Medications & sexual health

Do you ever wonder about the effects of medications on a persons sexual health. Many of the commonly prescribed medications have minor to severe affects on sexual functions. Here are some examples:
Benzodiazapines ( known as mild tranquillisers - -are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms as well as alcohol withdrawal) Below are some common ones that you may have heard of and thier possible effects.

• alprazolam (Kalma,xanax,alprax) - menstrual changes, changes in libido,impaired sexual function




• diazepam (valium, antenex, valpam) - changes in libido




• lorazepam ( ativan) - changes in libido, impotence, decreased orgasm




• oxazepam ( alepam, murelax, serepax) changes in libido




• triazolam (halcion) menstrual changes, changes in libido.




• buspirone (buspar) menstrual changes, spotting, changes in libido, delayed ejaculation, impotence, priapism (prolonged erection)

Antipsychotics commonly used to treat psycosis including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mania and delusional disorder. Below are some ( there are many more) you may have heard of and thier possible side effects.

• Risperidone ( risperdal) menstrual changes, breast changes in men and women.




• Clozapine (clopine,synthon clozapine, clozaril) - CLOPINE - persistant painful erection, changes in libido, impotence, ejaculatory difficulties CLOZARIL - painful menstrual periods, changes in libido, persistant painful erection




• pericyazine ( neulactil) - menstrual changes, changes in libido, impotence, false positive pregnancy tests, ejaculatory problems.




• haloperidol ( serenace) - decreased desire, menstrual changes, impotence, swollen breasts in men and women.

Tricyclic Antidepressants - used for clinical depression, neuropathic pain, ADHD, bedwetting as well as other applications like irritable bowel syndrome and bulimia nervosa. Below are some you may have heard of and possible effects.

• amitriptyline ( endep, tryptanol) endep - changes in sex drive.




• Clomipramine ( anafranil, placil) changes in libido




• imipramine ( melipramine, tofranil) tofrnil - impotence, ejaculation difficulty, painful ejaculation, inability to orgasm.




• mianserin (lumin, tolvon) lumin - uninhibited behaviour - tolvon - impotence, breast enlargement in men

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - a class of antidepressants used in treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, some personality disorders and sometimes premature ejaculation. Below are some you may have heard of and possible side effects.

• Fluoxetine (auscap, lovan, prozac) auscap :- impaired sexual function - lovan :-sexual problems: prozac - decreased libido, impotence, ejaculatory or orgasmic problems




• citalopram (celepram, cipramil, talma, talohexal, celexa) cipramil and talam - changes in libido, menstrual changes, impotence, ejaculatory or orgasmic problems: talohexal and celexa - changes in libido, menstrual changes ejaculatory problems, impotence

These are just a few of the medications that are being prescribed. As far as I am concerned it means that we have to go beyond the behaviours that we are seeing in people and find out if there are other factors that shape and effect thier lives. As always there is so much more to a person than we see on the surface.

Information for this post was taken from " what medications affect what sexual functions" and wikipedia.