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Does Venlafaxine Affect The Quality Of Sperm On Long Term Usage?
I am on venlafaxine 75 mgs per day for about 3years - My wife and I are considering having a baby - doeb this drug have any effect on sperm count or the structure of the sperm -I am having a sperm count now and that will no doubt indicate the quality of the sperm and the amount of sperm- My wife is on no medication-My concern is that if we try for pregnancy my possible abnormal sperm if that is so may affect the ovum and long term development of baby in utrine- I have heard that a person should wait 10 months for all substances of Venlafaxine to be excreated from the body- l have now come off the drug slowly and aware of side effects two days into abstanance- The drug has affected my libido with infrequent sex- I can get on the Consumer Medication Information telephone but I suspect I will get some bland response-Could you as a doctor give me you opinion you may have to make some phone calls yourself but what I am wanting is a precise statement as to whether this drug affects sperm and if so in what way-and if there are what measures I need to take to avoid them-I have asked my GP but he says that this is not his area of specialisam I should contact a fertility clinic l work in psychiatry and am very aware of medicines and how they can affect cellular structures and I would not want to adversely affect an unborn child if it can be prevented -Sorry about the length of the question but it is important to both of us that we get a well considered and informed answer-
Thu, 4 Jun 2015
Hello thanks for asking from Health Care Magic for your health related queries
I can understand your concern. Venlafaxine is a SNRI drug and the drug helps to improve serotonin and noradrenaline neurotransmission in brain and results in reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. The drug can cause delayed ejaculation, poor libido and anorgasmia. It is not known to cause infertility and has not found to be associated with reduction in sperm counts in most of research studies. But some studies have found the drug Venlafaxine is associated with decrease in sperm counts and motility. But that usually occurs at very high doses. Still to become more clear on that consult your psychiatrist or a fertility specialise.
Thanks, I hope this helps you. Take care
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi,
Psychiatrist
I can understand your concern. Venlafaxine is a SNRI drug and the drug helps to improve serotonin and noradrenaline neurotransmission in brain and results in reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms. The drug can cause delayed ejaculation, poor libido and anorgasmia. It is not known to cause infertility and has not found to be associated with reduction in sperm counts in most of research studies. But some studies have found the drug Venlafaxine is associated with decrease in sperm counts and motility. But that usually occurs at very high doses. Still to become more clear on that consult your psychiatrist or a fertility specialise.
Thanks, I hope this helps you. Take care
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi,
Psychiatrist
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