Clonidine Sexual Side Effects

Does Clonidine Cause Any Sexual Side Effects?

 Clonidine hydrochloride (Catapres^®, Catapres-TTS^®, Duraclon^®) is known to increase the risk of certain sexual problems. The reported sexual side effects of clonidine include:

 

Clonidine is known to cause a decrease in sex drive (known as libido). In clinical studies where clonidine side effects were documented, a decreased sex drive occurred in about 3 percent of people taking clonidine tablets. This side effect occurred much less frequently with the clonidine patch (less than 0.5 percent of people) and was not reported as a side effect of clonidine epidural infusion.

 

Clonidine is known to cause impotence in men. Impotence is often defined as a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections (ultimately, impotence is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse). In clinical studies where side effects of clonidine were documented, impotence occurred in about 3 percent of people taking clonidine tablets and 2 percent of people using clonidine patches. It has not been reported with epidural clonidine.