do high blood pressure meds cause impotence?

b.c.

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E.d. is preferable to a massive heart attack or stroke wouldnt u all agree...

Absolutely. As I said earlier, it's worth everyone's while to find the right combination of meds that work for THEM, that balances both a relatively safe BP, with a minimum of side effects. Each person reacts differently to a specific medication.

For example I've found the BP meds that include hydrochlorothiazide (HCT, HCTZ, or HZT) , a diuretic, have an adverse effect on me. So I don't use diuretics.

On the other hand, some people have very high and/or uncontrollable BP (as well as other conditions) that may require or demand the use of diuretics, sometimes in combination with one or several other drugs. In such cases, maintaining an acceptable BP is an absolute priority.

If one is not happy with their medications (or is experiencing undesireable side effects from them) they should check with their doctors to see IF there are alternatives that MAY work better for them.
 

D_Gunther Snotpole

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I take 25 mg. of hydrochlorothiazide daily and I don't notice any difference, for better or for worse. But this is a very mild diuretic in a very low dose.

Here is additional meds info from drugstore.com. You'll notice that erectile dysfunction is associated with a number of BP meds:

Can blood pressure medicines cause impotence?

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), can result from many medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Several different types of medications, including those for high blood pressure, can also cause it. As with most side effects, ED is more common with higher doses of medication. Changing to a different drug may solve the problem.
Some diuretics and beta-blockers are more likely to cause ED. As many as 25 to 50 percent of men who take the diuretics chlorothiazide (brand name Diuril), hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril), and spironolactone (Aldactone), or the beta blocker propranolol (Inderal), are affected. Other beta-blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor) cause this side effect in only 1 to 2 percent of men who take them.
Other types of blood pressure drugs rarely cause ED. Less than 1 percent of men who take the following drugs report the problem: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), enalapril (Vasotec), and lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem), and nifedipine (Procardia)
Loop diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix)
Alpha blockers such as prazosin (Minipress) and doxazosin (Cardura) Talk to your doctor if you experience impotence while on a blood pressure medication. Adjusting your dose or switching to a different medicine may make a tremendous difference.
 

b.c.

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I take 25 mg. of hydrochlorothiazide daily and I don't notice any difference, for better or for worse. But this is a very mild diuretic in a very low dose.

Here is additional meds info from drugstore.com. You'll notice that erectile dysfunction is associated with a number of BP meds:

Can blood pressure medicines cause impotence?

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), can result from many medical conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Several different types of medications, including those for high blood pressure, can also cause it. As with most side effects, ED is more common with higher doses of medication. Changing to a different drug may solve the problem.
Some diuretics and beta-blockers are more likely to cause ED. As many as 25 to 50 percent of men who take the diuretics chlorothiazide (brand name Diuril), hydrochlorothiazide (Hydrodiuril), and spironolactone (Aldactone), or the beta blocker propranolol (Inderal), are affected. Other beta-blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin) and metoprolol (Lopressor) cause this side effect in only 1 to 2 percent of men who take them.
Other types of blood pressure drugs rarely cause ED. Less than 1 percent of men who take the following drugs report the problem: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), enalapril (Vasotec), and lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Cardizem), and nifedipine (Procardia)
Loop diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix)
Alpha blockers such as prazosin (Minipress) and doxazosin (Cardura) Talk to your doctor if you experience impotence while on a blood pressure medication. Adjusting your dose or switching to a different medicine may make a tremendous difference.

Exactly. That's why I said "each person reacts differently to a specific medication."

Even though impotence is listed as a possible side effect of the drug it doesn't necessarily mean you will have that side effect.

As I said, you just have to find what works best for you.
 

Anyjoe

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Atenolol does for sure.

Many of the drugs that are "blockers"
and troublesome.:biggrin1:

I don;t think that the choice is bloodpresure meds. or DIE.
There are many meds. that do not
contribute to ED.
Lisinopril works great and no ED problems aat all
 

SR_Pepe_LePube

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The benefits of using BP medication far outweigh the risk of side effects.

The combination of medication I take works better to control my blood pressure and has also reduced the risk of erectile dysfunction. However, my erections aren't so hard as they once were but I can still please my wife.
 

simcha

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It seems most blood pressure meds do cause impotence in some men. I'm on Sotalol (or Betapace) which is a Beta Blocker and an Anti-arrhythmic drug. I'm on it due to tachycardia (heart beats too fast). It controls my heart rate and I don't experience any impotence due to the medication. And, even in the warnings for Sotalol you see impotence listed as a possible side effect. Unfortunately, even after surgery I had to take this stuff to control my heart rate. Otherwise I'm at 160 beats per minute, which is very dangerous. So I'm just glad that it doesn't mess with my libido or ability to function sexually. Yet, I'd still take the stuff and live even if I couldn't get it up.
 

jhh0905

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I have hereditary high BP and the doc put me on a low dose of Benicar. I can still get erect, but the quality has diminished (some also due to age). Erections are not as firm since on meds. He gave me some samples of Cialas and what a difference. Even half a tab gets me hard as a rock, feel like 20 again. Too bad they are expensive and most insurance won't cover.
 

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The impotence would go away if I stopped taking BP meds.....But,then I am setting myself for a stoke.I am very prone to TIA srojes,had a real nasty one in May 2003...Even with all the modern medcines they still cant get my BP down..I just spent 3 days in the hospital....Now my right kidney has problems..........So,I am maintained on 1200mg labetalol which brings the BP 154/110.............friday I have a renal MRA.......so,see what happens......after 30 years of it I dont expect to hear anything new.....I must admitt I am extremely frustrated...........
 

