PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Anything goes when it comes to ED.
Simbarn
Posts: 358
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:08 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby Simbarn » Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:26 pm

There has been some very interesting research into sympathetic hyperactivity in the penis over the past 20 years, particularly in relation to how this gradually manifests in middle age and for some males earlier. It is quite possible that the drugs (Cialis and Viagra) have not "stopped working" in regard to what they do: inhibit PDE5. What could be happening is an increase in the expression of the receptors that are affected by norepinephrine in the arteries that supply blood to the corpus cavernosum and in the corpus cavernosum itself. The tonic activity of these adrenergic receptors maintains the penis in the flaccid state. If these receptors become more active over time, it will be difficult to firstly get an erection and then maintain one, even with the help of a PDE5 inhibitor. Improving the NO pathway via a dose of Viagra will only help to a point if "the flight and fight response" within the penis has taken the balance of power. The stress of not being able to perform could be far more severe for men who might have this susceptibility. I have mentioned the above because of your age and the suggestion that your condition may be psychogenic.
Erections are a function of the change of balance between constriction and relaxation. Both can have a dysfunction, alone or together. Not just the relaxation part of the equation which PDE5 inhibitors assist with.

You could also be developing issues with atherosclerosis, which will impede blood flow into the penis. An early warning sign of what might be occurring in vital organs such as the heart. This begins with endothelial dysfunction in the corpus cavernosum which will lower NO availability.
PDE5 inhibitors will help initially with this but as the condition worsens they will become less effective. They become less effective because the generation of NO is a few steps back before the point whereby PDE5 inhibitors perform their action. PDE5 inhibitors will do nothing at all if there is little to no NO. The pathway becomes more and more dysfunctional and progresses to plaque build-up and fibrosis in the penis and much further down the track, heart disease. High blood pressure contributes to endothelial dysfunction as does diabetes. Anyone experiencing ED at your age needs to be checked out for early signs of the above IMO.
Oxidative stress is something that occurs due to excessive stress on the body and unfortunately, ageing. You did mention you are a powerlifter. Are you over-training? What is your diet like? Do you do any cardiovascular exercise to help prevent endothelial dysfunction and heart disease? Have you ever done anabolic steroids? High levels of weight training coupled with anabolic steroids can lead to oxidative stress.
Research has found that oxidative stress can promote sympathetic hyperactivity and endothelial dysfunction, which means not only is the vasodilation part of the erection process compromised, but also the smooth muscle in the penis and arteries are more likely to stay constricted due to excess norepinephrine generated by the sympathetic nerves within the penis itself.

If you can get a good erection while watching “porn” (you didn’t mention if PDE5i was needed for this), your ED could be more related to a psychogenic cause. With all the research I have done in the past years, psychogenic ED appears to be closely related to a hyper sensitivity to the contractile mechanism of norepinephrine in the penis. Given your age, as I have already mentioned there could be other causal factors or one which generates more than one dysfunction for example; the inability of the penis to trap blood effectively and the inability for it to relax sufficiently to allow more blood to enter (not necessarily your issues).

I think if one was to watch erotic material on the odd occasion it would do no harm. However, I think if it becomes an addictive behaviour, (like any addictive behaviour) then it could be a problem, not physiologically, but it may create a possible psychological dependence whereby the dopamine release is addictive. All things in moderation.
I am sceptical of the theories of “dopamine burnout” as there is no real scientific evidence of this. I think what is happening is a result of over exposure, it becomes so familiar and regular that the dopamine release we once got from it becomes muted, and thus commonplace. The brain is very adept at limiting how much of a dopamine release we experience for survival reasons. As you mention you watch “tons of porn”, this does suggest it may be in excess. If so, it might be a good idea to refrain for a reasonable period of time. let your mind re-sensitise to the sexual act. Put the “porn” away for 6 months.

