Ways to overcome drug caused impotence....

Today's post: Tuesday, 9-2-2008

(Note: Some of the information in this post is explicitly sexual. If that isn’t to your taste, feel free to pass on this post.)

Many drugs tend to cause impotence. Of these, the drugs to reduce high blood pressure can be the worst ones. They not only can produce impotence or partial impotence, they can make you feel sick enough to not feel in the mood for sex very much. Headaches, fatigue, & dizziness don’t tend to help you feel well, confident, & sexy.

One way to get out of using the drugs for high blood pressure is to lower it with nondrug methods that work.

We are about to publish an eBook on exactly that topic, lowering high blood pressure with effective nondrug methods.

We’ll announce it here when it is ready.

Meanwhile, I got an article today from Total Health Breakthroughs on how to fully or partly reduce impotence caused by drugs even if you quit taking them.

I list that article here and then added some comments after it.

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com"

“Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Truth About Drugs and Your Sexual Performance

By Mark Rosenberg, MD

Are prescription… drugs hurting your sex life?

You might not realize it, but many prescription drugs put a damper on your libido or can cause erectile dysfunction. Of course your doctor is not at fault. But in his effort to keeping you healthy he might be indirectly killing your sex life!

It is important to understand that you should never stop any medication that your doctor prescribes. If these drugs are acting like a cold shower on your sex life, I have a few alternatives that might help you.

First, let's take a look at the prescriptions that have the worst affect on your libido.

Many prescription drugs affect your circulation. This is especially true of the blood pressure medications Norvasc, Vasotec, and Lopressor. The ability to achieve and maintain an erection depends on blood flow to the penis. It's no surprise that when you chemically alter your circulation, it can cause problems. All of these drugs can lead to erectile dysfunction.

Other prescriptions affect your brain chemistry. This is especially true of the antidepressant drugs, Zoloft, Prozac, and Buspar. These drugs can be a real problem when it comes to your sex life.

If you find yourself in a situation where your health depends on one of these prescriptions, don't give your love life up as lost. Instead, consider trying a libido-enhancing herbal remedy. They are much safer than Viagra and they can be very effective.

Get Your Sex Life Back on Track

For men, there are many good supplements that can help to correct sexual problems at the source. These supplements usually either improve your circulation or help to bring your testosterone levels into a proper balance.

Yohimbine: This African herb has a long history of treating sexual dysfunction. It comes from the bark of an evergreen tree. The bark contains an alkaloid that helps to increase blood flow to the penis. In one study, 71% of men taking yohimbine for eight weeks reported better sexual function.1 For good results, try taking 150 mg of yohimbine each day.

DIM (diindolylmethane): This plant indole, a compound found in all cruciferous vegetables provides the correct nutrients for eliminating the active estrogen from your body. With this estrogen buster, your body will convert active estrogen into the "good" estrogen metabolites. Your body then easily removes them. This lower estrogen allows testosterone to have a more powerful sex-enhancing effect.

L-dopa: Utilizing the compound called levadop (L-dopa), your body will easily convert this nutrient into dopamine which will help inhibit the production of prolactin from the pituitary gland. This will help increase your testosterone levels and improve sexual activity.

L-Arginine: Your penile blood flow is constantly under control by hormones, nerves, and neurotransmitters. And the major bio-chemicals that regulate arterial smooth muscle relaxation and dilation are nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic GMP (guanosine monophosphate).

Research shows that one of the most effective ways to boost blood flow is by increasing the blood's natural nitrous oxide.2 Oral administration of high-dose L-arginine can significantly improve sexual function in men. L-Arginine will also stop the breakdown of cGMP, allowing the muscles in your penis to relax.

One More Thing That Can Help
In addition to supplements, I highly recommend beginning a Kegel regimen if you don't practice one already. Kegel exercises work the pelvic floor muscles and can be very effective at restoring erectile function. Just flex the muscles you would use to cut off the flow of urine. Hold them tense for five to ten seconds and then relax. Try doing three sets of ten each day and see if you don't notice a difference.

Stay well.

References

Vogt H, et al. Int J Impot Res. 1997; 9: 151-61.
Chen J, et al. FJU Intern. 1999:83:269-273.
[Ed. Note: Mark Rosenberg, M.D. is director of the "Institute for Anti-Aging" in South Florida. He is a highly sought-after speaker for lectures on topics such as integrative cancer therapy and anti-aging medicine. Dr. Rosenberg is avidly involved in supplement research and is nutritional consultant for Vitalmax Vitamins…..]”

X* X* X* X* X*

With the drugs to reduce high blood pressure, replacing them with effective non drug methods to lower high blood pressure turns off the problem. Even if only partly successful it can allow you to take one blood pressure drug instead of two or more or take a lower dose. That can make a big difference also. (We’ll announce it here when our eBook on doing this is ready.)

Second, anything you do, such as NOT smoking or never eating foods with added transfats (partially hydrogenated oils) and doing regular exercise that protects your heart and prevents heart disease also tends to prevent impotence or keep it from getting worse. (The same plaque in your blood vessels that reduces blood flow to your heart reduces it to your sexual parts.)

Third, l-arginine does help with erections from its release of nitric oxide. Some men who take 8,000 mg of it at bedtime report they get “morning erections” the following morning. And, even 3,000 mg just before daily exercise and just before bed also can help and help release growth hormone to build muscle.

The supplement Mucuna Pruriens contains Levadopa in case you want to try that one.
(Increasing dopamine release with this one can also help lift depression since low dopamine levels tend to take the joy out of life.)

(Yohimbe, or yohimbine, works to increase blood flow but has interaction effects that make it unsafe or undesirable to use with some drugs and over the counter drugs. So, I’d suggest not using that one.)

DIM; eating the cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and cabbage, that contain it; regular strength training; and taking the supplement tribulus, increase your level of testosterone which makes you feel sexier. That does help with combating impotence also.


Fourth, about the Kegel exercises. They do work. And you do NOT have to be turned on to do them. The several second hold variety in particular fit this description. You can do them while waiting in line or for stoplights to change. So you can do them with no net time taken out of your day.

But, they work even better if you do them just as you do strength training exercises, instead of holding a long time, you can do Kegels by flexing the muscle as hard as you can for the count of one & do sets of 5 to 100 reps. Even better, that kind done while also getting sexually stimulated are fun and addictive to do. Best of all, if you do them as you begin to get turned on, you can literally see them pump up your erection faster than it would have otherwise occurred without the Kegels. They certainly do work. And done that way, you can literally see and feel it happening.