4 commonly used medications ruining your sex life.

All medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter can have possible side effects. One side effect often not thought of by the patient or mentioned by the physician prescribing it is a side effect of complicating your love life.   In other words, some medications can have devastating consequences on your sex drive, ability to achieve and maintain an erection, and reaching an orgasm. 

Listed below are 4 commonly prescribed medications that may put a damper on activities in the bedroom:

1.      Blood Pressure Medications

The primary side effect is how blood pressure medications can lead to erectile dysfuntion.  The main culprits are beta-blockers and diuretics.  Diuretics or water pills such as Hydrochlorothiazide and beta-blockers like Atenoid are often the first drugs a physician may prescribe when trying to control blood pressure.  Unfortunately an estimated 70% of men who have the side effect of erectile dysfunction, will stop taking their blood pressure medication because of this.

Beta-blockers lower blood pressure by interfering with the sympathetic nervous system, while diuretics relax the walls of the blood vessels.  Both medications can lead to erectile dysfunction by reducing blood flow to the penis. 

Men should not stop taking a diuretic on their own until blood pressure is under control.  Don’t suffer in silence – be sure to discuss with your physician about the problem and work together to look into other alternative medications less likely to cause erectile dysfunction.

2.      Painkillers

The main effect painkillers have on killing your sex life is putting you at a higher risk of both erectile dysfunction and a low level of testosterone.  Research has shown that long-term use of painkillers, also known as opoids, diminishes the brain’s ability to send the signal to the testicles to make testosterone.  This results in extremely low levels of this vital hormone resulting in sexual dysfunction in bed. 

Before going on a painkiller, your physician should check your testosterone level first.  If this hormone is already low, then adjustments can be made to control pain and improve testosterone levels.

3.      Antidepressants

Sexual side effects from the use of antidepressants are common in both men and women affecting up to three quarters of individuals taking them.  The side effects of antidepressants range from causing lack of desire for sex, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation in men or inability to achieve an orgasm and issues with arousal, comfort, and satisfaction. 

The neurotransmitters in the brain are affected by the antidepressants classified as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRIs – Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) which postpone ejaculation and can also lower testosterone. 

Talk with your doctor to determine which antidepressant is best for you without affecting your sex life.

4.      Antihistamines

During allergy season if you notice that increasing the amount of an antihistamine tends to result in a decrease in your libido, there’s a reason for that. Common over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl and Chlor-Trimeton, can lead to erectile dysfunction or ejaculation problems in men and may cause vaginal dryness in women.  Another side effect of antihistamines can be sleepiness.  This is where timing of taking the medication comes into play.  The medication should be cleared from the body within about 8 hours so taking an antihistamine earlier in the day should result in less lack of desire later on at night. 

Cough and cold medications can also contain antihistamines so reading the label is important.  Otherwise you could be taking an antihistamine, lowering your sex drive and not know it.