ask your pharmacist

Can blood pressure medicines cause impotence?

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:

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.

Sources:
Kochar, M.S. “What is Causing Your patient's Sexual Dysfunction? Uncovering a Connection with Hypertension and Antihypertensive Therapy,” Postgraduate Medicine 106 (1999).
Crenshaw, T.L., J.P. Goldberg. Sexual Pharmacology: Drugs That Affect Sexual Function. Crenshaw Writing Company, 1996.
Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs. Applied Therapeutics, 1995.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.
Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.

This answer prepared 5/23/2000.
This information updated 1/2/2007.