Many prescription drugs have been linked to erectile dysfunction. If you are taking one of these medications, and experiencing ED, talk to your doctor to see if there is an alternate medication that you could try.
Types of drugs that can cause ED include:
- Antidepressants, Anti-Anxiety, and Anti-Epileptic Drugs
- Antihistamines
- Antipsychotics
- Chemotherapy
- High Blood Pressure Drugs and Diuretics
- Histamine Blockers
- Muscle Relaxants
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- Pain Medications
- Parkinson’s Disease Drugs
- Prostate Cancer Drugs
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Other Drugs
Erectile dysfunction can also be caused by abuse of non-prescription drugs, including alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, nicotine, and opiates.
Antidepressants, Anti-Anxiety, and Anti-Epileptic Drugs
Amitriptyline (Elavil)
Amoxipine (Asendin)
Buspirone (Buspar)
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Citalopram (Celexa)
Clomipramine (Anafranil)
Clorazepate (Tranxene)
Desipramine (Norpramin)
Diazepam (Valium)
Doxepin (Sinequan)
Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Imipramine (Tofranil)
Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
Oxazepam (Serax)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Phenytoin (Dilantin)
Propranodol (Inderal, Innopran XL)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Venlafaxine (Effexor XR, Vencarm)
Low Risk Medications
There are a small number of Antidepressant drugs that have been found to have a low risk of sexual side-effects:
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR)
- Mirtazapine (Remeron)
- Vilazodone (Viibryd)
- Vortioxetine (Trintellix)
Antihistamines
Cetirizine
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Dimehydrinate (Dramamine)
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Hydroxyzine (Vistaril)
Meclizine (Antivert)
Nizatidine (Axid)
Promethazine (Phenergan)
Ranitidine (Zantac)
Antipsychotics
Haloperidol
Olanzapine
Quetiapine
Risperidone
Chemotherapy
Antiandrogens (Casodex, Flutamide, Nilutamide)
Busulfan (Myleran)
Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
Ketoconazole
LHRH agonists (Lupron, Zoladex)
High Blood Pressure Drugs and Diuretics
Atenolol (Tenormin)
Bethanidine
Bisoprolol
Bumetanide (Bumex)
Captopril (Capoten)
Captopril (Capoten)
Chlorothiazide (Diuril)
Chlorthalidone (Hygroton)
Clonidine (Catapres)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Furosemide (Lasix)
Guanabenz (Wytensin)
Guanethidine (Ismelin)
Guanfacine (Tenex)
Hydralazine (Apresoline)
Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, HydroDIURIL, Hydropres, Inderide, Moduretic, Oretic, Lotensin)
Labetalol (Normodyne)
Methyldopa (Aldomet)
Metoprolol (Lopressor)
Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
Phenoxybenzamine (Dibenzyline)
Prazosin (Minipress)
Propranolol (Inderal)
Reserpine (Serpasil)
Spironolactone (Aldactone)
Triamterene (Maxide, Dyazide)
Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan)
Histamine Blockers
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Nizatidine (Axid)
Ranitidine (Zantac)
Muscle Relaxants
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
Orphenadrine (Norflex)
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Indomethacin (Indocin)
Naproxen (Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn)
Pain Medications
Opioid pain medications have been linked to lowered levels of testosterone. If your doctor prescribes an opioid, ask them to test your testosterone level.
Codeine (generic)
Fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic, Fentora, Abstral, Onsolis)
Hydrocodone (Hysingla, Zohydro ER)
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Vicodin)
Hydromorphone (Dilaudid, Exalgo)
Meperidine (Demerol)
Methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)
Morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Morphabond)
Oxycodone (OxyContin, Oxaydo)
Oxycodone and Acetaminophen (Percocet, Roxicet)
Oxycodone and Naloxone
Parkinson’s Disease Drugs
Benztropine (Cogentin)
Biperiden (Akineton)
Bromocriptine (Parlodel)
Gabapentin
Levodopa (Sinemet)Procyclidine (Kemadrin)
Trihexyphenidyl (Artane)
Prostate Cancer Drugs
Flutamide (Eulexin)
Leuprolide (Lupron)
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Vortioxetine (Trintellix, formerly called Brintellix).
Other Drugs
Finasteride (Proscar and Propecia) – used to treat baldness
Metformin – used to treat high blood sugar due to diabetes
Minoxidil (Rogaine) – used to treat baldness