Need Help With Erectile Dysfunction And More

[Sexuallyblessed]

Summary of Self Prognosis: General health is extremely good with no known official health problems or medications taken. Complete list of all of what I consider to be my non normal body functions are listed below. All descriptions of my physiology below are how I have been my entire life, none of the issues are new or age related. Blood tests to be done soon.

Primary Health Concerns: Anxiety, Vulnerability to Stress, Erectile Dysfunction, Vulnerability to Cold, Lazy and Irresponsible (Possibly a natural mechanism my brain has found to reduce stress levels by simply trying pretend that nothing is important), Escapism through video games and the internet.

Age: 30
Height: 6' 3”
Weight: 195lb
Resting Heart Rate: 40-60
Resting Blood Pressure: 120/70
Resting Body Temperature: Ear 97 Mouth 98

Bodyfat: Varies from 10-15% depending on activity levels and diet, generally very lean and muscular with around 12% bodyfat unless sedentary with a poor diet for long periods. Have never been fat or chubby.

Bodyfat Deposit Pattern: Tends to deposit evenly on body, more noticeable on love handles. When bodyfat levels are above 15% (rare) extremely mild cellulite may be visible at certain angles (dimple pattern very hard to notice) appears on love handle and butt. Dissappears when under 15% bodyfat

Nipples: Flat unless cold or aroused or exercising (have noticed that others tend to have erect nipples at all times). Never had gyno or lactation.

Cold Hands and Feet: Common problem, entire body seems to run cool. The issue is especially bad in the winter or after taking a shower without using lotion (body oils washed off). Vulnerable to cold

Vulnerable to dry skin and tinea versicolor (fungal infection which causes pigment variations) on the lower torso area

Surgery: No surgeries ever. Never been anesthized.

Drug Use History: Little to no drug use throughout life. Have tried alcohol, marijuana, viagra, cialis. I currently do not drink at all.

Mild Varicocele near left testicle detected in early 20s through ultrasound, appears asymptomatic and mostly self-resolved.

Mild Mitral Valve Prolapse detected in mid teens through EKG. First EKG did not detect it, second EKG showed the minimum possible regurgitation for detection. The condition was self diagnosed by myself b4 testing because I had anxiety and occasional tachycardia when suddenly jolted such as in contact sports.

History of anxiety on moms side of family

Severe performance anxiety for myself especially during speeches, competitive sports, and sex related activities
-Morning erections are rare, often self induced through kegels, and dissapate rapidly upon awakening or cessation of kegels. This indicates to me a malfunction of the penis to trap blood properly and/or low testosterone

-Night erections are present and are strong if woken mid sleep, but dissapate rapidly upon awakening suggesting that the penis does not trap blood properly when awake

-Venous Leak (suspected: I suspect I have some type of venous leak because erections can be lost so easily. Erections subside far too easily when stimulation ceases, positions change, or a pre-orgasmic state is not maintained) This may be a result of damage caused to the penis from attempting enlargement techniques at age 15-17

-Retrograde Ejaculation: Occasionally notice minor amounts of semen in urine in the day following ejaculation. This appears to be highly associated with the type of masturbation. Long lasting edging type of masturbation where the pre-orgasmic state is held for up to an hour and the pleasure derived from lubricated stimulation and simultaneous kegel contractions seems to have a propensity to cause this, whereas masturbation where less lubrication or no lubrication is used and the method of stimulation is the standard up and down motions does not cause this as much

-Prostatits (had it about 3 or 4 times in correlation with masturbating for hours over multiple days while witholding ejaculation and doing kegels. Prostatitis definitely appears to be related to masturbation habits)

-Watery Ejaculation: The consistancy of my ejaculation varies from watery to somewhat watery and is never thick and white. Eating whole eggs every morning seems to help with this and after recently starting ZMA, the semen is much thicker

Varying levels of dopamine or other hormones and neurotransmitters seem to greatly effect the pleasure from sex. I first realized this when I experienced euphoria from masturbating when I was extremely sleepy and barely awake after a long period of abstinence.*

Self Discovered Cures:

Long periods of abstinence between sexual experiences (lowering prolactin levels)

Maintaining a pre-orgasmic state for the majority of the sexual experience. This preorgasmic state drastically improves erectile response and pleasure.

Waiting until very late at night before the sexual experience (maximizing brain dopamine)

Edging at the point of near orgasm for up to an hour (maximizes erection strength and pleasure, but occasionnaly causes prostatitis if orgasm is completely avoided or reverse kegels are used)

Using baby oil and specific hand motions and erotica, particularly after a week of abstinence, often results in extremely pleasureable sexual gratification and excellent performance.
Usually a pre-orgasmic state is maintained for up to an hour, and it is through this method that I have achieved the greatest pleasureable experiences.