If you can get and keep an erection whilst watching “porn”, two things may be happening more effectively than when you try and have sex with someone. Firstly, there is no one there to judge you, no one to perform for but yourself. As you are in a relaxed state the tipping point is in your favour of being able to have an erection even though you may have an increased sensitivity to the contractile forces of norepinephrine. It just gets you over the line, so to speak. Combine this with the high stimulation that pornography can bring to the senses, levels of NO may be enhanced which further tip the balance of power in favour of smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and blood can flow readily to fill its expanding spaces. Conversely, when you attempt to have sex with someone the tipping point of power of one or even both may be more in favour of the opposite as the higher sensitivity to norepinephrine and possibly even a slightly lower level of excitement allows the contractile machinery to easily take over. A viscous cycle most likely then develops as the subject becomes even more anxious about the failure of not being erect and the body’s sympathetic nervous system plunges further into flight and fight mode. This IMO can take time to subside.
If you did not have the heightened sensitivity to norepinephrine in the penis such as in the case of a normal young male, the requirement for being very relaxed and the high visual stimulation of erotic material would not be needed for an erection to occur. In other words the balance of power is more even and erections occur without too much inhibition from norepinephrine. As soon as some form of stimulation occurs be it mental of tactile, the NO pathway can easily take over and supress the sympathetic pathway as it should.
I think in the earlier stages of sympathetic hyperactivity, a PDE5 inhibitor may be sufficient to overcome the problem, as the enhancement of the effect of NO will be enough to suppress sympathetic activity sufficiently. As the person ages, this hyperactivity appears to increase and cannot be mitigated by enhancing the levels of cGMP alone. Also as I mentioned above levels of NO can slowly decrease for a multitude of reasons as we age, which lessens the positive effect of a PDE5 inhibitor. Perhaps not so much at your age. However, there can be a definite deterioration in cellular function at the age of 40 compared to the age of 20, which can be exacerbated by lifestyle.

How do we combat this? The bad news is there is nothing available in the US, Australia and the UK, legally and specifically to combat this form of ED other than Trimix. One of the three compounds in Trimix (Phentolamine) blocks to an extent, the sympathetic pathway. The other two assist with vasodilation. Because it is injected into the penis, it is concentrated in the area where it is needed and can block those receptors in the penis specifically rather than systemically.
Oral A1 selective adrenergic receptor blockers are available, but they are approved for use primarily with LUTS and BPH. Some urologists are recognising the above condition in younger men with ED and are prescribing these medications to help treat what they term as “hypertonic cavernous smooth muscle”, in other words sympathetic hyperactivity. This apparently works for some men an others not so. A receptor blocker which blocks both A1 and A2 adrenergic receptors (non-selective) might work better for others. The oral ED drug developed for this was called Vasomax, which is Phentolamine mesylate (PM). It did not get approval in the countries I mentioned above. I think it appeared about the same time as PDE5 inhibitors, and may have been pushed to the side by its much bigger brother; Viagra.
There was also a study done with PM on rats in high doses and there was evidence of carcinogenic activity in the very high dose range. This in combination with the competition with Viagra, may have halted its approval. I think other members on this forum know more on this issue. It is currently prescribed in some countries, but I do not have information as to the possible carcinogenic implications it has had in those countries, if any. There are studies also showing its effectiveness and safety in human trials. It is approved for use as an injection directly into the penis.

Another member on this forum has discussed his success with PM, for psychogenic ED, to help combat this condition for the reasons mentioned above, with success. He knows far more than I do about this medication. Do a search for posts by Flavio.
The aetiology of erectile dysfunction for most evolves over time. In other words, what causes it doesn’t stay constant. The ageing process itself causes other dysfunctions to appear, and what might have started out as “psychogenic” ends up being a number of processes that have become compromised.
I hope the above helps give you a better understanding of what may and I repeat may, be affecting your erectile function.
Much of the above is quite simplified and still considered research and hypothesis. There are of course other processes involved with the constriction and relaxation events in the Penis such as the RHO-Kinase pathway, which is quite complex and currently the subject of much research with regard to ED.
It appears that the human penis is not as robust in design as perhaps other organs in our bodies, possibly because it’s not a vital organ and mother nature prefers fresh new genetic material from young males. The male is in his peak during his teens and early twenties. After that it’s all downhill! :)
Age 57, ED issues for 15-20 years. Testosterone replacement with Enanthate and Ovidrel. Currently using generic Tadalafil 2.5mgs and Resveratrol daily.

