High Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

High Blood Pressure Drugs Not Likely to Cause ED continued...

A 2001 study published in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences looked at the drug Cozaar, an ARB. At first, just 7% of men and women in the study said they felt sexually satisfied overall. After 12 weeks of Cozaar, about 58% said they were sexually satisfied. The percentage of men who reported having erectile dysfunction dropped from 75% to 12%.

Another study compared the drug Diovan, an ARB, with Coreg, a beta-blocker. The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension in 2001, compared the effect of the two drugs on blood pressure and frequency of sexual intercourse.

The drugs controlled blood pressure equally well. But people who took the ARB reported having sex more often during the 16 weeks of treatment. They said they had sex about eight times a month before, and 10 times a month after. People taking the beta-blocker had sex much less often: eight times a month before, and four times a month after.

If Your Medicine Causes Erectile Dysfunction

Tell your doctor if you think your blood pressure medicine may be causing your erectile dysfunction.

If it is your medication, and not just your high blood pressure, switching to another prescription may solve the problem. Never stop taking your medicine without your doctor's OK.

But high blood pressure itself still could be to blame for your erectile dysfunction. In that case, ask about trying an erectile dysfunction drug like Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra.

You should only take these drugs once your high blood pressure is under control. They are not safe for men with untreated high blood pressure. They are also not safe for men taking alpha-blockers, or men taking nitrate drugs for heart disease.