It may seem unlikely, but antibiotics can play havoc with your fertility. Long term use or even a short course may impact your health and reduce your chances of becoming pregnant.
The role of antibiotics
Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for bacterial infections or for potential bacterial infections (think UTI's, coughs and colds and even post c-section, when they are routinely given to birthing mothers). They are responsible for killing off bacteria. All good, right? Actually we need bacteria. We are mostly made up of bacteria and other pathogens that often just want to find a home inside us. In return for lodging, they play an important part in how we function effectively as organisms.
The problem with antibiotics is that they don't differentiate between bacteria that are causing an infection and beneficial bacteria, therefore potentially upsetting the balance of our gut microbiome.
Bacteria, hormones and fertility
What has that got to do with fertility? Quite a lot! We are conditioned to think of ourselves as separately functioning parts that make up the whole organism. But it is more useful to change that perspective and think that we are a whole organism that works very effectively in a holistic way. This is why homeopathy is so great, because it doesn't fracture the body into parts and, doesn't separate the mind and body.
There are hundreds of species of bacteria on your gut. They all have a role to play in the way you function. One group of these species is called estrobolome, which are responsible for metabolising and modulating estrogen levels. If your gut microbiome becomes imbalanced, through antibiotics, for example, then is can impact estrogen levels.
What happens if your estrogen levels are too high? Your cycle is disrupted resulting in irregular cycles, heavier periods, fatigue, anxiety, low libido and problems with your thyroid.
If your estrogen levels are too low it can lead to sleeping issues, low libido, migraines, mood swings and of course, impact your cycle.
Remember we have a hormone CYCLE, so disruption to the level of one hormones is going to have a knock on affect on other hormones.
All bad news for fertility.
Impact of antibiotics on male fertility
It's not just females that are impacted. Men suffer too. Some antibiotics can lower sperm quality and sperm count. Estrogen has a role to play in sperm generation, so if antibiotic use imbalances gut microbiome, which includes those responsible for sperm production, this can cause issues with male fertility.
Beth's story
Beth came to see me after trying to conceive for ten years. She had never been pregnant and wasn't ovulating. During her consultation, I asked her if she had any other symptoms outside those linked to her infertility. Not making a connection, she casually mentioned she suffered from reoccurring UTI's, for which she had been taking antibiotics for 32 years.
It was so obvious she needed a detox from the antibiotics. After two months, she had a positive ovulation test. One month later she had a positive pregnancy test.
You can detox from synthetic hormones such as the birth control pill, labour drugs and steroids as well as antibiotics and heavy metals. Detoxes take place over eight weeks. They are safe, gentle and free from side effects.
Detoxing is a really effective way to balance your hormones, get you ovulating again and enhance the quality of your eggs and sperm.
But what about those infections?
Homeopathy of course! If you have UTI's, homeopathy will trigger your body to gently heal itself without causing detrimental effects elsewhere. Give it a try and experience how it brings your body back to health.
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