Medicines That Cause Sexual Problems in Women

Some medicines may cause a decrease in a woman's desire for sex, which is a common sexual problem. These medicines include:

• High blood pressure (hypertensive) medicines, such as diuretics, alpha-blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
• Medicines for diabetes.
• Antidepressants, including tricyclics (such as amitriptyline) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as fluoxetine [Prozac, for example] or sertraline [Zoloft]).
• Antihistamines. These are allergy medicines.
• Tranquilizers, which are also known as sedatives.
• Appetite suppressants, which are also called diet pills.
• Chemotherapy medicines for cancer.
• Opioids, which are used to treat pain.
• Antiandrogens.
• Antiestrogens, such as:
  • Tamoxifen for breast cancer and raloxifene for osteoporosis.
  • Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues.

If you are taking a prescribed medicine and you think it might be interfering with your sexual interest and activity, talk with your doctor. He or she may be able to substitute another medicine that does not have these side effects.

Do not stop taking a prescribed medicine before talking with your doctor.

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