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Hey guys, I'm new here but I know the drill when it comes to ED and Viagra etc. The important thing to remember is that you should ALWAYS tell your GP what your problem is. If you have angina (heart pain) and are taking nitrates for this condition, then you need to be very careful. Other drugs such as Betablockers are not no dangerous when combined with Viagra.

P.S. You will find that a lot of ED is put into your head by misinformation. Happy days.

P.P.S. Cialis is MUUUUUCH better that the rest.
 

arktrucker

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I'm a 48 yr old married male and in my case, my high blood pressure pills have caused ED with me. I spoke with my doctor about it and he prescribed levitra 10 MG for me. They seem to work but they still don't get me as hard as I used to get before I was on the blood pressure medicine.

My Dr. has done the same for me. Although, she prescribed the 20mg and said if that didn't work that I could up it another 10mg. I'm not sure exactly about the hardness. I know it wasn't the same as when I was 20 but the ejaculation what fucking unbeliveable. It was one of those 'legs going out from underneath you' kind and I've only had a couple of those in my life! I've also found that after taking the Levitra, I don't need it again for several weeks. And needless to say, I'm very satisfied with that!

Along with BP meds, I'm taking a high dose of Effexor for pain. The Effexor will and really does fuck with your boner time!
 

horneyoldguy

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The answer to both is yes. High blood pressure can cause ED as can some of the medications. First, get the blood pressure under control. That can be done with medication and exercise. Since I had this problem, I was able to get it under control by taking a prescribed medication and joining a gym. My blood pressure problem is hereditary, form both sides of the family, and was passed onto my son. However, high blood pressure can also be caused by stress.

When the blood pressure is under control, discuss with you doctor, if you still have and ED problem, other medications like Viagra, Levitra, Cialis.
 

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Hello! I am a 51 year old man with a history of hypertension. My experience matches those of several here. There are several categories of meds for high bp, (alpha-, beta-. and calcium channel blockers, diuretics). I am on five types of them and one or more of them gave me a disturbing case of ED. My doc was a real champ about it, brought it another doc and the two of them kicked around possible treatment before settling on Cialis.

And it works for me pretty much as advertised. One pill can last two or more days, making my cock responsive to stimulus (not just physical--what I see can start me up as well as my very understanding lady's touch). Erections feel different, don't have the same sensitivity as before the BP meds, and orgasm is delayed--which ain't bad. And when I do cum, it is freaking amazing.

In short---high BP is nothing to fool around with, and if you run into ED issues, tell the doc. The diagnosis ain't the end of your sex life. Far from it.
 

FuzzyKen

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Been down the ED route.

Though mine came from a combination of an injury and aging, I would very strongly suggest that anyone with this problem make every effort to forget the orals. They are extremely expensive, have "hit and miss" effectiveness and because the medication is distributed systemically, they actually have a far higher chance of problems than more effective alternatives.

I came from a medical family, and independent of my medical insurance company I went to a specialist. The specialist prescribed "Quadmix" which is an injectable. Guys, as tough as this sounds it works so well that at age 55 I am now having erections like a teenager. Other than the ED I am otherwise healthy enough for sex. In truth, most individuals are. Boston Medical is a worldwide chain of MD's that specialize in only two things. These are ED and Premature Ejaculation.

Because this is all they do they ARE experts in this field and I could not be more pleased with what they have done for me. The injections end up cheaper than the orals by a wide margin. This is one area that takes a real expert and I discovered that most MD's, especially GP's are not experts in this field at all.

Giving one's self what is called an "intra-cavernosal" injection is easy, it is virtually painless and it is the best solution by miles. Proper training by the prescribing MD is the key to success.

Best of Luck,
Ken
 

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Classically all the Beta Blockers (usually ending in -olol) have been associated with erectile difficulties. But, other classes of BP meds may also cause it.

Probably, the key is not to overdo it with dosages. No one has ever shown that getting someone's systolic BP down to the 110s is better than keeping it right below 130. Furthermore, some scientific sources (Garfinkel's reanalysis of Framingham data) hold that increased risk of mortality from high BP does kick in until systolic pressure reaches rather high levels (above 160 or so).

In most cases, readjusting dosage or changes classes of meds can cure BP med induced ED.
 

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im just wondering i hadnt been to the doctor in a while and took 1 of those bp test at the grocery store and was high so i made appt to go to doctors office but if they give me meds will it make me impotent? or what are other side effects of pills?
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Yes..SOME DO...but U should be sure to ask your doctor & the pharmacy (pharmacist) as well what the actually side affects listed are.
Meds. react differently on ea. individual's system....be wise & ck.
Will also mention not only ask the doctor (many times they don't actually know) however, a good pharmacist does know...more his job to know and inform if U ask.
 

Industrialsize

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MY oh my...soooooo much wrong information!

1.ALL Blood Pressure medications have the POTENTIAL to cause erectile problems. It doesn't mean they will. There are many different classes of BP drugs and all of them work a little differently. Controlling hypertension is very important. Work with your doctor and find one that works for your body. The anti-hypertensive I currently take doesn't effect my erectile function. Under my physicians guidance we tried 4 different medications before we found the one that worked for me
2. It is perfectly safe to take drugs like Viagra or Cialis AND blood pressure medication at the same time. What is not safe is to take cialis type drugs with NITRATES used to treat Angina Pectoris. Those are the little pills you dissolve under your tongue when you have an attack of angina. Of note, people should NOT use, I repeat, NOT USE "poppers" or amyl nitrate for heightened sexual pleasure while taking Cialis or Viagra. This combination will cause a dangerous drop in Blood pressure. Unfortunately, many doctors do not counsel their patients about the danger of using ED drugs and Poppers.