Treatment for Men's Health Conditions
Treatment
There are treatment options for men’s endocrine health conditions such as low testosterone and erectile dysfunction, which are described in detail below.
Testosterone OptionsTestosterone administered by injection maintains normal blood testosterone levels only for a fortnight. Testosterone levels then decline and another injection is required. In contrast, daily appreciation of the testosterone patch (Androderm) or either of the two testosterone gels (Androgel and Testim) results in stable normal testosterone levels day after day.
Some men experience a rash at the side of Androderm patch application, a problem that can be fended off by pretreatment of the application site with cortisone-like cream.
Both gels, Androgel and Testim, once applied to the skin are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream, and when applied daily are equally effective in maintaining normal testosterone levels in the testosterone deficient man.
Baseline and periodic prostate specific antigen (PSA) and lipid profile measurements are routinely performed during any testosterone supplement therapy.
You made the right first steps by seeking out advice from your physician but if all he did was hear the word “ED” and write out a prescription, he may not have done all he could do to help you. For example, after the initial enthusiasm following the introduction of Viagra, we learned that not all men responded equally well to Viagra and were deemed “Viagra failures”. When these “Viagra failures” were studied in more detail many were found to have low testosterone levels. After treatment normalized serum testosterone levels and Viagra use resumed, Viagra failures “became Viagra responders” experiencing markedly improved erections.
Although the company that makes Levitra has an aggressive ad campaign to tout their medication as THE treatment for men and diabetes mellitus ED or high blood pressure and ED, Viagra and Cialis are equally effective in treating the ED that accompanies these conditions.
Is there any real difference between – the three ED drugs Viagra (sildenafil), Levitra (vardenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil)?
All medications in this class are referred to as phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors and all work to enhance the vigor of a man’s erection. Differences exist in chemical structure, onset of action, duration of action and side effect profile. Viagra (sildenafil) and Levitra (vardenafil) have a similar chemical structure, onset of activity (30 minutes to one hour) and duration of effectiveness (4 hours) whereas Cialis (tadalafil) has a different chemical structure, similarly rapid onset of action but a more extended duration of effectiveness (36 hours).
The term “duration of effectiveness” is often misconstrued leading some men to believe that after taking any of these PDE-5 inhibitors they will experience an erection that may persist from 4 to 36 hours.
This is inaccurate. The PDE-5 inhibitors do not cause an erection. They make it possible for a man to have an erection only in the setting of sexual stimulation. The term “duration of effectiveness” refers to the time frame after taking one of these pills during which sexual stimulation will allow a man to have an erection-up to 4 hours after taking Viagra and Levitra and up to 36 hours after taking a Cialis tablet.
Side effect profiles differ to some degree among the three medications with facial flushing and headache reported by about 5% of all men taking these medications and a handful, perhaps 1%, describing a bluish tint to vision in those taking Viagra and Levitra but not Cialis. Even rarer is a condition referred to as NAJON, a condition causing loss of vision has been reported in a handful of men who have taken PDE-5 inhibitors.
Men who take nitrates should not take any of the PDE-5 inhibitors. When used as directed, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis have all proven to be safe and effective treatments for the vast majority of men with ED.
I have ED and tried all three ED medications but none worked. Is there any hope for me?
Three options, vacuum devices, intrapenile injections, and penile prostheses exist to restore erectile function in ED patients who have failed to benefit from Viagra, Levitra or Cialis.
Vacuum devices such as the Osbon-ErecAid consist of a cylinder attached to a manually operated vacuum pump. The cylinder is designed to fit over the limp penis and the negative pressure created by the vacuum encourages blood flow into a progressively swelling penis. A band like structure is affixed to the base of the penis to maintain the erection which is then sufficiently effect and engorged to allow a man to have sexual intercourse.
Medicine injected directly into the penis makes it possible for a man to have an erection without sexual stimulation. The medication injected is called alprostadil and can be instilled into the penis by means of an injection with a syringe pre-filled with alprostadil (Caverject) or an alprostadil permeated pellet (MUSE) released into the urethra-the opening in the penis through which men urinate. The penis swells and becomes rigid shortly after the alprostadil is released into the spongy erectile tissue of the penis. Men may experience a burning pain as the penis becomes erect.
Penile prostheses are still implanted within the penis every year to help men who have not responded to other therapy. Some penile prostheses are designed so that the penis is in a permanently erect state whereas other newer models are set-up so that a reservoir of fluid flows directly into the penile tissue to create their erection. Then at the conclusion of intercourse fluid is redirected from the penis back to the scrotal reservoir to deactivate the erection allowing the penis to return to its normal flaccid state. Penile prosthesis implantation is usually done in the hospital under anesthesia.
