What drugs can cause erectile dysfunction?

In a surprising revelation, it turns out that the cause of erectile dysfunction in a quarter of all cases can be traced back to the medications men are taking. This observation is not an isolated one; it is backed by robust pharmacoepidemiological research.

Antipsychotic Medications (Neuroleptics)

Neuroleptics, or antipsychotic medications, are one such culprit. These drugs can lead to erectile dysfunction due to their inhibitory effect on the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems. This side effect is most commonly observed in medications containing phenothiazine, which is a derivative of thioxanthene and butyrophenone. If a man develops impotence during antipsychotic therapy, it is advisable to switch to atypical antipsychotics that do not have such side effects. Alternatively, drugs that suppress these side effects, such as sildenafil, bromocriptine, and carboline, can be considered.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants are another class of drugs that can lead to erectile dysfunction. In men with depression, this condition may be a result of the disease itself or a side effect of the medications taken. Antidepressant drugs can suppress sexual function in the central nervous system, particularly in the brain regions responsible for perceiving sexual reactions. Erection disorders are most commonly observed in patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants.

Seeking Medical Advice

Men experiencing problems with potency should consult a healthcare professional. The doctor may reduce the dose of the drug, use intermittent therapy, or prescribe drugs that reduce the severity of erectile dysfunction, such as sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, kamagra, suhagra, tadacip, revatio, cenforce.

Antiepileptic Drugs

Antiepileptic drugs, particularly phenytoin, phenobarbital, gabapentin, carbamazepine, clonazepam, and primidone, are also known to cause erectile disorders.

Cardiovascular Medications

Medications used to treat cardiovascular diseases can also lead to erectile dysfunction. This is particularly true for men with arterial hypertension, as erectile dysfunction is a common side effect of antihypertensive drugs and diuretics, mainly thiazide drugs. Among antihypertensive drugs, beta-blockers, especially propanolol, are most likely to cause erectile dysfunction. In such cases, bisoprolol and betaxolol are safer options, as the risk of impotence with these drugs is almost zero.

Erectile dysfunction is also observed in patients taking antiarrhythmic medications used to treat cardiac rhythm disorders.

Urological Drugs

Urological drugs, such as oxybutynin and tolterodine (anticholinergic drugs), can cause erectile dysfunction in patients with urinary incontinence problems. This issue also arises during hormone therapy for prostate cancer.

Gastrointestinal Medications

Treatments for gastrointestinal disorders and diseases can lead to erectile dysfunction. For instance, chronic diarrhea treatments containing diphenoxylate often result in this condition. In such cases, patients can switch to loperamide, which has an antidiarrheal effect but does not cause erectile dysfunction.

Antifungal Agents

Moreover, erectile disorders have been noted during treatments with antifungal agents like ketoconazole and itraconazole.