General Illness Information
Medical Term:
IMPOTENCE, MALE SEXUAL
(ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION)
Common Name: None Specified
Description:
- A consistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection;
- Impotence is not inevitable with aging. The capacity for erection is retained, though a man may need more stimulation to achieve erection and more time between erections than in the past.
Causes:
Psychological causes include:
- Guilt feelings;
- A poor relationship with the sexual partner;
- Psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety and stress.
Physical causes include:
- Diabetes mellitus;
- Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries);
- Use of some anti-hypertensive medications and antidepressants;
- Disorders of the central nervous system, such as spinal-cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke or syphilis;
- Endocrine disorders that involve the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal or sexual glands;
- Alcoholism;
- Drug abuse, especially of marijuana, cocaine, narcotics, tranquilizers, sedatives, hypnotics and hallucinogens;
- Decreased circulation to the penis from any cause.
Prevention:
- Maintain good communication with your partner. Don’t be hesitant about discussing the problem, exploring your needs and asking for help. Your partner’s understanding is critical to solving the problem;
- Don’t drink more than 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks, if any, a day. Don’t use other drugs that can be abused;
- If you have diabetes, adhere closely to your treatment program;
- Maintain overall good health;
- If any new medication you take changes your sexual function, discuss this with your doctor. A change in medication may be all that is needed;
- Regular exercise.
Signs & Symptoms
- Inability to achieve an erection;
- Inability to maintain an erection for the normal duration of intercourse (erection may be too weak, too brief).
Risk Factors
- Same as problems listed in Causes;
- Recent illness that has lowered strength;
- Recent major surgery, especially prostate surgery.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Medical tests as needed for diagnosis of any underlying disorder. Physical causes must be ruled out by appropriate testing. Diagnostic tests may be done at a special center to measure nocturnal erections.
General Measures:
- Psychotherapy or counseling (alone or with your partner) from a qualified, professional sex therapist;
- If medication is the cause, a change in medication or changes in dosage amounts may be helpful;
- Self-administered penile injection therapy may be prescribed;
- Use of vacuum erectile device may be recommended for some patients;
- Surgery to implant an inflatable or non-inflatable penile prosthesis.
Medications:
- Medication may be prescribed to treat the underlying medical condition;
- If hypogonadism present, testosterone cypionate 200 mg IM every two weeks;
- If hyperprolactinemia present, bromocriptine 2.5 mg bid up to 40 mg/day.
To induce erection:
- Intracavernous injection of a solution containing phentolamine 0.5-1.0 mg and papaverine 30 mg per mL, starting with 0.1 mL;
- Alprostadil (Caverject) 10-20 mg/mL; inject into the dorsolateral aspect of proximal third of the penis. Do not exceed 60 mg dose. Do not use more than 3 times a week or more than once in 24 hours. Patient to notify physician if erection lasts > 6 hours for immediate attention;
- Alprostadil (Muse) urethral suppository 125 mg, 250 mg, 500 mg, and 1000 mg pellets. Maximum of 2 uses in 24 hours;
- Sildenafil (Viagra) 50 mg 1 hr before desired erection. May be effective in 30 minutes and up to 4 hours after dosage. Older patients or those with renal or hepatic disease need half the dose of others to achieve similar blood levels. Side effects: headache, flushing, indigestion, visual changes;
- Recently there has been renewed interest in herbal therapy for impotence. Ginkgo biloba in particular, has been considered to be helpful, especially in impotence and low libido caused by anti-hypertensives and anti-depressants. It has also been shown to be helpful in cases of lack of libido in women.
Activity:
No restrictions.
Diet:
Eat a well-balanced diet.
Possible Complications:
- Depression and loss of self-esteem;
- Marital problems or breakdown of close personal relationships.
Prognosis
- For cases with physical origins, treatment of the underlying disorder or changes in a medication therapy may improve sexual performance;
- Spontaneous recovery or recovery after brief counseling in many cases with psychological origins;
- Other medical methods to improve erectile function have greatly improved the outlook.
Other
Nothing Specified.
Posted by RxMed