There are a stunning variety of things that can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction (ED).  Some are psychological.  Others are diet or lifestyle choices.

Others still though, are medicines your doctor may have prescribed to you in order to treat other health conditions you may have.  Some of them are pretty well known and understood, but some of the things on this list might surprise you.

Read on, and if you see anything on this list that you’re currently taking, consult your doctor to see if there might be an alternative that might accomplish the same goal, but without the ED-related side-effects.

Blood Pressure Medications

This is the big one.  If you have high blood pressure, which is quite common among people with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), then you’re almost certainly on some kind of blood pressure medication.

The problem with these medications is that they work perhaps a bit too well.  As your blood pressure drops, it becomes correspondingly more difficult to get and maintain an erection.

If you had ED before you started taking blood pressure meds, they will almost certainly make matters worse.  If you didn’t have ED before, they can often cause the condition to develop.  Fortunately there are (a few) alternatives you may be able to try.

Antidepressants

There are more than a dozen antidepressants that can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.  This can be a tricky issue to resolve, because depression itself can cause the condition, and the drugs they give you for it can make it worse.

Talk to your doctor.  There may be an alternative you can try, but the best bet would be to find a way to treat your depression that doesn’t call for a prescription.

Of course, this is not always possible.  In any case, don’t just stop taking your medication.  Always seek the advice of a medical professional.

Antihistamines

Allergies are no fun.  They can make life pure misery.  Of course, an inability to have sex can also make your life pretty miserable, so again, this one is something of a two-edged sword.

Fortunately, there are lots of pretty effective ways to mitigate, or even eliminate allergy symptoms, so this may be something you can cure naturally and slowly wean yourself off of your allergy medicine.

Honey, from a local source near where you live, for instance, is a great way boost allergy immunity. Note that honey does carry some health risks for young children, so again, this is not a decision you want to make on your own and without a consultation from your doctor.

Non-Steroidal, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Pain killers like Naproxen and Indocin can often make ED worse.  These drugs will seldom actually cause the condition, but if you’ve already got it, you’ll notice a big difference when taking them.

Note that muscle relaxants like Flexeril and Norflex are also big contributors, but in these cases, they can actually cause erectile dysfunction in some men.

Antiarrythmics

If you take a drug called Disopyramide (also known as Norpace), it could make your ED worse, and can, in some cases, cause it.

Histamine H2 Receptor Antagonists

These are medicines like Tagamet, Axid, and Zantac. If you take any of these for stomach or digestive issues, they could worsen your ED.  These medications will seldom actually cause the condition, however.

Medications For the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Almost all of the major medications currently in use to treat Parkinson’s Disease, including Biperiden, Benztropine, Trihexyphenidyl, Procyclidine, Bromocriptine, Levodopa, and their generic equivalents can frequently cause erectile dysfunction.

There are few alternatives here, so in these cases, you may be forced to take ED medications to help offset the effects of these drugs on your sexual performance but again, always check with your doctor before making any decisions about that.

The pace of advancement in the medical industry is blinding, and there may be some new or emerging treatment options available.

Prostate Cancer Medications

If you take Flutamide, Eulexin, Leuprolide, or Lupron, you’re probably going to notice problems with your sexual performance.  If you had ED before taking these, it will almost certainly worsen the condition.

Note that this is also true of chemotherapy drugs like Busulfan, Myleran, Cyclophosphamide, and Cytoxan.  These drugs are absolutely critical to your health, however, so it’s unlikely that you’ll have many options here, save for seeing if your doctor can recommend an ED medication in addition to these.

As you can see, the sad reality is that there are numerous drugs for serious medical conditions that either contribute to the worsening of ED, or that can cause it outright.

The good news is that there are, at least in many cases, alternatives your doctor can prescribe.  In cases like these though, never make any changes to your prescriptions without first consulting with your doctor.