Kegels seem to have an effect on my sexual system, although the way they effect it is not clear. Kegels seem to either help or hinder depending on how or when they are used. Kegels during masturbation are often a key component of pleasure.

Cialis or Viagra in low doses: Works extremely well for erections but does nothing for sensitivity and possibly even causes lack of sensitivity. Appears to possibly cause lack of sensation and numbess, which lasts for up to a month after using the drug. Possibly throws sexual system into haywire. Erections are often incredibly good for up to a week after using the drugs, but weeks 2-4 after using the drug erections appear to become worse then normal. Also the sexual adhedonia which appears to be related to use of these drugs is very frustrating because even through the penis is very errect and working well, the sexual pleasure is non-existant and sex is not gratifying at all.

Foreskin Restoration: Increases skin mobility and improves pleasure from sex

Moderate or severe erectile dysfunction when performance anxiety is present

Sexual numbness, lack of sensation from sex and masturbation on occasion. This seems to be somehow related to anxiety, circumcision, hormones, neurotransmitters, pde5 inhibitors, or alcohol. Have attempted to eliminate alcohol and PDE5 inhibitors but the phenomenon still occurs on occasion

Mild Erectile dysfunction in the form of erections which subside easily without stimulation even when anxiety is not present. This phenomenon is always present, although the speed and ease at which erections subside without stimulation is highly variable and dependant on multiple factors

Enhanced sexual function, sensation and performance when acutely sleep deprived or dozing off. This suggests increased dopamine greatly boosts my sexual response. Most pleasureable sexual experiences I have ever felt have usually been extremely late night masturbation after a week long abstinence where I am barely awake.

Did not lose virginity until 25 years old, while using a viagra. Brain is primarily conditioned for arousal from porn and masturbation. Currently on a porn/masturbation detox program to rewire the brain to be aroused from real life women instead of images and masturbation.

Physiological Erectile Dysfunction: Varies considerably from nearly nonexistant to mild although occassionally it is moderate or severe. Generally manifests itself in the ability to easily lose an erection or a lack of sensitivity (both symptoms are very common). Also of note is that my erectile performance and sexual response is optimal when there are only 1-4 orgasms per week, and decreases the more often I orgasm per week. Recovery time from orgasm is generally 1-4 hours, which is longer then most men. Causes of physiological erectile dysfunction are hypothesized to be the following:*

1. Possible trauma to penis from various penis enlargement techniques including stretching and pumping at age 15-17 (I am currently 30). This could possibly have caused mild damage and scarring within the penis that resulted in a mild venous leak, which explains why erections can be easy to lose.
2. Possible underactive thyroid gland (Get cold easily, cold hands and feet, low heart rate, low body temperature, often lazy) Oddly however, I am very lean and do not get fat easily.*
3. Possible excessive amounts of prolactin (emotional, long recovery time post orgasm, erectile problems, flat nipples)
4. Possible suboptimal levels of dopamine and testosterone. Dopamine dysregulation caused by a life of playing computer games, and using porn. Porn use however has generally been moderated and orgasms have been limited to 1-3 per week since when I discovered in my early 20s that doing this significantly improved my erectile performance and sensation.
5. Occasional prostatits (did not occur until about age 26 or 27 and has occured only 3 or 4 times with durations lasting a couple weeks to a couple of months, so it is not a root cause of physiological ED however when the prostatitis is present the ED is significantly worse) which often results in moderate erectile dysfunction and has unknown cause but is usually associated with witholding ejaculation without release and overdoing kegels or reverse kegels
6. Possible adverse effects of being circumcised resulting in suboptimal penile function due to a lack of mobile skin, lack of a complete frenular delta and nerves, and lack of foreskin
7. Possible connection to mild varicocele near left testicle which may or may not effect hormone levels.

Psychological Erectile Dysfunction: I am generally extremely anxiety prone, specifically performance anxiety. My mind is also conditioned to have sex alone and not with a real person. This makes sex extremely stressfull and unfamiliar. Also, the knowledge that I have difficulty maintaining erections under suboptimal conditions results in a compounded effect making live sex often extremely difficult or impossible and unpleasureable. When viagra or cialis are used to remedy the problem and enable sex, I am still rarely if ever able to enjoy it because I can barely feel anything, although the erection does remain strong unless my anxiety is extremely severe. It is unknown whether the lack of sensitivity during sex is due to the drugs or other causes such as anxiety, hormones, or neurotransmitters.

