Can Zoloft cause erectile dysfunction in men?
Zoloft (sertraline) is mainly a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Doctors recommend this medicine to treat various psychological issues like anxiety and depression. These conditions might cause erectile dysfunction. However, Zoloft might also make some men suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).
Read this blog further to know what is the relationship between ED, Zoloft, and mental health.
What is Zoloft (Sertraline)?
Sertraline is a prescription medicine that comes as the brand-name medicine Zoloft. It is an antidepressant medicine that belongs to a class of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It is a commonly prescribed and effective antidepressant available in the market. SSRI medications caused sexual side effects in up to 80% of people, according to research.
Zoloft is helpful in treating depression, social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This medication works in your body by increasing the amount of serotonin. As a result, your mental health balance is restored.
How does Zoloft cause erectile dysfunction?
In case, you have been prescribed Zoloft then it is necessary to know that sexual side effects can take place due to its consumption. The most common side effects include decreased sexual drive, erectile dysfunction, and difficulty or unable to reach orgasm.
Being a man, it is not necessary that you will suffer from erectile dysfunction after consuming Zoloft. However, some men do experience ED as a side effect of Zoloft.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors cause erectile dysfunction in men by increasing serotonin in the body. This further decreases your sexual function.
It is also believed that an increase in serotonin can affect your hormones and neurotransmitters like testosterone. As a result, your sexual arousal and dopamine are affected which aids in attaining orgasm.
Sometimes, SSRIs can obstruct nitrous oxide that is required for the muscles in the male sexual organ to relax and allow proper blood flow to achieve and maintain a hard erection.
From person to person, the occurrence and seriousness of erectile dysfunction caused by Zoloft can differ. Though for some men, the side effects of Zoloft can decrease with time as your body adjusts to the medicine. But for other men, the effects might persist.
What is erectile dysfunction and how it happens?
Erectile dysfunction is the ability to achieve and maintain an erection required for sexual activity. When suffering from ED, you are not able to attain an erection even when sexually stimulated.
When there is an insufficient flow of blood to the male sexual organ, ED can take place. Erectile dysfunction happens when the male sexual organ is not able to trap blood at the time of erection or when nerve signals from the brain are unable to reach the male reproductive organ.
However, there are several other causes of ED as well like psychological, physiological reasons, or a combination of both.
Physiological causes mainly include aging, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes. The flow of blood to the male sexual organ is what leads to healthy, hard erections and these conditions are affected straight by blood circulation in the body. Physical health, poor diet, alcohol consumption, and some medicines can cause ED.
On the other hand, psychological causes of ED include stress disorders, depression, and anxiety. All these can affect one’s mood, sexual satisfaction, and libido. Emotional or relationship issues can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is one of the major reasons why men who are recommended Zoloft stop consuming their medicine. When assessing erectile dysfunction, it is necessary to consider its numerous potential causes. To assure a detailed evaluation is done, you must meet the doctor once.
In case, you are taking Zoloft and experiencing sexual side effects evaluation is vital to determine that the symptoms you experience are not the result of Zoloft.
In some cases, sexual difficulties might not take place from the consumption of Zoloft but from the underlying depression. Almost 35% to 50% of men with untreated major depression can experience some form of sexual dysfunction before any treatment.
In case, your ED is caused by anxiety or depression, it might improve after Zoloft begins to take its effect. After starting Zoloft, you must wait for a few weeks in order to see whether your condition improves or not.
What you can do if you experience erectile dysfunction after taking Zoloft?
If you start experiencing erectile dysfunction after taking Zoloft then the best action would be to meet your doctor. Without the approval of your doctor, you must not stop taking the medicine, if you experience ED after taking it.
Discontinuing the medicine suddenly can relapse and result in increased mortality, morbidity, and chronicity resulting in major depression. You might even experience one or more withdrawal symptoms like dizziness, headache, irritability, nightmares, nausea, and vomiting.
Some of the potential solutions for Zoloft-induced ED that you can discuss with the doctor include:
Lowering the dosage
In some cases, SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction can be related to the level of dosage of the medicine. In such conditions, your doctor can decrease the dosage to the minimal effective dose. This further can decrease the effect of medicine on your sexual function.
Opting for a different SSRI
In some cases, changing to a different SSRI antidepressant can help. The effects of SSRIs and even the happening of sexual side effects can vary among the same group of medicines. Some of the alternatives include Prozac, Lexapro, and Paxil.
Making lifestyle changes
A healthy lifestyle can aid in managing your erectile dysfunction condition. Lifestyle changes mainly include quitting smoking, weight reduction, treatment for substance use issues, and regular exercising.
Remember creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself can improve your sense of overall health, wellbeing, and also the health of physiological issues linked to the sexual response cycle.
If the Zoloft prescription is causing you ED, then making some significant lifestyle changes can help you.
Therefore, if you are unsure about the cause of erectile dysfunction or there is a need to take ED medicine, consult the doctor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Zoloft (sertraline) is a commonly prescribed and effective antidepressant medicine that can be helpful in treating depression, social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your body to restore your mental health balance.
However, it is important to know that some men do experience erectile dysfunction as a side effect of taking Zoloft. If you are experiencing ED after taking this medication then it is advisable to discuss potential solutions with your doctor such as lowering the dosage or switching to another SSRI antidepressant like Prozac or Lexapro. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and exercising regularly can also help you manage erectile dysfunction more effectively.
