I read this...

Q: Do Lisinopril, Metoprolol, and Lipitor have an adverse effect on sexual function or desire? What can I do?

A: Of the drugs you mention, metoprolol is known for causing sexual dysfunction. Talk to your doctor. Perhaps you can be changed to a different medicine that wont have this side effect. You might want to consider using the Resperate. The Resperate lowers blood pressure without sexual side effects.

yetep

Thanks very much pac, I will ask my EP if there is another beta blocker( that is metoprolols function for me) that might have less of a problem.

ok so i have the same issue and i take metropol .

I took Lisinopril for quite a while not because of blood pressure but my doctor said for a reason that is unknown to medical science the medication prevented the production of kidney stones. After being diagnosed with Afib, I had to stop taking the BP medication. It didn't seen to affect or interfere with sexual function, however, medications do affect people in different ways. Just don't be shy or afraid to ask your doctors questions and demand answers. They are there to help you and surely these type of questions are quite common when it comes to heart problems and ALL medications a person may be taking.

I noticed that there was very little response to this thread. Libido whether in men or women can be a tricky subject to tackle and is a personal subject as well.

There are many reasons for lack of interest or ability to perform sexually. It is pretty much unique to each individual. It could be a medication or combination of medications. It can also be hormonal in nature or even specific to one's diseases or possibly a chemical imbalance, electrolytes and so on. Possibly, it may be one or more of the above mentioned that goes into how one thinks and feels and performs sexually.

Now the problem and I am not well versed in this topic. Are medications for sexual dysfunction and treatment completely forbidden due to the affects on the heart? It seems to me a really good doctor (if you can find one) can find a solution to these issues. They could change medications and possibly hormone therapy.

I know this is a touchy subject but we are all adults here and should not shy away from such an important topic. I imagine there are situations with some people where because of their illnesses, there may be no solution.

While I had no problems with Lisinopril or other medications, it doesn't mean that at some point in my life I may face this very same problem.

Any thoughts or experiences anyone wishes to share? If you feel uncomfortable sharing a personal experience that is fine. I feel this is common to both a males and females alike but do not know this for a fact.

Thank you Sunssol you make very good points. Hormonal and/or electrolyte imbalance were considered and measured. I was hoping that one of these would explain the transition from a person with libido to one with much less libido. Unfortunately Hormones or electrolytes were not the problem. The good news is that they were all in the normal range. You bring up sexual dysfunction. I would say I have two dysfunctions ED and reduced libido. What can I say I am a mess. :) The ED problem has been solved thru drugs. The libido problem unfortunately has not been solved yet. I will be exploring switching metoprolol to another beta blocker. But I am proceeding with great caution as the Flecainide/Metoprolol mix has given me 100% relief from AFIB. for way more that four years. Given that I have debilitating symptomatic AFIB I am not thrilled by the possibility of having AFIB again. Thanks to all for you comments. This site continues to be a very helpful place. BTW the reason that I made this delicate posting is that we AFIBBERs know infinitely more than doctors about libido issues.

Willy Nelson once said " I can't believe I have outlived my dick" I have had some luck with Viagra but still have a lack of desire at times. I think it may be part of the aging process and the life style I lead for most of my life. A few words of advise for those over 40 ( I'm 68 going on 40 ) #1 never pass up a bathroom -- #2 never waste an erection -- #3 never ever trust a fart.
Wishing all nsr and a hard night. Rick

Rick100,

Thanks for your advice and words of wisdom, veeeeeeeeeeeery funny :-)

Scott

Hi Rick-I recognize that quote from Bucket List. :) One of my favorite movies!

Wel Rick ( and Willie) Outliving it is probably better than the alternative. :) And I suppose age also has something to do with it, but I feel young ( except for this). Being AFIB free for almost 5 years will help you feel quite young.