My Erectile Dysfunction : A detailed analysis

Erectile performance varies greatly depending on multiple factors including mood, time of day, random variables, state of mind, recent sexual activity, etc... Generally erections are fine, especially when alone, however they tend to be easy to lose without constant stimulation unless a pre-orgasmic state is achieved. Pre-Orgasmic state refers to where the ejaculatory fluids have moved into position for orgasm and the penis becomes more erect and pleasure becomes more intense. Many people try to stay in this heightened state of pleasure for the majority of their sexual experience and it is referred to as edging. Once the pre orgasmic state is achieved, erections tend to be strong, pleasure tends to be high, and erections subside slightly slower when there is a lack of stimulation (it may take 15-30 seconds of no stimulation to fall into a semi erect state rather then 5-15 seconds when in a non pre-orgasmic state). Generally I try to maintain a pre-orgasmic state for the duration of most sexual experiences as that state has the most pleasure and best performance.*

Erections are occasionally difficult to achieve, weak, and stimulation is sometimes barely pleasureable. These symptoms are almost always present when with a partner, but occasionally present when alone. Confirmed ways to cause the issues in myself is ejaculating more often then my bodies ability to recover, bad weeks or months where for some reason erectile response is poor, or anxiety issues. Usually, once a pre-orgasmic state is achieved, erections tend to be very strong, and pleasure is good until stimulation ceases or orgasm occurs. Maintaining this pre orgasmic state is called edging. Erections begin to subside too quickly after stimulation is ceased or orgasm occurs, creating a constant fear of easily losing an erection. Being relaxed and in a pre orgasmic state helps this issue to some extent as erections are stronger and do not subside as easily although still easier then they should.

Key Notes:

Erections are often difficult to maintain without constant stimulation or kegels until entering the pre-orgasmic state

Sexual sensitivity is often poor until a pre-orgasmic state is achieved and varies greatly from day to day, and time to time

When spontaneous erections occur maintaining an erection isnt too difficult at first, but after several minutes it becomes very hard or impossible if I am not experiencing pleasure through either touch or swinging the penis and kegeling, and it feels as if some sort of "burnout has occurred". This burnout is avoided if sexual pleasure is good and/or a pre orgasmic state is maintained or achieved.

Performance anxiety greatly compounds upon the physiological issues but is not the root cause of the suboptimal baseline erectile performance. However, if there is no anxiety then the physical symptoms are generally not enough to prevent a positive sexual experience or intercourse.

One possible physiological cause of "weak or hard to maintain" erections is from trying to enlarge the penis using various techniques including stretching and pumps between age 15-17. This may have permanently damaged the erectile tissue to a minor or moderate degree although I am not certain.

Became aware of "weak or hard to maintain" erections at about age 17. Assumed it was from the enlargement techniques and pumping I did in my mid teens and went into depression until discovering in my early 20s that refraining from ejaculating to less then 3 times per week significantly improved erectile response. This may be related to prolactin levels which shoot up far too high post orgasm, which also explains my long refractory period

Degree of erectile dysfunction varies greatly from day to day and month to month, sometimes severe and sometimes mild or nonexistant

Masturbation is typically either free of erectile dysfunction, or very mild erectile dysfunction in the form of easily losing the erection if manual stimulation ceases. The level of ED experienced when alone is highly correlated with the amount of orgasms I have per week. 1-2 orgasms per week causes no ED, 2-4 orgasms per week causes none to mild ED, 4-7 orgasms per week causes mild ED, and more then 7 orgasms per week potentially causes moderate ED in the form of weaker erections and less pleasure. The usual lack of ED when alone is due to constant stimulation, lack of anxiety, erotic images, and being able to stay in a pre-orgasmic state for an extended period of time. Moderate or severe erectile dysfunction during masturbation is rare and tends to only occur when overdoing masturbation faster then my body can recover, for example 5+ orgasms per week or during specific weeks/months where my sexual response feels impaired.

My recovery period from orgasm is significantly longer then most men, and has been this way my whole life. This suggests high levels of prolactin, specifically after orgasm. I also become very emotional and anxiety prone post orgasm. Minimum recovery time post orgasm for me is about 1 to 4 hours however my sexual response and erectile performance often remains compromised for up to 8 hours. This highly suggests to me an overabundance of prolactin being released post orgasm. When on a PDE5 inhibitor I can recover from orgasm and perform significantly better and faster.

