Some people get pregnant without even meaning to,
while others try for months and months but to no avail. They then look to
hormone doctors and all sorts of fertility-boosting measures to somehow correct
the process and improve their chances of conceiving, but could the problem stem
from something as simple as an over-the-counter painkiller? Some experts think
so.
NSAIDs can keep you from conceiving
In one study, results showed that taking NSAIDs or
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can temporarily affect a woman’s chances
at conceiving. Just 10 days of regular consumption of NSAIDs saw a drop in
progesterone which is one of the hormones involved in the process of ovulation.
Those
The study examined women who were of childbearing
age and had back pain. They all took varying dosages of NSAIDs of different
brand names for 10 days. After the 10-day period, they were tested for
fertility.
These preliminary findings are not entirely new.
Previous studies have shown that NSAIDs to be the only type of painkillers to
affect a woman’s ovulation. Drugs that cause a similar effect as NSAIDs are
said to have the same effect on ovulation.
Effects are temporary
Don’t panic; if you have been taking NSAIDs, you
can breathe easy because these effects on fertility are said to be temporary.
More research must be done to prove or disprove the hypothesis that regular
consumption of NSAIDs causes permanent infertility. Men do not seem to be
affected by this.
What’s in your cabinet?
Before you purchase more over-the-counter drugs, do
an inventory if your medicine cabinet. Acetaminophen does not have the same
effect as NSAIDs so you may want to look into that instead of the usual Aleve
or Advil.