Impotence: Dont Let Impotence Get the Best of You - Safe Treatment Alternatives to Fight Back

Its ironic that just when most men reach the point in their life when they want to spend less time at work and more time reconnecting with their partners, they are simultaneously thwarted. Most men, particularly men aged 40-70, experience problems with achieving an erection at some time during their adult life. However, if you only occasionally experience problems with erectile dysfunction or impotence, which is marked by an inability to achieve and maintain an erection, then more than likely, you dont need to seek treatment. But true impotence is when the problems with erections are persistent and repeated.

This can be an embarrassing topic for men to openly discuss, and many resort to searching the Internet for more information and research on impotence. However, if you are struggling with erectile dysfunction it is important to be examined by a doctor to find out the exact cause of your problem.

Many factors? Lifestyle and psychological contribute to impotence, some are easily treatable while others are not
In order to achieve an erection several things need to happen one after another in unison, and problems can arise if something goes wrong in any of the steps. An erection happens when the brain sends signals to the arteries and veins in the penis to widen, allowing it to fill with blood. After intercourse, the veins become narrow again, squeezing blood out of the penis. This mechanism depends on how flexible and elastic the blood vessels are. Too much cholesterol or sugar in the blood can make the blood vessels stiff and so achieving an erection becomes difficult.

Other factors that do not allow the blood vessels to widen and thereby blocking the blood flow to the penis are nicotine consumption and smoking. The same happens with some commonly prescribed drugs which keep the blood vessels tight and narrow. Examples are water tablets, antidepressants and drugs used to lower high blood pressure such as Atenolol.

Hormonal disturbances such as too low levels of testosterone, or of the hormone thyroxin produced by the thyroid gland may also cause impotence. This is because without signals from the brain, which are transmitted through the hormones, the blood vessels of the penis cannot be stimulated. Psychological problems can also contribute to impotence and include:

anxiety or stress
depression
boredom
fear about poor sexual performance
marital problems

In these situations, the brain sends conflicting and wrong signals to the penis. As a result, the veins of the penis do not know when to fill with blood and when to empty.

Conventional medicine does offer help for impotence but at a cost
Conventional doctors look at the possible causes of impotence and treat these accordingly. For example, they recommend that you stop smoking, stop taking any drugs that contribute to impotence and they may prescribe hormone replacement for any missing hormone. If a cause cant be found, then special medication may be prescribed. The most common prescription drug is Viagra (sildenafil). Other variants of Viagra such as vardenafil and taldalafil are meant to act quickly and last longer, but all have similar side-effects such as headache, dizziness, fast heartbeat, or even fainting.

Apart from tablets, doctors may prescribe injections, which need to be given into the penis, or pellets that need to be inserted into the urethra, the opening where urine exits the body. As with any prescription, these options can also cause unpleasant side-effects including infection, bleeding, and bruising at the injection site, dizziness, heart palpitations, and flushing. Repeated injections may cause scarring of erectile tissue, which can further impair erection. Suppository use can cause pain in the penis and perineum (area between the scrotum and rectum) in addition to the side-effects associated with injections.

One of the main ways these medications work is by stimulating certain chemicals which then encourage the blood vessels of the penis to widen. A common such chemical is nitric oxide which combines with the inside of the arteries and causes them to relax, allowing more blood to flow through.

Alternative medicines can help you restore your love life
Scientists have known for some time that several herbs or natural supplements work the same way as Viagra does (Altern Med Rev 2004;9(1): 4-16). In fact, many people believe that the manufacturers of Viagra got their idea after studying natural extracts from herbs. In any case, the most well studied herbal supplements used against impotence are:

Yohimbine is an extract from an African tree called yohimbe. It is one of the most well-studied herbal supplements used to treat impotence. It helps the veins of the penis relax and fill with blood, while also protecting the arteries against toxic damage from free radicals. It is used in tablet form, 6 mg three times a day. Yohimbine has been tested against dummy treatment in several scientific studies, and was found to cause satisfactory erections in 30 per cent of men compared with 14 per cent with the dummy treatment (Herz 2003;28(4): 314-24). Yohimbine is currently only available through a prescription from your doctor. We promise to keep you posted on any developments over the availability of this supplement.

Arginine is an amino acid which regulates and stimulates nitric oxide. This means that it works the same way as Viagra, but as arginine is a natural chemical normally found in your body, it is much less likely to cause side-effects (Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2004;18(2): 187-94).  The dose in tablet form is 750 mg twice a day.

Tribulus terrestris is a plant thats been used for centuries in order to boost sexual desire. It has been clinically proven to improve impotence, by stimulating the production of male hormones such as androsterone and testosterone, which then make it easier for the blood vessels of the penis to relax and fill with blood (Int J Androl 2000;23 Suppl 2: 82-4). The recommended dose is 250 mg taken twice a day.

Saw Palmetto taken in capsules containing 160 mg of purified extract, twice a day, helps regulate the male hormones which are responsible for regulating sexual desire, much in the same way tribulus does.

Spices such as pepper and cinnamon, together with ginseng are known to increase sexual desire and increase the production of testosterone, which in turn stimulates the mechanisms that cause an erection.

Ginkgo Biloba 120 mg daily stimulates the circulation and protects the arteries against damage.

Other treatments one can try to fight against impotence are acupuncture to improve general energy, hydrotherapy to relieve stress or anxiety, and counselling.

Surprisingly, conventional and alternative medicine can complement each other
If the recommendations in the article above alone are not working for you and you are willing to try Viagra and are aware of the many side-
effects the medication can cause, you may want to try combining both prescription and alternative remedies.

Research shows that taking the above supplements together with conventional prescription drugs such as Viagra, may have an added benefit, because the supplements may enhance the actions of the prescription drug (Urol Clin North Am 2004;31(2): 259-73).