Low Sperm Count/High FSH: Information and Solid Guidelines for a Healthy Conception
Be aware that the sperm you ejaculate today was actually made 3-6 months ago. Last year with the flu season I saw quite a few men whose counts were low because they had sustained a high fever.
As you will see below, anything that causes the testicles to become too hot can damage the sperm. The reason they are in your testicles is nature's way of keeping the sperm at a temperature cooler than body temperature.
Refer to Explanation of Semen Analysis results, at the bottom of page.
Things to AVOID or STOP to increase sperm count:
- Wearing your cell phone on your waist. - A recent study out of Hungary demonstrated that men who wore a cell phone on their waist had sperm counts 30% lower! Try carrying it in your day timer.
- Cycling - heats up and puts pressure on the testicles. Consider getting a special saddle which puts less pressure on the testicles.
- Tight fitting underwear - bikini or jockey, time to pull out some boxers.
- Hot tubs
- Alcohol, Pot, any other recreational drugs - damages chromosomes and affects sperm quality - morphology
- Caffeine - depletes body of B vitamins and essential minerals needed for sperm production. Puts a strain on the kidneys, raises stress hormones - cortisol levels. Try green tea, it is rich in antioxidants.
- Being exposed to heavy metals - E.g. mercury amalgam fillings (the silver ones), working in a car body shop or chemical factory, painting. Consider a heavy metal detox or chelation.
Things to ADD to increase sperm count:
- CO-Q 10 supplement
- Fertility Blend for Men www.fertilityblend.com
all in one supplement which contains key minerals, antioxidants and carnitine - Carnitine - inFertility Blend
- Acupuncture
- Sleeping at least 8 hours a night
- Exercising
- Decreasing Stress
High FSH Level in Women
For many women receiving the diagnosis of an elevated FSH level becomes equated with never being able to have a biological child. Or you are told if you do conceive the eggs are bad and so you will have a deformed child or a miscarriage.
In my experience the FSH, unless it is in the 50-60's range is only an indicator of how well you would respond to the injectable drugs used in IVF. It means you are not a candidate for IVF, however it does not mean you can't have a biological child.
I have seen many women get pregnant on their own after "failing" clomid challenge tests, and having donor egg IVF children. One client got pregnant the cycle after her failed clomid challenge and gave birth to a healthy baby 9 months later.
Here are some suggestions.
Things to AVOID or STOP to balance FSH
- Cell phone use - I highly suspect what is true for the sperm is true for the Pituitary and FSH levels - see sperm above.
- NutraSweet - diet soda pop. NutraSweet has been linked to the development of autoimmune disorders such as MS and LUPUS. It also causes irritability or depression in the brain. Soda pop leaches out Calcium, which is needed in good reproductive functioning. Soda pop increases stress to the kidneys and increases cortisol levels - stress hormone.
- Caffeine - in two, large, multicenter studies done outside the US, as little as 1 cup of coffee a day increased miscarriage rates. Again, try green tea rich in antioxidants if you need some caffeine.
- Sugar increases the release of insulin, which increases androgen levels- which feedback to FSH, which can increase the FSH.
- SSRI antidepressants. Although used to treat "infertility" related depression. They can raise your FSH levels I would encourage having a plan for when to discontinue them. Consider acupuncture or homeopathy to treat the depression. The Mood Cure by Julia Ross is an excellent book for choosing supplements to decrease depression.
- Wheat, gluten. One in 165 people have Celiac disease. 1 in 16 cases of undiagnosed fertility issues are secondary to gluten intolerance, wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Not all people with Celiac experience the gastrointestinal symptoms of bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea. If someone in your family has Celiac, consider going gluten free for a few months. You can also ask your provider for the following lab tests: antigliadin antibody(IgGand IgA) and anti-endomysial antibody(EMA) and total serum IgA.
- Removing any electrical sources at the head of your bed. Ex. portable phone, electrical clock radio. These sources of EMF's can interfere with your brains' sensitive chemistry and subsequently affect FSH levels.
- Remove or cover any LED or flashing lights in your bedroom, this again can affect the hormonal balance of your brain.
- No dieting - dieting can put your body into starvation mode. Getting and staying pregnant relies on having enough for "you and me". No "low carbs" - A recent study showed that embryos in mice on a no or low carb diet had a much lower implantation rate.
Things to ADD to balance FSH
- Sleeping at least 8 uninterrupted hours a night
- Sleeping in a dark room.
- EFA's ( Essential Fatty Acids) - good fats such as fish oil, non farmed salmon, 1-3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds per day.
- Fertility Blend for women. www.fertilityblend.com
or vitex tincture. - Acupuncture the most effective way I know of getting a lower FSH.
- Multivitamin use.
- Read Inconceivable by Julia Indichova. She conceived with an FSH of 43, this is her story.
- Get your thyroid checked. Double check what normal is. They will call .5 - 5.5 normal. Those are normal levels for men. For a woman to get pregnant and stay pregnant optimal TSH levels are 1.0 - 2.5. Since the TSH and FSH feedback to each other this is important to double check.
- "Good" carbs. Complex carbs increase serotonin levels, decrease depression and help to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Ex. any kind of whole grains or legumes, such as hummus, chick peas, quinoa, millet, lentils, split peas, whole rolled oats and rye.
- Try a gluten free diet. No wheat, barley or rye. Yes there are foods out there you can eat.
- Mind/Body work such as the work I provide. Meditation and Mind/Body exercises decrease stress, decrease cortisol levels, and increase serotonin, all of which feedback to the pituitary - the gland which produces FSH.
More reading about fertiliy:
- Fertility Introduction
- Fertility and the Mind/Body Connection Article (PDF)
- The Two-Week Wait Activity List-14 Things to Do When 14 Days Seem Like Forever
- Low Sperm/High FSH information
- "They're Playing Your Song" Article
- Baby Altar Interview
- Babymakers Essay by Kelly Stainback Tracy
- Taking the "In" Out of Infertility: Tips, Info, Dos & Don'ts
Read Success Stories here »
Semen Analysis:
- LIQUIFACTION: Should be complete by 1 hour
- VISCOSITY: 3 - 4 normal; 2 borderline; 1 undesirable
- VOLUME: 1.0 - 5.0ml
- COUNT: Minimum of 20 million cell/ml
- MOTILITY: Initial should be at least 50%
- FORWARD PROGRESSION:
0 - 1 - No forward movement or sperm are "shaking"
2 - Poor
3 - Sperm have good direction - this is acceptable
4 - Sperm have excellent forward progression - SPEED:
0 - 1 - No speed, sperm have no movement or are "shaking"
2 - Sperm are sluggish
3 - Sperm have good speed - This is acceptable
4 - Sperm have excellent speed
(Note: Forward Progression and Speed are two separate scores.) - SURVIVABILITY:
Specimen should show good motility after 6 hours of incubation. A loss of 20% or more of initial motility score can be indicative of a problem. - HYPERACTIVITY:
Sperm should exhibit a sporadic, almost spastic movement during their swimming at 6 hours.
Hyperactivity is correlated to capacitation - necessary for fertilization. - SWIM-UP:
2 - 3mm rise at 30 minutes----poor
3 - 4mm rise at 30 minutes----fair
4 - 5mm rise at 30 minutes----good
6mm or greater rise at 30 minutes----excellent - AGGLUTINATION:
slight---acceptable
low to moderate---should be investigated
heavy---definite problem, possible antibodies - MORPHOLOGY:
At least 14% normal cells (Kruger strict criteria). Less than 14% has shown to have a decreased rate of fertilization in IVF studies
