BP tablets and erection

[Barnstaple]

Hi all. Currently on 5mg ramipril and 10 mg amlodipine . So far not really reducing BP. No real side affects apart from tiredness and more worrying it is affecting my libido and ability to achieve erection. Anyone else suffer like this? Any solution? Could tolerate if BP was coming down.

[Blackcatsooty]

give it time, I was advised these drugs take perhaps five weeks to titrate in to my system.

no doubt your GP will add a third or even a fourth drug to achieve a sensible BP..

You really do not want to risk a stroke. So eat sensibly and take exercise.

Best wishes

Sooty

[Hidden]

If you have been taking your medication for more than say 10 days and there is no signs of any lowering of your BP, and, importantly, believe your are having side effects which are showing no sign of subsiding, maybe its time to seek a review of your medication with your GP. Your GP may be able to offer you other medication. I have been on BP lowering medication for 20 years or so, as in Irbesartan, but it is in a different medication group to the ones you have been prescribed, however it worked from day one and I don't get any side effects.

Finally some blood pressure medication is known to cause ED, perhaps including Ramipril, see here

patient.info/forums/discuss...

[Barnstaple]

Thanks for your comments. I do try and exercise. I was keeping up with 10000 steps a day but have had terrible back problems since February which has limited exercise. I try to eat healthy as much as possible but still BP is high. Been on tablets for about a year and had both doubled in size. I do suffer with stress however. Just need to try harder!

[devonian186 in reply to Barnstaple]

Have you tried using hiking poles as they may help take the strain off your back

[Hidden]

Unfortunately for some of us no amount of exercise and 'healthy' eating will change the fact that we have high blood pressure, since that's how we are built. It's a bit like very high cholesterol where the usual recommendations are not good enough to reduce it to what is considered 'healthy', and yes, I also have naturally very high cholesterol. In both cases the usual recommendations might help but they are not a 'cure', medication provides the solution. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (about160/90) I was doing all the 'right' things without even thinking about BP, fortunately it was identified and I was put on meds and my BP has been under control ever since. I still exercise as much as I can given age related physical limitations (as in cycle, occasional swims, walks every day when possible, and being otherwise physically active), am body weight conscious , and my diet is varied and healthy and more to the point I enjoy food, but I know that if I weaned myself off the BP tabs my BP would slowly go back up to where it was before likely higher.

[Swalecliffe88 in reply to Hidden]

I am so glad I am not the only person who this situation applies to. I really was thinking that perhaps I was. I too have naturally higher BP and Cholesterol. Was brought up and brought my family up eating naturally healthily not fanatical about it, just sensible. No added salt or sugar to any of our food, never struggled to maintain a weight of between 9 and 9.5 stone all my life. But was put on meds at the age of 23. That was 45 years ago. Lowering my BP makes me feel lethargic and unwell. But over that 45 years no GPs have truly understood or totally agreed with my train of thought. But unfortunately my natural levels have taken their toll on my body and at 60 developed angina and after a year had a heart attack resulting in triple by pass and 8 years later had an out of hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest leaving me now with a defibrillator implanted. But hey I’m still going and still out there doing as much sensible exercise as I can and giving old age a bloody nose.

[Hidden]

Dear Barnstaple

I totally understand your ED { Erection Dysfunction } problems and how it can be brushed a side by the medical profession when they are concentrating on what they consider to be a more important problem { which at the moment it is }

And yes I agree with them, to have a great sex life you have to be alive first.

But and a big but, they then tend to forget that this part of your life could be important to you, it certainly is for me and I was not willing for it to just disappear under a blanket of drugs saving my life.

Sex or in my case the feeling of still being sexual complete with no erection problems is a big part of who I am.

There is plenty of help, let things settle with your BP first then ask to be referred to a specialist in this field.

Don't be fobbed off, its your life to get back on track.

Take care and please keep us informed

[Seal59]

My husband had problems with ED which I think was probably due to one of the tablets he was taking. As it was a very important part of how he felt about himself he spoke to the doctor and he gave him tablets to help with that.

[mathematics]

my husband was having major problems with ED as well due to medication for his BP and diabetes and MS. He was referred to see a specialist who sorted it out and gave him medication that went with the meds he was on to help him out. They still keep in contact with him now to make sure he's not having problems.

[Bingo88]

Good morning Barnstaple I was put on 2.5 of Ramapril years ago to help my kidneys and was told then that 1 of the side effects of Ramapril was having problems getting an election long term. I had been on it around 10 years when this started to happen to me. Since been put on another drug. But still not good. If you have only been on it a short time and having problems I should speak to your doctor again incase it's something else.Ramapril also gives you a cough as well as i found out and others have mentioned. Hope you get it sorted and have a good day. Brian

[BicuspidBloke]

Are you confident it's down to Blood Pressure and not blood flow/supply? I know from experience with valve issues that it can be difficult to get enough blood around the body to those all-important areas.