Sexual performance has remained relatively consistant from ages 17-30 with fluctions in libido and performance from day to day, week to week, and month to month. No age based degradation of sexual performance has been observed however keep in mind that the effects of real sex were not observed until age 25 when I lost my virginity under the effects of Viagra.*

Of particular note is that I discovered the ability to maximize sexual pleasure around the time I was 20 by abstaining for an entire week, staying up as late as possible on the 7th day until I am barely awake, and then masturbating with baby oil. Under these conditions I am able to maintain a pre-orgasmic state for over an hour (as long as I want but I start getting blue balls after about 2 hours), with extreme pleasure, and an extremely strong erection for the entire time. This led me to discover that masturbating less frequently improved my sexual and erectile response and pleasure. Once I discovered this I began limiting my orgasms to only once or twice per week, and assumed I had cured my erectile dysfunction until I realized that most real life women demand sex much more often than once per week.

At around age 25, when I first lost my virginity with a real woman, and after experimenting with alcohol, viagra, cialis, and caffeine I had discovered that my sexual sensitivity was often extremely poor when with a real person, and occasionally when by myself. I have still not determined whether the cause of this is one of the substances above, or the severe anxiety I tend to have when with a real person but the sensitivity issue did not become apparent to me until age 25 (which is when i first tried alcohol and pde5 inhibitors). This lack of sensitivity also manifests itself during masturbation, and so appears to be more then just anxiety. Usually the sensitivity situation can be reversed by 7-14 days abstinence where my system "resets" although I usually feel very asexual between day 3-7. Several days of consistant once daily orgasm also seems to bring back the sensitivity, as does completely refraining from alcohol and cialis/viagra or other substances.

The quality of my orgasms, and experience of sex greatly influences my mood and how I feel for up to a week after an orgasm. If I orgasm while anxious I am left feeling horrible for several days and this only appears to be corrected once I experience a "pleasureable" orgasm. If I orgasm during extreme pleasure, the opposite is true and I remain happy for several days. I have never had a pleasureable orgasm with a real life woman. The impact of sex upon my life and how I feel is tremendous.

I want to get a blood test for the following things. Feel free to make suggestions.

testosterone (free and total)
leutenizing hormone
estrogen
prolactin
thyroid
PSA
FSH
TSH*
T4

I will post my blood test results as soon as I get them. I am tired of hypothesizing whats wrong with me and its time for some answers. I would love to hear thoughts and suggestions.

 

[James23]

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine. I, too, maintain a pre-orgasmic state for up to an hour, as that is the only way for masturbation to "feel good."

I'd add SHBG to your list.

 

[Structure]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/201107/porn-induced-sexual-dysfunction-is-growing-problem

'Many have previously been to doctors, undergone various tests, and been declared "just fine" physically. Neither they nor their health care providers considered excessive porn use as a potential cause of their continued performance problems. Most were assured that "masturbation cannot cause erectile dysfunction.

...

The cause appears to be physiological, not psychological, given that such diverse men change only one variable (porn use), yet report a similar recovery pattern. For these men, anxiety is secondary.

Recent behavioral addiction research suggests that the loss of libido and performance occur because heavy users are numbing their brain's normal response to pleasure. Years of overriding the natural limits of libido with intense stimulation desensitize the user's response to a neurochemical called dopamine.

Dopamine is behind motivation, "wanting" and all addictions. It drives the search for rewards. We get little spurts of it every time we bump into anything potentially rewarding, novel, surprising, or even anxiety-producing.

Animal models have established that both sexual desire and erections arise from dopamine signals. Normally, dopamine-producing nerve cells in the reward circuitry activate the sexual (libido) centers of the hypothalamus, which in turn activate the erection centers in the spinal cord, which send nerve impulses to the genitalia. A steady stream of nerve impulses, which release nitric oxide into the penis and its blood vessels, maintain an erection.

Nitric oxide in turn stimulates the blood vessel dilator cGMP, the on/off switch for engorgement and erection. The more cGMP is available the more durable the erection. So, the pathway from the brain to an erection is:

Reward circuitry (dopamine) > hypothalamus > spinal cord > nerves > penis

Erections start with dopamine and end with cGMP. Sexual enhancement drugs work by inhibiting the breakdown of cGMP, thus allowing it to accumulate in the penis. Yet if the patient's brain isn't producing enough signals in the first place, ED drugs will not increase libido or pleasure even if they (sometimes) produce an erection.'

 

[James23]

I would like to point out that the "years of porn" hypothesis does not seem to apply to this case (or my own) because:

• Demonstrated genuine clinical hypogonadism (and other endocrine issues) in late teenage years and entirety of 20s.
• Desensitization requires "many years" of pornographic addiction. ED and libido symptoms for us started in teenage years.
• Article mentions a need for "increasingly extreme material." The material is entirely irrelevant to the quality of our sexual experience.
• Article mentions "heavy porn use." What is considered heavy? It it not normal for a 20 year-old to ejaculate once per day or less?

