One partner's low libido can be the downfall of a relationship. But if the cause is a medication, particularly one the partner needs for his or her health, then a couple can be in a tough situation. Here are some medications that can affect sex drive. Blood pressure problems can trickle down, so to speak, and become a major contributor to erectile dysfunction. Once blood pressure is lowered, it seems it would help the situation; however, many blood pressure meds can exacerbate ED. Talk to your doctor (or your partner's doctor) about certain families of blood pressure medications that actually help ED. Depression is another multi-faceted disease when it comes to sexual dysfunction. While the disease itself reduces libido, so can the medications that treat it, particularly a family of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. It includes drugs like Prozac, Lexapro and Paxil, with which many people successfully treat depression.
However, the way they affect sufferers can be very different. If the depression was so severe as to cripple the person's sex drive, then the medications can help. However, they also may depress libido further. Your doctor can recommend whether or not you need to try something else - there are other medications, like Wellbutrin, that can treat depression while keeping libido intact. Finally, hormonal birth control ironically can make women feel like not having sex. Pills and patches can decrease the level of testosterone in the bloodstream, resulting in a loss of sex drive for some women. Experts seem to agree that the progestin present in many contraceptives is the culprit for loss of libido. Again, ask your doctor if there is a formulation you can try that will have less of an effect on your sex drive.