Hello everyone. I found this group this evening while searching the web. Two days ago I received the results of my first ever sperm test. I was told that no sperm were found.

My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for little over a year. I really didn't think there could have been a problem with me. I'm 37... and completely distraught. I haven't been able to work since receiving the results! At first I was simply numb... now I'm a complete psychological/emotional mess.

Our doctor has set an appointment for me to see a urologist... but the appointment is over a month away. (How can I wait that long!) I had blood work drawn and yesterday found out that my hormones are ok... still waiting on the testosterone level though.

I'm looking for a local support group... but I guess I'm posting this message simply because I can't think of what else to do. I feel so helpless.

My doctor has asked for another sperm sample. (0 sperm found in the sample, amount was 0.5 ml) Both my doctor and my wife's doctor sounded pretty grave. My wife's doctor looked at my results and already started advising about sperm donors and the adoption process. My wife has been pretty strong so far... but I know deep down she has always wanted children.

Anyone have thoughts on how long I should wait before providing another sample. They have requested it be done sometime before I meet with the urologist. I'm thinking I should wait as long as possible.

I'm wondering if I rushed the collection... given the small amount. I was in a hot tub and sauna last week up to 4 days before collecting. I work an extremely stressful job... and used to drink 8-10 cups of coffee a day (I've since quit the coffee and all things caffeine... been clean for 2 days).

I've been reading all sorts of things on the web regarding 0 sperm counts. Anyone have any information regarding patient outcomes with 0 count men? Is it possible a block or varicocele could account for this. A block would require both testicles are effected... is this likely? With varicoceles it sounds like a reduced amount could be expected, but not a complete 0.

Any advice/support would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for listening.

Hello Diplomat...Hello to your wife too if shes reading this with you.
I dont know anything much about this personally but my friend and her husband went through the sperm sample thing and all and I am just going to tell you the advice they were given to produce more sperm and what NOT to do as well.
Pick the date you are going to give them your sample and dont have sex for at least 3 or more days before to give your sperm cells a chance to build up its a known fact that the more often a guy ejaculates the less sperm he produces each time. So abstaining from intercourse for a few days will give the little guys a chance to re group.
They were also told to avoid tight underwear, to always wear boxer shorts not anything tight on the scrotum. And to avoid bicycle seats for some reason that includes riding an exercise bike at the gym.
I hope my limited advice has been a little helpful and I wish you and your wife the best of luck. Oh and before I forget...ease up on the stress you are under right now it wont help you to worry about this just relax and try what I suggested before your next sample and see how it goes. Take care.
Autumn.

Hi Diplomat and welcome to the board. My DH SA was also not good but he did have sperm. I know this is very upsetting news but please wait until you have seen the urologist before thinking "you are doomed." They will probably schedule you for a scrotum ultasound and see if you do in fact have a varicole (sp?). I have also been reading in Fertility books that there is a surgical procedure that they do to extract sperm but am not sure what it is called. You and your wife should go to the library and get some books on infertility (newer ones) and see what kind of procedures you will go through. Don't give up hope yet. I also agree with Autumnangels' advice. There are also some all natural products that you can buy in the health food store that are supposed to help. My DH's partner and wife used them after ttc for a year and now they are preg. Good luck and hope this info. helps.

p.s. Also surf the web and see if you can find any additional info. The more you know the better!!

Dear Diplomat

In August of last year my DH had a sperm test and what we thought were really good results came back. It seems even then, he was borderline on the amount of abnormally shaped sperm he produced but no one thought to inform us of this. It's only since we've been to a private fertility clinic in London, where he was asked to do another test, that we found out that the amount of abnormally shaped sperm had increased to 90% and there was a decrease in motility. This all means we are having to go through IVF with ICSI.

Since last August he has started his own business and has been under the most stress he's ever had in his life trying to get it off the ground. I believe this has played a huge part in the difference between the two tests.

