Loss of Sex Drive Ruining Marriage

Q. My husband had stents put in his arteries three years ago. At his periodic check-ups, he gets a good report.
Ever since getting them, he has been taking blood pressure medicine. On this medicine he has lost all interest in sex and has no sexual desire.
I read that there is a blood pressure drug that does not have this effect, but his doctor says there is not. He prescribed Viagra, but it did nothing for my husband’s desire. This problem is ruining my marriage.
Is there really a blood pressure medicine that does not reduce libido? If so, what is it called?
A. Many medications can affect sexual interest, satisfaction or performance. Because this is such a personal issue, people are often reluctant to discuss it with their physicians. A urologist or a physician with a special interest in sexuality may be able to advise your husband on the most appropriate blood pressure medication.
To help with this conversation we are sending you our Guides to Drugs That Affect Sexuality, Treating Sexual Dysfunction and Blood Pressure Treatment. Anyone who would like these Guides may send $4 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. YPB-967, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Some physicians report that ACE inhibitors (such as enalapril or lisinopril) or ARBs (such as losartan or valsartan) may be less likely to affect sexual function (Drugs, Vol. 65, #6, 2005). Your husband should also have his testosterone levels checked.
Q. I have seen full-page ads for Fosamax Plus D in my local newspaper. Why is Merck spending so much money advertising this osteoporosis drug? Could it be that the company is worried people will quit this medicine after learning that the benefits persist even after stopping it?

I was also intrigued to read that acid-suppressing drugs like Nexium and Prilosec may be linked to hip fractures. Drugs like Fosamax can cause symptoms of heartburn, for which people would take acid suppressors. Could this create a vicious cycle?
A. Two articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Dec. 27, 2006) reinforce your perspective. In one study, women who discontinued alendronate (Fosamax) after five years lost some bone density but were no more likely to suffer broken vertebrae than women who stayed on the drug for a decade.
The other article suggests that people who take strong acid-suppressing drugs for more than a year are at increased risk for hip fracture. You are right that drugs for osteoporosis (Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax) can cause symptoms of heartburn, which could easily lead to a prescription for drugs like Aciphex, Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix.
Q. I thought my serious leg cramps were just old age creeping up on me. I handled them with additional calcium and magnesium supplements, and also with tonic water and mustard.
It was only when I was diagnosed with celiac disease (I was so anemic that I had to go to the ER) that I realized I was not absorbing calcium. Since I started the gluten-free diet for celiac, I haven’t had any leg cramps at all.
A. People with celiac disease must avoid gluten found in wheat, rye and barley. It triggers a reaction that harms the lining of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of crucial nutrients, including calcium.