Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent sexual health condition that may be triggered by taking common prescription medicines like stimulants, antidepressants, and antihypertensives, among others.
The good news is that treating or managing a medical issue doesn’t mean choosing between your health or pleasurable sex life. ED arising from prescription drug use isn’t usually a permanent thing and is something you and your doctor can manage.
Why do certain medications induce ED?
There’s more going on underneath the hood than most people think about the complex and fragile erection process. It takes intricate blood circulation, changes in blood pressure, and coordination between nerve impulses, biochemical signals, hormonal changes, and even emotions.
When a particular drug changes how one of these complex systems works, it’s possible that medicines interfere with an individual’s ability to produce or keep an erection for satisfying sex. It could lead to sexual dysfunctions such as premature or delayed ejaculation, reduced response to sexual stimuli, and a diminished sex drive.
Simply put, erectile and sexual dysfunction are potential side effects due to prescription medications.
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What medications can cause ED?
Many drugs can affect sexual function through effects that can help manage or treat an underlying medical condition such as hypertension or anxiety. These include:
- Antihypertensive drugs (medicines that treat high blood pressure). Thiazide diuretics are a common treatment for hypertension. Diuretics are medicines that cause you to urinate excess fluid. They may affect sexual function by influencing blood pressure and blood circulation to the penis.
- Beta-blockers. Beta-blockers are a class of antihypertensive drugs that often affect erectile function due to their dampening effect on the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system plays an essential part in producing and maintaining erections. Beta-blocker drugs include metoprolol, propranolol, and atenolol.
- Antidepressants. Antidepressant drugs, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can hamper erectile function due to their effect on the hormones linked to sexual function. Since ED can be a symptom of mental health conditions such as depression, managing it can be difficult in patients that need to take drugs that dampen sexual function. Worse, it may exacerbate underlying depression.
- Amphetamines. Amphetamines such as Adderall may cause sexual side effects such as ED because they affect the cardiovascular system. This could lead to diminished blood flow and constricted blood vessels, affecting an individual’s ability to achieve and maintain erections. Moreover, Adderall can diminish a person’s overall libido.
- Antihistamines. Diphenhydramine and other related antihistamines can cause ED and reduce libido temporarily due to their effect on histamines. Histamines cause allergies, but they also affect healthy erectile function.
- Chemotherapy and radiation. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can worsen sexual function due to their physiological effects on the body, apart from the discomfort and mental and emotional stress they can cause.
- Opioids. Opioids such as Oxycontin and Percocet (oxycodone), and Vicodin (hydrocodone) are effective analgesics. But they could lead to lower testosterone levels in men. Low T can affect libido and erectile function.
- Medicines for acid reflux. Medicines like ranitidine (Zantac) and cimetidine (Zantac) may diminish libido and erectile function in men due to their effects on histamine as antihistamines do.
- Finasteride. Finasteride, used to treat prostate enlargement (BPH) and hair loss, may affect libido and sexual function due to its effects on testosterone.
- Certain drugs used to treat epileptic seizures. Antiepileptic drugs such as gabapentin may reduce sex drive, reducing ejaculatory function and making it hard for men to climax.
- Antipsychotic drugs. Drugs used to treat psychosis, such as aripiprazole, can affect sex drive and consequently diminish sexual performance.
How do I manage drug-induced ED?
Fortunately, plenty of options are out there to address ED induced by prescription drugs. Talk to your doctor to see whether you can adjust your dosage, substitute it with another medicine, or by trying a proven, safe ED medication.
Erectile dysfunction and its contributing physiological, physical, emotional, and medical factors are intricately linked. Moreover, ED can often be a symptom of the underlying medical conditions that require prescription drugs that may trigger ED as a side effect.
This means that treating ED induced by taking a new drug can be an elaborate, complex process. Many individuals respond to drug-induced ED by going cold turkey on a particular medicine, which can expose them to unnecessary risks. Talking to your doctor openly and honestly about your concerns is the best first step. The good thing is that there are many options you and your doctor can explore together to ensure that your underlying conditions are treated while remaining physically able to enjoy healthy sex life.
Here are some questions you could ask your healthcare provider.
“Do I still need to take my medicine?”
Correcting drug-induced ED begins by reaching out to your doctor to reassess your medical situation. Do you still need to take the medicine that is causing the ED? Your doctor may examine the following factors:
- Has your condition improved enough for you to be able to stop taking the medication you need to treat it? If so, you might be able to stop taking it entirely if your doctor confirms that there is no longer any need to continue with it.
- How long have you been taking this particular drug? Side effects like ED arising from prescription drugs, among others, can resolve themselves on their own or improve once your body has fully adjusted to the medicine. Other ED-inducing drugs like antihistamines or opioids taken as needed or over the short term usually clear up once you stop taking them.
Again, it all starts with having an honest conversation with your doctor so they can get the full spectrum of your health concerns, all the medicines you are currently taking, and the side effects you experience so they can safely tie up all loose ends before making any drastic changes to your plan of treatment.
“Can the dosage of this medicine be adjusted accordingly?”
Many drugs that cause ED only dampen sexual function temporarily. Therefore, taking your prescribed doses at carefully chosen times during the day can be an option. Going on a reduced dosage under your doctor’s guidance can also help. Just remember to not suddenly stop taking a prescription or reducing your dose without prior consultation with your healthcare provider.
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“Is there an alternative I can take that doesn’t cause ED?”
If your condition still needs to be medicated, the next step is to ask whether there’s an alternative you can take to manage your symptoms without causing ED. For instance, if you’re taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and running into erection problems, ask your doctor whether switching to another antidepressant with fewer links to ED is an option, such as bupropion (Wellbutrin). Many such medications can be substituted. Ask your healthcare provider about potential risks, side effects, and desired results to determine whether you switch to a treatment plan that gives you the best of both worlds.
“Can I take an ED drug?”
Unfortunately, there are some instances where you just can’t reduce your dosage or stop taking a medicine that contributes to ED altogether. Perhaps you’ve experienced bad side effects from another drug, or there isn’t a readily available alternative you can use. In such cases, PDE5 inhibitor drugs that treat ED, such as sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis), can be another option you can take. Consult your doctor about whether taking prescription ED drugs can help you. Your doctor can help you choose the right ED drug for your particular situation based on your medical history.
Conclusion
It can’t hurt to implement simple lifestyle changes that may help you if you’re running into erectile difficulties as a side effect of your medications. It can be as simple as getting regular exercise, eating well, avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, and getting ample sleep – all of which contribute to your erectile and sexual performance and your overall physical health.