IWANTMYBONERSBACK
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2020 9:14 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby IWANTMYBONERSBACK » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:29 pm

Thanks for this reply. I totally feel the same way bro. I just turned 39, been separated for almost 5 years (divorce is imminent) and I've been playing the field for a while. I'm a buff dude and I look like I'm in my 20's so the expectation is that I'm an animal, which I am but I totally agree on the porn part. If I can't get an erection from porn then it's a wrap but I get an erection from porn no problem. I also think the problem is 1. I'm lazy so since I'm fairly attractive, I generally go for "low hanging fruit" and very average women but obviously the porn I look at have very beautiful women. Also I could take a pinch of viagra 12 years ago and have a hard on looking at the wall but now I can take two 12 mgs tablets of Cialis and 200 mgs of Viagra and even a 20 mg tablet of Levitra and absolutely nothing at all bro. That shit f*cks with my head bad. I figured since I've used this stuff since 2008 and tons of it, my body has grown desensitized to it big time and the only way to get my body back sensitive to it is to stop doing it but then what in the heck do I do in the mean time? I know I don't need an implant and I surely don't wanna stick a needle in my dick but the doc told me that he'd do whatever I wanna do. He even has this thing called GAINSWAVE that shoots an electric Shockwave in your penis and I also get a free shot in the dick with it too....... I thought about doing that. Anyway I really appreciate you commenting about that because it makes me feel better that someone else know what I'm talking about. Whatever it is I do need a new stimulus and I need to leave these pills alone for a while for sure. He also told me about something similar to the shot except it's a cream that you place of your penis. Exact same thing as the shot except it's absorbed that way. I thought I'd try that too. We will see and I'll keep the guys in this post updated for those who are interested. Very thankful for this forum and website!


quote="erik821"]I know what you mean about the porn thing it’s the same with me. Sometimes I won’t get a hard on for a week or and then I start thinking I need an implant or something and then I’ll watch porn and I’m like no I’m good. Porn is the ultimate litmus test as far as I’m concerned. When the day comes that I can’t get it up and keep it up watching porn that’s the day I get an implant.

Also with me I’ve been divorced for a couple of years and when I met my ex I could get a boner just looking at her ass in a pair of jeans and could also have sex on demand. Plus she was always very vocal about how much she loved my dick the entire time. That helped for sure lol. I think that’s what scares me about dating these days is the fear of not being able to go on demand or the expectation of sex on a third date. I’m not 30 anymore I need to prepare for sex lol. It’s much different when you’re married with kids. Sex tends to be had when the timing is right and also quick and when you’ve been together long enough you both tend to tune in to each other and know when the other person wants it which is usually when you do too. It’s much less pressure. That could be a psychological thing.[/quote]

IWANTMYBONERSBACK
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2020 9:14 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby IWANTMYBONERSBACK » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:41 pm

It's crazy because I was just reading some research in 2012 about people like me who used the hell out of Ed drugs "recreationally" and how that can cause a development in ED. Also I DO NOT need ED drugs to get an erection while watching porn. I mentioned a while ago that I was going to try that thing called GAINSWAVE where they shoot shock waves in your penis to break up the plague and stuff. That may help is there is some blood flow issues. It's $3,000 but with this stimulus package, $1,200 can go toward that. I really appreciate your in depth post bro. This really sheds a new light on the psychological aspect on what I'm going through. I probably need to get better looking women that look like the porn women I'm watching. Smh


Simbarn wrote:There has been some very interesting research into sympathetic hyperactivity in the penis over the past 20 years, particularly in relation to how this gradually manifests in middle age and for some males earlier. It is quite possible that the drugs (Cialis and Viagra) have not "stopped working" in regard to what they do: inhibit PDE5. What could be happening is an increase in the expression of the receptors that are affected by norepinephrine in the arteries that supply blood to the corpus cavernosum and in the corpus cavernosum itself. The tonic activity of these adrenergic receptors maintains the penis in the flaccid state. If these receptors become more active over time, it will be difficult to firstly get an erection and then maintain one, even with the help of a PDE5 inhibitor. Improving the NO pathway via a dose of Viagra will only help to a point if "the flight and fight response" within the penis has taken the balance of power. The stress of not being able to perform could be far more severe for men who might have this susceptibility. I have mentioned the above because of your age and the suggestion that your condition may be psychogenic.
Erections are a function of the change of balance between constriction and relaxation. Both can have a dysfunction, alone or together. Not just the relaxation part of the equation which PDE5 inhibitors assist with.

