11 replies to this topic

[iheartmemories]

My husband was on Androgel for low testerosterone for about a year. We decided then to start trying for a baby. His urologist informed him to discontinue the Androgel and start on Clomid, 25mg's, half a pill, every day at bedtime. 2 1/2 months later, he has a semen analysis and discovers there are ZERO sperm present. I was so hopeful he would have sperm, being on the Clomid. He has an 18 y/o daughter from a previous relationship, so I don't think he has any other issues. Maybe he needs to be on the Clomid longer?? A lot of info on the web says to give it at least four months. I've also read that HCG helps.... Any info/success stories/etc greatly appreciated.

[Merry33]

If he has low testosterone it is not unlikely that he does indeed have issues. There is also secondary infertility among men, not just women (ie, he could have had no issues 20 years ago but could have severe issues now). Did your doctors do any more work-ups on your husband? I think he should have more testing done, but maybe wait a bit longer to make sure that all the effects that the androgel had on him are reversed.

Usually people wait for 3 months, to be on the safe side. the sperm production cycle lasts around 70 days or so (although some researchers say much less).

 

Clomid and HCG seem to sometimes help men who are "sub-fertile" (eg have somewhat low-ish counts), but it most often doesn't work with zero or very few sperm. But I think you need to find out first if your husband has zero sperm because of the androgel or because there is something else going on.

[leigh14]

Hi there,

 

Just wanted to chime in. My DH was on Androgel and we were he should go off it prior to us cycling. It does affect sperm production. And, it makes the testicles smaller.  This is something that we didn't know and were all set to cycle only to be called in by the urologist who noted that some of his lab numbers from his blood work were "off."  We waited 3 months and there was no problem. We were not successful in that cycle (likely not related to this issue) but were in a later cycle.  My DH had a vasectomy a number of years ago so we were pretty sure we could get sperm through aspiration but Androgel does affect sperm production.

 

Good luck!

Leigh

[iheartmemories]

If he has low testosterone it is not unlikely that he does indeed have issues. There is also secondary infertility among men, not just women (ie, he could have had no issues 20 years ago but could have severe issues now). Did your doctors do any more work-ups on your husband? I think he should have more testing done, but maybe wait a bit longer to make sure that all the effects that the androgel had on him are reversed.

Usually people wait for 3 months, to be on the safe side. the sperm production cycle lasts around 70 days or so (although some researchers say much less).

 

Clomid and HCG seem to sometimes help men who are "sub-fertile" (eg have somewhat low-ish counts), but it most often doesn't work with zero or very few sperm. But I think you need to find out first if your husband has zero sperm because of the androgel or because there is something else going on.

 

 

The urologist only checked his testosterone levels, at 2 months (after starting Clomid) and they went up to 500 something.  So, the Clomid was doing what it needed to do (help boost his testosterone levels).

[iheartmemories]

Hi there,

 

Just wanted to chime in. My DH was on Androgel and we were he should go off it prior to us cycling. It does affect sperm production. And, it makes the testicles smaller.  This is something that we didn't know and were all set to cycle only to be called in by the urologist who noted that some of his lab numbers from his blood work were "off."  We waited 3 months and there was no problem. We were not successful in that cycle (likely not related to this issue) but were in a later cycle.  My DH had a vasectomy a number of years ago so we were pretty sure we could get sperm through aspiration but Androgel does affect sperm production.

 

Good luck!

Leigh

 

Glad to hear you were successful!!  I hope when he goes in next month, to have another SA, it shows some swimmers.  At that point, it'll be 3 1/2 months after coming off of the Androgel.

[Merry33]

 

If he has low testosterone it is not unlikely that he does indeed have issues. There is also secondary infertility among men, not just women (ie, he could have had no issues 20 years ago but could have severe issues now). Did your doctors do any more work-ups on your husband? I think he should have more testing done, but maybe wait a bit longer to make sure that all the effects that the androgel had on him are reversed.

Usually people wait for 3 months, to be on the safe side. the sperm production cycle lasts around 70 days or so (although some researchers say much less).

 

Clomid and HCG seem to sometimes help men who are "sub-fertile" (eg have somewhat low-ish counts), but it most often doesn't work with zero or very few sperm. But I think you need to find out first if your husband has zero sperm because of the androgel or because there is something else going on.

 

 

The urologist only checked his testosterone levels, at 2 months (after starting Clomid) and they went up to 500 something.  So, the Clomid was doing what it needed to do (help boost his testosterone levels).