Anecdote: My girlfriend dated a number of Internet-nerds (and was addicted to porn, herself!) They all jacked off quite happily 3 times a day to porn and have absolutely zero ED issues up into their mid-30s. They were all the fat-ass, comic book collecting type of guy, too.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

I know my post is very long, and contains some repetitive statements. I am going to work on editing the post to be more concise and accurate. I want to add that I do think that my brain is adapted to masturbating to porn, not being with a real woman, but I believe that the mechanism which is causing ED is primarily anxiety.

I have occasional bouts of erectile dysfunction even when alone, and have noticed that it usually occurs in specific time periods where I feel especially anxious, anti sexual, or feel something is off with my neurotransmitters. I have never used steroids or pharmaceuticals besides viagra/cialis.

My current diagnoses to myself is this:

Mild Physical Erectile Dysfunction: The penis is less then optimal at trapping blood, although it varies greatly, allowing erections to subside easier then they should when ceasing stimulation, changing positions or moving around. This is either hereditary or caused by damage to the penis in the teenage years through stretching and pumping. The sensitivity of the penis is also occassionally suboptimal, although it varies greatly, possibly due to routine infant circumcision and possible neurotransmitter imbalances. Random hormone, chemical, and neurotransmitter imbalances also cause periodic erectile dysfunction and sexual dysfunction often in correlation with general or sexual anxiety and other unknown factors. The degree of physical erectile dysfunction is generally mild and insufficient to prevent satisfying sexual masturbation/intercourse in the absence of anxiety, however the condition itself creates anxiety.

Moderate/Severe Psychological Erectile Dysfunction: The degree of psychological erectile dysfunction can be moderate to severe. Anxiety is strongest when with a partner, however is occassionally present when alone usually during times of high general anxiety. The anxiety may also be causing chemical and neurotransmitter imbalances thus making the issue both physical and psycological.

Reccommended Treatment:

1. Get an extremely thorough blood test

2. Eliminate porn and masturbation

3. Work on adopting an anti-anxiety lifestyle

4. Always stay positive and hopeful

 

[pmgamer18]

If you have lost your libido, have ED, feel fatugued, have brain fog, have feelings of Deprossion just don't feel your self then do get these labs.
You need a full panel of labs done and then see what you need to treat.
I have been on TRT over 30 yrs my first test for Total T was 120 and I was 37 yrs old at the time. I did not feel like having sex with my wife but I made it a point to have it 2 X's / week and every thing worked good.

Later on TRT when I got into my 50's I started to have problems with ED and having a hard time reaching an orgasm. I also was getting one bladder infection after the other due to low voiding BPH.

I read about high Estrada levels in men and had this tested my levels at the time were over the top of the range and I read in this link it's best at 20 pg/ml for most men.
http://www.griffinmedical.com/male_hormone_modulation_therapy.html (Male Hormone Modulation Therapy.. HGH replacement, Testosterone Replacement)

I got my Estradiol levels down using Amides and the first thing to come back was These involuntary nocturnal erections that appear during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) .

No more ED or slow to reach an orgasm but when it came to having sex again with my wife the worry about it working killed it.

So back then Challis just came out and my Dr. told me to try it to take 20 mgs every 3 days. This worked after being on it about 12 days so I have been on this from then on it helps with the worry about it working and helps to keep BP levels down.

Now today I am on 5 mgs / day for my heart and at age 67 my sex life great.
==============================================
• Total Testosterone
• Bioavailable Testosterone (AKA "Free and Loosely Bound")
• Free Testosterone (if Bioavailable T is unavailable)
• DHT
• Estradiol (specify the Extraction Method, or "sensitive" assay for
males)
• LH
• FSH
• Prolactin
• Cortisol first do this test in blood a morning fasting test if your low below 15 then do a saliva test.
• Thyroid Panel doing the following labs.
* TSH But this lab is only for diagnosis of hypopituitary, NOT to diagnose or dose your hypo by.
* Free T4 and Free T3 (note the word “free”)
* Thyroid Antibodies (anti-TPO and TgAb. YOU NEED BOTH.)
* Ferritin (and do stress FERRITIN, not just RBC)
* Adrenals Cortisol levels (but we strongly recommend saliva tests, not the one time blood test your doctor will do. See below, because you don’t need a prescription)
* B-12, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA
* Reverse T3
• CBC
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
• Lipid Profile
• PSA (if over 40)

