Depression Treatment Medication Can Zoloft Cause Erectile Dysfunction? Sexual dysfunction occurs in 25 percent of men on SSRI antidepressants By Michael Bihari, MD Michael Bihari, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, health educator, and medical writer, and president emeritus of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod. Learn about our editorial process Michael Bihari, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 23, 2020 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on September 17, 2020 Print PeopleImages/Getty Images Sexual side effects are estimated to occur in over 50% of men on SSRI therapy. In fact, sexual dysfunction is one of the main reasons that men who are being treated for depression stop taking their medications. Although delayed orgasm is most common, erectile dysfunction According to medical studies, erectile dysfunction (ED) can occur in men who are taking an SSRI. If you are having problems, meet with your doctor to discuss whether it would be safe to: Lower the dose of your Zoloft: A lower dose may continue to help your depression, but relieve your ED. Switch to a different SSRI: Sometimes, changing to a different SSRI antidepressant can help. You may have to go through several months of trial and error. Some options include Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), and Prozac (fluoxetine). Switch to a non-SSRI: Although most of the medications that are used to treat depression can cause sexual dysfunction, Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Remeron (mirtazapine) are less likely to cause ED. Take a specific medication to treat your ED: In some men with ED that is caused by an SSRI, taking a medication such as Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil), or Viagra (sildenafil) may help. A word of caution: Do not abruptly stop taking your Zoloft; this can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and a potential return of your symptoms. Other Drugs That Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction can be caused by other drugs besides antidepressants, including some medications that are used to treat high blood pressure, many medications that are used to treat psychiatric disorders, and some medications that are used to treat an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer. There is a long list of drugs that can contribute to ED. Some examples of medications reported to cause sexual side effects include: Clonidine Methyldopa Thiazide diuretics Spironolactone Beta blockers Digoxin Gemfibrizol Lithium Tricyclic antidepressants Corticosteroid GnRH agonists Estrogens Progesterone Methotrexate Cocaine Marijuana Ethanol 5α-reductase inhibitors Calcium-channel blockers If you are taking any medication, talk to your pharmacist or physician to see if erectile dysfunction is a known side effect. Medical Conditions That May Cause ED ED is also commonly observed in people with the following conditions: Diabetes Benign prostatic hyperplasia Rheumatoid arthritis Obesity Depression Anxiety Excessive Stress Severe cardiovascular disease An injury to the spinal cord ED is also associated with smoking, as well as with men who have undergone radiation treatment or surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer. What to Know Before Talking With Your Doctor ED is a complicated problem and multiple factors may be triggering it. For example, if you have high blood pressure and diabetes and take various medications that contribute to ED, all of those things could be causing ED. The bottom line: There's nothing normal about ED. In other words, people don't automatically develop ED as they age. So don't think that it's something that you have to live with it. It's a common health problem and you don't need to feel embarrassed by it. Let your primary care physician or a specialist (like a cardiologist or psychiatrist) know that this is something that's bothering you, and then you can discuss all the possible remedies so you can find the relief that you deserve. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Get our free guide when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Clayton AH, Croft HA, Handiwala L. Antidepressants and sexual dysfunction: mechanisms and clinical implications. Postgrad Med. 2014;126(2):91-9. doi:10.3810/pgm.2014.03.2744 Higgins, A, Nash, M, Lynch, AM. Antidepresant-associated sexual dysfunction: Impact, effects, and treatment. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2010;2:141.150. doi:10.2147/DHPS.S7634 Zainol, M, Sidi, H, Kuma, J, Das, S, Ismail, SB, Hatta, MH, Baharuddin, N, Ravindran, A. Co-morbid erectile dysfunction (ED) and antidepressant treatment in a patient - A management challenge? Curr Drug Targets. 2019;20(2). 182-191. doi:10.2174/1389450118666170315110902 Nurnberg HG, Duttagupta S. Economic analysis of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) add-on to treat erectile dysfunction associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use. Am J Ther. 2004;11(1):9-12. doi:10.1097/00045391-200401000-00005 Biebel MG, Burnett AL, Sadeghi-nejad H. Male Sexual Function and Smoking. Sex Med Rev. 2016;4(4):366-375. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.05.001 Gaither TW, Awad MA, Osterberg EC, et al. The Natural History of Erectile Dysfunction After Prostatic Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Sex Med. 2017;14(9):1071-1078. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.07.010 Additional Reading Kloner, R. ”Erectile Dysfunction and Hypertension.”International Journal of Impotence Research. 2007 19:296-302. McVary KT. Sexual Dysfunction. In: Kasper D, Fauci A, Hauser S, Longo D, Jameson J, Loscalzo J. eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2015. 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