 

Yes, clomid does seem to improve testosterone levels most of the time (but not always sperm production unfortunately). With other testing I rather meant checking his FSH/LH, imaging etc.

[iheartmemories]

 

 

If he has low testosterone it is not unlikely that he does indeed have issues. There is also secondary infertility among men, not just women (ie, he could have had no issues 20 years ago but could have severe issues now). Did your doctors do any more work-ups on your husband? I think he should have more testing done, but maybe wait a bit longer to make sure that all the effects that the androgel had on him are reversed.

Usually people wait for 3 months, to be on the safe side. the sperm production cycle lasts around 70 days or so (although some researchers say much less).

 

Clomid and HCG seem to sometimes help men who are "sub-fertile" (eg have somewhat low-ish counts), but it most often doesn't work with zero or very few sperm. But I think you need to find out first if your husband has zero sperm because of the androgel or because there is something else going on.

 

 

The urologist only checked his testosterone levels, at 2 months (after starting Clomid) and they went up to 500 something.  So, the Clomid was doing what it needed to do (help boost his testosterone levels).

 

Yes, clomid does seem to improve testosterone levels most of the time (but not always sperm production unfortunately). With other testing I rather meant checking his FSH/LH, imaging etc.

 

 

 

No other testing...  I guess most men who are on the Androgel have low or no sperm so she thought the Clomid would help both sperm count and boost testosterone.  There was an article about a study that was done on men who took Androgel.  The majority of them started producing sperm at around 3.7 months after discontinuation of the Androgel.

[TryingForOur2ndChild]

My DH has been on clomid for coming up 4 months now to increase his testosterone levels. Our first opinion just shrugged off his low t-counts and referred us to IVF with ICSI, but having low t-count can cause other health issues that we at minimum wanted to address. 

We had a second opinion instantly place him on clomid. He went from initally having less than 1 million count (they wouldn't even count them when it was that low), to 1.3 million just on the vitamin supplements he was taking while we waited for our 2nd opinion appt.... and a month ago at his 3 month follow-up appt his SA showed it had gone up to 3 million with clomid. They have since increased his clomid dose because he's still feeling a lack of energy and encouraged him to start lifting weights to assist with energy and t-count, though it has gone up to a normal level. We are waiting to see what his blood work says after being on a month of the increased dose of clomid because if his estradiol levels are elivated (which clomid does) they are going to also place him on arimidex in conjunction to the clomid.Some couples have had great results with this combination, though unfortunately clomid isn't guaranteed to work as we were warned my DH may not respond to it.... we are one of the fortunate couples that he is slowly responding to it.

 

If they haven't already, maybe ask his family physician or urologist if they will check the following:

1- testosterone

2- free testosterone

3- prolactin

4- estradiol

5- FSH

6- LH

 

Best of luck and feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions.

[iheartmemories]

My DH has been on clomid for coming up 4 months now to increase his testosterone levels. Our first opinion just shrugged off his low t-counts and referred us to IVF with ICSI, but having low t-count can cause other health issues that we at minimum wanted to address. 

We had a second opinion instantly place him on clomid. He went from initally having less than 1 million count (they wouldn't even count them when it was that low), to 1.3 million just on the vitamin supplements he was taking while we waited for our 2nd opinion appt.... and a month ago at his 3 month follow-up appt his SA showed it had gone up to 3 million with clomid. They have since increased his clomid dose because he's still feeling a lack of energy and encouraged him to start lifting weights to assist with energy and t-count, though it has gone up to a normal level. We are waiting to see what his blood work says after being on a month of the increased dose of clomid because if his estradiol levels are elivated (which clomid does) they are going to also place him on arimidex in conjunction to the clomid.Some couples have had great results with this combination, though unfortunately clomid isn't guaranteed to work as we were warned my DH may not respond to it.... we are one of the fortunate couples that he is slowly responding to it.

 

If they haven't already, maybe ask his family physician or urologist if they will check the following:

1- testosterone

2- free testosterone

3- prolactin

4- estradiol

5- FSH

6- LH

 

Best of luck and feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions.

 

I tried to PM you but it wouldn't let me 

 

His FSH has been checked...  it was 0.3 before starting Clomid (this was while still on Androgel).   2 1/2 months on the Clomid, it is 22.3, which is above normal range but I've heard that is common with Clomid.  Testosterone on Clomid, at the 2 1/2 month mark was 530.

[TryingForOur2ndChild]

iheartmemories.... I'll PM you.

[Merry33]

The problem is - none of these values will really give you "the real picture", as they're both off because of first the androgel and now the clomid.

[Aiti]

Best of luck