DRAdrianMD on Erectile Dysfunction
Hi this is Dr. Adrian MD. In this video, I want to just briefly cover my approach to ED, which is erectile dysfunction. Elsewhere on the website, I go into some detail regarding testosterone replacement for men, but I wanted to specifically make a short video just regarding ED. We see more and more men in advertisements on TV selling medications for treating ED. And this is because this is a very important part of the marriage relationship. I see a lot of husbands and wives who come to me around age 50, when the wife is reaching menopause. At about the same time, the man is also noticing a decline in his health. And this change in hormones and decline in the health, I believe, is responsible for a lot of divorces after the children leave the home. So I believe that by replacing hormones and improving their overall health of both partners in the marriage, we can save marriages and restore their marriage to the happy union it was when they were back in their twenties. So men who are seeking for a solution for ED may have tried medications that are prescribed commonly. I have a concern regarding whether these medications may cause dependency. I can't say that it does for a fact, but it's a concern I have. So anything we can do to improve erectile function naturally I feel is very important. So from a hormonal perspective, there are two androgenic hormones that I would give men. The first one is non prescription is DHEA, stands for dehydroepiandrosterone. It's a very inexpensive supplement which is still nonprescription, although I understand it's been pursued as a potential new prescription item, and no longer over the counter. But fortunately, we can still get this without a prescription. DHEA has many health benefits both for cognitive function, for lowering sugar, for reducing fat in the abdomen, known as abdominal or visceral adisposity, and also can improve male libido. So I would first have men take that, provided you have no history of prostate cancer. Because we always try to avoid any these androgenic, or masculinizing hormones in men who have prostate cancer. But the other hormone and would be testosterone. And with me, at my office, testosterone is a very affordable therapy. We would first need to check your levels to see if you are deficient, and I'm surprised how many men, even young men, are deficient. I hypothesize that cell phones worn on the hip may be affecting testosterone production by the testes. We know, and it's been on the news years ago, that men who wear their cell phone near their testicles have a lower level of fertility. And I think it makes sense to assume that the same damaging effect of the radio frequency from the cellphone may be decreasing testosterone production in men. So I would encourage men not to wear the cell phone turned on anywhere on their body, especially near the testicles, especially over the heart. So we would measure your levels of testosterone, and if it's deficient, we would put you on a topical program that costs anywhere from typically $25 to $50 a month if your insurance does not reimburse you for it. Many men are able to get reimbursed because it saves your insurance company up to $400 per month by paying for the compounded preparations. We would monitor your levels, which is important. We would monitor your estradiol level to make sure that does not go up. And the way I have my patients use the topical testosterone, we see minimal elevation of estradiol, which is estrogen. I may have patients also take saw palmetto to prevent conversion of testosterone to DHT, which is sometimes necessary as well. As far as side effects, I've seen minimal, if any, side effects of testosterone other than the man getting his libido back and getting his erectile function improved. And the only time that becomes a side effect is if their wife is not on hormones as well and is not in the same place he is. So if you're suffering from ED, that's one prescription item you can take. Now there are supplements that I have success with as well, including l-arginine, which is an amino acid, which can increase nitric oxide. We have that in a powder form and we have it in a sustained release form. You can take it either way. If you get the powder form, you could take that, say, in the evening. Several thousand milligrams, 1000 or 2000 milligrams so that when you need the benefit of the arginine that'll be in your system, say, around bedtime. We have a product by Designs For Health known as LibidoStim M, which has herbs and compounds which keep your testosterone from being converted to DHT and estradiol, and there's herbs that are known to benefit men's libido and sexual function as well. Now again, we talk in the hypertension section about side effects of blood pressure medications. Many medications, including hypertensive medications, can affect erectile dysfunction. And this may be the underlying cause of your ED. The importance of treating ED, I think, cannot be underestimated because I believe that it's important for maintaining the happy marriages in this country. And hopefully, declining the increase in divorce rate. And so both partners should see me regarding hormone replacement therapy, both the female and the male, and hopefully we can return your love life and your marriage back to where was back when you were 20. This is Dr. Adrian MD, and thank you for tuning in.
