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Can antibiotics cause erectile dysfunction?

5 min read

Written by: 

Ashley Wong, PharmD

Reviewed by: 

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Updated:  Oct 03, 2025

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Reviewed By

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Patricia Weiser, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist with more than a decade of clinical experience.

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Key takeaways

  • Antibiotics don’t directly cause ED, but they can cause other side effects that indirectly affect your sexual health. 

  • Many medications are known to cause or worsen ED, but antibiotics aren't a known cause.

  • If you’re experiencing ED, talk to your healthcare provider. They can discuss ways to manage your symptoms, such as prescription medications, lifestyle changes, mental health care, surgery, or medical devices. 

Here's what we'll cover

Here's what we'll cover

Key takeaways

  • Antibiotics don’t directly cause ED, but they can cause other side effects that indirectly affect your sexual health. 

  • Many medications are known to cause or worsen ED, but antibiotics aren't a known cause.

  • If you’re experiencing ED, talk to your healthcare provider. They can discuss ways to manage your symptoms, such as prescription medications, lifestyle changes, mental health care, surgery, or medical devices. 

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common yet frustrating concern that may leave you searching for an explanation. In some cases, medications can be the culprit if you’re having erection problems, but can antibiotics cause erectile dysfunction? 

The short answer is no, at least not directly. There isn’t evidence that links antibiotics to ED, and antibiotics aren’t known to cause ED as a side effect. However, antibiotics can cause a variety of side effects, some of which can indirectly affect sexual health. 

In this article, we’ll cover how antibiotics affect your body, if they can cause ED, and ways you can treat ED. 

How antibiotics can affect your body 

Antibiotics are medications used to fight bacteria that are causing an infection in your body. They can help treat various types of bacterial infections, such as those in the ear, throat, prostate, urinary tract, and genitals. 

Each antibiotic works differently; some kill bacteria, while others only stop them from growing. All antibiotics have potential side effects. The most commonly reported side effects of antibiotics are gastrointestinal, since they can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut. Think: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. 

While rare, antibiotics may cause more serious side effects. For example:

  • Fluoroquinolone antibiotics, like Levaquin (levofloxacin) or Cipro (ciprofloxacin), can cause ruptured tendons, nerve damage, and depression. 

  • Macrolide antibiotics, such as Zithromax (azithromycin) and erythromycin, can cause arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), liver damage, and severe rashes.

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Can antibiotics cause erectile dysfunction?

With this information in mind, you’re probably asking: Can antibiotics cause erectile dysfunction? No, not directly. Antibiotics haven’t been linked to ED, but some can cause side effects that may indirectly affect your sexual health. 

First, it’s helpful to understand why ED occurs. ED means not being able to get or keep an erection firm enough for sex. Common reasons for losing an erection during sex include:

Certain antibiotics, like Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Vancocin (vancomycin), and Sporanox (itraconazole), can sometimes cause fatigue as a side effect. Tiredness is a potential cause of ED, as your energy levels may influence your libido and sexual performance.

Repeated courses of antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and penicillins, have been linked to mood changes, such as depression and anxiety. Researchers believe this can occur because antibiotics kill bacteria, including the “good” bacteria that line your gut. 

Gut and brain function are closely connected through what’s called the gut–brain axis. So, this disruption may contribute to depression, which is a known psychological risk factor for ED.

On the other hand, antibiotics can actually improve sexual health issues when infections are the cause. In a study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, antibiotics helped treat premature ejaculation (PE) in men who had long-term prostate infections. 

Also, certain bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia and gonorrhea, can infect the prostate and contribute to sexual dysfunction. These STIs are curable with antibiotics, which may restore sexual function and prevent long-term complications like testicular damage and infertility.

How to treat erectile dysfunction

If you’ve been experiencing erectile dysfunction, you may be losing hope of having a healthy sex life. But don’t wave the white flag just yet! There are several ways to manage ED so you can have more consistent erections. 

Prescription medications

Erectile dysfunction pills are drugs that help make erections firmer and last longer. They consist of a family of medications called phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. There are four PDE5 inhibitors that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ED:

PDE5 inhibitors work by blocking the PDE5 enzyme, which is responsible for breaking down an erection. This helps relax the smooth muscle around the penis, allowing blood vessels around the penis to widen and fill with blood to produce an erection. This results in a harder and longer-lasting erection. 

Lifestyle changes

There are also lifestyle changes that can help manage ED, such as engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and minimizing alcohol use. 

  • Increased physical activity: Research has shown that increased physical activity can benefit ED by improving heart and endothelial function, increasing testosterone levels, decreasing stress and anxiety, and improving body image. In fact, there is even evidence that regular exercise can enhance the effects of ED medication to make it more effective.

  • Eating a healthy diet: A 2020 study found that having healthy dietary patterns is linked to a lower risk of developing ED and can improve ED symptoms. Certain diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, can also help prevent the development of ED. Healthy food choices include vegetables, fruits, legumes, unsaturated fats, and whole-grain foods. 

  • Getting adequate sleep: Getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night has been linked to the development of ED. If you’ve been experiencing erection problems, try to get at least 6 hours of sleep at night by practicing good sleep hygiene.

  • Minimizing alcohol consumption: In a 2021 meta-analysis, researchers evaluated the link between alcohol consumption and the risk of ED and found that there was a significant link between regular alcohol consumption and ED. Therefore, limiting alcohol may be helpful if you’ve been having trouble keeping an erection. 

Mental health care

As mentioned earlier, psychological factors, such as depression, stress, and anxiety, can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Therefore, taking care of your mental health is key in the management of ED. 

Talk with a healthcare provider if you’re struggling with your mental health. You can also try techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness, as these can help you cope with stress and other mental health challenges.

Other treatments

If medications, lifestyle changes, and mental health care aren’t doing the trick, your healthcare provider can work with you to identify underlying causes and find the right ED treatment for you. Additional options include:

  • Surgery to place a penile implant: Penile implants are devices that are surgically placed under the skin of the penis to treat ED or for penis enlargement. 

  • Vacuum constriction device (VCD): When used with a constriction ring, VCDs, or penis pumps, can help treat ED by pulling blood into the penis and keeping it there.

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Bottom line

While some medications can cause the condition, antibiotics don’t directly cause ED. Here are some key points to keep in mind if you’re questioning whether your antibiotic is causing your ED:

  • Antibiotics don’t directly cause ED, but they may cause side effects that indirectly affect your sexual health. For example, antibiotics that cause fatigue or mood changes might affect your sexual performance. 

  • ED occurs due to psychological factors, physical factors, lifestyle factors, medications, and more. Untreated bacterial infections, such as those affecting the prostate, can harm both sexual and overall health, so it’s important to take antibiotics as prescribed. 

  • Fortunately, there are many ways to manage ED, including prescription medications, lifestyle changes, mental health care, surgery, medical devices, and more. As always, it's important to consult your healthcare provider to figure out what’s causing your symptoms and the best treatment for you.

DISCLAIMER

If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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