How To Overcome Diabetes and Impotence
Diabetes and impotence can be one of the more difficult symptoms to deal with after years of unmanaged blood sugar levels.
Main Reasons for Diabetes and Impotence
- Poor circulation to appendages (including feet, hands, and penis)
- Nerve damage
- Cardiovascular disease
- Low testosterone
- High prolactin
Poor Circulation and Impotence
With diabetes your circulation to your body is generally decreased especially the appendages, hands, feet, and penis. It’s why many diabetics including yourself may use support stockings to prevent blood from pooling in your legs.
The same thing can happen with your penis. Reduced blood flow prevents the ability to maintain a normal erection.
As well as maintaining proper blood sugar control you can take one of the many vasodilator/anti-impotence drugs on the market.
These drugs work by increasing the amounts of nitric oxide (NO) in the shaft of the penis. NO dilates the blood vessels allowing for a more normal erection.
Nerve Damage and Impotence
Also known as diabetic neuropathy the best way to manage it is by being vigilant with keeping your blood sugar in range. At the moment there are no effective treatments for reversing nerve damage caused by diabetes, although there are a number of medications to help control the associated pain.
The antidepressant medications Cymbalta (Duloxetine) and Elavil (Amitriptyline) are routinely prescribed for neuropathic pain and are quite effective in this regard. Talk to your doctor to see if they may help you.
Cardiovascular Disease and Impotence
Diabetes and cardiovascular disease usually go hand in hand. Unmanaged blood sugar increases plaques and triglycerides in your blood vessels resulting in reduced blood flow to the penis.
It’s not so much the bad cholesterol that is doing the damage but the high blood sugar, and the indirect metabolic processes resulting afterwards.
Low Testosterone and Impotence
Testosterone is responsible for both increasing sex drive/libido and proper blood flow to the penis. Low testosterone is very common with diabetes and impotence.
It’s a chicken and egg type scenario. Did the low testosterone cause the diabetes or vice versa? Regardless, testosterone replacement can boost sexual, mental, and emotional health.
Testosterone's effect on mood and cognitive ability alone are worth the treatment.
High Prolactins Effect on Sex Drive/Libido
Prolactin is a hormone responsible for maintaining sex drive/libido and the refractory period after sex (time it takes to get another erection).
Due to the high blood sugar levels diabetics tend to have higher prolactin levels as well. Carbohydrate levels and prolactin are directly related in the regular population and with diabetes this is doubly so.
Reducing prolactin can also improve insulin sensitivity as has been shown in many recent peer reviewed studies. You may want to talk to your doctor about prolactin management to help improve both your diabetes and sexual function.
The drug of choice for reducing prolactin with the lowest rate of side effects is Cabergoline (Cabaser, Dostinex). It is only available by prescription through your doctor.
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