Do Psychiatric Medications Cause Infertility?

The answer to the question, “do psychiatric medications cause infertility?” is a complicated one. The short answer is, it depends on the medication. Some medications cause a direct effect on fertility while others are more indirect and somewhat convoluted in their mechanism.

I am not promoting any specific medication nor am I compensated by the pharmaceutical companies to list their medications in this blog. Also, each person is an individual and the risks of being off a medication that may decrease fertility a small amount may be too high to switch medications. Please work with your reproductive psychiatrist to discuss your options. 

Let’s start with the medication class known as the SSRIs. Two examples are the antidepressants sertraline and fluoxetine. With SSRIs, fertility can be decreased due to decreased sex drive or difficulty with ejaculation and/or erection. However, depression often causes sexual dysfunction, so it is important to treat the depression. An option can be to continue the medication and use assisted reproductive treatment if the sexual dysfunction is not bothersome to the person. Another option is to use a different type of antidepressant that does not affect sexual function such as bupropion.

Research has shown that there is no difference between women who take SSRIs and those who do not in the outcomes of IVF.

Some medications used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can make it more difficult to become pregnant. Antipsychotics such as risperidone and haloperidol can cause fertility issues by increasing the hormone prolactin, which is the main hormone responsible for lactation. Prolactin can cause irregular periods that can lead to difficulties becoming pregnant.

Any medication that causes excessive weight gain can lead to PCOS, a syndrome that is characterized by irregular periods and changes in hormones, that can cause difficulties becoming pregnant. You can review my video about some examples of medications that cause weight gain as part of their side effects here.

The most important thing to remember is to work closely with a reproductive psychiatrist who listens and works with you to meet your mental health and fertility goals.

If you would like me to be your reproductive psychiatrist, please go to my website, Freedom-Psychiatry.com, click on the “Book Appointment” button and schedule your free 15-minute consultation with me, Dr. Mills. 

Thanks for reading, have a great week, and remember, Mental Health is Freedom!

Dr. Mills is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Freedom Psychiatry, located in California. She focuses on achieving mental wellness using medication, nutrition, and lifestyle changes.