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Heart Disease  (Expert Forum)
 | 
BP Medication and Erectile Dysfunction
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.

BP Medication and Erectile Dysfunction

by Jack__0, Sep 06, 1998 12:00AM
  Dear Doctor,
  I have been taking BP medication for over 5 years. They tried me on several
  different medications but all had unacceptable side effects: headaches,
  flushing, etc. Finally they settled on Norvasc 5 mg and Tenoretic 50 mg once
  daily. BUT, this combination caused almost total lack of ability to get and
  maintain an erection.
  In the course of all of this, I managed to lose 25 lbs, start living a more
  stress free life, and getting a little more exercise. I am an WM 53 yr, 6'3",
  195# in general good health.
  I live part time in Mexico and when I told the doctor here about the problem
  with erection, he prescribed Posicar T. But in June, that medication was
  taken off the market worldwide. So I went back on just Tenoretic 50 mg once
  daily. It maintains my BP around 135/90, with it bouncing up and down from
  there. However, I am able to get an erection at times and usually have one
  upon waking in the morning.
  The doctor now wants me to add one more 50 mg tablet at night to see if that
  will bring BP down below diastolic reading of 90.
  From what I have learned from my research, Tenoretic is a beta-blocker with
  a diuretic. It seems to me that erectile dysfunction is a common side effect
  of the beta-blocker class of drugs. Is there any class of BP medication which
  seems to have less incidence of the side effect of erectile dysfunction?
  Thanks for your information and assistance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jack
Any anti-hypertensive can cause erectile dysfunction. Beta-blockers do this more frequently. Perhaps your doctors could wean you off the beta-blocker and substitute Norvasc and increase the dose; they could keep you on a diuretic. I am assuming you have been off the Posicor for a few weeks; if that is not the case, I would not make any changes in your medical regimen, as there have been several deaths associated with stopping Posicor and immediately starting certain other medications.
I hope this has been useful. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck.
Information provided here is of a general nature.  Specific diagnoses and treatments can only be made by your doctor.  If you would like to be seen at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiologist at Desk F15.





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