Restoring Your Manhood: Can the Doctor Help?

Seeking advice from a medical professional is a smart approach to dealing with erectile dysfunction (ED). Many internet resources and books offer information on treatment options for men experiencing impotence. Aside from the popular ED oral medications like Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, psychotherapy has been known to be effective for men with ED. But what other options are there? Here are some alternative treatments for ED.

If oral medications are not one of your options, penile injections are also available to help with erection difficulty. Some injected drugs prescribed by doctors are papaverine hydrochloride, phentolamine, and alprostadil, which is also known as Caverject. These drugs are vasodilators, meaning they help relax the blood vessels and increase blood flow to the penis. Nitroglycerin, which is muscle relaxant, can also assist an erection when applied topically on the penis. Some side effects of penile injections are persistent erections after ejaculation (priapism) or scarring.

Some medications can be inserted into the penis via the urethra, which is the exit point for urine and semen. Alprostadil pellets, known as Muse, are inserted an inch deep into the urethra using an applicator about 8 to 10 minutes before sex. The erection may last from a half hour to an hour. There are also side effects from using the product, such as aching of the penis and testicles, swelling and redness due to increased blood flow, minor burning sensation in the urethra, and minor urethral bleeding and spotting.

If you are cautious about administering drugs into your body, then a vacuum pump can help you with ED. Vacuum constrictor devices, as doctors call it, help attain an erection by creating a vacuum that draws blood into the penis. There are three basic parts of the device: a hollow plastic cylinder, in which the penis is inserted, a pump which suctions out air from the cylinder, and an elastic band, worn at the base of the penis like a tourniquet to sustain the erection by preventing blood from flowing back into the body.

Since hormonal imbalance has been attributed to add to the incidence of ED, oral testosterone pills are taken by patients. This method does not necessarily mean effectiveness for all cases, as liver damage may occur from excess hormone intake.

Herbal remedies are also getting publicity. The Asian markets highly believe in the effectiveness of these medicines as aphrodisiacs, and possibly as ED cures. Scientists, however, believe that the placebo effect of using an herbal remedy may actually contribute more to success in achieving an erection than the remedy itself.

As ED drugs are becoming popular in the market, unapproved medications and gimmicks for treating ED have also sprung out. It is best to be informed and beware of such advertisements, as they are not recommended by health professionals as a solution for impotence.

One example is a product called Enzyte, made from plant extracts and other chemicals, which has been advertised on American television. The product claims to increase libido and the frequency of erections as well as enlarge the penis. The sale of Enzyte remains to be a dispute, as no studies have been done to support its claim.