I've been interacting with lots of people who have fertility issues and one thing I've found is that no two sets of results or doctor's diagonsisare the same. There is so much you can do to improve the situation such as cutting out alcohol and caffeine, eating organic as much as possible, not wearing any tight underwear and definitely no hot baths. Also try some relaxation techniques to help with the stress. There is a book by Marilyn Glanville called 'Natural Solutions to Infertility' that makes some recommendations in the area of male sub-fertility. She also produces a multi vitamin especially for male fertility which contains all the natural ingredients vital for healthy sperm production - you should be able to find reference to this on her web site (can't remember the address off the top of my head but you should be able to find it easily enough through one of the search engines).

Any new regime that you put into practice will probably take a few months to show any results - but in the meantime at least you are taking a bit of control and doing something positive.

Best of luck.
Clare

Dearest Diplomat

Ria here, don't despair I swear to you as bad as it seems it not http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif My husband and I are married 4 years and have started the whole IVF drama a month or so ago. I have searched online for 3 years to educate myself a little IVF which I did. My husband has Cystic Fibrosis and with that comes one of two things, absence of the vas dererens or blockage of the vas deferens either way he had no sperm in his SA. In IVF the have a procedure called ICSI where the retrieve the sperm from the testicles in a procedure called a sperm aspiration then they inject it directly into the womans egg and fertilize it in a dish then after 48 hours if the eggs fertilise they then transfer them into the woman and hopefully they will take and you guys will get pregnant. Just because you have no sperm in you SA it doesnt mean you arent producing any it just might mean that it has no way of getting out( maybe there is a blockage) my husband has a blockage and after our bloods came back they showed that he is creating sperm he has just no way of getting it out so we are going to do the ICSI procedure (fingers crossed) Its not a dead end yet dont give up go see a fertility specialist, its not over by a long shot. I pray for you and your wife as we all know how hard it gets. keep your chin up

Ria

Thankyou to everyone for your support and kind words.

Over the weekend my wife and I have been pouring over all sorts of material regarding causes of infertility, procedures, clinics, etc. Essentially whatever we can get our hands on.

Yesterday was our first day back at work. We've decided to try to keep our cups half full and simply get through the day. The waiting to see a specialist is killing me... I just feel we're waisting time and need to get moving. (Perhaps it's my type A personality!)

Our next big date is May 21st. I've decided to hold off on submitting another SA until the Thursday prior. If it is still zero... I think it will be easier to handle knowing I'll soon be seeing a specialist.

Thanks again for all your support.

- Robert

Diplomat,

I was reading a book yesterday about infertility, and with you in mind I looked up the zero sperm count. Now, mind you this book was published in 1993 and back then they were able to do a procedure where they can get sperm by using a needle. Of course you will need to go through a series of tests but it seems that sometimes when there is a blockage, even though there is sperm it is just "stuck" and needs help getting out. Also they said that a varicole can also block the sperm. I am thinking that 10 years later there must be some new procedures out there. There are so many good books out there that might help ease the wait. If you go on Amazon they actually have reviews from people who have read them. Good luck and hope all turns out well for you.

Hi Robert -
I have read in lots of material that hot tubs can be hazard to sperm - those high temps can kill them.

Lets hope that this had a lot to do with it. Good luck with your next analysis!

diplomat..
wear boxers..stay away from saunas and hottubs..since the heat kills sperm rapidly..drink oranje juice..take zinc.! My dh has low to normal sperm count.(30 mil)but it went up alittle after wearing the boxers...taking the zinc..etc.. good luck to u!!! We are doing IUIs so that might be an option... take care!!

Hello. my husb and i have been trying to have a chile for alittle over 2 yrs now and we found out the he is so close to legally steril. im 22, and he is 24, any suggestions on howe to help him grieve, haveing a child has been a dream for the both of us, now we just feel lost and out of control. my husb mike is in the USAF, and they dont pay for anyting that revolveas around fertility, we are just so upset, and the cost of artifit. insem. is to much for just one try, just need saupport and some information.

angelbutt

Robert, do you have an update? I would be interested to hear, as we are in the same boat.