If your Dr. will not run these tests the find one that will most of the better Dr.'s for this are DO Dr.'s
American Academy of Osteopathy
Find an osteopath in US and some other countries
http://www.academyofosteopathy.org/findphys.cfm

Find an osteopath
http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?Pa ... ndado_main

General Osteopathic Council
Find an osteopath in almost any country
http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/find_osteo/

Healthfinder
Find an osteopath near you in the US. Also links to site to explain what an osteopath is.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/Scripts/Sea ... topic=3786

*I recommend avoiding osteopathic endos. They seem to be the same as regular endos.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

I want to reiterate that none of my symptoms are new. I have been this way my whole life.

-I remember being vulnerable to cold as far back as high school, especially if I showered in the morning (body oil depletion?). I always get cold hands after washing my hands.

-I have had severe anxiety since I was a kid. I remember being so nervous in a karate tournament that I nearly peed on myself when I was about 12. I remember having extreme pre-game anxiety before basketball games in highschool. My social anxiety was so bad that I dropped out of high school at 17. I have have had numerous bouts of complete psycological ED with real women since I was a teenager.

-The only symptom that has worsened with age is penile sensitivity, but it also reverts back to normal often. I think it varies along with anxiety levels as well as hormonal and neurotransmitter balance. I first noticed lack of sensitivity when I started having real sex with real women around the age of 25 using viagra and cialis. I thought the drugs might have been numbing me, but I now believe that generalized anxiety or hormone and neurotransmitter problems may be the cause.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

I want to add in some additional info which I forgot to mention. Most of the symptoms I described become magnified when I am nervous. I want to provide a real life example.

I was in a club, about 3 years ago when I was 27 and met a very attractive blonde. She actually approached me. We started talking, she was attracted to me, and we decided to go to her place. It was the winter time, so it was a bit chilly, however I was not especially cold.

Once we got to her place, I began to become nervous, extremely cold to the point of shivering. It was hard for me to not shiver. I could feel stress hormones running through my body. We ended up making out and my mind was in a state of panic the entire time.

This scenario has occurred with me many times in similar situations. Even in room temperature that should be comfortable, if Im with a new girl and things start getting sexual I start to become shivering cold and nervous.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

Does anybody know a good site to order blood tests? I do not have health insurance, but I can sign up for free health insurance (8 week wait) and then see a urologist and try to get a blood test that way, or order one online. Here are 2 blood tests I found, which do you recommend? I have to pay out of pocket and am unemployed.

privatemdlabs.com/lab_tests.php?view=category_result&show=605&catego ry=5&search=#605]Private MD - Buy Lab Tests Online

privatemdlabs.com/lab_tests.php?view=category_result&show=1033&categ ory=5&search=#1033]Private MD - Buy Lab Tests Online

 

[James23]

LEF.org has a whole blood test section. I've used them in the past. The prices are reasonable.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

I made a breakthrough discovery today. I believe that circulating stress hormones are the primary cause of my ED, and it is somehow related to the adrenal/thyroid system. After doing some pullups and pushups after a run today, I noticed that my erection was weak and easy to subside. This phenomenon is something I have noticed through my whole life: that my erections are weaker, less plump, and more difficult to attain immediately following intense exercise. The effect usually subsides a few hours after the exercise ends, but it is the exact same physical response I have when I have performance anxiety: sexual shutdown. I am beginning to suspect that due to my anxious tendencies, that I have very high levels of circulating stress hormones which are impairing my erections significantly. These already high levels can be further increased by intense exercise and anxiety causing events. Sometimes these stressful events leave me sexually impaired for several days, until my hormone levels stabilize (usually after I retreat into my room and just play video games for a day or 2, and forget about all of my worries).

I am nearly 100% sure that the majority of my ED is related to an overabundance of circulating stress hormones now. I have also noticed that mild exercise such as walking, snowboarding, and just being active in general but at low intensity seems to boost my erectile performance. In addition to this, I have noticed that my erectile performance is also boosted in weeks where I am extremely lazy and just sit in a chair all day (although after more then a week of being sedentary I start to feel sick).

I am not well knowledged in stress and the adrenal/thyroid system, but could my symptoms be a result of some sort of adrenal fatigue that is caused by my anxious tendencies and exercise patterns? I believe that my anxiety has wreaked havoc on my neurotransmitter and hormone balance, especially the adrenal system. I am looking for suggestions on how to fix the issue. Thank you!

