Male factor and antihistamines

Be careful with allergy medicine if you have male factor subfertility.

I just had a disappointing day after having our second IUI attempt cancelled because of an insufficient semen sample. It was a little strange because there had been just enough last month, and even more in the prior semen analysis. Upon being asked about medications on the form, though, I remembered that I had seen my husband taking cetirizine (generic Zyrtec) for allergies, and upon asking him, it turns out he’s been taking it for a month or so. I see now that there seems to be some literature linking antihistamine use with lower sperm parameters.

Ahmed, E.A., Abdel-Emam, R.A. The potential impact of 1st and 2nd generation antihistamines on male fertility. Comp Clin Pathol 28, 1465–1470 (2019). ‪https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-019-02993-0‬

Mondillo, C., Varela, M. L., Abiuso, A., & Vázquez, R. (2018). Potential negative effects of anti-histamines on male reproductive function. Reproduction (Cambridge, England), 155(5), R221–R227. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-17-0685

Of course we don’t know for sure if the Zyrtec was the culprit or not, but I figured I’d share with you lovely ladies in case it helps anyone else. It might be something to keep in mind and ask a doctor about if it seems relevant. We wish we had known.