Medications - Sexuality And Health Problems: Womens Sexual Health
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Medications
There are hundreds of potentially lifesaving medications available today to treat heart disease, depression, and a host of other problems. The downside is that some of these drugs can impair your sexual enjoyment. Table 3 lists commonly used medications that have been shown to have sexual side effects in some people. A word of caution: If you think a drug you're taking is hampering your sexual functioning, don't stop taking it without talking to your doctor first. He or she may be able to adjust your dosage or switch you to a drug that you tolerate better.
TABLE 3: Medications that can cause sexual problems | |||
| Type of medication | Uses | Some examples: Generic name (brand name) | Possible sexual side effects |
| ACE inhibitors | Heart disease | captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), ramipril (Altace) | Low libido, erectile dysfunction |
| Antidepressants | Depression | citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) | Low libido, erectile dysfunction, female arousal problems, orgasm difficulties |
| Antifungals | Fungal infections | amphotericin B lipid complex injection (Abelcet), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral) | Erectile dysfunction |
| Antihistamines | Allergies | cyproheptadine (Periactin), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), hydroxyzine (Atarax) | Vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction |
| Anti-ulcer drugs | Acid reflux, heartburn, ulcers | cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), ranitidine (Zantac) | Low libido, erectile dysfunction |
| Beta blockers | Heart disease, high blood pressure | penbutolol (Levatol), propranolol (Inderal), timolol (Blocadren) | Low libido, erectile dysfunction, female arousal problems, orgasm difficulties |
| Calcium-channel blockers | Heart disease | diltiazem (Cardizem), nifedipine (Procardia), verapamil (Verelan) | Erectile dysfunction |
| Cholesterol-lowering drugs | High blood lipids | lovastatin (Mevacor), niacin, simvastatin (Zocor) | Erectile dysfunction |
| Diuretics | High blood pressure, fluid retention | chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), spironolactone (Aldactone) | Erectile dysfunction, female arousal problems, orgasm difficulties |
| Nitrates | Chest pain | isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil), isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, Ismo) | Erectile dysfunction |
| Tranquilizers | Anxiety | chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), thioridazine (Mellaril) | Low libido, erectile dysfunction, female arousal problems |
| Miscellaneous | Various conditions | anti-androgens, anticholinergics, some anticancer drugs, estrogens, finasteride (Proscar and Propecia) | Erectile dysfunction |
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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