erectile dysfunction<\/a> is frequently related to vascular problems. Therefore, it was hypothesized that decreasing the stickiness and inflammation of the blood might improve erection quality in men with vascular ED<\/p>\nA couple of clinical trials confirmed this hypothesis for a short time. Later, a meta-analysis that combined the results of two studies that involved 214 subjects showed improved erectile-function scores in the aspirin group.<\/p>\n
But there is a problem: these are two small studies, which cannot confirm the widespread use of aspirin in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. One of these studies had a significant risk of bias, the doses were not equal, and the long-term benefits of aspirin have yet to be confirmed. There are serious side-effects to regular aspirin use: peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal hemorrhages, easy bruising, and even potentially life-threatening internal bleeding. Taking aspirin solely to improve your erection is not worth the risk.<\/p>\n
Could a prescribed blood thinner be the cause of ED?<\/h2>\n
It is possible, but only indirectly. Sexual problems frequently coincide with the beginning of a new therapy, but there are few reported cases in which anticoagulants are the cause of erectile dysfunction<\/p>\n
More often than not, the underlying condition is a bigger suspect. For example, if a man with atrial fibrillation has just been prescribed apixaban, there may be a concern about his recent changes in erection if he also has high pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. In this scenario, it is the chronic disease that affects the penile arteries that is the bigger cause for concern. It could also be a side-effect of another medication: blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, opioids, or hormone therapies may also interfere with erection or libido.<\/p>\n
It is not worth stopping the blood thinner to see if the problem goes away. You risk a potentially life-threatening hemorrhage if the anticoagulant is stopped: consult a doctor about other possible causes of your erectile dysfunction instead. A healthcare provider can sort out the cause of your problems by reviewing your prescriptions.<\/p>\n
Is ED medication safe to take with blood thinners?<\/p>\n
It depends on the drugs you are taking, but there is no strong evidence of an interaction between them and sildenafil or tadalafil. However, there is a potentially life-threatening interaction between ED medications and nitrates (nitroglycerin, isosorbide): the combination can cause a rapid drop in blood pressure. The same applies to riociguat. If you are prescribed two medications for high blood pressure, or an alpha-blocker, additional tests may be required.<\/p>\n
It is also possible to administer penile injections to achieve erection: they are occasionally prescribed to men on anticoagulants, but they come with a higher risk of bruising or bleeding at the injection site.<\/p>\n
A pharmacist or physician can advise you on what erectile dysfunction drug to choose if you are on a blood thinner: they can look at the full list of your supplements and determine if any of them are incompatible. The same applies to “natural” sex supplements: some of them have been found to contain hidden ingredients which can interfere with blood thinners or cause erectile dysfunction.<\/p>\n
The more relevant question<\/h2>\n
Rather than if blood thinners can improve an erection, you should ask yourself why your erection has changed. ED can be an early sign of diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. It can also be caused by medication or testosterone levels. Low testosterone, for instance, can lead to both erectile dysfunction and depression. The arteries in the penis are small, meaning that problems with blood circulation can make themselves known in erectile dysfunction before manifesting elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Blood thinners have their purpose, but improving erection is not one of them. If your erectile dysfunction persists, it is better to consult a physician than to experiment with aspirin and potentially jeopardize other aspects of your health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here\u2019s a question a lot of men quietly wonder about: Do blood thinners help with erectile dysfunction (ED)? Or worse\u2014could they actually make things worse in the bedroom? If you\u2019re on blood thinners for heart health or stroke prevention and noticing changes in your sexual function, you\u2019re not alone. Let\u2019s break down what\u2019s really going on\u2014and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1268,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sexual-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1267"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1411,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1267\/revisions\/1411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faastpharmacy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}