Steve,
Have you tried to take about 50 to 75 mg of DHEA and about 15 to 25 mg of Pregnenolone in the morning before 10:00 AM? Also, take about 25 to 30 mg of a good Zinc supplement so the testosterone does "NOT" get converted to Estrodiol (estrogen). After 2 months, check your DHEA, testosterone, and estradiol levels and make sure your DHEA and Testosterone levels are close to the higher number of the range and the Estradiol is absolutely below the max number.

If the above natural therapy does not work, then go for other options. But, the above must be first before you resort to other stuff that the doctors prescribe.

Have you seen your blood test results or you are trusting your doctor that all your hormone are okay?

Please get a copy of your blood test and make sure your FREE testosterone levels and DHEA levels are toward the max and your Estradiol is below the max.

To all the men other there who are concerned with heart disease: Research has shown having high levels of TESTOSTERONE is ABSOLUTELY essential for heart health. Low testosterone levels cause cardiovascular disease. So, please do the blood test as I stated and make sure your "free testosterone" levels are way up. Of course, that is if you do "NOT" have prostate problems.

Sorry, I pressed for time right now. But, I will post links to research for the connection between heart disease and low testosterone. May be Petey ( I mean the good old petey with smiley/jolly face) does the research and put it up.

Bottom line, keep your libido and testosterone up to avoid heart disease. I bet your doctors do NOT say this. Well, they are in the dark when it comes to latest stuff (sorry marikay, I am ready for your arrows, LOL ). Okay, I like to know if anybody's cardio doctor has told him about the connection between proper level of free testosterone and heart disease. Please prove me wrong and make "marikay's" and all the doctor advocates day, LOL.

The only thing cardio doctors are concerned with is high cholesterol and plaque in your arteries. However, they do not tell you how the plaque formed in your arteries in the first place. How many cardio doctors have given you a blood test for testosterone or Estradiol? I bet "NONE" because they are only concerned with heart matters and they do NOT understand TESTOSTERONE is a big deal when it comes to heart. Sorry folks, do your homework yourself. Be a goat and not sheep, LOL. I just can see the firestorm is coming toward me my very last statement, ouch :-) I can already feel the heat from it, hehehehehehehehehe

Got to go now! I have my body armor on for petey's and marikay's arrows, hehehehehehehehehehe, just kidding :-)

I know this is a hot topic, so watch out. Good luck Steve with the above therapy. I know it works.

I can hear some of you saying: Scott is at it again :-) I bet I am on "Ignore List" of some of you, ouch!!

Have a great day everybody,
Scott

Testosterone: Take Your Pick


I looked at 2 articles (WebMD and FoxNews). The first one said that Low and High Testosterone can cause heart disease. The second one says that testosterone treatment can help heart failure patients.

Confusing

High Testosterone May Raise Heart Disease Risk
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100622/high-testosterone-may-raise-heart-risk
Study Shows Link Between High Testosterone and Heart Disease in Older Men
WebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD June 22, 2010 -- The higher a man's level of natural testosterone, the higher his risk of heart problems, according to a new study that looked at testosterone and heart disease only in men 65 and older.
''Increasing levels of testosterone were associated with a higher risk of heart disease and death from heart disease," says Kristen T. Sueoka, MD, a resident physician in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco, who presented the findings at ENDO 2010, the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society, in San Diego.
Research on testosterone and heart disease has yielded conflicting findings, she tells WebMD, prompting her to do the study.
Sueoka and her colleagues focused on 697 men, average age 72, who were seen at six different U.S. centers from 2000 to 2005 while participating in a study to evaluate fracture risk in older men.
None was taking hormone supplements.
During an average of nearly four years of follow-up, 100 men (14%) had a coronary heart disease event such as a heart attack.
When Sueoka looked at the testosterone levels from the blood tests, she found that higher total testosterone was associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
The men were divided into four groups, from lowest testosterone levels to highest. "People in the two highest quartiles had a 2.2 times increased risk of heart disease compared to those in the lowest."
Defining low vs. high is complicated, Sueoka says, as there is controversy about the measurements. She categorized the men as low vs. high using only the measurements of the 697 men, so the low and high categories are relative.
Higher testosterone, she says, appears to be linked to a higher risk of heart disease once men pass age 65.
Her study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Research findings have gone back and forth about testosterone and heart health, Sueoka tells WebMD. "There are some cross-sectional studies [snapshot in time studies] that have shown an association between low testosterone and higher risk of heart disease death."


