Plenty of causes and risk factors lead to having problems getting hard between the sheets – just when you need it the most. Antibiotics might be one of those causes, with a few key reminders.
It’s essential to understand how antibiotics affect the body to see how they can lead to sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED).
How do antibiotics work?
Antibiotics are pharmaceuticals designed to fight infection-causing bacteria in your body by either destroying the bacterial cell and its functions or preventing them from reproducing. This causes the infection to stop and the disease to subside over time.
However, there is more to antibiotics than just that. Antibiotics contain certain compounds that might cause a series of adverse effects on your health, causing potentially dangerous complications. These include rashes, renal failure, diarrhea, seizures, neurological and blood toxicity, and death, just to name a few.
Research shows that half of the antibiotic prescriptions in the United States have been incorrectly prescribed to some degree, with a third of them deemed unnecessary. In fact, the overuse or misuse of antibiotics has become a public health issue in the United States, as the problem has grown out of proportion.
Granted, antibiotics have saved billions of lives from potentially fatal bacterial infections, and have contributed to treating severe infections. Therefore, it would be wrong to tar them all with the same brush and deem all of them absolutely unnecessary. But that’s a different story altogether.
You’re here to find out whether they can cause ED – so do they? Let’s find out.
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
Do antibiotics cause ED?
The short answer is that there is not much evidence to prove a link between antibiotics and ED.
Antibiotics have actually been shown to benefit your reproductive system, such as treating prostate infections that could lead to premature ejaculation. However, no scientific studies about antibiotics causing erectile dysfunction have been conducted. Nothing to see here, folks.
However, do antibiotic-induced side effects interfere with your cardiovascular system or circulatory function so much as to affect your responses to sexual stimulation? Absolutely, just like the cardiovascular and neurological effects of antibiotic overuse or misuse can.
Chances are, however, in such cases where your health concerns are related to seizures and renal failure, you’re going to be more concerned about potential fatal effects rather than getting erect for a night of lovemaking.
That said, severe, fatal side effects are seldom. But if you notice any side effects from antibiotics, you should inform your doctor immediately.
The fact is that adverse effects related to sexual function will more likely be caused by taking medicines known to cause erectile dysfunction. These include certain antihistamines, antidepressants, antihypertensive drugs for high blood pressure, chemotherapy, analgesics, alcohol, or nicotine, to name a few.
How do I treat my ED?
If your sexual performance has taken a toll for the worse, you might want to consult your doctor and treat it as a medical condition. Treating ED is a proactive process – you wouldn’t want to take a “wait-and-see” approach with it.
ED medications are safe and effective means to treat ED when used under the guidance of your doctor as a treatment for erection problems. It goes without saying that you should only use FDA-approved medicines – using pills from the gas station can cause a myriad of potentially devastating and hitherto unknown side effects.
Prescription ED drugs like sildenafil (brand name Viagra) and tadalafil (brand name Cialis) can give you the extra oomph you need to perform if you can’t get it hard enough for long enough to enjoy sex. These drugs, categorized as PDE5 inhibitors, were first used for high blood pressure treatment, but are now used to treat ED. This is because they help relax the soft muscles in the penis responsible for making you hard. PDE5 inhibitors allow more blood to flow into your penis, producing a firm, long-lasting erection.
Psychological factors can also cause sexual side effects and lead to mental health concerns such as performance anxiety, depression, or self-esteem problems – all of which can cause or worsen ED. Therapy or antidepressants might help you overcome ED caused by psychological health issues and boost your sex drive.
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
It’s also a good idea to check your habits and lifestyle if you have ED. Focusing on correcting bad choices like smoking, alcohol, and recreational drug use, an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, misuse of prescription drugs, and being overweight can do wonders for your erectile function.
Consult your doctor if you’re taking medicines for the cardiovascular disease since the latter can cause sexual performance issues down the line.
If your ED is severe, ask your healthcare provider if more invasive steps might be more appropriate, such as getting penis implants or using vacuum devices to manage your symptoms. However, these come with risks and are less proven to work than good old sildenafil and tadalafil.
The final word on antibiotics and ED
While antibiotics aren’t as benign a substance as milk, the fact is that there’s not a lot in the way of evidence that they cause ED. If you think that your ED symptoms are because of the antibiotics you’re currently on, think again: your body might just be totally focused on expelling the foreign invaders – the bacteria – that are causing your infection.
Your best course of action is to let your body fully recover rather than getting your swerve on in the bedroom while battling an infection.
If your ED symptoms persist, it might indicate something more serious under the hood, such as cardiovascular disease. That’s something that requires qualified medical advice. Talk to your doctor so they can help determine what’s causing your ED and what course of action to take if necessary.
