Prescription and over-the-counter medicines can disrupt the delicate balance between the brain, the uterus, and the ovaries that regulates fertility, in addition to other fertility hindering factors.
Knowing which drugs are safe and which ones to avoid might greatly improve your chances of becoming pregnant.
Find out what medications to avoid while trying to get pregnant to better further your chances of a successful pregnancy and birth.
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Do Medications Affect Your Chances Of Conceiving?
When trying to create a child, it is essential to have a clear understanding of which medications can be used without risk and which ones have the potential to compromise a woman’s ability to conceive.
If you are using any prescription drugs, you should discuss the matter with your primary care physician because some medications can alter ovulation or the receptivity of the uterus.
The following medications are known to interfere with fertility and are associated with pregnancy complications:
Medications To Avoid While Trying To Get Pregnant
Steroid Medications
When trying to conceive, it is essential to be aware of some medications that have the potential to impair fertility.
These medications should be avoided at all costs. For instance, corticosteroids like prednisone and cortisone, which are often used to treat illnesses like lupus and asthma, can interfere with the production of hormones that are necessary for ovulation.
This can prevent an egg from being released.
It is essential to have a conversation with your physician about any medications you are currently taking if you are attempting to conceive a child and since high doses of these drugs can be particularly hazardous.
Mental Health Medications
When trying to conceive, it is essential to be aware of the potential effects that certain medications could have on your fertility as well as your overall health.
For instance, antidepressants, which are frequently used for mental or emotional health, have been shown to impair the efficacy of conception by interfering with the hormonal control that occurs during ovulation.
Women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also known as antidepressants, may experience significantly increased difficulty conceiving a child, as well as an increased chance of premature delivery and miscarriage.
Men who take antidepressants as directed by their doctors run the danger of having their sperm become damaged.
Antipsychotics have the potential to interfere with your menstrual cycle; nevertheless, your physician may have suggestions for the antipsychotic drugs that are most likely to improve fertility.
If discontinuing drugs altogether is not an option, your healthcare provider may be able to alter the dosages instead.
Think about looking into non-invasive alternative treatments like cognitive therapy, talk therapy, EMDR and health coaching that won’t affect your reproductive system.
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Prescribed Pain Medication
It’s crucial to be careful about the medicines you take when attempting to conceive.
Avoiding common pain relievers like aspirin may reduce your chance of miscarriage by as much as 80 percent.
Ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen are examples of NSAID pain relievers that should be avoided by men and women trying to conceive.
Although acetaminophen is generally well tolerated, it should be used sparingly and for no longer than is absolutely necessary to alleviate pain.
Opioids are useful for moderate to severe pain, however they are narcotics and can cause birth problems such heart malformations and neural tube disorders.
Avoiding opioids is recommended because of the negative effects they have on reproductive health.
Before beginning any new medicine while attempting to conceive, it is essential to talk to your doctor to see what medications to avoid while trying to get pregnant.
Cough Syrup Containing Dextromethorphan
When attempting to conceive, it is essential to be aware of the medications you are currently taking and how they can affect pregnancy.
There are some that may not be harmful to the fetus, but there are others that could be.
Avoid taking any medications that contain the suppressant dextromethorphan, which is frequently found in cold medicines.
It is recommended to err on the side of caution and avoid it until after the 12th week of pregnancy even if there is no evidence that can definitively prove either way.
Additionally, despite the fact that some people may feel that cough syrup might help improve cervical mucus and contribute to fertility, this claim is not supported by any research, and professionals in the field of fertility do not recommend using it.
If you are trying to conceive a child and are considering taking any kind of medicine, you should talk it over with your doctor first.
Antibiotic Medications
When trying to conceive, it is critical to exercise extreme caution with regard to any medications you are currently on.
Some women have noticed changes in their cervical mucus while taking antibiotics, despite the fact that medicines are normally safe to use.
It is always essential to contact with your doctor if you have any sort of illness, as certain medications may not be safe to use after a certain point in your pregnancy.
If you are pregnant and have any type of infection, it is always best to consult with your doctor.
After the 15th week of pregnancy, for instance, tetracyclines should not be taken.
It is essential that patients refrain from self-medicating and persistently heed their physicians’ recommendations.
Vaccines
When trying to conceive, it’s important to be aware of certain medications that can harm your developing baby.
Live virus vaccines, such as the yellow fever vaccine, should be avoided for at least two weeks before trying to conceive.
Anti-malaria medication should also be avoided, as it can harm your developing baby if taken during or up to three months after conception.
The rubella vaccine should be avoided during pregnancy, and women who become pregnant within a month of receiving the vaccine should notify their healthcare provider.
If you do conceive after receiving any of these medications, it’s important to seek medical advice immediately to minimize the risk of harm to your baby.
Tips About Medications To Avoid While Trying To Get Pregnant
1. Always discuss medications with your doctor
Whether prescribed or an over-the-counter supplement, always discuss each medication with your doctor when trying to get pregnant.
Many medications interfere with ovulation, implantation, and conception as well as harmful effects in the first weeks of pregnancy.
2. Look for alternative medications
This is also something to discuss with your doctor! You may be on prescribed medication that you need for your physical and mental health.
But some medications may be necessary for your overall health and need to be taken.
Instead of coming off your necessary medications, talk to your doctor about other options similar to your current medications that may have lower side effects related to your fertility.
3. Check the labels
For all over-the-counter medications make sure to read the labels!
Especially with medications that have multiple ingredients typically found under the “proprietary blend” label.
4. Get a quality prenatal
Although many different brands of prenatal vitamins work for many women, it’s important to discuss the prenatal you’re taking with your doctor anyways.
Each woman is different and may need extra vitamins due to preexisting vitamin deficiencies.
Vitamin testing would tell you and your doctor about any extra vitamins you may need when preparing for a pregnancy.
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Final Thoughts
Medications to avoid while trying to get pregnant varies from woman to woman.
Although some medications should be limited, other medications you may need to stay on for the duration of your pregnancy.
All medications and even over-the-counter supplements should be addressed and discussed with your doctor.
Throughout the years, more and more medications are being found to harm unborn babies and to negatively affect fertility.
But with careful consideration and monitoring of types and dosage of medications with your doctor you can still succeed in accomplishing your goal of having a baby!