Question for men. Awkward..

[Ovie]

I'm curious if any of the men on here take anything for ED that have had surgery. I'm younger and been having "issues" and I believe it to be due to medication, a couple of them causing the issue. Just thought I'd throw it out there and see. I've been meaning to ask my doctor, but been hesitant because, well she's absolutely stunning and I do hold a professional relationship with her and am not afraid to discuss anything, this has been something I have been a bit held back on bringing up though. I'm too young to be experiencing this issue and the medication I'm on I can't get off, which leaves me in a difficult situation.

Ladies can chime in too, but I I had to ask. It's personal so why not ask here first and get some advice before putting my pride on the line.

Thanks.

 

[RobThatsMe]

I've had 2 major open heart surgeries, with having no issues in that department after surgery.
So, what kind of drugs are you taking? Why wouldn't you discuss this with your doctor, especially if it could mean only a change to your meds could improve your issue? And if all else fails, have your doc write a script for the "Little Blue Pill"
Hey, why not? Of course for recreational purposes only, LOL

 

[Superbob]

Meds can have all sorts of side-effects and it wouldn't be surprising if that's one of them, though I have no specific info to offer. Since my new doctor as of the first of the year is a woman, I can appreciate your apparent hesitance to ask, but I would encourage you to do so -- it is a doctor/patient relationship as you indicate, and she has been trained to deal with problems specific to males as well as females, so I would just go ahead and ask. Her attractiveness really is irrelevant.

 

[AZ Don]

Definitely you should bring this up with your Dr. For one, ED can be a predictor for heart disease so it should be investigated. For another, it could be something simple like low vitamin D (which many people have). Vitamin D regulates hundreds of hormones so it can really screw things up when you don't have enough. Lastly, either a change of your existing prescriptions or a new one may solve your problem.

 

[tom in MO]

There are many different physical causes for ED. Low testosterone levels and blood pressure medications are the two most common. At your age low testosterone is probably not it. I had some ED after my valve replacement surgery. I told my cariologist and he told me it was probably my new BP medications. He switched me to a different medication mix that did not give me ED and kept my BP under control.

 

[Jason]

I went through heart surgery and came out the other side with no issues in that department, so can't help you with personal experience. I was a bit concerned about it going into the surgery, as one of Metoprolol's side affects can be impotence and decreased sex drive. I didn't have the issues, however, so I just blame any weight gain that I have on the metoprolol! Figure there is an upside to everything... I agree with the others here that you should talk to your doc, or barring that due to the personal/professional relationship consult with another doc or specialist to alleviate your concerns and possibly fix the issue.

 

[epstns]

Jason beat me to it. Metoprolol (and maybe other beta blockers) can not only suppress drive, they can also affect your hormone production. If you are not comfortable discussing this with your present doc, maybe you can get a referral to a urologist. They deal with these things all the time.

 

[Jkm7]

Is this female doctor your cardiologist or your primary care?
If she is your PCP, could you speak with your cardio or vice versa?

 

[Ovie]

Well the med I believe that's causing issues is my Xanax, which I've been on for 6 years now. I'm on 4 mg a day, so I believe that is one key factor, however it wasn't until after surgery that my sex drive went down. The sad thing is I need to stay on my Xanax as I get deadly panic attacks. I guess I was wondering if anyone has ever had to take "the little blue pill" after having surgery. At a young age, it's just an awkward thing for me to acknowledge despite the professional setting. The woman is my general physician. I believe I'll talk to my cardiologist about it, see if the heart is healthy enough or other alternatives.

I appreciate all the comments and advice, it's not something I'm comfortable talking about, but I know I need to. So thank you :thumbup:

 

[Jkm7]

Maybe you could discuss with one of your doctors if switching from xanax to something like zoloft might be worth trying? The two can be taken together, if necessary. It takes time for zoloft to begin working so you could use the xanax as needed until perhaps the zoloft kicked in. Worth having the conversation. It just might be helpful.

 

[FixedAgain]

should not be a problem for most men and can lower bp.

 

[Julian]

Brother Ovie! Just wanted to say hi! Man I know what you mean about talking to female doctors. My PCP is a female. Last year she did a physical on me and did the ol' grab the jewels check. I must of been nervous and cold because my male parts retreated and there wasn't much to hold onto... Kinda embarrassing. LOL!

Anyway, ya I know a lot younger guys are having to take meds to assist in that area. You do what you have to do, but I would try to first evaluate my eating habits and exercise program. Make sure you're feeding your body well and getting good exercise. Do that for 3 months and see if there is improvement. If not take the pill...

 

[Ovie]

Probably have to look into the pill. I've been on Zoloft and just about every other anxiety medication there is. It wasn't until I started taking benzos that my panic attacks were well managed.

and Julian, I hear ya man..but those exam rooms are cold! Nothing we can do about it

 

[epstns]

Probably have to look into the pill. I've been on Zoloft and just about every other anxiety medication there is. It wasn't until I started taking benzos that my panic attacks were well managed.

and Julian, I hear ya man..but those exam rooms are cold! Nothing we can do about it

I think they do that temperature thing on purpose. . .

 

[Agian]

I had my cardiologist take a femoral pulse with her thin, little porcelain fingers. She told me the pulse was weaker than in my arms and wondered whether I had an aortic coarctation. I ended up getting a cardiac MRI to exclude it, because I was too embarrassed to tell her to push a bit harder.

 

[gerrychuck]

Agian; push hard, you feel nothing. Palpation requires a light touch. This is one of the hardest things for medical professionals to learn; I have physical therapy colleagues who have taught courses to docs and inevitably they tell stories of their physician students having to unlearn the death clamp technique they use when palpating. You actually had a cardiologist using the RIGHT level of pressure to palpate; consider yourself lucky!