This article is going to move around in time a little but, as always, to a purpose. There has been a long line of studies examining the relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and other conditions. In 2006, a piece of metaresearch was concluded, i.e. a study that examines the existing published research to look for a balance of evidence. (more…)

Because it has been around for so long, the myth has grown that Viagra among all the PDE-5 inhibitors can solve all erectile dysfunction (ED) problems. But it is not true. You can take as many pills marked Viagra, Cialis or Levitra as you like but, if your mind does not associate sexual stimulation with the response of an erection, nothing will happen. The difficulty is that you may not have learned how to make the appropriate sexual response at all, or have unlearned the response. (more…)

Just to repeat the general message running through these articles: if you are aged between forty and seventy years, you have a fifty/fifty chance of experiencing some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED). Some 10% of you will have a complete failure of erections — more often, this affects older men. Alongside this news is the equally significant evidence of depressive illnesses. Researchers estimate that about a quarter of men will suffer some degree of anxiety or depression at some point during their lives. (more…)

And now for the perhaps shocking news: there are times when Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are of no help at all for treating erectile dysfunction. You have all been persuaded to believe that Viagra and the other PDE-5 inhibitors will always be able to help, even if only a little. Unfortunately, that’s not true. There are times when the degree of damage is too great for a “natural” solution. And let’s be clear. In relative terms, the use of Viagra and the others allows the body to respond to sexual stimulation as it was designed to do. Viagra simply removes a physical barrier to a natural erection. (more…)

If you have Multiple Sclerosis (MS), there are serious problems to address. Your immune system is mistakenly attacking your myelin sheath — the coating that surrounds the nerves and nerve fibres in your brain. The standard treatment uses interferon beta (Avonex and Rebif, and Betaseron), glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), and mitoxantrone (Novantrone) to modify the immune system and so reduce the number and severity of attacks. But there is no long-term cure.

MS affects both the central and the peripheral nervous system. It therefore can produce a wide range of different symptoms. Treating them can make you feel more comfortable even though it will not stop the disease from developing. Some symptoms can be managed by changing your diet, and introducing more physical exercise and other changes of habit. Medications are available for each kind of symptom. Managing your condition involves deciding whether to treat any given symptom as needed or regularly, depending on how inconvenient or painful it is. The symptoms include: (more…)

I suppose that if you had to choose a subject with as big a taboo as erectile dysfunction (ED), it would be prostate cancer. Fear, shame and denial dominate because men associate the cancer with two equally shameful conditions: impotence and incontinence. This denial is all the more dangerous because, as the prostate enlarges, sexual performance will become painful as it steadily fades away. Worse, it is accompanied by incontinence, particularly at night. Urination grows painful and it can be difficult to start and stop the flow. (more…)

Well, someone once said that the clothes maketh the man. Having put on my physician’s hat, I found the change in point of view useful so I’m going to continue in that vein for another consultation. (more…)

For once, I’m going to put on my physician’s hat and give you the view from the other side. (more…)

So you’re sitting there with all those questions still buzzing in your head about why you’ve suddenly found yourself in this situation with erectile dysfunction and whether a simple prescription for Viagra, Cialis or Levitra will solve the problem, where you can buy Viagra online, and so on. (more…)

You’re through the door into the physician’s consulting room, your head full of questions about Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, whether you can get Viagra without a prescription, and so on.

You sit, you pass the test of courage and, for the first time, tell a health professional that you have erectile dysfunction (ED) — perhaps not using those words, but your physician gets the message and makes the predictable reassuring noises. There is a momentary pause and you manage to get your first question out about buying Viagra online.

A hand is gently raised. Yes, everything will probably be all right. Yes, he will almost certainly be writing out a prescription for Viagra, Cialis or Levitra. But first, there are one or two questions. (more…)