Angelbutt - I wish you all the best. Never lose hope.

I know first hand what you are going through and my heart goes out to you because I know how hard it is.

Here is my story -- DH found out in Dec of 2000 that he had zero sperm. He had a couple surgeries to try to find some sperm and he doesn't produce germ cells that produce sperm cells. His condition is called Sertoli Cell only syndrome (you can research it on the internet). It was hard news to take but we had 2 options- donor sperm or adoption. We choose donor sperm. We are currently doing IUI (we have had 2 miscarriages). It has been hard for DH but his attitude is that the baby will be his even though it may not be his biological. He really feels like he will be able to love that child as if it was from his own genes.

My recommendation would be to have a biopsy first to see if they see any sperm (and maybe there is a blockage) then I would have the surgery to remove your veins next (to help the flow). Please don't give up hope, just because the surgerys didn't work for us they might work for you.

Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

Thanks for the info Tennisgal! Any and all info is very helpful. Were your dh's hormones checked?

We have had two S/A with zero count, FSH and Testosterone test fine. Urologist is scheduling testicular biopsy with sperm freezing, and dye injection/x-ray for blockage detection, followed by blockage repair - all in the same surgery.

Does this protocol make sense? It sounds a little different from what you described.

I am going to research Sertoli Cell only syndrome now. This is the first time I've heard of it.

Thanks so much for your input and support! Good luck to you with the IUI!!!

Yes, DH's hormoone levels were checked and were fine. The urologist actually put DH on Clomid to see if that would help increase it (didn't work). We tried everything we could to try to find even one little swimmer for 1 year! We finally came to the realization that he just didn't produce sperm for some reason and it was time to move on to other options.

Sounds like your dr knows what he's talking about with the dye test and biopsy.

I wish you the best of luck!

Diplomat, my heart goes out to you. I am a male with similar issues. I had an SA and my counts were low and motility was low as well. After several tests I even had one come out with a zero count. Then all of a sudden the last one came out with a count of 20 million! There are so many issues that can effect count and motility it's amazing. Stress, caffeine, hot tubs, the list goes on and on. I went to a urologist and another thing you may consider is possible retrograde ejaculation. This is most common in people with diabetes but the sperm end up going into the bladder instead of out the way they should. If this is the case they can take the sperm from the urine and clean them up and use them in an IUI or IVF. We're all guessing here but your urologist should be able to help you out with some tests. I also feel for you on the wait. Many times specialists are busy (especially the good ones) and in turn we have to wait to get in. Be patient and perhaps even ask them if they have a waiting list where if an appointment opens up they call you and you come right in. Depends on how open your schedule is. Take care and keep us updated. You're not alone, that's for sure!

angelbutt,

did you notice someone sent you informaiton??? read the topics... one says FOR ANGELBUTT... its about your insurance... just wanted to let you know. hope you get it.

ps good luck to all.

Hi Diplomat. I really know how you feel. My husband and I have been TTC #1 for 2 and a half years, and we were scheduled for 2nd IUI the other week, but when I arrived for the procedure I was told DH had no sperm in his sample that day, so wouldn't be any use continuing with the procedure. I was so devastated and was struggling to have a positive attitude even before the bad news. Now we don't know if it was just a bad sample somehow because he was sick a month ago, or if he is now sterile? He's had so-so results before, but worth using for IUI. So now I can't turn off the waterworks because I thought our situation couldn't get any worse. Sorry no words of wisdom for you at this stage, but can diffenately empathize.

Hi Robert - You may think this is a crazy suggestion, but, if you are open to alternitive therapies, look in to acupuncture for sperm count/fertility issues. Also, traditional chinese medicine - herbal therapy. A lot of folks try and have success with these therapies. Just a suggestion. Look on the net for more info. Good luck - Sara

Just a test to see if I can post messages.

