Decreased Libido Side Effect
Decreased libido means a reduction in sexual desire. Drug-induced loss of libido or decreased sex drive can be a serious problem that impacts both men and women and leads to poor treatment adherence.
Medications that often interfere with the sexual desire are antidepressants, antihypertensive medications8, antipsychotics 1, antiepileptic drugs3. Medications that affect prolactin, testosterone, DHEA, and serotonin receptors often affect libido.
List of medications that cause decreased sexual interest:
| Drug | Incidence |
|---|---|
| Abilify | < 1% |
| Aciphex | |
| Actiq | < 1% |
| Adalat | < 1% |
| Aldoclor | |
| Aldoril | |
| Ambien | Rare |
| Amerge | Rare |
| Anadrol-50 | |
| AndroGel | < 3% |
| Aricept | Infrequent |
| Asacol | |
| Avinza | < 5% |
| Avodart | 0.3% to 3% |
| Axid | |
| Blocadren | 0.6% |
| Caduet | < 2% |
| Calcijex | |
| Campral | Frequent |
| Casodex | 2% to 5% |
| Cimetidine (Tagamet®)12 | |
| Citalopram (Celexa®)9 | 2% |
| Clozapine | < 1% |
| Clozaril | < 1% |
| Copaxone | Infrequent |
| Coreg | 0.1% to 1% |
| Corzide | 0.1% to 0.5% |
| Cosopt | |
| Cozaar | < 1% |
| Progesterone gel Crinone | 10% |
| Cymbalta | 1% to 6% |
| Delatestryl | |
| Depo-Provera | 1% to 5% |
| Diovan | > 0.2% |
| DynaCircR | 0.5% to 1% |
| Effexor | 2% to 9% |
| Eligard | <3.3% |
| Estring | |
| Exelon | Infrequent |
| FazaClo | < 1% |
| Finasteride (Propecia®)6 | 2.6% to 6.4% |
| Flomax | 1% to 2% |
| Fluoxetine (Prozac®)7 | 1% to 11% |
| Gabapentin (Neurontin®)2 | |
| Gabitril | Infrequent |
| Gengraf | 1% to 3% |
| Glucotrol | < 1% |
| Haloperidol (Haldol) | |
| Hectorol | |
| Hytrin | 0.6% |
| Hyzaar | |
| Imipramine (Tofranil) | |
| Indapamide | < 5% |
| Infergen | 5% |
| Intron A | < 5% |
| Inversine | |
| Kadian | < 3% |
| Kaletra | < 2% |
| Klonopin | 1% |
| Lamictal | Rare |
| Lexapro | 3% to 7% |
| Librium | |
| Lipitor | < 2% |
| Lofibra | |
| Lotensin | 0.3% to 1% |
| Lotrel | |
| Lupron Depot | 1.8% to 11% |
| MS Contin | Less frequent |
| MSIR | Less frequent |
| Mavik | 0.3% to 1% |
| Meridia | |
| Midamor | < 1% |
| Mirapex | 1% |
| Mirena | > 5% |
| Moduretic | |
| Nadolol | 0.1% to 0.5% |
| Neoral | 1% to 3% |
| Nilandron | 11% |
| Norpramin | |
| Norvir | < 2% |
| Oral contraceptives | decrease circulating free testosterone4, low testosterone levels in women are associated with suppressed libido |
| Oramorph SR | Less frequent |
| Ovrette | |
| OxyContin | |
| Pacerone | 1% to 3% |
| Paroxetine (Paxil®)7 | 7% to 12% |
| Pepcid | Infrequent |
| Permax | Infrequent |
| Phenelzine (Nardil) | |
| Prevacid | < 1% |
| Prevpac | < 1% |
| Prinivil | 0.4% |
| Prinzide | 0.3% to 1% |
| ProSom | Rare |
| Prochieve | 10% |
| Protonix | < 1% |
| Provigil | > 1% |
| Requip | Infrequent |
| Rescriptor | |
| Reyataz | < 3% |
| Rilutek | Infrequent |
| Risperdal Consta | Infrequent |
| Rocaltrol | |
| Rythmol | |
| Sandostatin | < 1% |
| Seroquel | Rare |
| Sertraline (Zoloft®)7 | 1% to 11% |
| Sonata | Infrequent |
| Soriatane | < 1% |
| Sporanox | 0.2% to 1.2% |
| Statins11 | statins cause low serum testosterone levels due to intracellular cholesterol depletion10, lower testosterone levels are associated with decreased male libido |
| Strattera | > 5% |
| Sular | < 1% |
| Surmontil | |
| Symbyax | 2% to 4% |
| Symmetrel | 0.1% to 1% |
| Tambocor | < 1% |
| Tarka | |
| Tasmar | Infrequent |
| Testred | |
| Thalomid | |
| Thioridazine (Mellaril) | |
| Timolide | < 1% |
| Timolol | |
| Timoptic | |
| Topamax | 1% to 2% |
| Toprol-XL | |
| Tricor | |
| Trileptal, | |
| Uniretic | < 1% |
| VFEND | < 1% |
| Vaseretic | 0.5% to 2% |
| Vicoprofen | < 1% |
| Xanax | 6% to 14.4% |
| Zantac | |
| Zoladex | 61% |
| Zonegran | Infrequent |
| Zyprexa | Infrequent |
| Zyrtec | < 2% |
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References
- 1. Stimmel GL. Gutierrez MA. Sexual dysfunction and psychotropic medications.CNS Spectr. 2006 Aug;11(8 Suppl 9):24-30. PubMed
- 2. Kaufman KR, Struck PJ. Gabapentin-induced sexual dysfunction. Epilepsy Behav. 2011 Jul;21(3):324-6. PubMed
- 3. Kaufman KR, Wong S, Sivaraaman K, Anim C, Delatte D. Epilepsy and AED-induced decreased libido - The unasked psychosocial comorbidity. Epilepsy Behav. 2015 Nov;52(Pt A):236-8. PubMed
- 4. Lee M, Morgan M, Rapkin A. Clitoral and vulvar vestibular sensation in women taking 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol combined oral contraceptives: a preliminary study. J Sex Med. 2011 Jan;8(1):213-8 PubMed
- 5. Shah MB, Hoffstetter S. Contraception and sexuality. Minerva Ginecol. 2010 Aug;62(4):331-47. PubMed
- 6. Mondaini N, Gontero P, Giubilei G, Lombardi G, Cai T, Gavazzi A, Bartoletti R. Finasteride 5 mg and sexual side effects: how many of these are related to a nocebo phenomenon? J Sex Med. 2007 Nov;4(6):1708-12. PubMed
- 7. Modell JG, Katholi CR, Modell JD, DePalma RL. Comparative sexual side effects of bupropion, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1997 Apr;61(4):476-87. PubMed
- 8. Weiss RJ. Effects of antihypertensive agents on sexual function. Am Fam Physician. 1991 Dec;44(6):2075-82. PubMed
- 9. Michael A, Herrod JJ. Citalopram-induced decreased libido. Br J Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;171:90.
- 10. de Graaf L, Brouwers AH, Diemont WL. Is decreased libido associated with the use of HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors? Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2004 Sep;58(3):326-8. PubMed
- 11. Tuccori M1, Montagnani S, Mantarro S, et al. Neuropsychiatric adverse events associated with statins. CNS Drugs. 2014 Mar;28(3):249-72. PubMed
- 12. Galbraith RA. Sexual side effects of drugs. Drug Ther (NY). 1991 Mar;21(3):38-40, 45. PubMed
Published: September 01, 2016
Last updated: September 01, 2016
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