When it comes to dealing with low sex drive, many medications can be related to the problem one way or another. Many medications cause low sex drive, and some can cure it. This article will present information about medications with more detail than a list would provide to allow information that are otherwise not well known to finally be understood. The following are but a few examples:

Antidepressants

Many brands of antidepressants are known to cause sexual dysfunctions including low libido. The type of medication is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRI. They work by blocking serotonin from being used by neurotransmitters in the brain. The common brand names for these antidepressants include Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, and Prozac. While not a SSRI, bupropion, known as Wellbutrin or Zyban, has also been used to treat depression (in the case of Zyban, smoking cessation) with sexual side effects. These have been reported not as severe as the other antidepressants although there is an effect nonetheless.

Hypertensive medications

Medications to treat high blood pressure have been long known to create sexual dysfunctions in men, though some medications are reported to increase desire in some. Researchers are only beginning to study the effects of cardiovascular disease and its treatments on women, so there is no information available. Diuretics and beta-blockers are known to cause sexual dysfunction in men by reducing the blood flow to the area or inhibiting the nervous system reactions to arousal. It makes sense these medications could affect women similarly causing low sex drive, arousal and orgasm problems. Brand names for diuretic medications include Aprinox, Diurexan, and Lasix. Some brand names for beta-blockers are Inderal, Levatol, and Cartrol.

Other medications

There are multitudes of other medications that are known to lower libido. These include medications to treat conditions of alcohol withdrawal and ulcers. Narcotic pain medications have been shown to decrease libido as well. Hormones such as is found in birth control have also been shown to decrease sex drive in women. Various interactions for those on a regimen of medications may also play a role in lowering libido.    

Cures

With all this information about medications that lower sex drive, it is important to explore which medications are available to increase it. There is much knowledge of medications available to men for improving sexual relations. These medications, such as Viagra and Cialis, increase the blood flow to the genital area. This has the effect of improving desire, arousal, and performance/orgasm. Using these medications to treat women is currently being studied. In cases where testosterone is lacking in both men and women, simple replacement therapy has shown to be successful.

If you or your partner is on any of the medications known to decrease libido, a review and discussion of alternative medications found to have less sexual side effects may be warranted. If you or your partner is on any medications not listed, talking with your doctor about how those medications work in conjunction with the physiology of sex may uncover the desired information.