Sexual Dysfunction Related to Drugs: A Critical Review. Part V: Alpha-Blocker and 5-ARI Drugs
November 2015
in “
Pharmacopsychiatry
”
α-blockers 5-ARIs benign prostatic hyperplasia lower urinary tract symptoms erectile dysfunction ejaculatory disorders reduced sexual desire silodosin finasteride phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors alpha-blockers 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors BPH LUTS ED ejaculatory issues low libido Propecia PDE5 inhibitors
TLDR α-Blockers and 5-ARIs for BPH can cause sexual dysfunction, including erectile and ejaculatory issues.
This critical review examined the literature on sexual dysfunction as a side effect of drugs used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), specifically focusing on α-blockers and 5-ARIs. The review highlighted that these drugs can cause erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory disorders, and reduced sexual desire, with silodosin among α-blockers having the highest incidence of ejaculatory issues. Persistent sexual side effects after discontinuing finasteride were noted, though further research is needed to understand this fully. The review emphasized the need for future studies to use validated tools to diagnose drug-induced sexual dysfunction and called for more research on the long-term effects of combining phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors with α-blockers or 5-ARIs. The review included studies published between 2002 and 2014, using resources from the APSS library in Trento, Italy.