Hello everyone, it's been a long time. I've been following the board however have been unable post/reply to messages. It seems that the board had banned my isp. Only recently has the restriction been lifted. My apologies to everyone who posted requesting an update.

In any event... here's a belated update for anyone who's interested.

Last April I was dx'd with a zero sperm count. Since that time I've undergone many tests (blood, ultrasound, urologist, etc). In June it was discovered I have CAVD. From June to October not much happened as we awaited an initial consult with a fertility clinic. My wife underwent pelvic ultrasounds and a hysterosplingosomething.

In October we had additional blood tests for Hep A/B, HIV, and CF genetics.
(The CF testing took 3 months to get the results, and we're still waiting the karyotyping.)

In any event... all tests came back negative, including our CF tests. Apparently however I do have some other type of genetic "splice variant" that while not technically a defect or related to CF, has been linked to CAVD. My wife is apparently very healthy with no issues identified (more good news).

October to January were pretty tense as we waited for the CF results. Based on my Dx, I was convinced from all my reading that I would be positive. We were praying that she was negative... and had no idea what we'd do if she was positive. Finding out we both were negative was our first really good news of 2004.

In any event, I underwent MESA and TESA a few weeks back. Luckily sperm were found (more good news!) It was however the most painful experience of my life... however I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Counting the day of surgery, I was off for three days.

This past week we had a follow-up appointment to confirm that everything was in order to proceed. As of today... we're now officially waiting our call to begin cycling in prep for ICSI. All the meds have been ordered and should arrive in the next couple weeks. Apparently we're looking at cycling in March/April.

This past year has been one of the most difficult for my wife and I. The ups/downs... the waiting... the uncertainty...

Not knowing whether there were sperm... why there were no sperm... would they find any... are we both CF carriers (the clinic wouldn't proceed if we were)... does my wife have problems... and all the while hearing the biological clock ticking... hell it was almost too much! "Yes" 2003 was really the worst year we have ever experienced. It really was hard to stay positive.

So far 2004 is shaping up to be a much better year. With everything we have gone through (and passed!), knowing we can at least try ICSI has really lifted our spirits. We're hoping the good news will keep comming so we can say next December that 2004 has been the best year of our lives.

For anyone new to this, facing similar circumstances... here's a few tips we've learned:

- If your urologist suspects CAVD, get him/her to order CF screening/karotyping on the husband and CF screening for the wife right away. For us this didn't occur until our initial visit with the fertility clinic. We waited 6 months for our first clinic appointment, and then had to wait 3 more for the CF results. Had the tests been ordered by a GP/urologist when it was first recognized, we could have saved three months of waiting.

- Do not let your urologist do any testicular biopsies unless he is a fertility specialist. I couldn't believe the night/day difference between what my local urologist seemed to know in relation to the specialist. Also... don't permit any biopsies unless they are prepared to collect and freeze any sperm they might find. (Big thankyou to the board and internet for this tip!)

- If you are undergoing MESA/TESA, try to coordinate the surgery for the latter part of the week. I was off for three days. It was literally the worst pain of my life (and I generally have a pretty high pain threshold). I had to return to work on the Thursday. Would have been better to have had surgery on the Wednesday and been off the remainder of the week + Sat/Sun.

- My wife's GP ordered pelvic ultrasounds very early on. The rationale was that it would facilitate our appt. with the fertility clinic. In the end the tests needed to be redone as the findings were not detailed enough. In the words of the clinic "we know you have a uterus and ovaries... what we need to know is their size, number of follicles, etc." Apparently this info is needed to determine medication dosing. This resulted in extra tests at an additional cost.

- For the wife... keep detailed records regarding period dates. My wife has been keeping track of this for the past two years. Without the detailed records, the clinic would have made us wait additional months until they were satisfied her periods were regular.

