Certain medications are notorious for their adverse sexual effects. It’s a known fact, for instance, that antidepressants and medications taken to control high blood pressure can cause impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction or ED.
However, impotence is not the only sexual dysfunction that you may develop when you take these medications. Others can make you lose your libido, while some can cause ejaculation problems. To find out which medications can affect your sex life, continue reading.
Sexual Dysfunction as an Adverse Effect of Medications
When you read on the label that the medication that you’re about to take for your treatment may cause sexual dysfunction, it doesn’t automatically mean that it will make you impotent.
Although certain classes of medication such as antidepressants are known to cause impotence, there are also medications under the same class that don’t really cause erectile dysfunction but do reduce your sex drive or make it difficult for you to orgasm and ejaculate.
The adverse sexual effects of these medications vary, and the severity may also differ depending on your body’s reaction to the medication, as well as on your baseline sexual function before you started your treatment.
For example, if you were already suffering from mild erectile dysfunction prior to taking antidepressants, you may find that your sexual dysfunction has become more severe, or that other aspects of your sexual function may also be affected.
Experts say that medication-induced erectile dysfunction actually contributes to the high prevalence of impotence among the elderly. Older men have higher chances of being on one kind of medication or another.
And there are times when it’s the medication that’s causing the sexual problem. Studies show that as many as 25% of erectile dysfunction cases among older men are due to the medication they are taking.
Types of Medications That May Cause Impotence
There are actually several classes of medications that are associated with a high incidence of impotence and other sexual dysfunction. These are usually the types of medications that affect your hormones, your neurotransmitters, as well as your blood vessels and blood circulation.
Antidepressants
People with major depressive disorder tend to have low levels of serotonin, and certain antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs help to increase the amount of bioavailable serotonin to reduce their depression symptoms.
Unfortunately, serotonin is an inhibitor of sexual arousal and behavior, which means that the higher your serotonin levels are, the more likely your libido and erectile function will be impaired. The positive thing about antidepressants is that by reducing sexual arousal, they may help men who suffer from premature ejaculation.
Examples of antidepressants and other psychiatric medicines that are known to cause adverse sexual effects include amoxapine, buspirone, clomipramine, diazepam, fluoxetine, lorazepam.
Blood pressure medication
Because high blood pressure means you have a problem with your blood vessels and blood flow, it usually goes hand in hand with erectile dysfunction.
In fact, impotent men have a higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure, and those with hypertension likewise tend to develop erectile dysfunction. There are actually several types of blood pressure medications, although they all help lower the blood pressure inside your blood vessels.
Of the various types of prescription medications for high blood pressure, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, and diuretics are the ones that are known for their adverse sexual effects. These medications reduce the flow of blood to your sex organ as well as increase your body’s excretion of zinc which you need for normal sexual function.
Anti-seizure medications
Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed for a number of conditions including seizures, anxiety, muscle spasms, and insomnia. These medications have sedative effects and they also relax your muscles, which may then lead to reduced sexual desire and erectile dysfunction.
Anti-ulcer medications
If you’re suffering from GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, you may have taken H2 blockers in the past. Sometimes referred to as H2-receptor antagonists, H2 blockers are typically prescribed for various gastrointestinal disorders including peptic ulcers, gastric ulcers, and GERD.
Cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, and nizatidine may cause reduced libido, lower sperm count, erectile dysfunction, and even breast enlargement, especially if you’ve been taking these medications at high doses for a long time. Cimetidine, however, is associated with more severe adverse sexual effects.
Dealing with Erectile Dysfunction
These prescription medications are essential for treating your condition, and even if you have a problem with your medicine interfering with your sexual function, it’s always best to discuss it with your doctor first before you stop taking these medications or switching to a different one.
And while you’re discussing this with your healthcare provider, you may also want to bring up sex enhancement supplements as an option to help manage your sexual dysfunction. Although doctors usually don’t advise taking male enhancement pills, there are natural supplements like fenugreek that are known to be safe and effective.
What’s great about fenugreek is that it’s not just good for your erectile function or your testosterone levels. The herb is actually widely used in the kitchen as a culinary ingredient, but it has also been scientifically tested to help improve insulin sensitivity, as well as lower cholesterol levels.
Thus, if you’re both diabetic and you have high cholesterol levels, which are both known as risk factors for impotence, you can greatly benefit from fenugreek supplements. Plus, since the herb has aromatase inhibitory effects, it can also help increase your free testosterone levels, which is another reason why the herb is considered an aphrodisiac.
Aside from fenugreek, scientifically tested sex enhancement supplements include Tribulus terrestris, Tongkat Ali, maca, and Ashwagandha. Maca is actually a vegetable and it belongs to the same family as broccoli. If you’re hesitant about taking maca supplements, just think of it as adding another vegetable to your diet.
The truth is that maca has so many pro-sexual benefits. It can help improve your sex drive and enhance your erectile function, plus it can relieve your anxiety and stress symptoms. In addition, you can also get a great energy boost when you take maca, which means you’ll have more energy for some intense bedroom action.
