Another question from our anonymous Have A Question page:
Hi, I am 69 years old and have been suffering from e d. Is there product you know of that I can take without having to use those dangerous prescription drugs. This is causing some problems in our sex lives. I don’t know if this is a question you deal with but I thought I would give it a try.
Thank you
Good question. Now, I’m not a doctor, dietitian, natural-path or homeopath, and I have no training in any of those fields. But, I do read a lot and hear some things. Here’s some things I’ve heard of, but you should double check with your doctor to ensure they won’t add complications to existing conditions or medication.
Overall fitness, nutrition and health and erectile dysfunction
Of course, one of the things that lends itself to a healthy sexual being, is being physically healthy. If you are obese, have heart issues, diabetes, thyroid problems, or a host of other issues, they can all affected erectile ability. So, change your diet, change your fitness level, get healthy, start eating right and some may see an improvement just from that.
As well, some might find that certain foods affect your ability to get and/or maintain an erection. Try removing some things from your diet and see if you have any food sensitivities in this area. Some of the common suspects are dairy and wheat.
And just because you don’t put it in your mouth doesn’t mean it isn’t being absorbed into your skin. I’ve heard of many people having sexual dysfunction due to the skin care products they use. Try laying off of them for a couple of weeks to a month each and see if that helps. In particular, I know paraben, a common ingredient, affects many people because it can mimic estrogen, and that can really screw with your hormone levels.
Also, most people don’t drink enough water, and water is a key component in producing more blood, and guess what makes your erection…erect…yep, blood. So, drink more water while you’re at it.
Testosterone levels and erectile dysfunction
Testosterone is a hormone found more in men than women, and it’s responsible for …. well, a lot that makes us men. From the very beginning, testosterone changes our brain structure by burning away some of the connections that make women more able to multi-task, which makes men more able to focus on a single task and be goal oriented. This testosterone continues to guide our development through puberty, and is a key component to our sex drive and sexual performance.
Sometimes erectile dysfunction can be caused by a lowering in testosterone. Now that can happen for a lot of reasons. Stress, grief, lack of sleep, bad health, older age, these can all be causes of lower testosterone. So, to counteract it, you can reverse some of these: get more sleep, fix your health (if you can), learn to deal with stress effectively. As well, you can start lifting weights. Strength training specifically has been shown to boost testosterone. If you don’t have weights, you can use body weight and still get a very good workout that will result in the same testosterone boost.
Natural supplements and erectile dysfunction
Lastly, there are natural supplements, and I don’t mean the ones labeled “Natural Viagra”. Put those back on the shelf. But, there are some herbs that can help. These in particular you should check to make sure they don’t negatively combine with your medication.
Macca root (you can buy it as a powder) increases sexual ability in some, from increasing libido to increasing erection strength. It does this by helping to balance hormones.
Moringa seeds are a natural vaso-dialator, which is a big word for saying they expand your blood vessels, and more blood means, yep, you guessed it, harder erections. Taking these with a blood thinner is dangerous I believe, but I’m not a pharmacist either, so ask someone who is if that’s a concern.
Advice from my (soon to be) doctor friend about erectile dysfunction
I also took some time to speak with a good friend who is very knowledgeable about these things. In fact, she’s currently studying to be a doctor of Original Medicine (but she’s not yet, so don’t take her advice in place of a valid medical consultation). Here’s what she said:
- Erectile dysfunction is often related to kidney health (or poor health).
- Kidney health can be promoted with apples and asparagus
- Often kidney health is damaged by medication, in particular blood pressure and high cholesterol medication, which sadly many are put on as a preventative measure, not because they need it. She says there are ways to manage this without medication, but an individual assessment needs to be made in order to offer medical advice of that nature.
- You can boost testosterone with Zinc and Tribulus (a plant). However, I can’t help you with specific dosages or treatments, of course.
And lastly, she said there is absolutely no “natural” reason why a man who is 69 should be having erectile dysfunction. If he is, it means something else is going wrong, and usually it’s the medication he’s on.
So, there you have it, everything I know on the topic. I hope that helps. For the most part, I think you’re going to have to seek some qualified help. If you email me, I can put you in touch with my friend for that.
P.S. One of my readers, upon reading this, asked me to relay this: “Acupuncture Not painful. Even if it was it’s worth it. Please share this with your ed question. Thanks”. I know nothing about acupuncture (beyond what everyone does from the movies), but it may be something to look into.
Something else is a essential oil named Idaho Blue Spruce. It has been shown to raise levels of testosterone in men and help E.D. It also helps with feelings that can cause problems related to E.D. The herb Damiana is also good that. Just my two cents. You can Google both products and there is plenty of research on them. Also check out Dr. Dan Purser he is great for men’s health and testosterone.
