Guaifenesin and increased sperm motility: a preliminary case report

• Main Authors: Gary Means, Cristóbal S Berry-Cabán, Kurt Hammermeuller
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2010-12-01
• Series: International Journal of General Medicine
• Online Access: http://www.dovepress.com/guaifenesin-and-increased-sperm-motility-a-preliminary-case-report-a5942

Gary Means1, Cristóbal S Berry-Cabán2, Kurt Hammermeuller11Department of Family Medicine, 2Department of Research, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC, USABackground: A review of the literature and an extensive Medline search revealed that this is the first case report of the use of guaifenesin to increase sperm motility.Case: A 32-year-old male presented for an infertility evaluation. He reported an inability to conceive with his wife after 18 months of unprotected intercourse. A semen analysis was performed that included spermatozoa count, liquefaction, morphology, motility, viscosity and volume. Initial results of the semen analysis demonstrated low sperm count and motility. The provider offered treatment with guaifenesin 600 mg extended release tablets twice daily. Two months after guaifenesin therapy the semen analysis was repeated that demonstrated marked improvement in both total sperm count and motility.Conclusion: Evidence for the effectiveness of guaifenesin is almost entirely anecdotal. Given the mechanism of action of guaifenesin, it is not clear from this case why the patient demonstrated such a large improvement in both sperm count and motility. Additional studies of the effects of guaifenesin on male fertility could yield information of the medication's effect on men with normal or decreased total sperm counts.Keywords: sperm motility, guaifenesin, infertility, male pregnancy