You could also be developing issues with atherosclerosis, which will impede blood flow into the penis. An early warning sign of what might be occurring in vital organs such as the heart. This begins with endothelial dysfunction in the corpus cavernosum which will lower NO availability.
PDE5 inhibitors will help initially with this but as the condition worsens they will become less effective. They become less effective because the generation of NO is a few steps back before the point whereby PDE5 inhibitors perform their action. PDE5 inhibitors will do nothing at all if there is little to no NO. The pathway becomes more and more dysfunctional and progresses to plaque build-up and fibrosis in the penis and much further down the track, heart disease. High blood pressure contributes to endothelial dysfunction as does diabetes. Anyone experiencing ED at your age needs to be checked out for early signs of the above IMO.
Oxidative stress is something that occurs due to excessive stress on the body and unfortunately, ageing. You did mention you are a powerlifter. Are you over-training? What is your diet like? Do you do any cardiovascular exercise to help prevent endothelial dysfunction and heart disease? Have you ever done anabolic steroids? High levels of weight training coupled with anabolic steroids can lead to oxidative stress.
Research has found that oxidative stress can promote sympathetic hyperactivity and endothelial dysfunction, which means not only is the vasodilation part of the erection process compromised, but also the smooth muscle in the penis and arteries are more likely to stay constricted due to excess norepinephrine generated by the sympathetic nerves within the penis itself.

If you can get a good erection while watching “porn” (you didn’t mention if PDE5i was needed for this), your ED could be more related to a psychogenic cause. With all the research I have done in the past years, psychogenic ED appears to be closely related to a hyper sensitivity to the contractile mechanism of norepinephrine in the penis. Given your age, as I have already mentioned there could be other causal factors or one which generates more than one dysfunction for example; the inability of the penis to trap blood effectively and the inability for it to relax sufficiently to allow more blood to enter (not necessarily your issues).

I think if one was to watch erotic material on the odd occasion it would do no harm. However, I think if it becomes an addictive behaviour, (like any addictive behaviour) then it could be a problem, not physiologically, but it may create a possible psychological dependence whereby the dopamine release is addictive. All things in moderation.
I am sceptical of the theories of “dopamine burnout” as there is no real scientific evidence of this. I think what is happening is a result of over exposure, it becomes so familiar and regular that the dopamine release we once got from it becomes muted, and thus commonplace. The brain is very adept at limiting how much of a dopamine release we experience for survival reasons. As you mention you watch “tons of porn”, this does suggest it may be in excess. If so, it might be a good idea to refrain for a reasonable period of time. let your mind re-sensitise to the sexual act. Put the “porn” away for 6 months.

If you can get and keep an erection whilst watching “porn”, two things may be happening more effectively than when you try and have sex with someone. Firstly, there is no one there to judge you, no one to perform for but yourself. As you are in a relaxed state the tipping point is in your favour of being able to have an erection even though you may have an increased sensitivity to the contractile forces of norepinephrine. It just gets you over the line, so to speak. Combine this with the high stimulation that pornography can bring to the senses, levels of NO may be enhanced which further tip the balance of power in favour of smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and blood can flow readily to fill its expanding spaces. Conversely, when you attempt to have sex with someone the tipping point of power of one or even both may be more in favour of the opposite as the higher sensitivity to norepinephrine and possibly even a slightly lower level of excitement allows the contractile machinery to easily take over. A viscous cycle most likely then develops as the subject becomes even more anxious about the failure of not being erect and the body’s sympathetic nervous system plunges further into flight and fight mode. This IMO can take time to subside.
If you did not have the heightened sensitivity to norepinephrine in the penis such as in the case of a normal young male, the requirement for being very relaxed and the high visual stimulation of erotic material would not be needed for an erection to occur. In other words the balance of power is more even and erections occur without too much inhibition from norepinephrine. As soon as some form of stimulation occurs be it mental of tactile, the NO pathway can easily take over and supress the sympathetic pathway as it should.
I think in the earlier stages of sympathetic hyperactivity, a PDE5 inhibitor may be sufficient to overcome the problem, as the enhancement of the effect of NO will be enough to suppress sympathetic activity sufficiently. As the person ages, this hyperactivity appears to increase and cannot be mitigated by enhancing the levels of cGMP alone. Also as I mentioned above levels of NO can slowly decrease for a multitude of reasons as we age, which lessens the positive effect of a PDE5 inhibitor. Perhaps not so much at your age. However, there can be a definite deterioration in cellular function at the age of 40 compared to the age of 20, which can be exacerbated by lifestyle.

