Blood Thinners and ED: Do Blood Thinners Help With Erectile Dysfunction?

If you’ve been prescribed blood thinners to reduce your risk of blood clots, you might be wondering if these drugs have sexual side effects — or if they’re a potential remedy.

So, do blood thinners help with erectile dysfunction (ED)? Do they cause it?

Currently, there’s no high-quality scientific research to suggest that blood thinners either cause or cure erectile dysfunction. However, the health conditions blood thinners are prescribed for — like cardiovascular disease — have been linked to ED.

Below, we’ll explain what blood thinners are and answer your most pressing questions about how they affect erectile function — and whether they can help ED.

We’ll also cover treatment options to consider if you’re one of the tens of millions of men affected by ED and want to improve your erections and sexual health.

Blood thinners are prescription medications that prevent blood clots from forming in veins. With more than two million people in the United States taking blood thinners daily, these drugs are among the most commonly prescribed medications on the market.

Clotting (or coagulation) is a critical process that prevents you from bleeding excessively when a capillary, vein, or artery in your body is injured. When an injury happens, blood cells and proteins form a blood clot, which helps stop the bleeding.

As you heal, the blood clots that formed naturally inside your body slowly dissolve, allowing blood to flow normally.

Although blood clots are essential for effective healing, they can sometimes fail to break down properly. Some people also develop blood clots without an injury occurring.

These blood clots can be harmful, as they can detach from blood vessels and travel to the heart, lungs, or other essential organs. This can result in serious medical issues, including heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism.

Types of Blood Thinners

There are two main types of blood thinner medications:

• Anticoagulants. This type lowers the risk of blood clots by slowing down the internal process your body uses to produce blood clots. Common anticoagulant medications include heparin and warfarin. 

• Antiplatelets. This second type of blood thinner prevents blood cells called platelets from clumping to plug holes in your blood vessels. Common antiplatelets include the medications aspirin and clopidogrel.

If you have an elevated risk of blood clots, your healthcare provider might recommend taking a blood thinner to decrease your risk — especially if you also have a high risk of stroke or heart attack.

Who Takes Blood Thinners?

You may be prescribed a blood thinner if you have:

• Atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm

• Certain types of heart and/or blood vessel disease

• Recently undergone surgery and have a high risk of clotting

• A congenital heart defect that increases your risk of blood clots

• Undergone heart valve repair or replacement surgery

• Angina (chest pain)

If you’re prescribed a blood thinner, it’s essential to use it exactly as directed. Your healthcare provider will tell you about potential drug interactions with other meds you’re taking and specific steps to follow to stay safe while using your medication.

Erectile dysfunction is a common sexual issue that affects men. If you have ED, you might find it difficult to get an erection, maintain an erection hard enough for sexual intercourse, or get erections consistently.

ED most often affects older men, but it can happen to guys of all ages. Research suggests an estimated 30 million in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction can develop for a number of reasons, including physical health conditions and mental health issues such as:

• Depression

• Stress

• Sexual performance anxiety

Daily habits and lifestyle choices — like smoking, being physically inactive, or eating an unhealthy diet — may also contribute to a higher risk of developing ED.

Beyond that, erectile dysfunction can be triggered by medical conditions and certain types of medication that impede blood flow to the penis.

But can blood thinners cause ED? Or are they more helpful than harmful? Keep scrolling for more insight.

When it comes to blood thinners and ED, what’s the connection? Do these prescription drugs help or hurt sexual performance?

Some of the available evidence suggests that certain blood thinner medications, such as aspirin, might improve erections and sexual function in men with ED caused by heart disease.

How does this over-the-counter medication achieve this? The evidence shows that aspirin increases blood flow by inhibiting platelet activity and stimulating nitric oxide production. This process allows smooth muscles to relax so that the increased blood flow can reach the penis.

After all, erections depend on blood flow to the penis, so a medication that can improve this process may wind up improving your sexual performance too.

But should you use aspirin as an erectile dysfunction treatment? Probably not. Later, we’ll share more info on which FDA-approved medications for ED you should consider instead.

What about ED not associated with heart disease? Can blood thinners be the culprit?

Like many other conditions that can affect sexual activity, erectile dysfunction can also occur as a side effect of certain medications and medical conditions.

Pharmacological Causes of Erectile Dysfunction

Some medications used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), prostate cancer, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, and stomach ulcers are linked to an increased risk of difficulty achieving a natural erection.

If you’re prescribed a blood thinner and suffer from erectile dysfunction, it’s normal to wonder if your medication might be responsible.

However, there isn’t any current, reliable evidence to suggest that blood thinners can cause erectile dysfunction or make existing ED symptoms more severe.

One thing to keep in mind is that blood thinners are often prescribed alongside other medications for the heart and vascular system, including some that may cause ED.

For example, many medications for high blood pressure, heart failure, and other cardiovascular health issues are linked to an increased risk of erectile dysfunction.

