Any Thoughts?

[Appellatelaw]

Any thoughts?

I’m 35.

When I was younger, before 21, I rarely lasted more than two minutes in bed and everything gave me a raging erection.

I really started to enjoy enjoying sex from 21 until 26. 26 is when my ED began. Looking back, I would say I had moderate ED at 26.

I went to the doctor asking for Ed pills and he required a blood/testosterone test. I took several tests and I was between 150 and 200 (low) each time. I started with the testosterone gel and used it for a couple years. It was terrible. It bleached many shirts, pillow cases and sheets. I also smelled terrible from the gel. The urologist changed me from the gel to testosterone injections (used in the butt muscle) due to my complaints about the smell/bleaching of my shirts. I currently use 200 mg/ml ever week and my testosterone is in the mid 700s. To be honest, I’m not sure testosterone has ever helped me achieve an erection. I cannot achieve an erection without Ed pills, so I often wonder whips I continue to use it.

The doctors have also prescribed me Cialis and Viagra. I got terrible headaches/ flushing when I used viagra, so I have exclusively used Cialis. I started taking 5 mg of Cialis. It seemed to help ‘most’ of the time. I now use 20 mg and have a lot of difficulty achieving an erection. I have to play with it for a long time. (15 to 30 minutes).

I had a MRI of my pituitary glad and it was relatively normal.

I haven’t had morning wood in years and need to play with it for a long time before I can get wood to have sex. I never have an erection with playing with it for a long time. It’s really embarrassing and kills the mood.

Oddly when I’m extremely hungover I may wake up with wood or get an erection without playing with it for a long time.

I used to chew tobacco (skoal) for many years and I was a heavy user (multiple cans a day). I quit 5 years ago. I wonder if that had anything to do with it… but doubt it because it has gotten worse over the last 5 years.

I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife. She doesn’t understand my frustration, but I doubt I could have a better partner to help me through this. I love her deeply.

I guess my biggest question is what the hell has caused this at such a young age? Several doctors have given answers like “probably blood flow issues” or “we aren’t really sure”. I’m frustrated… any thoughts? Any suggestions? I don’t think I’m ready for an implant yet. I would love to hear some thoughts or opinions.

[ape1100]

Any thoughts?

I’m 35.

When I was younger, before 21, I rarely lasted more than two minutes in bed and everything gave me a raging erection.

I really started to enjoy enjoying sex from 21 until 26. 26 is when my ED began. Looking back, I would say I had moderate ED at 26.

I went to the doctor asking for Ed pills and he required a blood/testosterone test. I took several tests and I was between 150 and 200 (low) each time. I started with the testosterone gel and used it for a couple years. It was terrible. It bleached many shirts, pillow cases and sheets. I also smelled terrible from the gel. The urologist changed me from the gel to testosterone injections (used in the butt muscle) due to my complaints about the smell/bleaching of my shirts. I currently use 200 mg/ml ever week and my testosterone is in the mid 700s. To be honest, I’m not sure testosterone has ever helped me achieve an erection. I cannot achieve an erection without Ed pills, so I often wonder whips I continue to use it.

The doctors have also prescribed me Cialis and Viagra. I got terrible headaches/ flushing when I used viagra, so I have exclusively used Cialis. I started taking 5 mg of Cialis. It seemed to help ‘most’ of the time. I now use 20 mg and have a lot of difficulty achieving an erection. I have to play with it for a long time. (15 to 30 minutes).

I had a MRI of my pituitary glad and it was relatively normal.

I haven’t had morning wood in years and need to play with it for a long time before I can get wood to have sex. I never have an erection with playing with it for a long time. It’s really embarrassing and kills the mood.

Oddly when I’m extremely hungover I may wake up with wood or get an erection without playing with it for a long time.

I used to chew tobacco (skoal) for many years and I was a heavy user (multiple cans a day). I quit 5 years ago. I wonder if that had anything to do with it… but doubt it because it has gotten worse over the last 5 years.

