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Can Blood Pressure Meds Cause Ed

What Are The Blood Pressure Medications That Do Cause Erectile Dysfunction

WARNING: High Blood Pressure Causes Erectile Dysfunction (ED) & Impotence

A side effect of medication is one of the leading causes of erectile dysfunction among men. Some of the most common medications that headline this list include blood pressure drugs.

If you’re experiencing erectile dysfunction and are currently taking one of these medications, it may be the cause of your ED. Its important to continue taking your medication, but talk with your prescribing doctor about switching to an alternative treatment like those listed above.

The blood pressure medications that have a known history of causing erectile dysfunction include:

  • Diuretics. These pills can result in a significant decrease in blood flow to the penis, resulting in issues maintaining erections. Due to their tendency to cause excessive urination, they can also cause a zinc deficiency in the body. Zinc is an essential nutrient that’s critical to the production of the male sex hormone testosterone.
  • Beta blockers. By reducing the effect that adrenaline has on the body, beta blockers lower heart rate and blood flow. Both of these functions are necessary to get enough blood into the penis to achieve and maintain an erection.

Diuretics And Beta Blockers Bp Meds May Cause Erectile Dysfunction

One of the first types of medications that a doctor would prescribe to someone with high blood pressure is diuretics . These are pills that essentially get rid of excess salt and water within your body, thereby reducing overall blood volume and therefore overall blood pressure. However, because diuretics also reduce fluid levels in the body, they can also result in decreased blood flow to the penisâwhich is necessary for erection.Beta blockers are also another common medication that doctors prescribe to their patients. These drugs reduce the effects of a body hormone called epinephrine, which helps to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Unfortunately, beta blockers can also block your erection. Epinephrine plays a part in the nervous system, which is very much needed in the realm of getting stimulated.Hereâs a brief list of brand names for diuretics and beta-blockers. See any that are familiar to you?Diuretics: Clorpres, Tenoretic, Lopressor, Lasix, ZaroxolynBeta-blockers: Atenolol, Sectral, Monocor, Coreg, Levatol, Inderal

To cut to the chase, both diuretics and beta blockers are good at lowering high blood pressure, but sometimes they may also come with side effects, which include erectile dysfunction.Make sure the medications you or your partner takes are not the reason why you canât have fun in bed!

Is My Medication Still Necessary

The first step in the process is always to reevaluate if the medication thats causing the problem is even necessary in the first place. Do you still need the medication that youre taking? When youre experiencing medically-induced ED, this has to be your starting point. Obviously, you shouldnt make this decision on your own and should instead have a simple conversation with your healthcare provider about it. Remind your healthcare provider of the medications youre taking and explain any symptoms or side effectslike ED.

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Find The Right Balance Of Medications For You

Just because you have high blood pressure, that doesnt mean erectile dysfunction is a given. Even if you need to go on a blood pressure medication, there are many options that dont increase your risk for ED. And even if you do need to be on a beta blocker or thiazide diuretic and you experience erectile dysfunction, there are treatments available.

Speak with your healthcare provider about any concerns you have so that you can work together to find the treatment thats best for you.

Can I Take Erectile Dysfunction Medication If I Have High Blood Pressure

Can High Blood Pressure Medication cause Erectile ...

Thanks to television, commercials, and other media, you may already be familiar with the correlation between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Because of this, many men have questions about whether they can safely take ED medication with an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure. When starting any new prescription, including medications for ED, it is important to discuss it with your doctor.

The expert team at Kasraeian Urology, including renowned board-certified urologists Drs. Ahmad and Ali Kasraeian, provides advanced solutions for ED in Jacksonville, FL to help men regain a more enjoyable, reliable, and fulfilling sex life. Learn more about ED and hypertension here, including what treatment options you may have that are both safe and effective.

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Does High Blood Pressure Cause Ed

With more than 600,000 annual deaths, heart disease remains the most common cause of death in the US. According to the Center for Disease Control , heart disease beats out cancer, accidents, and breathing issues. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, relates to heart disease and affects almost one in four US adults. What many people dont know is the correlation between high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction.

We often get the question does high blood pressure cause ED? In this article, we will go over the answer to this question and provide information about blood flow, blood pressure, and mens sexual health.

Calcium Channel Blockers And Erectile Dysfunction

Calcium channel blockers treat hypertension by blocking calcium from entering the cells of the heart and arteries. This relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow.

A recent analysis of literature looking at five epidemiological trials evaluating the effect of different cardiovascular drugs on erectile function found that calcium channel blockers had no relevant or even a positive effect on erectile function.

While these findings may be underwhelming, they are contradictory to older studies that have implicated the use of calcium channel blockers in erectile dysfunction. More research is needed to confirm the role of calcium channel blockers in erectile dysfunction.

Common calcium channel blockers prescribed for high blood pressure include:

  • Norvasc
  • Calan SR, Verelan, Covera-HS

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If You Have Problems Getting An Erection And Dont Know Your Blood Pressure Numbers Speak To Your Gp And Get A Blood Pressure Check

Men with high blood pressure sometimes experience problems getting or keeping an erection thats hard enough for sex. But lowering your blood pressure through a healthy lifestyle, and medications if you need them, can be all you need to improve your erections.

