Does High Testosterone Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Low testosterone can mess with your sex drive — causing problems like erectile dysfunction (ED). But what about high testosterone erectile dysfunction? Is that a thing?

There’s no direct link between high testosterone and ED. But, having testosterone levels that are through the roof can lead to other health issues — like sleep problems and mood swings — that might increase your chances of erection issues.

And if high testosterone is the result of anabolic steroid use, stopping those steroids can impact your hormone levels and potentially lead to ED.

So, can high testosterone cause erectile dysfunction? Well, it’s complicated.

Read on to learn more about how high testosterone can affect your sexual health. Plus, what treatment looks like if your levels are too high.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects millions of men worldwide. ED affects your ability to achieve or maintain an erection.

You can develop ED for a few reasons, including:

• Hormonal imbalances

• Neurological issues

• Psychological problems

• Blood vessel and heart problems

While ED can happen to men of any age, you’re more likely to experience it as you get older. Estimates suggest it affects more than half of men over 75. Some research indicates that nearly 30 percent of men under 40 may experience erectile dysfunction at some point.

Special cells in your testicles produce most of the testosterone in your body. Your adrenal glands also make a small amount of testosterone.

During puberty, surges in testosterone levels give males sexual characteristics such as body hair, broad shoulders and a deep voice. Testosterone also makes the penis grow during puberty.

In adulthood, the effects of testosterone include supporting:

• Muscle mass

• Bone density

• Mood

• Fat distribution

• Sperm production

In terms of sexual health, testosterone is crucial for maintaining your:

1. Libido. Testosterone enhances your sexual desire by acting on areas of the brain responsible for sexual motivation. There’s a link between low testosterone levels and low sex drive.

2. Erectile function. Although the way testosterone impacts blood flow to the penis is not fully understood, it might play a role in nitric oxide production — a molecule that helps relax the blood vessels in your penis. This relaxation increases blood flow, making it easier to get and keep an erection.

3. Healthy penile tissue. Adequate testosterone levels help maintain the smooth muscles in your blood vessels and the chambers that let your penis to fill with blood.

Read more about the role of testosterone in ED.

Normal Testosterone Levels

The normal range for testosterone can vary quite a bit depending on the source you’re looking at. But it typically falls between 270 and 1,070 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).

The American Urological Association defines low testosterone as a level below 300 ng/dL.

Learn more about normal testosterone levels in men.

There’s no direct link between high testosterone and ED.

In fact, it’s often tied to hypersexuality — when sexual thoughts and activities become excessive or compulsive.

Researchers have even found a link between high testosterone levels and higher rates of infidelity in men without sexual dysfunction.

Here’s the catch: Some men with high testosterone do experience ED or sexual function issues. It’s usually due to factors like poor blood vessel health or psychological issues.

While high testosterone levels don’t seem to directly cause ED, they can sometimes play a role in certain situations.

Anabolic Steroid Misuse

People often misuse anabolic steroids to build muscle, but they come with serious risks.

They might help you bulk up when paired with the right workout routine and high protein diet, but they can also disrupt your body in harmful ways.

Steroids suppress your natural testosterone production. If this suppression continues over time, it may lead to a condition known as hypogonadism, where the body no longer produces enough testosterone on its own. This can cause side effects like testicle shrinkage since your body assumes it no longer needs to produce testosterone.

Even after stopping steroids, your levels may stay low for a long time.

In some cases, ED can linger for years, even after hormone levels return to normal.

The longer you use steroids or the higher the doses, the worse the side effects can become.

Vascular Issues

High testosterone levels over a long period of time can stimulate red blood cell production, leading to polycythemia. This condition thickens your blood and reduces blood flow, which might also impact blood flow to your penis, resulting in ED.

Polycythemia can lead to serious, sometimes life threatening complications, because it increases your risk of blood clots, high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks.

Behavioral Changes

High testosterone levels can impact your behavior, leading to increased:

• Aggression

• Impulsivity

• Risk-taking

These tendencies might strain relationships or cause stress, which can indirectly affect erectile performance.

Learn more about the psychological cause of ED.

While high testosterone isn’t directly linked to ED, it can contribute to other health issues, including:

• Sleep problems

• Depression

• Antisocial behavior

• Aggression

• Risk taking

• Acne

• Headaches

• Heart or liver problems

• High blood pressure

• Increased appetite

• Reduced levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL) and increased levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL)

• Infertility

• Low sperm count

• Prostate enlargement

• Swelling of the hands and feet because of fluid retention

The higher your testosterone levels, the more likely you are to experience health problems.

