be quite low output.

 

[Fanjeera]

That's what I also think and that's how it probably is. Which means finasteride affects the pituitary and the brain...
But the doctor told me that the sperm count in 1 ml isn't so much under the normal value, so that means the brain is doing its job and added that the malformations to the spermatosoids can only come from the testicles. I have 0 normal sperms and 0 fast sperms...
I still doubt it her theory though. I still want to know what is FSH's and pituitary's actual effect on spermatogenesis.

 

[Fender89]

I feel really bad for you mate

f*****g finasteride bullshit.

I've been applying it topicaly for over a month now via xandrox.. Il stick it out for another 5 months along with the other stuff i do and if it dosn't work, f*** it. THOUGH, my hair dosn't appear to have got any worse over the past month lol. Maintanence much? who knows lol.

I don't think i can even chance taking it internally now. Good luck my friend

 

[Boondock]

^ It's a bad situation but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Just because Fanjeera took finasteride and is classified as infertile does not mean that finasteride caused the problem. The docs have yet to look at other causes.

 

[Nene]

^ It's a bad situation but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Just because Fanjeera took finasteride and is classified as infertile does not mean that finasteride caused the problem. The docs have yet to look at other causes.

Exactly. I feel bad for this kid, but seeing as he only took the finasteride for a few days, I have a hard time believing that was the cause. It is possible though, which is scary.

 

[Fanjeera]

^ It's a bad situation but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Just because Fanjeera took finasteride and is classified as infertile does not mean that finasteride caused the problem. The docs have yet to look at other causes.

Exactly. I feel bad for this kid, but seeing as he only took the finasteride for a few days, I have a hard time believing that was the cause. It is possible though, which is scary.

Considering that my sperm changed to unrecognisable after the first pill, I doubt there could be any other cause. All my other relatives are totally healthy in this area.
Has anyone else let their sperm tested? I can't believe I'm the only one with this fate.

 

[GeminiX]

Considering that my sperm changed to unrecognisable after the first pill, I doubt there could be any other cause. All my other relatives are totally healthy in this area.
Has anyone else let their sperm tested? I can't believe I'm the only one with this fate.

I think I missed a step here. You had a sperm test, took 1 pill, then got another test right after?

edit: typos

 

[Boondock]

Considering that my sperm changed to unrecognisable after the first pill, I doubt there could be any other cause. All my other relatives are totally healthy in this area

I'd be sceptical of that hypothesis because:

1. You didn't test your sperm before you took finasteride. You therefore have no idea what the quantity and quality (e.g. sperm mobility) of your semen was. Just because it looked like it changed doesn't mean it actually did.

2. There's a big lag time between sperm production and sperm ejaculation. The sperm you were jizzing the day after your first finasteride would have been created weeks before. To suggest that it was therefore impacted one day after is therefore extremely dubious.

I'm not saying that finasteride didn't contribute to this. I'm just saying that you can't really be sure. It may be that finasteride acted as a trigger, rather than a cause.

 

[Shma]

Oh come on guys. You think it's concidence that he has those issues AND he wastaking propecia? You guys are in denial.

I know most people hate to see a link to that board, but go and look at the hormonal/blood test section at propeciahelp. It's concidence that people had low testosterone while or after quitting the drug?

 

[Fanjeera]

I didn't take any tests before, but my ejaculate was f*****g healthy then. It was white, thick, in big amounts, flying and so on. Now it's just watery, transparent and pathetic. I'm 100% sure that finasteride also made a difference in my sperm morphology as 0% normal isn't that common in young people and in my family.

 

[Fender89]

Yeah considering my sperm has been the same colour since forever. If it suddenly changed once i started taking finasteride, it's pretty obvious it's finasteride. You don't really need a test to see the colour of your sperm.

 

[Boondock]

I don't know if you read what I said above, but sperm isn't developed overnight. The sperm you ejaculate tomorrow will have been in gestation for several weeks. To suggest therefore that finasteride can radically alter sperm one day after dosage thus seems extremely suspect.

I'm not saying I don't believe anybody, I'm just saying it's way too simplistic to deterministically blame this on finasteride. It's just as possible that either it was unrelated to finasteride, or (more likely IMO) finasteride acted as a trigger to something that was already going on.

For the record, I'm not pro-finasteride, and I don't take it myself after side-effects from two trials. I just get fed up with sensationalism and hysteria.

 

[Fanjeera]

This just does not make since. You only took Finasteride for a few days. Finasteride would have slightly lowered your DHT Levels for the few days that you took it. This would not cause infertility, where's the logic behind this, I mean how do you believe that Finasteride achieved this at all, and in such little time? If you had taken an Antibiotic or Tylenol around the same time, would you have drawn the same conclusion?

If it affected the looks of my sperm, then yes, of course.