Depression and Erectile Dysfunction
- Author Ted Crawford
- Published January 13, 2007
- Word count 406
Erectile dysfunction and depression are highly prevalent among men and the conditions coexist and interact in several ways that remain unclear. Erectile dysfunction is the inability to attain or maintain an adequate penile erection to penetrate the vagina during sexual intercourse. The relationship between erectile dysfunction and depression is complex. Some experts feel that the onset of erectile dysfunction causes some men to become depressed while others seem to think that the depression is the primary cause of erectile dysfunction.
Compare to men who do not have depression, men with major depression are about twice as likely as other men to have erectile dysfunction. Diminished libido and reduced sexual activity have been associated with depression as well. Men with major depressive disorder may experience the loss of nocturnal erections. Men with erectile dysfunction often feel inadequate and have diminished self esteem and tend to withdraw from their partners.
A hot area of erectile dysfunction research encompasses the possibility that successful treatment of erectile dysfunction may lead to improvements in depressive symptoms. The problem with treating the depression with SSRI anti-depressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac, is that these particular types of medications often cause further sexual dysfunction by themselves and further diminish libido and worsen erectile dysfunction and sexual performance.
Another problem that should be ruled out when erectile dysfunction and depression are present is andropause (low testosterone levels). This alone can be the primary cause of both conditions.
If the testosterone levels are normal, a trial of one of the PDE-5 inhibitor medications (ie Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra) may be the most prudent thing to try initially. Even in a study conducted with men who had developed erectile dysfunction while on an SSRI (anti depressant medication), the results were rather clear. When compared with men in the placebo (fake pill) group, those assigned to the Viagra reported improvements in erectile dysfunction, arousal, ejaculation, orgasm, and overall satisfaction. Members of both the Viagra group and placebo group remained in remission from depression during the study, and the authors speculated that the use of Viagra might prevent men from discontinuing depression medication because of the sexual side effects.
The important thing to take from this is to seek help and determine what the cause is. The best news about it is that it can be treated successfully and there is no reason why any man cannot feel happy and have a healthy sex life as well.
Dr. Ted Crawford is a family practice physican in Tucson, Arizona and has a website devoted to helping patients find reliable health information and products. His article "Depression and Erectile dysfunction!" can also be found at http://www.babyboomersdoc.com
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- Invisible After 40: The Erasure of Queer Women in Mainstream Media
- Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: A Crucial Global Imperative
- Discover Sexual Health Products for erection, volume, ejaculation, and satisfaction
- How AI Has Revolutionized the Adult Industry
- AmputeeAmber: Shattering Stereotypes and Redefining Beauty in the Online Sex Work Industry
- Unveiling the Technology Behind Adult Toys: Innovation Meets Pleasure
- The Effects of Cam Sex on Human Erotic Interaction
- Overcoming the Causes of Not Too Hard Erections
- How does a Christian learn how to no longer be in subjection to the cravings and desires of their flesh?
- Will We Ever Stop Fighting Over God, Sex, and Kids?
- Something about a homosexual in Bangladesh
- Understanding the relationship between structural violence and the lives of Black lesbians
- Masturbation Benefits - What are the benefits of masturbation?
- THE INTOLERANCE OF MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT ON LGBT COMMUNITY: RIGHT OR WRONG?
- Tips for Satisfying Couples To Reach Peak Orgasm
- LGBT Statistics: How many people are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender?
- Why is N.O. So Important for Erection Quality (EQ) and Sexual Performance?
- Do You Really Know About Bisexuality? – Break the Rumors
- 5 Ways For Men to Improve Sexual Performance
- The Benefits of Having Sex More Often
- How to Keep Your Sex Life Healthy?
- Sexless Marriage Reasons and Remedies
- Sexuality of Violence and Other Human Predations – Part 2
- 5 Simple and Successful Methods to Overcome Erectile Dysfunction
- Sex love and hard times
- https://articlebiz.com/submitArticle
- Discover How Losing Weight Helps Improve Your Sex Life
- Here’s why you need to get a tantric massage
- Exercises that Stimulate Libido and Boost Sex Drive
- Love: 7 golden rules to keep your relationship going