Many people don’t realize that there are over 300 commonly used prescription medications that can cause low libido and sexual dysfunction.
These side effects include erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness in women, and these drugs are often overlooked as the culprits causing these sexual issues.
This Valentine’s Day season, make sure you are aware of medications that could be hurting you in the bedroom. Here are our pharmacist’s picks for Top 5 Libido-Killing Drugs:
1. SSRIs
SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are a class of antidepressant medications that are well-known to reduce libido and cause sexual dysfunction in both men and women. SSRI antidepressants are the most common class of medications linked to sexual side effects, with some systematic reviews showing the incidence of sexual dysfunction as high as 40% in patients taking them (Higgins et al. 2010). It has also been shown that approximately 10% of male patients taking an SSRI experience an ejaculatory disorder (e.g. inability to ejaculate or delayed ejaculation), and women experience significantly more difficulty achieving orgasm when taking an SSRI medication (Seretti et al 2009).
2. Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines, or “Benzos” for short, are sedatives that act on the same receptor as alcohol, known as the GABA receptor. Alcohol, as well as benzos, can significantly reduce sexual desire and cause erectile dysfunction in men, especially with chronic use. And in women, they are known to reduce libido and cause vaginal dryness. Put simply, benzodiazepines reduce the activity of the central nervous system, which reduces sex drive and sexual functioning in general (Zoroufchi et al. 2021).
3. Opioids
Opioid drugs are painkillers known to significantly reduce libido and sexual function. Long-term use of opioids is associated with reduced sex hormone levels, reduced interest in sex, infertility, and impotence. Opioids depress the human body’s HPA Axis (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis) and thus reduce all sex hormone production, resulting in hypogonadism (Brennan et al. 2013). This disorder even has a name: “Opioid-Induced Hypogonadism.”
4. Antacids- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and H2 Blocker Antacids (H2RAs)
The antacid medications known as PPIs and H2 Receptor Antagonists (H2RAs) are very commonly used, regularly sold over the counter, and are generally regarded as safe, inert medications used to treat simple heartburn. However, they are mildly anti-androgenic and associated with reduced testosterone and libido in men (Ashfaq, M et al. 2023), as well as hormone disturbances in women that can lead to sexual difficulties (Ashfaq, M et al. 2024). The libido-dampening effects of these common antacid medications are often overlooked.
5. Blood Pressure Medications (e.g. Thiazide Diuretics and Beta-blockers)
Medications used to treat high blood pressure, namely the thiazide diuretics and beta-blocker classes of medications, are associated with significant erectile dysfunction in men (Buch-Vicente et al. 2021). In women, these blood pressure medications can cause reduced sexual desire, vaginal dryness, and difficulty achieving orgasm (Buch-Vicente et al. 2021). These drugs are some of the most common culprits for sexual dysfunction seen in community pharmacies.
If you or your partner are taking some of these medications, or suspect that your meds are causing some sexual problems, come into NutriChem today for a chat with one of our pharmacists or naturopathic doctors. We would love to help you get your mojo back!
References
Ashfaq, M., Khan, Q., Haroon, M.Z. et al. Effects of long-term proton pump inhibitor use on sexual hormones and sexual and reproductive health in female patients. Endocrine 83, 494–501 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-023-03572-8
Ashfaq, M. et al. Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and its Effect on Endocrine Hormones in Selected Patient Population. Hormone and Metabolic Research 55.03 (2023): 205-211.
Brennan, MJ, MD. The Effect of Opioid Therapy on Endocrine Function. The American Journal of Medicine. Volume 126, Issue 3, Supplement 1, 2013,
Pages S12-S18, ISSN 0002-9343,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.12.001. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000293431200959X)
Buch-Vicente, B., et al. . Frequency of Iatrogenic Sexual Dysfunction Associated with Antihypertensive Compounds. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 5214. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10225214
Higgins A, Nash M, Lynch AM. Antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction: impact, effects, and treatment. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2010;2:141-50. doi: 10.2147/DHPS.S7634. Epub 2010 Sep 9. PMID: 21701626; PMCID: PMC3108697.
Serretti, Alessandro MD, PhD; Chiesa, Alberto MD. Treatment-Emergent Sexual Dysfunction Related to Antidepressants: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 29(3):p 259-266, June 2009. | DOI: 10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181a5233f
Zoroufchi, BH., et al. Benzodiazepines related sexual dysfunctions: A critical review on pharmacology and mechanism of action. Revista Internacional de Andrología, Volume 19, Issue 1, 2021, Pages 62-68,ISSN 1698-031X,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.androl.2019.08.003.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1698031X19300834)
