The Psychology of Impotence in a Relationship

Impotence and a Relationship

Finding an effective treatment to restore erectile function is not a guarantee that you will find an effective treatment for a relationship in need of psychological, physical or emotional repair. And in most situations it's not a "cure" for intimacy, romance or monogamy.
The restoration of erectile function can quickly and unexpectedly alter the dynamics of a relationship, particularly when impotence has been a long-term problem. A profound, and often immediate, change in male sexual function is no small matter, and cannot be dealt with in the time it takes to swallow a little pill.
We live in an age of "quick fixes," and while it's true that impotence medications can quickly help overcome physiological problems of impotence, it's the couple who must resolve its relationship issues. That takes dedication, effort and time.
The renewal of sexual function is viewed by a number of men as being given a "second chance". They don't take their restored function for granted and are usually willing and eager to explore their feelings and their relationship with renewed hope and vigor.
Sadly, that's not always the case. Many men who have dealt with impotence for a long period of time find that being able to resume intercourse is not the solution for a disintegrating relationship. New and unfamiliar pressures can be exerted on both partners and it's often a time when a couple need to seriously evaluate the health of their relationship.
Evaluating your relationship and your sex life in an honest and candid way can have an impact on both of you.

The Meaning of Sex in Your Relationship

It's no secret that men and women react differently to sex - before, during and afterwards.
As part of the solid foundation between two people, it can bring intimacy, joy and trust to each partner. However, as the sole pillar in a faltering relationship, it can be the weak link. In between these two standards is an entire universe of emotions and experiences that are unique to each couple.
Think about your feelings regarding your relationship:

• How happy are you with your partner?

• How satisfied are you with your sex life?

• How satisfied is your partner with your sex life?

• Is your relationship based on friendship, mutual understanding and trust, family commitments, or sex?

• How well do you both communicate your feelings about all aspects of your relationship?

Remember that a mutually satisfying sex life is an integral part of a healthy relationship. When the physical aspects of your relationship are on track, you create an experience that is greater than the two of you, and one that adds to your overall mental and physical contentment.

Review shows dangers of erectile dysfunction drugs sold on the internet

A review from scientist in the UK, US and Sweden reveals that 90 percent of drugs for erectile dysfunction are now sold on the internet. Purchasing drugs to treat ED and other diseases from the internet can harm health by bypassing needed health. Many of the drugs also contain harmful ingredients.
The dangers of counterfeit drugs sold on the internet can also pose health risks from the impurity of the products. According to a review of studies, 2.3 million drugs for erectile dysfunction are sold monthly on the internet and mostly without prescription. Additionally, 44 per cent of the Viagra offered on the internet is counterfeit.
The focus of the analysis was on drugs sold on the internet to treat erectile dysfunction from 1995 to 2009, and included more than 50 studies.
Graham Jackson, a London-based cardiologist who led the study says, "We discovered that 150 patients had been admitted to hospitals in Singapore after taking counterfeit tadalfil [Cialis] and herbal preparations that claimed to cure ED. Seven were comatose, as the drugs contained a powerful drug used to treat diabetes, and four subsequently died."
Jackson warns that erectile dysfunction drugs are not the only counterfeit medications sold on the internet. "In Argentina, two pregnant women died after being given injections of a counterfeit iron preparation for anaemia and 51 children died in Bangladesh of kidney failure after taking paracetamol [acetaminophen] syrup contaminated with diethylene glycol, which is widely used as car antifreeze.”
Fake drugs sold on the internet included contraceptive and antimalaria pills, counterfeit antibiotics and water sold as a vaccine for meningitis. According to rough estimates, there could be as many as 2.5 million men in the Europe using counterfeit Viagra obtained from the internet without physician prescription or medical exam because of the embarrassment associated with erectile dysfunction. Analysis of ED drugs shows that some contain active ingredients while others contain contaminants that could harm health.
An analysis of Viagra seized by law enforcement agents revealed that a Hungarian sample contained amphetamine. In the UK, the “little blue pill” Viagra was colored with printer ink and contained caffeine and bulk lactose. Out of 370 alleged Viagra samples sold on the internet, seized by authorities, and then analyzed by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health, only 10 were genuine - the rest contained a variety of other drugs.
Fake drugs sold on the internet are profitable, and laws that apply in one country may not apply in another, making control of sales difficult. The World Health Organization views internet sales of drugs as a community health hazard that needs to be stopped. Jackson explains that “obstacles to effective action include the lack of a clear worldwide consensus on what constitutes a counterfeit drug and the fact that activities that are illegal in one country may be legal in another."
The study authors say clinicians should warn the public of the potential harm that can ensue from buying counterfeit drugs on the internet. In some cases selling fake drugs on the internet for erectile dysfunction and other health condition can be ten times as profitable per kilogram as heroin for unscrupulous marketers. The sale of counterfeit drugs can also lead people to avoid need health care, leaving conditions such as hypertension and diabetes undiagnosed.