Problems getting an erection can even be a sign of high blood pressure, damaged blood vessels and heart disease. If you have problems getting an erection and dont know your blood pressure numbers, speak to your GP and get a blood pressure check. It could save you from having a stroke or heart attack.

Try Something Various In The Bed Room Blood Pressure Meds That Cause Erectile Dysfunction

High Blood Pressure Medications and Erectile Dysfunction Dr

If you and your companion specify satisfying sex as having penetrative sex with an erect penis, it deserves exploring other forms of enjoyable sex Sex play with a soft penis, for example, may allow for a various and also gentler kind of intimacy, one that your partnership could value.

When safety and approval remain in location, you and also your companion can begin to explore different types of touch that produce arousal and satisfaction. Blood Pressure Meds That Cause Erectile Dysfunction

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Apomorphine And Drugs For Cardiovascular Disease

Apomorphine is an agonist at D1- and D2-like receptors and was found to cause erections in animals and man,, but nausea was a prevalent side effect when it was administered subcutaneously. However, development of apomorphine in a sublingual formulation reduced side effects such as nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, arterial hypotension, and yawning, and the efficacy of apomorphine for the treatment of ED was maintained., Arterial hypotension is probably mediated by vascular D1 receptors activated by -apomorphine in the racemic apomorphine formulations. A potential interaction between sublingual apomorphine and antihypertensives to consider, is therefore greater orthostatic decreases in systolic blood pressure. However, in patients in treatment with 1-adrenoceptor antagonists and calcium channel blockers systolic blood pressure was lowered by 10 and 6mmHg, respectively, vs placebo, while there were no changes in blood pressure in patients treated with ACE inhibitors, -adrenoceptor antagonists, or diuretics. These changes in blood pressure do not appear to be of clinical importance.

Why Asking About Sexual Life Before Starting Antihypertensive Drugs

Management of hypertension should take into account, especially in elderly, the possible negative impact of antihypertensive drugs on the patient’s quality of life, the deterioration of which may reduce treatment compliance . Although ED has a high prevalence in the hypertensive population, sexual questions are not frequently asked during general practitioners consultations . Many hypertensive men do not recognize that they have ED and only a minority of GP considers ED or other sexual issues for the treatment of hypertension as either a possible adverse outcome or as a factor to consider in treatment decision .

Knowledge about sexuality seems important as men and women increased their life expectance and want to keep quality of life during aging. Erectile function preservation is essential for sexually active man while having a lower weight for other who has no intercourses. A sexual evaluation in GP visits could detect ED earlier and also help in risk factors therapy customization, avoiding certain drug classes that could disturb sexuality . Besides high prevalence of ED among hypertensive individuals, possible association to ED severity and important aspects in therapeutic compliance improvement justify the relevance of a brief sexual anamnesis in one of the first visits inside GP or cardiologists offices . Evidences demonstrate that the successful treatment of ED is associated with significant improvements in overall physical and emotional well-being .

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The Takeaway: Fortunately There Are Several Medications To Lower Blood Pressure That Dont Have A History Of Causing Erectile Dysfunction In Fact Some Have The Potential To Treat Erectile Dysfunction Using An Ace Inhibitor Arb Alpha Blocker Or Calcium Channel Blocker May Treat High Blood Pressure Without Causing Erectile Issues

Treating erectile dysfunction while taking blood pressure medication can be challenging. Due to the potential for negative interactions, its not recommended to use prescription medications for erectile dysfunction when taking most medications for blood pressure as they can lead to a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

If you’re currently taking medications to lower your blood pressure, talk with a medical professional about the possibility of switching to a different medication. Rex MD may be able to help. Learn more and get started with our free survey by clicking here.

High Blood Pressure Drugs Not Likely To Cause Ed

HOW CAN MEDICATIONS CAUSE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?

Some families of high blood pressure drugs rarely cause ED as a side effect. They include:

ACE inhibitors — such as Capoten, Lotensin, Prinivil, and Zestril for example — widen blood vessels and increase blood flow. Erectile dysfunction is rarely a side effect, occurring in less than 1% of patients. There are several different drugs in this category. This seems to be true of all of them.

There are also drugs known as calcium channel blockers, such as Amlodipine, Diltiazem, or Verapamil. As a group, they rarely cause erectile dysfunction. But erection problems may be less common with some individual drugs within that group than with others. Your doctor can tell you which.

In general, alpha-blockers do not often cause erection problems either. In one study, a small number of men actually had a 100% improvement in their erectile dysfunction after 2 years on the alpha-blocker Cardura.

Drugs known as ARBs are not only unlikely to cause erection problems, but they may improve sexual function in men with high blood pressure.

One study looked at the drug Cozaar, an ARB. At first, just 7% of men and women in the study said they felt sexually satisfied overall. After 12 weeks of Cozaar, about 58% said they were sexually satisfied. The percentage of men who reported having erectile dysfunction dropped from 75% to 12%.