How do we combat this? The bad news is there is nothing available in the US, Australia and the UK, legally and specifically to combat this form of ED other than Trimix. One of the three compounds in Trimix (Phentolamine) blocks to an extent, the sympathetic pathway. The other two assist with vasodilation. Because it is injected into the penis, it is concentrated in the area where it is needed and can block those receptors in the penis specifically rather than systemically.
Oral A1 selective adrenergic receptor blockers are available, but they are approved for use primarily with LUTS and BPH. Some urologists are recognising the above condition in younger men with ED and are prescribing these medications to help treat what they term as “hypertonic cavernous smooth muscle”, in other words sympathetic hyperactivity. This apparently works for some men an others not so. A receptor blocker which blocks both A1 and A2 adrenergic receptors (non-selective) might work better for others. The oral ED drug developed for this was called Vasomax, which is Phentolamine mesylate (PM). It did not get approval in the countries I mentioned above. I think it appeared about the same time as PDE5 inhibitors, and may have been pushed to the side by its much bigger brother; Viagra.
There was also a study done with PM on rats in high doses and there was evidence of carcinogenic activity in the very high dose range. This in combination with the competition with Viagra, may have halted its approval. I think other members on this forum know more on this issue. It is currently prescribed in some countries, but I do not have information as to the possible carcinogenic implications it has had in those countries, if any. There are studies also showing its effectiveness and safety in human trials. It is approved for use as an injection directly into the penis.

Another member on this forum has discussed his success with PM, for psychogenic ED, to help combat this condition for the reasons mentioned above, with success. He knows far more than I do about this medication. Do a search for posts by Flavio.
The aetiology of erectile dysfunction for most evolves over time. In other words, what causes it doesn’t stay constant. The ageing process itself causes other dysfunctions to appear, and what might have started out as “psychogenic” ends up being a number of processes that have become compromised.
I hope the above helps give you a better understanding of what may and I repeat may, be affecting your erectile function.
Much of the above is quite simplified and still considered research and hypothesis. There are of course other processes involved with the constriction and relaxation events in the Penis such as the RHO-Kinase pathway, which is quite complex and currently the subject of much research with regard to ED.
It appears that the human penis is not as robust in design as perhaps other organs in our bodies, possibly because it’s not a vital organ and mother nature prefers fresh new genetic material from young males. The male is in his peak during his teens and early twenties. After that it’s all downhill! :)

Simbarn
Posts: 358
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:08 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby Simbarn » Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:51 pm

Having a partner that does turn you on does help. However, when I was younger I could get an erection looking at a fence post :D . I would like to see that study that you mentioned on men who did not have ED and used PDE5 inhibitors in large amounts, causing ED. If you find the link please post it.
I have found a number of study’s that revealed that the chronic use of low dose PDE5i can lower oxidative stress in the penis and rest of the vascular system in the body. It also showed they can start to repair some of the damage to the endothelium and smooth muscle that oxidative stress causes, also improving the function of the NO pathway in a manner other than what they do for on demand use through inhibiting the breakdown of cGMP. However, it is entirely possible that very large doses of these drugs could cause problems as well. One of the main concepts of pharmacology is that a medication can have a therapeutic safe effect at a certain dosage and it can become a poison and do damage at a higher dosage.

I have been very interested in shockwave therapy and how it works. Gainswave is just a highly marketed protocol of low intensity shockwave therapy (LISWT). They draw on the research done by many others to substantiate their own protocol. Anyone qualified can do the treatments, they just don’t get the hyped up marketing strategies that Gainswave offers if you don’t sign up with them. It is not FDA approved as yet to treat ED, but is being used by some doctors and clinics. Many of the studies I have read do show very positive effects from the modality. However, it appears to be something that will need to be repeated often and this could become very expensive given how Gainswave recommends charging for this. I have been trying to find actual evidence online from patients who have had the treatment and posted their experience, such as guys have been doing in this forum under implants and injection therapy. I have not been able to find anything positive other than a blog by a guy who is doing the treatments himself using a shockwave machine he bought from China (they are making these machines like they do with all laser and aesthetic devices). This is a concern, as if the treatment worked very well, I would have expected to see some positive genuine reports. The treatment is relatively new. So this may account for some of this and perhaps the men who are receiving the treatments and having success, are not interested in posting personal information on internet forums as they do not feel the need to get support or advice from other men with the issue, as their erectile dysfunction is resolving.

