While erectile dysfunction is commonly associated with age, the reality is that it impacts men of all ages, and for a variety of reasons. Many, in fact, involve medical conditions or are related to mental health, but another common source is as a side effect of various medications.
In the case of beta blockers, not only are they a common cause of erectile dysfunction, but so is the high blood pressure that beta blockers are often prescribed to treat.
Here's the deal on beta blockers and erectile dysfunction.
What Is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection firm enough for sex. There are several causes, both physical and psychological.
Physically, erectile dysfunction is often attributed to medical conditions that have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system: high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, for example. Psychologically, any mental health condition can impact sexual performance, like depression, anxiety, and stress.
One of the most important factors for erections is the flow of blood to the penis. When you become aroused, the brain signals to the penis for arteries and veins to expand and smooth muscles to relax. These actions result in a large supply of blood filling the penis and expanding it - much like a water balloon. The pressure of this blood flow suppresses the veins that typically whisk blood out of the penis when it’s flaccid, helping to maintain the erection until orgasm is achieved or stimulation ends.
Any interruption or issues during this process can result in erectile dysfunction.
What Are Beta Blockers?
Another common source of erectile dysfunction is as a side effect of many medications. Among these are beta blockers.
Beta adrenergic blocking agents, more commonly known as beta blockers, are medications primarily used to treat conditions involving the cardiovascular system.
These medications are most commonly used to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms involving:
- Angina, also known as severe chest pain
- Anxiety
- Arrhythmia, also known as an irregular heartbeat
- Congestive heart failure
- Glaucoma
- Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure
- Migraine
- Myocardial infarction, also known as heart attack
- Tachycardia, also known as a rapid heart rate
- Thyroid issues
- Tremors
Beta blockers help to treat these various issues by blocking the release of the stress hormone epinephrine, more commonly known as adrenaline.
When adrenaline is released, a person may experience an elevated heartbeat and an increase in blood pressure, often resulting in excessive sweating and heart palpitations. Adrenaline causes blood vessels to constrict, requiring blood to be pumped more forcefully to get through.
By blocking the release of adrenaline, stress on the heart and cardiovascular system can be significantly reduced.
Most of the side effects associated with beta blockers are not life threatening and include:
- Abdominal pain
- Cold hands and/or cold feet
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Low blood pressure
- Memory loss
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Slow heartbeat
- Vomiting
- Weight gain
(This may not be a complete list of possible side effects.)
Beta blockers are typically not the first treatment for high blood pressure and are generally prescribed once other treatments have failed. They are also often prescribed with other medications in order to lower blood pressure.
There are actually three different types of beta blockers available, although only two of them are used for medicinal purposes. Beta 1 blockers focus only on the adrenergic receptors located in the heart and kidneys, while beta 2 blockers focus on the lungs, liver, stomach, smooth muscles, and skeletal muscles. These two are used most frequently as medical treatments, as beta 3 blockers focus on receptors found in fat cells.
Some of the most common beta blocker medications include:
- Acebutolol (Sectrall)
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
- Betaxolol (Kerlone)
- Bisoprolol (Zebeta, Ziac)
- Carvedilol (Coreg)
- Metoprolol (Lopressor or Toprol XL)
- Nadolol (Cordgard)
- Nebivolol (Bystolic)
- Propranolol (Inderal or Innopran XL)
- Sotalol (Betapace)
How Beta Blockers Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction
One of the most common side effects of beta blockers is erectile dysfunction. Beta blockers impact various components of the nervous system as well as blood flow in the body. Both of these actions can result in the symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
While too much adrenaline can be bad for erections due to the constriction of blood vessels, its ability to make blood pump more forcefully through the body generally helps with erections. Since beta blockers reduce the release of adrenaline, this hormone may not support blood flow strong enough to result in an erection. Additionally, beta blockers work to slow heart rate and lower blood pressure. Having too low of blood pressure means that erections may not get sufficient blood supply to achieve an erection or insufficient pressure to maintain an erection.
Another class of medications for high blood pressure that can have a negative impact on sexual function are diuretics. These medications make the user urinate more, reducing unnecessary body fluid and lowering blood pressure. This increase in urination can also result in lower levels of zinc, an essential nutrient that's critical to production of the male sex hormone testosterone. For these reasons, diuretic medications are also known to contribute to erectile dysfunction.
There are a few medications for high blood pressure that carry significantly less risk of resulting in erectile dysfunction. These include:
- Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) such as benazepril, captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, and trandolapril.
- Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) such as atacand, avapro, benicar, cozaar, diovan, micardis, and teveten.
- Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, isradipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nisoldipine, and verapamil.
If you're currently taking a beta blocker or diuretic and experiencing erectile dysfunction, talk to your doctor about switching to an alternative medication. If your doctor advises against a switch, you may want to talk to a professional about prescription ED medications like Viagra® or Cialis®, which can help treat erectile dysfunction in those healthy enough.
Ways To Naturally Lower Blood Pressure
Not only are beta blockers bad for erectile function, but high blood pressure affects erections as well. Finding ways to naturally lower your blood pressure can help to eliminate the need for beta blockers altogether as well as improve overall sexual function!
Here are some of the lifestyle changes that can help lower blood pressure – and are good for you no matter what.
- A balanced diet. Sodium, saturated fats, and processed foods are generally bad for arterial health. Cut back on the salty foods and limit saturated fat intake while increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole foods, and protein that you eat.
- More exercise. You don't have to vigorously exercise or train like you're entering a marathon just to get some health benefits. 30 minutes of brisk walking 3-5 times a week is all you need to help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function.
- Eliminate bad habits. Alcohol and smoking are really bad for a variety of systems in your body, especially the cardiovascular system. Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink and busting your smoking habit can have significant effects on blood pressure. In addition, both of these vices are commonly associated with erectile dysfunction and could be playing a factor in the issues you may be facing.
- Reduce stress. Whether it’s from work, home life, or relationship problems, find ways to reduce stress in your life. Yoga, meditation, exercise, and various breathing techniques can all help to calm you down. Get some physical exercise and check two options off this list!
The Takeaway: Not only are beta blockers a known cause for erectile dysfunction, but so is the high blood pressure that beta blockers are intended to treat. Switching medications and working to naturally lower your blood pressure may help to reduce the symptoms of erectile dysfunction – and even eliminate it altogether.
Lowering blood pressure through lifestyle changes can take time, and it’s possible that erectile dysfunction will continue even after you've succeeded.
Fortunately, there are plenty of prescription ED medications available that can help treat issues related to sexual performance. Rex MD has them all, and at compelling prices, all done online. Click here to get started with a free consultation today.