These medications include:

• Thiazide diuretics

• Beta-blockers

• Alpha-blockers

These drugs have a potential side effect of either causing erectile dysfunction or worsening existing ED problems.

Some medications for high cholesterol — which are also commonly used to treat cardiovascular health issues — may also cause or contribute to ED.

This means that if you’re prescribed other heart or blood pressure medications to use with an anticoagulant or antiplatelet blood thinner, you might experience ED symptoms even if they’re not directly caused by the blood thinner itself.

Health Conditions Linked to ED

Another thing to keep in mind is that many health conditions blood thinners are used to treat are also linked to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Heart and blood vessel disease

• Atherosclerosis (clogged arteries)

• High blood pressure

• Penile injuries

• Type 2 diabetes

• Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Many of these health issues can affect blood flow throughout the body and result in poor blood flow to the erectile tissue inside the penis. As noted, healthy blood flow is critical in getting and maintaining an erection.

If you have one or several of these risk factors for ED, you might experience ED while taking a blood thinner — even if your medication has no effect on your sexual function.

If you’ve been taking a blood thinner and feel like it’s harder to get or maintain an erection than it was before, it’s important to get medical advice from your healthcare provider or someone specializing in urology.

Erectile dysfunction is treatable, and letting your provider know you’re finding it challenging to get or stay hard is a good first step toward a solution.

If your ED is caused by a physical health issue affecting the blood supply to your penis, your healthcare provider may suggest treating the specific problem. This could mean using medication or making changes to your habits and lifestyle.

Prescription Medications for ED

In some cases, you might be prescribed ED medication to treat erectile dysfunction and improve sexual function.

Currently, all oral medications for ED are part of a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors. These meds work by expanding the blood vessels that supply the penis with blood and improving blood flow to erectile tissue. 

Popular ED medications include:

• Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra®)

• Tadalafil (generic for Cialis®)

• Vardenafil (generic Levitra®)

• Avanafil (Stendra®)

Hims offers access to numerous ED medications online, including chewable hard mints — a discreet prescription formula with the same active ingredients as Viagra and Cialis.

These medications can be prescribed through our telehealth platform following a consultation with a healthcare provider who can determine if a prescription is appropriate for you.

Potential Risks and Health Considerations for ED Meds

If you’re considering medication for ED, be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all medications and recreational drugs you currently use or have recently used.

Erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra are considered safe and effective for most men. But can interact with some medications used to treat high blood pressure, as well as recreational drugs containing nitrates. 

We’ve discussed these interactions more, as well as how you can avoid them, in our full guide to common sildenafil interactions.

Is Viagra a blood thinner? Read our blog for answers.

Adjusting Your Dosage of Existing Medications

If you’re currently prescribed a medication that could cause erectile dysfunction, like a drug that treats heart disease or high blood pressure, your healthcare provider may suggest adjusting your dosage.

They might temporarily switch you to a lower dose to see if your symptoms improve or recommend a similar medication that’s less likely to cause issues.

As always, talk with your healthcare provider before making any changes to the way you take your medication. 

Lifestyle Changes for Better Erections and Sexual Health

Besides taking medication for ED, making small but meaningful changes to your habits and daily life can have a positive impact on your ability to get an erection and enjoy a satisfying sex life.

These adjustments may include:

• Limiting alcohol consumption

• Increasing the total amount of physical exercise you get

• Maintaining a healthy body weight

• Avoiding illicit substances

If you think your erectile dysfunction is caused by stress, depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue, talk therapy may also help.

Other changes, such as eating more healthy foods, quitting smoking, and taking steps to lower your risk of chronic health conditions, can also help treat and prevent ED.

Our guide to naturally maintaining an erection goes into more detail about habits and lifestyle changes for healthier erections and better sexual function.

Do blood thinners help with erectile dysfunction? Potentially, in an indirect way.

Do blood thinners cause ED? Probably not, but here’s what to keep in mind:

• Some medical conditions treated with blood thinners, such as heart disease, are linked to ED. Blood thinners are often prescribed alongside other medications for the heart and vascular system, including some that may cause ED.

• There’s no scientific research to suggest that blood thinners increase your risk of ED. However, some evidence shows that specific blood thinner medications like aspirin might improve erections in men with heart disease.

• If you’re taking blood thinners and are unable to get or stay hard during sex, tell your healthcare provider. They may suggest adjusting your dosage, switching to a new drug, or using medication to improve blood flow and treat ED.

If you’re interested in accessing professional help for erectile dysfunction or other sexual arousal issues, schedule a virtual ED consultation on our men’s health platform. If appropriate, you might be prescribed ED medication to improve your erections and sexual function.

Want to learn more before you get started? Our guide to the most common ED treatments goes into detail about how erectile dysfunction medications work, from average duration to dosages, side effects, and more.