From what I could understand from the studies I have read, this treatment appears to be effective for those afflicted with only mild to very moderate forms of ED. It could be possible that the negative reports I have found on this discussion board in regard to LISWT have been from candidates who are suffering from more severe forms of ED. It does not appear to help those with any form of a venous leak. More research does need to be done on this therapy and I think it currently is.
Age 57, ED issues for 15-20 years. Testosterone replacement with Enanthate and Ovidrel. Currently using generic Tadalafil 2.5mgs and Resveratrol daily.

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niarceel
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Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby niarceel » Wed Apr 08, 2020 2:23 pm

When my ED started to become acute, after almost 10 years of taking Viagra/Cialis, I began a considerable amount of research.

Among the many things I researched, I learned that a person's relentless immersion in a highly stimulatory, sexually provocative environment eventually produces a desensitized condition in the subject's brain that requires ever-higher amounts of stimulation, visual or otherwise, to achieve the desired state of sexual stimulation. Over time, this escalates into a near or complete loss of sensitivity.

The studies I read focused on frequent, intensely focused, pornography "consumers" because they were the most readily available for study in these types of environments.

I could go into considerable detail but here's the short version of what I learned:
1. Sexual stimulation for males is fairly complicated with several psychological and physiological processes involved.
2. In the brain, neurons and nerve impulses are involved in the psychological processes.
3. Neurons communicate with each other using neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) to cross a junction, a "snyapse", between neurons. This gap consists of a transmitter on one side of the gap and a receptor on the other side of the gap.
4. The brain naturally maintains a proper balance of receptors to transmitters.
5. When the number of neurotransmitters (messages sent) increases for a substantial amount of time, the available receptors become saturated with very few receptors left to receive the neurotransmitter messages. (This is the point where the sexual stimulation that has worked in the past, no longer works in the present.)
6. In cases of significant and prolonged production of neurotransmitters, as in the severe case of Heroin addition, the brain reduces the number of receptors, having decided that not nearly as many are needed to produce the same effects as a greater number of receptors did in the past.
7. Intense, prolonged immersion in pornography for extended periods of time has a similar effect as drug addiction. The number of receptors is reduced, requiring ever-higher doses of stimulus to produce the desired response.
8. The end game of this long-term, over-stimulation is that almost no amount or type of stimulation can produce the desired response anymore.
9. Over long periods of time (weeks, months, years), total immersion in stimuli can cause a semi-permanent/permanent alteration to brain chemistry that can be very difficult to reverse, and only after long periods of withdrawal from the stimuli. It takes time to create a "new normal" condition in the brain.
10. Pornography has another factor that was missing from a sexual session with a partner. Pornography delivered instant gratification and the men became addicted to the instant gratification that a sexual partner does not provide.

Some young men had reached the end game of sexual over-stimulation by becoming completely indifferent to pornography. Not only were they immune to pornographic stimuli, but they also became immune to the effects of intimate involvement with a very desirable sexual partner. It wasn't that they didn't want to respond to a sexual partner; they couldn't.

There was nothing these men or anyone else could do to sexually arouse them. Nothing in their lives could produce any kind of sexual response. They were no longer capable of being sexually provoked in any way.

Essentially, the mens' normal sexual responses had been significantly altered.

In one extreme case, a young man had to stop looking at all pornography for almost a year before his normal sexual responses began to return. He described the experience as "sexual depression hell". He was, at times, suicidal.

Human beings can be conditioned/trained to alter their behaviors and responses to stimuli in many ways. What I've described in the foregoing text is nothing less than the effects of "sexual stimulus-response conditioning".

I can sum up the negative effects of relentless, pornographic immersion: Too much of a good thing.

All things in moderation is a good truism for everything in Life.
Last edited by niarceel on Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:46 pm, edited 9 times in total.
Born 1947. Live in Utah. Married 1995. 5'8". 160 lbs.
Health is very good. ED began from venous leakage (2003).
Used Cialis (2003-2017), penile injections (2018-2019), 4 implants (2020-2021), now have an AMS 700 installed.
Hobbies: Only one, my wife.

Simbarn
Posts: 358
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:08 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby Simbarn » Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:11 pm

niarceel wrote:
Among the many things I learned in my research, I discovered that relentless immersion in a highly stimulatory, sexually provocative environment induces a "brain numbness condition" requiring ever-higher amounts of stimulation, visual or otherwise, to achieve the desired state of sexual stimulation.

