Lowering blood pressure is critical in the prevention of heart attack and stroke in men. Men up to the age of 45 are more likely than women to have hypertension, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Blood pressure medications can have serious side effects; however, men experiencing side effects should never just stop their medications, and should instead consult with a health care provider for help.
Erectile Dysfunction
The effects of hypertension over time include damage to the lining of the blood vessels, making them stiff and narrow throughout the body. This means that men are often unable to get enough blood flow to the penis in order to maintain an erection. This problem can be compounded by high blood pressure medications, particularly beta blockers and diuretics. According to MayoClinic.com, the use of diuretics decreases the amount of forceful blood flow needed in order to obtain and maintain an erection. Diuretics can also decrease the amount of zinc in the system, a mineral necessary for the production of testosterone, the male sex hormone. The use of beta blockers can affect the nerves necessary to create an erection as well as make it difficult for the arteries in the penis to dilate, thereby diminishing blood flow.
Postural Hypotension
Medications for blood pressure can cause postural hypotension, a precipitous drop in blood pressure when changing position from sitting to standing. Blood pools in the legs when sitting, and because some blood pressure medications work by dilating the arteries, the blood cannot be pumped to the heart quickly enough, thereby diminishing the brain's supply of blood, with fainting or dizziness occurring as a result. Central agonists, calcium channel blockers, alpha blockers, and combined alpha and beta blockers are classes of drugs that can cause postural hypotension.
Hair Growth
Men taking minoxidil may experience excessive hair growth. In fact, 80 percent of patients taking minoxidil tablets experience thickening and enhanced pigmentation of fine body hair, according to Drugs.com. Other hair growth includes between the eyebrows, on the temples, and between the eyebrows and the hairline, as well as growth on the back and chest. When the drug is stopped, the excess growth is lost, and men return to their pretreatment appearance in about 1 to 3 months.
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