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

Physical Symptoms:

-Erections are often weak until a pre-orgasmic state is achieved

-Sexual pleasure is often dull until a pre-orgasmic state is achieved

-Erections subside quickly unless I have stimulation or use kegels to maintain the erection

-Erections subside quickly once stimulation stops or orgasm occurs

-Erections subside quickly when changing positions such as from sitting to standing unless in a pre orgasmic state and stimulation is present

-Erections are more difficult to maintain while standing and faster to go down without stimulation

-Penis feels like its always trying to become flaccid when its erect

-Entering a pre-orgasmic state temporarily strengthens the erection and slows down the rate at which it subsides without stimulation. The pre-orgasmic state also increases sensation considerably, and thus it has become standard practice for me to try to quickly get into this state and stay there (referred to as edging).

-Stress and anxiety greatly compound upon the issue but do not appear to be the root cause of the physiology mentioned above

Self Prognosis:

The main problem I see here, in the absence of anxiety, is the failure of the penis to trap blood adequately. This causes a weak erection which subsides easily until the penis enters a pre-orgasmic state. The problem is not severe enough to prevent a satisfactory sexual experience in the absence of anxiety and in many cases is masked completely by constant stimulation and relaxation. Under the presence of stress and anxiety however, the above symptoms may be increased tenfold and cause complete erectile dysfunction and adhedonia. I have formulated the following hypothesis

1. The baseline ability of the penis to trap blood is suboptimal although generally adequate. This is due to either a physical factor such as a mild venous leak, internal scar tissue within the penis, or some kind of hormonal or neurotransmitter imbalance.

2. Anxiety or Stress compound the base symptoms dramatically and often cause complete ED due to the already suboptimal erectile and sexual response.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

I would also like to point out the following: PDE5 inhibitors, even in very small doses, completely alleviate the erectile symptoms I described (meaning the erections are firm even before a pre-orgasmic state and they do not subside easily). They basically make it so that my erections function as they should normally.

Unfortunately, the PDE5 inhibitors also seem to reduce pleasure and make it even harder to reach orgasm. I often experience improved erections for up to a week after taking even 5mg of cialis, but also adhedonia and lack of ability to enjoy sexual pleasure.

I also experience sexual adhedonia when stressed or anxious, or randomly at times. I do not know the cause of it but believe it may be related to stress hormones, a malfunctioning hpta, or neurotransmitter imbalance. It appears that pde5 inhibitors and alcohol both increase the chance of sexual adhedonia and difficulty orgasming.

 

[James23]

Same here. Alcohol (even two drinks) completely obliterates any desire for sex and any chance of sexual functioning -- EVEN IF a PDE-5 inhibitor is used. (20mg Cialis!)

 

[Vash1986]

You need a psychologist. Because...

- you are anxious
- you engaged in compulsive masturbation and kegel exercises because you thought that your sexual performance was bad
- you tried to enlarge your penis because you thought it was inadequate
- you try to do self-diagnosis
- you had prostatitis, which is not also caused by wrong kegels but also by anxiety which brings tension in the pelvic area
- you show traits of obsessive/compulsive personality (which relates to anxiety): your long and detailed post demonstrates your precision and your over-thinking, which is also confirmed by your thoughts about venous leakage and all this stuff.

Man... you definetly have some self-esteem problems. Psychotherapy will help you reduce stress, build a good image of yourself. AND SLOW DOWN YOUR THINKING. Relax your mind, you will feel much better.

Years of anxiety under-regulate the HPTA axis. If T levels are low you could start some mild HRT and then attempt a restart after a year or two of psychotherapy.

You don't have a leakage problem. I also suffered from anxiety and had rock hard night-time erection because I was relaxed asleep, while being awake I was always anxious, full of thoughts and poorly concentrated, incapable of maintaining good erections.

If prostatitis hasn't gone away, read "A headache in the pelvis", you can get it on amazon or kindle. It changed my life because it taught me how to relax.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

Thanks for the post Vash. I know that anxiety, stress, and the hpta axis are all a major part of the problem. This may also explain why I can sometimes have difficulty feeling pleasure or reaching orgasm during sex. My post makes me seem much more crazy then I am, I am just tired of suffering from ED on and off my entire life so I wanted to be as thorough as possible in the post. In reality, I do have many issues with anxiety, but little to no OCD.

I have confirmed that adrenal stress hormones and dopamine are playing a role in my ED by the 2 experiments I ran recently.

