Is your blood pressure drug making it more difficult to get and keep an erection? No worries, there are plenty of alternative medications with more erection-friendly effects.
One of life’s bitter little ironies is the fact that certain medications people take to treat one ailment or disorder often trigger another bothersome health problem.
Among the many medications that can interfere with normal erectile function are certain drugs taken to treat high blood pressure, which itself is one of the causes of erectile dysfunction.
Fortunately, not all antihypertensive drugs have a negative impact on erectile function, so in most cases a doctor can switch you to an alternative drug if the one you’re now taking is causing ED. However, it’s important to emphasize here that such a switch should not be made without the permission of the doctor who first prescribed the ED-causing blood pressure drug.
Reactions to BP Drugs Vary
In fairness to members of the medical profession, it should also be noted that not all people react the same way to these medications’ side effects so there may be men taking the same blood pressure drug without any symptoms of ED.
Among the least erection-friendly of commonly prescribed blood pressure drugs are diuretics, designed to flush excess fluid from the body, and beta-blockers, according to WebMD.com. Among the beta-blockers, atenolol, also sold under the brand-name Tenormin, is one of the most problematic in terms of its effect on erectile function.
While diuretics and beta-blockers are not that conducive to normal erectile function, several other groups of blood pressure medications appear to have little, if any, negative effect on the erection process. These include:
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, most commonly referred to as ACE inhibitors, tend to widen blood vessels and thus increase blood flow, which is a positive attribute in terms of erectile function. Brand-name drugs in this category include Capoten, Lotensin, Prinivil, and Zestril.
- Alpha blockers, like ACE inhibitors, dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow throughout the body, including the pelvic region. Popularly prescribed drugs in this category include Cardura (doxazosin mesylate), Hytrin (terazosin hydrochloride), and Minipress (prazosin hydrochloride).
- Calcium channel blockers, according to WebMD, are generally erection-friendly, although some drugs in this category may be more so than others. Generic calcium channel blockers include amlodipine, diltiazem,and verapamil.
- ARBs, known scientifically as angiotensin II receptor blockers), are perhaps the most erection-friendly of all the antihypertensive drugs. In fact, a study in the early 2000s showed that taking Cozaar (losartan), a popular ARB, actually improved erectile function, according to VeryWellHealth.com.
As you can see, a wide array of blood pressure medications have no significant negative effect on erectile function, so your doctor has alternatives to try if the antihypertensive you’re taking now is causing ED.
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If your symptoms of ED are caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis, Viagra or one of the other ED drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors should be able to help solve the problem. What’s more, by ordering your ED drugs online from eDrugstore.com, you may be able to save both time and money. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.
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