I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife. She doesn’t understand my frustration, but I doubt I could have a better partner to help me through this. I love her deeply.

I guess my biggest question is what the hell has caused this at such a young age? Several doctors have given answers like “probably blood flow issues” or “we aren’t really sure”. I’m frustrated… any thoughts? Any suggestions? I don’t think I’m ready for an implant yet. I would love to hear some thoughts or opinions.

i think that we arent really sure is a recurring theme from what i have seen on this forum aside from the genuine causes (DM, etc). i have hypothyroidism and low T but not one doctor can nail down the cause of my ED. i also smoked for 10 years, they all suggest it may have been a cause. i have come to just treat the condition with what ever works. glad to know you have a supportive spouse, that is a major win. my wife also does not understand the frustration we get over this. i also do not look forward to an implant, but i also would tell myself that i never wanted to inject a needle in my dick. it was important to me to keep treating and injections were the next step. just my experience is that it is totally worth it at the moment. i am only up to 4 injections so far and they have all been out of this world. we are still intimate without injections and those times are just as important and amazing. if its important to you, do what you feel comfortable with but you may have to step outside the comfort zone. once the pills werent as effective as they used to be, i tried the pump and the suppository in the urethra. those failed miserably, but i hear that many do have success with those methods. i just wish my uro had started me on mono mix to start but went straight to tri mix. my hope is that i get many many years of use before i consider an implant. stay strong and positive and above all communicate with your wife. take care.

[sombrero]

It is a frustrating and difficult experience in your 30s. My ED started in my 20s and pills worked through my 30s but then not much impact. Decided to go for the implant at age 44 and still recovering but have felt it was absolutely the right decision given the alternative. Wife was very supportive through it all but it was dehumanizing and really made that part of life a stressful and unpleasant experience. Doctors don't seem much interested in the cause but the therapies are common-first pills, then injections, then surgery. God bless on your journey in this area it is one of the most difficult things a man can go through.

[Appellatelaw]

Thank you for replying. It is so frustrating and I feel so alone. It does help to know other men are going through the same thing. That is one of the hardest parts of this issue, you can’t talk to anyone about it and I feel so alone. Especially when I hear my friends talk about their sex lives with their wives… I truly feel so alone and inadequate

My wife is fantastic and I doubt there is a woman out there that has been more patient with these issues. But it is a knife to my heart when she says how unimportant sex is to her and she would be happy to be my wife, even if we never had sex again. But she truly doesn’t understand the depression and how much Ed effects my life. I think about it constantly. One of the most difficult issues is my wife is gorgeous. Imagine having a huge juicy ribeye in front of you that you cannot eat. That is how I feel about my wife. It’s frustrating.

I just wish I could get some answers…. That is one of the hardest parts…. It seems my doctors over the years just want to treat the symptoms and not the cause. I wish we could solve the problem, not just the symptoms…

Sorry for the rants, I’m just depressed. Thanks for being there guys.

[whymenow]

Thank you for replying. It is so frustrating and I feel so alone. It does help to know other men are going through the same thing. That is one of the hardest parts of this issue, you can’t talk to anyone about it and I feel so alone. Especially when I hear my friends talk about their sex lives with their wives… I truly feel so alone and inadequate

My wife is fantastic and I doubt there is a woman out there that has been more patient with these issues. But it is a knife to my heart when she says how unimportant sex is to her and she would be happy to be my wife, even if we never had sex again. But she truly doesn’t understand the depression and how much Ed effects my life. I think about it constantly. One of the most difficult issues is my wife is gorgeous. Imagine having a huge juicy ribeye in front of you that you cannot eat. That is how I feel about my wife. It’s frustrating.

I just wish I could get some answers…. That is one of the hardest parts…. It seems my doctors over the years just want to treat the symptoms and not the cause. I wish we could solve the problem, not just the symptoms…

Sorry for the rants, I’m just depressed. Thanks for being there guys.