The studies I read focused on frequent, intensely focused, pornography "consumers" because they were the most readily available for study in these types of environments.


In the studies I read, some young men had reached the end game of sexual over-stimulation by becoming completely immune, numbed to it. Not only were they immune to pornographic stimuli, but they also became immune to the effects of intimate involvement with a very desirable sexual partner.

The studies pointed out another factor about pornography that was missing from a sexual session with a partner. Pornography delivered instant gratification and men became addicted to the instant gratification that a sexual partner does not provide.

Essentially, the mens' normal sexual responses had been significantly altered.



Interesting post, thank you. Could you please post the links to the above study or studies, I would really like to read them.
You could find an analogy here with the use or abuse of anabolic steroids and or testosterone. It appears that the androgen receptor can become desensitised to its agonists, testosterone and its modified derivatives, if subjected to supraphysiological amounts for a reasonable time period. Hence why their users cycle on and off, to possibly re-sensitise the receptor.
Age 57, ED issues for 15-20 years. Testosterone replacement with Enanthate and Ovidrel. Currently using generic Tadalafil 2.5mgs and Resveratrol daily.

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niarceel
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Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby niarceel » Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:16 am

I'll do my best to find some URLs about these studies and the male subjects in them.

My wife and I both studied intensely for months, probably read millions of words of text, trying to fully understand the probable causes of my erectile dysfunction symptoms which occurred suddenly, devastatingly, and which were very confusing. We were desperate.

We both read so much that I'm not sure we can rediscover the material we read. I didn't keep sources, only made mental notes and noted information that was potentially useful.

I'll get back to you.

P.S. My wife and I have noted a similar, short-term desensitization of our mutual sexual desires after hours of intense love making intending not to climax on purpose (edging). At the end of these several-hour sessions, we usually cannot orgasm, either one of us, even though we want to, and are both in heightened, euphoric states of sexual ecstasy, almost out of our minds with lust. Sometimes, this altered mental state has lasted for days, until we both slowly re-sensitized, our normal states of sexual desire returned, and we could orgasm again. We have both noticed and remarked about this altered state of consciousness. My best guess about this phenomenon is that our brains' pleasure receptors are completely saturated from hours of intense love making.
Last edited by niarceel on Thu Apr 09, 2020 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Born 1947. Live in Utah. Married 1995. 5'8". 160 lbs.
Health is very good. ED began from venous leakage (2003).
Used Cialis (2003-2017), penile injections (2018-2019), 4 implants (2020-2021), now have an AMS 700 installed.
Hobbies: Only one, my wife.

Simbarn
Posts: 358
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:08 pm

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby Simbarn » Thu Apr 09, 2020 2:35 am

niarceel wrote:I'll do my best to find some URLs about these studies and the male subjects in them.

My wife and I both studied intensely for months, probably read millions of words of text, trying to fully understand the probable causes of my erectile dysfunction symptoms which occurred suddenly, intensely, and were very confusing. We were desperate.

We both read so much that I'm not sure we can rediscover the material we read. I didn't keep sources, only made mental notes and noted information that was potentially useful.

I'll get back to you.

P.S. My wife and I have noted a similar, short-term desensitization of our mutual sexual desires after hours of intense love making intending not to climax on purpose (edging). At the end of these several-hour sessions, we usually cannot orgasm, either one of us, even though we want to, and are both in heightened, euphoric states of sexual ecstasy, almost out of our minds with lust. Sometimes, this altered mental state has lasted for days, until we both slowly re-sensitized, our normal states of sexual desire returned, and we could orgasm again. We have both noticed and remarked about this altered state of consciousness. My best guess about this phenomenon is that our brains' pleasure receptors were completely saturated from hours of intense sexual activities.


Thank you. I have noticed a similar thing myself, during masturbation. When I was younger I could edge for some time and I know exactly what you mean by the 'heightened euphoric state" you mention. I remember noticing a definite lack of sexual interest for a day or so after one of those sessions!

I do understand with regard to finding articles from years of research. I have taken to methodically saving and naming studies/articles in the last couple of years as like you I have read so much material that it tends to become a blur. But one good thing I have noticed that after awhile, from absorbing all that information you begin to connect the dots and see common threads in various conditions. I have been researching hormone replacement for many years as well, it has been interesting to see how the two overlap.