Experiment 1: I was in a stressful situation at a massage parlor where I was freezing cold, shivering, and nervous, and felt pressured into getting some sexual services. I opted for a hand job, but could not get erect at all and just kept shivering. It was one of the strongest fight or flight responses Ive had in a sexual situation. I finally got hard for about 10 seconds before orgasm. For the following several days my erectile function was drastically below normal, and I felt severe generalized anxiety. I then did intense exercise in the form of a 2 mile run, some pushups and pullups, and reassessd my erectile response and it was significantly worse. This experiment confirmed to me that stress hormones circulating in my blood are impacting my erectile performance significantly.

Experiment 2: After feeling anti-sexual for a couple of days, I wanted to break out of it through masturbation and try to reset my nervous system. I edged for an hour and a half to orgasm, and woke up the next morning still feeling anti sexual and with no morning wood. So I tried a different method. I attempted to relax, forget about my worries, and play video games. I basically sat on my ass all day. I also changed my masturbation style from edging, to masturbating for only 10-15 minute sessions where I orgasm almost as soon as I felt the urge. I masturbated 3 times this way (the first 2 times were 2 hours apart, and the third was about 4 hours later). Sexual response was good for all 3 sessions, however oddly enough, my erections were stronger and easier to maintain after every subsequent masturbation. Of particular note is that when I was sleepy during my last masturbation, the erection was very strong and took over 15 seconds to start dissappating (in the absence of stimulation) even while switching to the standing position. I then stayed in the standing position, and felt the erection start to subside slightly which caused a little bit of panic in me, so I masturbated more vigourosly for a few seconds and the erection remained strong. I then sat back down and maintained a very strong erection until I was done (I did not edge). The next morning I woke up with morning wood. This experiment has shown me a few things: that periods of long edging somehow weaken my sexual system, that orgasming in the 10-15 minute range somehow boosts subsequent sexual performance, and that dopamine plays a significant role in my sexual response (erections and pleasure were strongest when I was sleepy).

So to sum it up:

My adrenal glands and stress hormones seem to get out of whack easily, which severely impair my erection. Relaxing and avoiding stress, and waiting until Im dozing off or sleepy raises my dopamine levels and significantly improves my sexual response. I am being very scientific in my analysis here because I want to overcome the problem I have had since I was a teenager. I just want a good sex life, and to be free of these problems.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

New piece to the puzzle: Orthostatic Hypotension is something I believe I have had my whole life. If I am sitting down and then stand up I feel slightly strange for about 20 seconds, but nothing severe. Possibly slight light headedness. This indicates a drop in blood pressure. Of particular note is how my penis responds to this.

-When sitting down and relaxed my flaccid penis is often large and full looking
-Upon standing up, the penis becomes smaller, and less plump
-Erections are significantly easier to maintain lying down or sitting then standing

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

My current hypothesis is leaning towards this:

Anxiety is causing an excess of stress hormones to be released into the blood, until adrenal fatigue occurs. After a period of time, I recover and normal function occurs until the cycle repeats itself.

Anxiety-------> Overactive Adrenals ---------> Adrenal Fatigue --------> Recovery

and the cycle repeats. I believe that this is the primary cause of most of my symptoms, and that issues like penile damage or venous leakage are mild or non existant. I believe that anxiety has caused a psycological problem to become a physical one due to the effect it is having on my adrenal function, neurotransmitters, and hormones. I will be doing the blood test soon and be posting it here.

 

[Sexuallyblessed]

Current treatment plan:

1. Focus on relaxation techniques, and anti anxiety therapies. Adapt lifestyle to lower stress. Practice yoga and meditation. Change workout routine from extremely intense, to relaxing with tolerable intensity to lower the release of stress hormones.

2. Optimize diet and nutrition. Also begin taking health support, anxiety support, adrenal support, and sexual support herbs, vitamins, and minerals.

3. Reduce sexual frequency and orgasm frequency temporarily to allow the hpta to recover.

4. Get blood test for further evaluation

 

[James23]

Current treatment plan:

1. Focus on relaxation techniques, and anti anxiety therapies. Adapt lifestyle to lower stress. Practice yoga and meditation. Change workout routine from extremely intense, to relaxing with tolerable intensity to lower the release of stress hormones.

2. Optimize diet and nutrition. Also begin taking health support, anxiety support, adrenal support, and sexual support herbs, vitamins, and minerals.

3. Reduce sexual frequency and orgasm frequency temporarily to allow the hpta to recover.

4. Get blood test for further evaluation

I don't mean to be a dick, but none of this will work.

I quit my job, sleep as long as I want, eat a very healthy diet, take every "sexual" and "hormonal" vitamin and herb that have studied values and abstain from masturbation for up to 7 days. None of this works.

Stress shouldn't kill your sexual ability unless you are a soldier in Iraq, and even then... it's unlikely.