A 2020 study found that men with lifelong high testosterone levels (compared to those with normal levels) had:

• Higher bone mineral density

• Less body fat

• Lower adverse effects with decreased HDL cholesterol levels

• Higher rates of prostate cancer

• More male pattern baldness

• Higher rates of spinal stenosis

• Higher blood pressure (hypertension)

Researchers of a 2023 study examined the interplay between cortisol and testosterone in men during a math competition. Cortisol (AKA the stress hormone) kicks in when your body is under stress.

The researchers discovered that the men with low cortisol levels who were given testosterone showed a bold streak, often choosing to compete against high-status male opponents.

Meanwhile, men with higher cortisol levels also given testosterone went a different route, opting to face off against lower-status opponents and females.

In short, your stress levels might influence who you’re willing to go up against — even when testosterone is in the mix.

One of the most common causes of high testosterone levels is the misuse of anabolic steroids, synthetic drugs that mimic naturally-produced testosterone.

High testosterone levels can also be a sign of the following medical conditions:

• Acromegaly or Cushing syndrome

• A tumor on your adrenal glands

• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Testosterone replacement therapy can also cause high testosterone levels if you’re taking the wrong dose.

And some medications, like fluoxymesterone, can influence the levels of testosterone in your body.

High testosterone rarely causes ED, but low testosterone levels (hypogonadism) are a well-known risk factor for ED.

Symptoms of testosterone deficiency include:

• Reduced libido

• Fatigue

• Loss of muscle mass

• Mood changes

• Erectile issues

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) often helps men improve their erections. It’s a safe and effective way to address low testosterone that involves taking a synthetic form of the hormone in the right dose.

Unlike anabolic steroid misuse, the goal of TRT is to improve overall health and make up for missing testosterone by achieving normal levels — not build excess muscle through excess testosterone.

Learn more about addressing low testosterone in our blog How to Increase Testosterone.

Treatment for high testosterone depends on the underlying cause.

Certain medications can help lower testosterone levels in people with underlying conditions. These include:

• Steroid synthesis inhibitors

• Alpha reductase inhibitors

• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs

Treatment for anabolic steroid misuse often involves counseling to address mental health and prescription testosterone to ease withdrawal symptoms.

Other treatments include:

• Surgery or radiation therapy to shrink brain tumors linked to high testosterone

• Surgery or radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or other treatments to shrink adrenal tumors

• Reducing your TRT dose if it’s too high

Treatment options for ED depend on the underlying cause and may include:

Lifestyle Tweaks

Making the following lifestyle changes may help improve your overall health and your erections:

• Eating a healthy diet, with less sugar and fewer processed foods

• Increasing your physical activity

• Quitting smoking

• Limiting your alcohol intake

Medications

Medications like phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors can help improve blood flow to your penis and make it easier to achieve an erection.

FDA-approved PDE5 medications for ED include:

• Sildenafil (Viagra©)

• Vardenafil (Levitra© and Staxyn©)

• Tadalafil (Cialis©)

• Avanafil (Stendra©)

If you have low testosterone, TRT may help restore your hormone levels.

Psychotherapy

Could your mind be causing erectile issues?

Tackling performance anxiety or relationship struggles might help you overcome ED.

Surgery

When all other treatments have failed, a healthcare professional might recommend penile implants or vascular surgery to address severe ED.

Testosterone plays a major role in male sexual health, supporting both libido and erectile function.

Low levels can contribute to ED, but the effects of high testosterone are a bit more complex.

Let’s recap what we know about high testosterone erectile dysfunction:

• You can have ED and high testosterone. But that doesn’t mean there’s a connection. You might have high T and unrelated medical conditions like nerve damage or psychological issues that make it hard to get or maintain an erection.

• High testosterone might indirectly cause ED. High T can increase your risk of mood swings and sleep problems, or trigger behaviors that can impact healthy relationships — both major mood killers that can take a toll on mental health.

• Anabolic steroid misuse is the most common cause of high T. Other causes include medical conditions like adrenal gland tumors or Cushing’s syndrome.

Having trouble getting or keeping erections? It’s important to mention it to a healthcare professional. They can check for potential hormone imbalances or underlying conditions, and give you the rundown on your treatment options, like research-backed ED medications.