Major study finds link between pain killers and infertility in women

A new study indicates that taking several common over the counter pain relievers, like Aleve, Motrin, and Advil, can increase a woman's chances of being infertile by up to 75%, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.

"Non steroidals such as Motrin and Aleve are vey important and frequently overlooked causes of ovulation dysfunction in women, especially the infertile population," said Dr. Matthew Retzloff, a fertility specialist at the Fertility Center of San Antonio.

Dr. Retzloff says the fertility industry has long suspected drugs which contain anti-infammatories like Naproxen or Ibuprofen contribute to infertility, but this new study shows exactly how significant the connections are.

The reason, he says, is the way the drugs go about the job of blocking pain.

"It is the anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit the prostaglandin production, and therefore, when you inhibit the prostaglandin production and synthesis, that inhibits ovulation."

Prostaglandins are produced by almost all cells in the body.  They are fatty acids which affect the development of body processes, including, in this case, ovulation.

"Ovulation constitutes the central event in ovarian reproductive function," Dr. Retzloff said.  "When you inhibit this at that high of a percentage, it has a huge impact."

Scientists have known for decades that ibuprofen-class drugs inhibit prostaglandin production; in fact, the 1971 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to physicians who made the discovery.

What was not known until this study was how seriously the limited use of these drugs; use in as few as ten days can disrupt the ovulation system.

Dr. Retzloff says women can still safely use Motrin to reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, because they are far from the ovulation stage when the cramps are occurring.

But he says for routine pain at any other time, acetaminophen based painkiller like Tylenol are recommended.

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