Testosterone 'Tune-Up' Can Rev Up Sex Drive

Erectile dysfunction and sex drive

Growing numbers of aging men turn exclusively to drugs designed to correct erectile dysfunction or ED for their sexual woes, but urologists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston say they may be limiting their options.
"The drugs now available to treat erectile dysfunction all work better when a man's testosterone is normalized because they depend on a biochemical system in the body that is testosterone-dependent," said Dr. Larry Lipshultz, a professor of urology at BCM. "The more testosterone you have, the more the erectile dysfunction therapy has to work on to enhance erection and treat erectile dysfunction."
Lipshultz and other urologists have seen success in the combined use of erectile dysfunction drugs with testosterone (or androgen) replacement therapy in some patients. Lipshultz determines which patients stand to benefit most from the two therapies by assessing their symptoms and taking blood tests that confirm androgen deficiency.
"A patient who has erectile dysfunction may have low testosterone levels," said Lipshultz. "Some patients take testosterone and then no longer need their erectile dysfunction drugs."
Men with low testosterone levels are typically over 40 and have symptoms so subtle and generic - including fatigue, mild lapses in cognitive function, low sex drive, and problems losing weight - that their conditions are often misdiagnosed as depression.
"Unfortunately, a large number of men are being put on antidepressants who really need to have their testosterone checked because men's testosterone does decrease with aging," Lipshultz said. "Androgen deficiency is something that we now know does exist, can be measured, and is easily treatable."
A greater awareness of "andropause" or ADAM (Androgen Deficiency of the Aging Male) would result in more accurate diagnoses, Lipshultz said. Furthermore, the advent of a topical androgen gel in recent years provides a more appealing alternative to traditional injections, patches, and oral medications that were previously the only way to correct this deficiency. The latter two can cause skin irritation and liver toxicity, respectively.
While there are no known major side effects to using either testosterone replacement or erectile dysfunction treatments, they could increase the risk of blood clotting because of high levels of iron-containing blood cells. Careful monitoring of these levels can prevent health problems from developing. Men trying to have children should avoid testosterone treatment because it turns off sperm production.
Prostate cancer patients should also not take androgen supplements since their tumors are testosterone-dependent. No large studies to date suggest that testosterone treatments can cause prostate cancer, but they can stimulate existing prostate cancer cells.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration remains concerned about a possible link between increased testosterone levels and prostate cancer, said Lipshultz. However, he said, it could stimulate the growth of as-yet unrecognized prostate cancer cells.
"If you give someone with prostate cancer extra testosterone, you're basically feeding the tumor," Lipshultz said. "But if the tumor was removed entirely at the time of surgery and if that person goes two years with a non-detectable PSA, then we do treat men with low testosterones, and we have had no problems."

King Pharmaceuticals Delays Program With Bremelanotide For Erectile Dysfunction

Palatin Technologies and King Pharmaceuticals have delayed plans for the initiation of Phase 3 clinical trials with bremelanotide, a first in class melanocortin agonist drug candidate, for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (ED).
The decision follows responses from representatives of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which raised serious concerns about the acceptable benefit/risk ratio to support the progression of the proposed program into Phase 3 studies for ED.
After reviewing the data generated in the Phase 1 and 2 studies, the FDA questioned the overall efficacy results and the clinical benefit of this product in both the general and diabetic ED populations, and cited blood pressure increases as its greatest safety concern. Though not supportive of the proposed Phase 3 studies for ED with bremelanotide, the FDA stated that it was amenable to proposals for a different drug development pathway, such as for a second-line therapy in non-responders to currently approved PDE-5 inhibitors.
"The safety of patients in our clinical program has always been our number one priority and we will work closely with the FDA, King, and our advisors to determine the next steps for the program," stated Carl Spana, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Palatin.
Palatin and King plan to review the FDA comments in the overall context of the program in order to determine next steps related to the further development of bremelanotide for the treatment of ED.
ED is defined as the consistent inability to attain and maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. The condition is correlated with increasing age, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and smoking. In addition, certain prescription drugs and psychogenic issues may contribute to ED. It is estimated that some degree of ED affects one half of all men over the age of 40 and that 150 million men worldwide suffer from ED.

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Linked to Higher Rates of HIV, Chlamydia

Researchers have found a link between men using drugs to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and higher rates of the sexually transmitted diseases HIV and Chlamydia. Men who use drugs like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra may also be engaging in high risk behavior suggest the scientists. Findings from a study of more than 1.4 million men revealed two to three times the rate of sexually transmitted disease among men who request drugs for erectile dysfunction, with HIV being the most prevalent STD.
Study author Dr. Anupam B. Jena, an internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General says, “Our findings suggest is that just by virtue of asking for an ED drug, these men are identifying themselves as being at two to three times higher risk of STDs." The authors suggest that physicians counsel men taking drugs for erectile dysfunction about safe sex practices. The study did not take into account sexual preferences.
The researchers also say most physicians don’t counsel older men who take drugs for erectile dysfunction about STD risk and safe sex, reserving those talks for younger men. The authors obtained the information from insurance records examined between 1997 and 2006 that included approximately 34,000 male beneficiaries.
After the first prescription for erectile dysfunction was filled, the men studied were found to have a two to three time higher rate of sexually transmitted disease compared to men over 40 not using ED drugs. The most common STD among men using ED drugs was HIV, followed by Chlamydia.
One of the reasons HIV was the most prevalent disease linked to men using ED drugs may because symptoms of HIV drive them to their healthcare provider. Dr. Jena explains, “The symptoms that are associated with a primary HIV infection are the kinds of things that make men more likely to show up to a doctor, rather than go to a free clinic where they know they can get tested for an STD anonymously."
Dr. Peter Leone, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and board chair of the National Coalition of STD Directors says the findings are no surprise. Doctors have suspected it’s not just men with erectile dysfunction taking the likes of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Dr. Leone says, “… they're also men in high risk groups who take it to enhance sexual activity."
He suggests that physicians should screen men who use erectile dysfunction drugs for sexually transmitted diseases, adding that repeated follow up for STD testing is also important unless men are using condoms or in a monogamous relationship. He also says it’s not erectile dysfunction drugs leading to higher rates of the STD’s HIV and Chlamydia – “it’s really the other way around”. The study concluded, “Men who use ED drugs have higher rates of STDs, particularly HIV infection, both in the year before and after use of these drugs.”