Medications That Cause Vaginal Dryness.  

Every feel "not so ready" down there? Maybe its your medication.

Here's a list of some medications that have been known to cause vaginal dryness. 

Birth Control Pills

Hormonal birth control pills can cause fluctuations in hormones and an imbalance of your estrogen/progesterone ratio that may lead to vaginal dryness in some women.

Yaz (drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol), Lo Ovral (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol), and Ortho-Cyclen (ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate) are three brands that have been found to cause dryness in particular.

Specifically, hormonal birth control can cause an increase in sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a protein created in the liver that's responsible for binding up excess estrogen and testosterone, taking it out of the bloodstream.3 With less estrogen in circulation, this may cause vaginal dryness.

Birth Control Shot

As with birth control pills, hormonal changes from birth control shots, such as Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), can suppress women's hormones to mimic menopausal levels, resulting in reduced vaginal fluids and dryness. 

Sedatives

Sedative drugs used for insomnia such as Halcion (triazolam), benzodiazepine medications used for anxiety and panic disorder such as Xanax (alprazolam), and drugs used to prevent seizures such as Ativan (lorazepam) have all been linked to vaginal dryness in some women.

Cold and Allergy Medications

Both prescription and over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, such as Flonase (fluticasone) and Atarax or Vistaril (hydroxyzine), have been found to cause dryness in some women. That's because antihistamines and decongestants narrow blood vessels in order to lower moisture levels and reduce mucus throughout the body, including the vagina.

Blood Pressure and Heart Medications

Both calcium channel blockers and beta blockers have been tied to vaginal dryness in some women.

Calcium channel blockers, which prevent calcium from entering the cells of the heart and blood vessel walls, are used to lower blood pressure. They're used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, migraines, and Raynaud's disease.

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