Impotence caused by medications; Drug-induced erectile dysfunction

Various medications and recreational drugs can have an effect on sexual arousal and sexual performance. What causes impotence in one man may not affect another man.

If you think that a medication you are taking is having a negative effect on your sexual performance, discuss the matter with your health care provider. Never stop taking any medication without first consulting your health care provider, because some medications can produce life-threatening reactions if they are not carefully and slowly stopped or switched appropriately.

The following is a list of medications and nonprescription drugs that may cause impotence:

Antidepressants and other psychiatric medications:

• Amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Amoxapine (Asendin)
• Buspirone (Buspar)
• Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
• Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
• Clomipramine (Anafranil)
• Clorazepate (Tranxene)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Diazepam (Valium)
• Doxepin (Sinequan)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Fluphenazine (Prolixin)
• Imipramine (Tofranil)
• Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• Lorazepam (Ativan)
• Meprobamate (Equanil)
• Mesoridazine (Serentil)
• Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
• Oxazepam (Serax)
• Phenelzine (Nardil)
• Phenytoin (Dilantin)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)
• Thioridazine (Mellaril)
• Thiothixene (Navane)
• Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Trifluoperazine (Stelazine)

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Review Date: 10/11/2010
Reviewed By: Louis S. Liou MD, PhD, Chief of Urology, Cambridge Health Alliance, Visiting Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)