2) Testosterone supplements may help heart failure patients
Published April 18, 2012
MyHealthNewsDaily
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/18/testosterone-supplements-may-help-heart-failure-patients/
"Experts seem to agree that low testosterone is associated with a higher risk of death from heart disease," she says. But it's difficult to know which came first, she says, as men may first get sick and then testosterone declines.
Still under debate, she says, is whether or not testosterone has a cause-and-effect role in heart health.
Exactly how high testosterone might be linked with coronary heart disease isn't clear, Sueoka says. "In some animal models and in the lab, if you give testosterone it can lead to atherosclerosis," she says. But, she adds, there is also some evidence to the contrary, that it improves blood flow and dilates blood vessels, improving heart health.
Testosterone supplements may improve the quality of life for patients who have a certain heart condition, a new study says.

In the study, testosterone patches and injections improved the breathing and exercise abilities of people with heart failure, a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the rest of the body.
Although most of the study participants were men, the researchers said the results would likely apply to women as well, through much smaller doses of testosterone.
Some heart failure patients have symptoms even after standard therapies, such as drugs called beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, said study researcher Dr. Justin Ezekowitz. An inability to exercise is one of the hallmark symptoms of heart failure, Ezekowitz said.
"They physically cannot walk as far or as fast or as much as they could when they were healthy," Ezekowitz said.
"Testosterone appears to be a promising therapy" to improve exercise ability in heart failure patients, the researchers said.
However, Ezekowitz said patients should not start using testosterone supplements based on these results. Larger studies would be needed to confirm the findings and figure out which method of delivery is best and what doses are appropriate.

petey

This part came from the first article, the WEBMD article about High Testosterone. I accidently put it in the second article...

"Experts seem to agree that low testosterone is associated with a higher risk of death from heart disease," she says. But it's difficult to know which came first, she says, as men may first get sick and then testosterone declines.
Still under debate, she says, is whether or not testosterone has a cause-and-effect role in heart health.
Exactly how high testosterone might be linked with coronary heart disease isn't clear, Sueoka says. "In some animal models and in the lab, if you give testosterone it can lead to atherosclerosis," she says. But, she adds, there is also some evidence to the contrary, that it improves blood flow and dilates blood vessels, improving heart health.
Testosterone supplements may improve the quality of life for patients who have a certain heart condition, a new study says.

petey

Hi All,

Here are some links to studies about the effect of testosterone on heart. The first link is very thorough describing what was wrong with the studies that showed high testosterone was bad for the heart. Also, it points out all the blood tests regarding the testosterone.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/jun2012_Testosterone-Controversy_01.htm?source=search&key=Low%20Testosterone%20and%20heart%20disease

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartFailureTreatment/testosterone-heart-failure/story?id=16155591

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/01/us-heart-disease-idUSTRE7A072V20111101

Petey, I am going on the limb with this one, but I say it anyway: Is that just possible that you always have had very high testosterone levels since you were an athlete, a muscle man (Moocho Macho, LOL), and importantly you have very clear arteries. I would say you may be the poster child for the high testosterone levels :-) seriously! You might be the proof for a lot of recent studies about the testosterone and healthy heart/arteries. What do you think?

By the way, I know I have several typo/errors in my previous post. Please just ignore them. I was in hurry and I did not type what was in my mind :-) Sorry!!

Scott

Please pay attention to the dates when the studies were performed.

Newer studies, all indicate that the higher testosterone levels help the heart. That is significant.

Scott