I think it is quite wonderful that your wife has taken such an interest in helping you with this and shared the effort with finding a solution.
Age 57, ED issues for 15-20 years. Testosterone replacement with Enanthate and Ovidrel. Currently using generic Tadalafil 2.5mgs and Resveratrol daily.

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niarceel
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Location: Utah, USA

Re: PORN AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Postby niarceel » Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:09 pm

Thanks for the compliment about my wife. She is a jewel.

I mentioned your compliment to her and she responded by saying, "Tell him it's because I love your penis". :D

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I cannot find any of the studies or the references I made to them that you requested. It's been over a year since I read them.

What led me to them was my sudden onset of serious ED, my research, and my discovery of the refractory period in men. That refractory period is fundamentally a function of the behavior and interactions of neurotransmitters and their receptors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refractory_period_(sex) - This article is the tip of the refractory period iceberg.

It led me to realize that unless there is a physical impediment to some action or reaction, virtually everything originates in our brains.

I performed a search on "porn and erectile dysfunction" and got a wide spectrum of articles, from those that say watching porn does nothing, to those that say watching porn can destroy you. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of such extreme positions.

The research I read over a year ago specifically focused on obsessive, hours-per-day porn viewers, primarily single young men, some of whom masturbated and "edged" for hours, day after day, sometimes for years. They were damaged.

Serious immersion in any single activity, any one stimulus, for years is likely to alter a person's brain chemistry. If the stimulus is intense enough, the time period for the resultant brain chemistry alterations can be shortened considerably. Think of the brain altering effects that continued exposure to the violence of war, exposure to hours and days of unrelenting enemy artillery shelling, has had on many men. Some men have gone insane from this stimuli.

Here are some fairly rational, even-handed articles related to the information I posted:
https://fightthenewdrug.org/science-behind-porn-induced-erectile-dysfunction/ - This article talks about the chemical responses in the brain. It may be the best of these 6 articles.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5039517/ - A scientific study.
https://brainblogger.com/2017/10/06/excessive-porn-consumption-can-cause-erectile-dysfunction-myth-or-truth/
https://www.betweenusclinic.com/mental-impotence/psychological-impotence-diagnosis-causes-and-treatments/
https://www.forhims.com/blog/porn-induced-erectile-dysfunction
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/erection-problems-this-habit-may-why/

But none of them fully address the root physiological phenomena that are occurring inside a brain that is overdosing on pornography.

After all my research, I am fully convinced that the root problem is at the neurotransmitter-receptor level, with some people more vulnerable than others, just because of the differences all humans have in their physiological makeup.

If a person does enough of one thing for long enough, that person's brain will adapt itself to the conditions imposed upon it.

And let me be clear:
Pornography does not cause psychologically induced ED. People, doing things to themselves, causes psychologically induced ED.

P.S. I forgot to include some details about my sudden onset of ED. In early 2017, I had just changed from one medication to another, later implicated as a component of my multifaceted ED problem. I also had concurrent anorgasmia which was baffling. Venous leakage was a complicating factor. And Viagra/Cialis suddenly became unreliable but worked sometimes. In this context, I developed performance anxiety and some psychologically induced ED as well, which complicated the hell out of everything.

To make a long story short:
> 2017 was at that time, the best year of the love affair my wife and I have shared since 1996.
> 2018 - Someone, somewhere, threw a switch and our love life almost disappeared. It was an awful year which we still remember.
> 2019 to the present - My urologist suggested I try penile injections. They worked and renewed our love life. It became wonderful beyond anything we had ever imagined. Hours upon hours of continuous love making became our reality. It was incredible.

The dangers of acquiring Peyronies Disease from the damage created by repeated penile injections have compelled me to seek an IPP. I was 4 days from surgery when the CV19 panic hit full force. Right now, I have no date scheduled for the surgery. But, I intend to have it when my hospital reopens for elective surgeries.

My inability to maintain an erection without injections means an IPP is the next step for me in dealing with ED.
Born 1947. Live in Utah. Married 1995. 5'8". 160 lbs.
Health is very good. ED began from venous leakage (2003).
Used Cialis (2003-2017), penile injections (2018-2019), 4 implants (2020-2021), now have an AMS 700 installed.
Hobbies: Only one, my wife.


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