Medication may snuff the thrill

By Frederick Womakuyu

MOSES, 30, an employee at Owen falls dam Jinja, was told he had hypertension(abnormally high blood pressure). His physician prescribed a common diuretic medication (a substance causing an increase in the flow of urine) to control the condition.

A few years later, he began taking the medication. Three weeks later, his sexual potency was back to normal.

Unfortunately, his hypertension also returned. The doctor prescribed another widely used anti-hypertensive. Again moses became impotent.

The doctor then tried a third medication, and he has experienced no sexual side effects for seven years.

“There are so many common drugs that can cause sexual impairment,” says Dr. Teresa Kawoya, a pharmacist at Nsambya Hospital.
She adds that tranquilisers (drugs for making an anxious person calm), for example tend to reduce sexual desire and responsiveness.

“That includes lubrication and orgasm in women, erection and ejaculation in men. For most women, loss of libido is the primary sex effect,” she explains.

Many doctors prescribe the drugs without mentioning the side effects.
John Tumusiime, a pharmacist with Doctors Beyond , says it can take months or years for adverse effects to develop.

“Never stop a medication or switch to another without a physician’s approval.”

Here are some of the drugs that may affect your sexual urge:

Tranquilisers and sedatives
Many patients never know that dozens of other sleeping pills and mood altering drugs can depress sexual interest. Women can lose their desire and ability to lubricate and climax while men may have trouble with erections and ejaculation.

“Alternatives should be behavioural change, switching to another medication and regular exercise,” adds another pharmacist, Anne Marie from Care Group International, in Bundibugyo.

Anti-depressants
“Most of these drugs – prozac and Elavil, for example, are often prescribed for women, some of whom are young, with little sexual experience.

If they lose interest in sex, it may never occur to them that the drug might be the cause Namutebi adds they may blame themselves and think they could be sexually abnormal.”

Blood pressure drugs
For men above 40 years who have hypertension, drugs like propranolol, aldomet , catapres are usually prescribed. However, the drugs may endanger erection.

Tumusiime says for women, high blood pressure drugs are usually prescribed after menopause because they may cause difficulty in getting orgasm.

He says changing the medication may help and one could control blood pressure through weight loss and exercise.

Ulcer drugs
Namutebi says about 2% of Ugandans develop ulcers , a painful abdominal condition that can strike at any age. Most ulcer cases occurred in men, but, since the 1980s, more women especially those who smoke, have developed the diseases, says Namutebi.

Many patients do not know that some of the drugs for treating ulcers can have a side effect sexually because it suppresses libido in men and may cause erection loss,” she says.

Tumusiime adds that recent research shows that many ulcer cases result from bacterial infection.

“These can be cured with antibiotics, which do not cause sexual problems, but extended use may lead to yeast infections for women. Doctors still use the ulcer drugs along side antibiotics,” Tumusiime said.

Appetite suppressants
In a nation where “obesity is becoming a problem,” Tumusiime says some Ugandans opt for drugs for weight reduction. He says some drugs, for example pondium can suppress or increase desire for sex as well as suppress the desire for food.

“ If you are taking one, ask your physician for a referral to a weight loss programme that does not include drugs, one based on low fat diet, exercise and group support.”

Birth control pills
A university student took the pills after several sexual encounters. But she later lost her sex drive. She learnt from a physician that the pills had a possible side effect. She then switched to a different contraceptive and within six weeks, she regained her libido.

Libido and vaginal lubrication are affected by sex hormone levels in the blood and the pill changes these levels. In some cases, switching the type of pill, or changing the dosage, may help,”says Helen Namutebi, a pharmacist at Nsambya Hospital.

Over- the- counter drugs
The labels on popular allergy medications do not warn that they may affect libido , says Tumusiime. Such products often use an active ingredient having potent sedative effects that is commonly used in over- the -counter sleep preparations.

“If the label says ‘may cause drowsiness,’ the drug may depress sexual interest and ability,” warns Tumusiime.

“Just because a drug is available without a prescription does not mean it is sexually safe.”

Sometimes, it is necessary to take a drug that may impair sexuality. “Xanax is effective in treating disabling panic attacks, for example. So, an informed consumer might risk his or her sexuality for a while to treat a serious problem.

But in less severe cases, other drugs can be substituted , approaches tried,” Namutebi says she educates patients about the drugs before giving them.