Medication for treating inflammatory rheumatic disorders in men who are trying to conceive

Inflammatory rheumatic disorders is the name given to a series of autoimmune diseases that are often long-term in nature. The inflammation predominantly occurs in the musculoskeletal system, although it may also affect other organs such as the heart and kidneys. The common symptoms of these disorders include joint pain and restricted movement. Non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, fever or weight loss can also occur.

Men with inflammatory rheumatic disorders who are trying to conceive should be aware that some medication used to treat these conditions may have a negative impact on sperm quality. When considering which medication to take, it is therefore important that men with inflammatory rheumatic disorders who are trying for a baby take into account how their medication may affect their sperm quality. In some cases, men may need to change medication to improve their sperm quality and increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. It is important that men with inflammatory rheumatic disorders who are trying to conceive discuss this with their doctor so that they can find the best possible treatment option.

Causes of inflammatory rheumatic disorders

There are a number of inflammatory rheumatic disorders:

• Inflammatory joint disorders, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis
• Inflammatory disorders of the spine and individual joints, e.g. ankylosing spondylitis
• Inflammatory rheumatic disorders of the blood vessels and connective tissue, e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

The causes of most inflammatory rheumatic disorders are unclear.

Medication for treating inflammatory rheumatic disorders in men who are trying to conceive

Inflammatory rheumatic disorders can continue to be treated using medication in men who are trying for a baby. Inflammatory rheumatic disorders can be treated using a range of different medications or active ingredients. You may have questions about how safe these medications are for men who are trying to conceive:

• Ibuprofen (Aktren, Dolormin, Dismenol), acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, Dolomo, Neuralgin, Godamed, Melabon, Excedrin Kopfschmerz und Migräne Headache and Migraine, Alka-Seltzer), ketoprofen (Gabrilen), naproxen (Dolormin, Naproxen InfectoPharm), diclofenac (Voltaren, Flector), oxaceprol (AHP 200 Filmtabletten film-coated tablets), aceclofenac (Beofenac), meloxicam (Mobec), nabumetone (Relifex), felbinac (ThermaCare Schmerzgel pain gel), acemetacin (Ziloxicum)
• Prednisolone (Decortin H tablets), methylprednisolone (Metypred Galen tablets)
• Methotrexate (Methotrexat Mundipharma), leflunomide (Arava tablets), hydroxychloroquine (Quensyl), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine, Pleon RA), azathioprine (Imurek), ciclosporin (Immunosporin, Sandimmun), mycophenolate (CellCept, Mowel, Myfenax)
• Adalimumab (Humira, Amgevita, Hulio, Hyrimoz, Idacio, Imraldi, Yuflyma), certolizumab (Cimzia), etanercept (Benepali, Enbrel, Erelzi, Nepexto), golimumab (Simponi), infliximab (Flixabi, Inflectra, Remicade, Remsima, Zessly), rituximab (MabThera, Rixathon, Ruxience) 
• Cyclophosphamide (Endoxan)

Risks of medication for treating inflammatory rheumatic disorders in men who are trying to conceive

Inflammatory rheumatic disorders and the medication used to treat them may affect sperm quality, which could lead to infertility. However, it is important to stress that not all medication for treating inflammatory rheumatic disorders affects sperm quality. In some cases, it is the condition itself rather than its treatment with medication that plays a bigger role in reducing sperm quality.

Find out whether your medication for treating your inflammatory rheumatic disorder is safe while trying to conceive

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