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Which Blood Pressure Medications Can Help With Erectile Dysfunction

High blood pressure is a major cause of ED. It can prevent your body from pumping enough blood to your penis to get or keep it hard, and it can stop the vessels in your penis relaxing enough to fill with blood.

Because high blood pressure can cause ED, taking a medication that lowers blood pressure often helps men get and keep erections more easily. However, some blood pressure medications can have the opposite effect, they can reduce the flow of blood to the penis, and cause ED. You need the right blood pressure medication for your needs.

These blood pressure medications only cause ED in rare cases, and may actually help with ED:

  • ACE inhibitors like lisinopril and captopril.
  • Calcium channel blockers, like amlodipine and verapamil
  • Alpha-blockers, like doxazosin

Painkillers Can Make Your Testosterone Plummet

Opioids impair your brains chemicals that tell your testicles to produce testosterone, Dr. Lamm says. Low testosterone can kill your libido and your erection.

Ive seen patients testosterone levels drop to the very lowest levels Ive seen in my practice when theyre on prescription painkillers, he says.

Related:Everything You Need to Know About Testosterone Therapy

The possible side effects are across the board for all opioids, says Dr. Köhler.

If you need to take prescription painkillers, ask your doctor to check your testosterone levels first. You may need to take both the pain meds and testosterone to balance the two out.

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What Causes Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction, which is primarily characterized by the inability to achieve or maintain an erection adequate for sexual intercourse, has a number of potential causes. These may include:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Previous treatment or surgery for prostate cancer and/or BPH
  • Trauma
  • Psychological factors
  • Relationship/marital problems

In a great number of cases, erectile dysfunction is multifactorial, meaning there are several physical and/or psychological issues contributing to the patients symptoms.

Is There An Alternative Medicine

4 Blood Pressure Medications That Are Less Likely to Cause Erectile Dysfunction

If your medication is still necessary, the next step is to see whether theres an alternative medication that can treat your condition without causing ED. A good example of this is a patient taking beta blockers to prevent migraine headaches.If the patient experiences ED due to the propranolol, we can see if he experiences the same benefit from Topamax, which is also used to prevent migraines and isnt generally associated with ED.There are a lot of alternative medications. Speak to your healthcare provider about side effects and desired outcomes to see if you can devise a different treatment strategy that works for you.

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What Blood Pressure Medication Does Not Cause Erectile Dysfunction

Medically reviewed by Vicky Davis, FNP

According to a scientific research review, about 25 percent of erectile dysfunction is caused by medication.

And while there are many different types of medications that can lead to ED, blood pressure meds have a particularly bad rap.

Something else to know: ED is not uncommon at all. Research shows that over 50 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 likely experience ED at some point.

Some believe the reason this number is higher for older men is that older men are more likely to be on medication like blood pressure meds.

Wondering what blood pressure medications do and do not affect sexual function? Keep reading.

High Blood Pressure And Its Relationship To Ed

July 23, 2019 by BMG

Erectile dysfunction is commonly regarded as a quality-of-life disorder that needs treatment. Currently, it approximately affects as many as 30 million American men5. It has become conclusive that Erectile Dysfunction is caused not only by psychological disorders, but primarily due to the underlying physical conditions which impact the regular blood flow and neural functioning. One of the most important conditions with a primary role in the occurrence of ED is cardiovascular ailments. Thirty percent of hypertensive patients complain of erectile dysfunction. 5 Men do not pay enough attention to this matter, which could not only cause serious sexual dysfunctions, but also impact their overall health and lead to life-threatening situations, which according to sources, accounts for 23% of deaths4.In fact, men with ED are about 38% more likely to have high blood pressure than those without ED, according to a study that examined the medical records of more than 1.9 million men1. In this article, we will take a closer look at high blood pressure and its relationship to ED.

Can High Blood Pressure Cause ED?

The Relationship between Hypertension and Sex

What Drugs Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

There are two types of hypertension drugs capable of causing ED. Beta blockers and diuretics are known to be medication associated with side-effects which include ED.

Beta Blockers:

  • Metoprolol
  • Carvedilol

Diuretics:

How to Lower Your Blood Pressure

Diet

Exercise

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How Are Depression And Erectile Dysfunction Related

For some men, depression can accompany the condition of erectile dysfunction . It is common for men with ED to feel angry, frustrated, sad, unsure of themselves, or even less âmanly.â Such feelings may lead to a lack of self-esteem and, in severe cases, to depression.

Depression that accompanies ED is treatable. The first step in addressing your concerns about ED-related depression is to be honest with yourself, your partner, and your doctor. After depression has been brought out into the open, coping with it will be easier and less stressful.

Blood Pressure Drugs That Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction

Blood pressure drugs and ED: What you need to know ...

So, weve seen the good newsthree of the most commonly used antihypertensives have no association with sexual dysfunction. Now for the not-so-good news. Two of the other most common blood pressure medicinesbeta blockers and diureticsdo come with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction .

If your healthcare provider is recommending a beta blocker or diuretic and youre concerned about erectile dysfunction, be sure to discuss your concerns and follow their medical advice.

Lets look more closely at these other high blood pressure medications.

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