- We heard that our employer was changing our medication benefits. We had a very good plan and did not know what we'd get with the new plan. We approached the clinic about purchasing our meds in advance of setting a cycling date. This may have saved us 1000's. Again big thanks to the board. Without the medication posts... we likely would not have thought to ask our employer about this until 2004 after meeting with the clinic, rather than when we did in 2003.

- If you have to wait to get into the clinic... put the time to good use. We used the last year to get much more healthy. We eat better and exercise regularily. We've both lost a combined weight of over 50 lbs. I quite drinking/eating all things caffeine last April. As of today I'm still caffeine free, and have no desire to go back to the 12 cup a day habit. My wife says that since I've quite, I'm a completely different person. Much calmer with better sleeping habits. (Personally I feel this really helped with the ability to extract viable sperm, although I have no proof.) We also used the time to get our finances in order and save money. I also did a bit of moon-lighting to help offset some of the costs.

I think that's about it! Long post... thanks for listening.

I received the results of my first ever sperm test. I was told that no sperm were found. This was also the case of a US Coast Guard 'monitor' of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 'bioremediation' experiment. He told me that what distressed him the most these past 14 years was not the other odd symptoms - unexplained rapid heart rate, etc - but that although the enzymes and male anatomy was in A-OK condition, he had ZERO sperm - and the endocrinologists had NO explanation.

Turns out that he was exposed to even more 2-butoxyethanol than even the Inipol EAP 22 workers themselves ... as the US Coast Guard were the monitors and they were positioned on the Prince William Sound, Alaska beaches before the first worker arrived and did not leave until the last worker left. Now, if a health study is done, other workers with the same exposure should have the same effect (Basically 'gulf war syndrome' symptoms, if you know what those are)

Research on sperm count and quality of sperm indicate that in the last 50+ years it has been dropping by 2% per year and that at this rate all men will have zero sperm count by the next 50 years from now. Many news articles in 1996 on this. A pesticide is suspected. The chemical 2-butoxyethanol; diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (both chemicals gulf war troops were exposed to - though something NOT studied) are pesticides/solvents/poisons that target the testes and that came into widepread use 1950s and on.

Hello. my husband and i have been trying to have a child for a little over 2 yrs now and we found out the he is so close to legally steril. im 22, and he is 24, any suggestions on howe to help him grieve, having a child has been a dream for the both of us, now we just feel lost and out of control. my husb mike is in the USAF, and they dont pay for anyting that revolveas around fertility, we are just so upset, and the cost of artifit. insem. is to much for just one try, just need saupport and some information. - angelbutt So sorry;

I wanted to ask if there might be 'occupational' hazards such as this for those in some jobs in the military? You've heard of 'gulf war syndrome' & others even in other times of service are having symptoms, too. Anyway, one man in the mid 80s who was an aviation ordenance man said he kept coming back to the jet fuel.

Recently I spoke with a current Green Beret that says he was doused in jet fuel many times standing behind the C-130s awaiting boarding as a paratrouper (In his case he also cleaned a lot of weapons). He has severe 'gulf war syndrome' ... fatigue, depression, grand mal seizures, personality change ... short term memory loss, can't concentrate ...

Your husband might check and see if others doing his job either have the 'symptoms' or are having difficulty having children. The solvents/pesticides/poisons that could be added to fuel and gun cleaner & do such are ethylene oxide or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (2-butoxyethanol) these both target the testes; and jet fuels # 3,4,5, 6 are labeled as pesticides - so this is not a far stretch.

Does he seem tired a lot? Check the RETIC ratio & see if his red blood cells are full fuctioning or low functioning. (Too many immature red blood cells) ... one of these causes hemolytic anemia. But both can cause birth defects; or with too much exposure - maybe inability to have children, as the US Coast guardsman I reference, who shared with me last year about zero sperm count.

On the bright side: I know a family that gave up on having their own children after 12 years of marriage; and as soon as they adopted 2 brothers, the wife got pregnant with their own child.

Physically being able to have a child is not all that's necessary to have a son or daughter; being a father and a mother is still on the horizon, don't you think?