Dude,

First of all, welcome to the forum.

I know how you feel. I am 37 years old, and I'd never thought that I had ED due to the same reasons you mentioned in your first post. I started using the pills as a "performance enhancer". I thought I never had erection issues. The issue seemed like duration for me. However, after 30, I also felt like I was more dependent to the pills than before.

V stopped working for me after 7-8 years of use. Now, I use cialis and pretty much my erections are like yours... Sometimes it needs constant stimulation, sometimes not that much though. I have a wife who is 10 years younger than me and I totally understand your juicy steak metaphor.

I just want to tell you that even though this is one of the toughest issues a man can have, it is not the end of the world. Life continues, and dealing with it is somehow part of our lives.

[steamfitter]

Thank you for replying. It is so frustrating and I feel so alone. It does help to know other men are going through the same thing. That is one of the hardest parts of this issue, you can’t talk to anyone about it and I feel so alone. Especially when I hear my friends talk about their sex lives with their wives… I truly feel so alone and inadequate

My wife is fantastic and I doubt there is a woman out there that has been more patient with these issues. But it is a knife to my heart when she says how unimportant sex is to her and she would be happy to be my wife, even if we never had sex again. But she truly doesn’t understand the depression and how much Ed effects my life. I think about it constantly. One of the most difficult issues is my wife is gorgeous. Imagine having a huge juicy ribeye in front of you that you cannot eat. That is how I feel about my wife. It’s frustrating.

I just wish I could get some answers…. That is one of the hardest parts…. It seems my doctors over the years just want to treat the symptoms and not the cause. I wish we could solve the problem, not just the symptoms…

Sorry for the rants, I’m just depressed. Thanks for being there guys.

Dude,

First of all, welcome to the forum.

I know how you feel. I am 37 years old, and I'd never thought that I had ED due to the same reasons you mentioned in your first post. I started using the pills as a "performance enhancer". I thought I never had erection issues. The issue seemed like duration for me. However, after 30, I also felt like I was more dependent to the pills than before.

V stopped working for me after 7-8 years of use. Now, I use cialis and pretty much my erections are like yours... Sometimes it needs constant stimulation, sometimes not that much though. I have a wife who is 10 years younger than me and I totally understand your juicy steak metaphor.

I just want to tell you that even though this is one of the toughest issues a man can have, it is not the end of the world. Life continues, and dealing with it is somehow part of our lives.

38 year old here. We have to keep things in perspective. At least there are treatments available. There are options. If there is one thing I learned from this experience (started at 34, I am 38 now), is that you really need to make a conscious effort to not let it get you down. I know a lot of guys who are already dead, or dealing with life-threatening illnesses. At least there is a possibility of change with this problem.

The psychological impact of ED is profound, but it can't help but make you stronger and more resilient in the end, as long as you do not let it define your existence.

[Old Guy]

I was a bit older but had all the same feelings you're experiencing. ED is more devastating to a man's psych than many know. Having a younger and beautiful wife makes it that much more depressing.
I did the pills, then the injections. In time they both failed to produce anything except side effects. That was more depressing when the "cures" failed because it was like starting ED again. My implant surgery was tough, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. After I healed my mindset changed drastically for the better.
Like you, my wife was wonderful through the ups and downs. We had a couple of rough times, but we survived.
Good Luck on your decision.

[Hunchback]

I am 37 now and i've had ED for my entire life, literally.
Living through teenage years with ED is something i hope not many people get to experience...

Can't really say much that'll make you feel better. It seems like you are lucky like me, to have a beautiful AND extremely supportive wife. I believe that's the single most important and helpful thing to have, when dealing with ED. The rest is hoping for new treatments, coping with it as you can... or taking the plunge and going for an implant.
I'd suggest trying injections tho, since they DO work probably 90% of the time and for a good while too. Some people here say the injections have never stopped working for them.