My husband was having that problem due to low testosterone. He is 60 but people often say he looks 45 to 50 because he is in really great shape. He uses bio-identical hormones now and it has made all the difference. Not just in our sex life but in how he feels in general. Bio-identical hormones are plant based with the exact molecular structure of human hormones. They are not prescribed by all doctors because they have to be custom mixed by a compound pharmacist and a lot of docs don’t want to spend time doing a custom mix for you. The mix is usually a certain amount of testosterone, progesterone and DHEA. A saliva test is done first to see how much hormone is actually in your system in the morning, right before lunch and again at bedtime. Blood tests might also be done. I take bio identical hormones also and it’s made a world of difference. Pharmaceutical hormones (Androgel) are molecularly altered just slightly so that the body recognizes them but they aren’t exactly like your own. It’s ridiculously expensive too. Bio identicals are less than $50 a month. Androgel is around $400. Usually a D.O. is more likely to prescribe them. I’ve heard some MDs say that bioidenticals don’t work. They’ve worked really well for us and many others I know. I think MDs are sometimes negative about natural modalities because they don’t know much about them. That doesn’t mean they don’t work.
My husband has ED due to Diabetes and High blood pressure. The meds used to treat these conditions also can cause ED and low sex drive as well, He takes a supplement called Prelox which has been medically studied in clinical trials. It helps some but not always. What has helped the most is the mind shift that sex is all about intercourse.
I have semi ED being in that age group. I took viagra a few times which worked but wife is not happy with the pills and I stopped. I went to the doctor and they gave me cialis but I felt awful the next day after it. Now I have accepted it and we have stopped struggling. One can adapt and do other things. I really enjoy the sex now without the pressure and my wife seems to have orgasm everytime. I am happy with how things are and part of it is to grow old gracefully. It’s amazing what you can do with a little imagination. We are closer than ever.
I must add my 10 cents to this. I have been on full hormone replacement for about 11 years now due to primary hypogonadism. There are numerous tests that should be done before attempting and messing with your hormones – and most MD’s including endocrinologists do not know the correct way to treat and test a mans hormone panel. One item that is often overlooked and neglected is a mans estrogen levels- particularly his E2 or estradiol levels. There is a very small window of balance that each man has to have in order for everything to function correctly. When they are elevated you have -bloating, erection problems, loss of libido, hypertension, BHP …and a host of other problems. Most MD’s don’t even address this issue unless you have one that is knowledgeable in male hormone replacement – and then you must have the correct lab to be ordered to detect your levels correctly – the extra sensitive E2 test. It took me over 4 physicians 3 specialists and 2 male hormone doctors to get me the correct treatment in order to live. A mans erections are dependent on a number of interacting factors and chemicals and a balance that is hard to achieve, pardon the pun.
Depression and toxicity in your marriage are both big erection killers.
Exposure to online pornography is another big problem for erections. This sort of exposure actually kills the ability for your body to respond to the signals your brain sends the smooth muscles in your penis and it’s this mechanism that allows blood into the penis producing an erection. The good news is that you can reverse this problem. Stop looking at online porn. It may take 2 or 3 months but you will get back to what is normal for you. Get help by Googling “Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction” or PIED
Western and naturopathic medicine both have their advantages and limits. Perhaps your ED has an underlying cause that “should be dealt with” however both naturopaths and general practitioners alike might not be able to determine/treat this underlying cause, or, like Michael mentioned above, one might be more appropriately trained to administer the treatment that’s best for you. When it comes to your health and wellbeing the best advice is to be proactive. Learn about your disease, learn about the various treatment options and determine what treatments you’re comfortable with. Diet, exercise and sleep will help every illness so it’s a good place to start and/or a nice compliment to all treatment options. I have yet to see a medical practice that has 100% accuracy in treating any specific illness so I think it’s bad advice to place any one above the other. One thing that has been well established is that a person’s attitude towards their treatment is paramount to the treatment being an effective one, so make sure that whatever you decide you and your team (which might include an ND and/or MD) believe it to be the best choice for you personally. And if you are looking at treating yourself with supplements make sure to work with someone medically trained because there are a lot of complicated interactions. Lastly, treating an illness can sometimes be a long process with a lot of trial and error but don’t get discouraged, most often the positive effects that come from learning about your body can extend well beyond the illness you were originally looking to treat.
I appreciate the bravery and the comments listed above. I just turned 70 this year, married 49 years and met Jesus about 50 years ago. I’m in relatively good shape for my age but this aggravating ED thing started hitting me about two years ago. Finally went to a urologist two months ago and his suggestions were the pills which I’d already tried, some mechanical devices, injections and a rather nasty surgery. I really love my wife and am willing to undergo about anything to maintain our intimacy but such a focus on something we just don’t typically focus on seems to be impeding my spiritual life. Before meeting Christ I was a hippy and sex was a huge part of my life. After meeting Christ I was overwhelmed by His Love and have had a monogamous relation with my wife for nearly 50 years. Porn has been an on again, off again struggle (I suppose a leftover from my previous life) and these “solutions” seem to be pulling me back to an unhealthy focus on sex. Anyway these are just some of my struggles but some of the naturalistic recommendations listed here and perhaps the acupuncture appeal to me. I just want to maintain a strong relationship with Jesus and enjoy the incredible intimacy enjoyed between my spouse and I. Blessings on all who are having to deal with this stuff.
I can bring my husband to orgasim even though he has ed. Unfortunately I have trouble relaxing and communicating with him about my manual stimulation. He does not want to bring a sexual aid device into the relationship which is the only way I can climax.