Not sure what is causing ED & How to fix it (29 yo)

[codyj109]

So I have been struggling with ED for over a year now. Maybe longer. However, I'm still relatively young (29 yo) and in good shape (fit, weight lift a few days per week, and eat pretty clean).

The problem was not sudden, and instead has seemed to gradually worsen over time. I've been to the doctor and had blood work done. My hormone levels are fine and my testosterone levels are normal (my last test was 477 ng/dL). I've also seen a Urologist and they felt it could be mental because I'm young (although, I'm not sure it is, at least not completely) so they suggested taking daily Cialis 5mg for a few months to boost my confidence and see if there is improvement. I've been taking this for about a month and I'm not really noticing much of a difference. I've tried generic Cialis and Viagra in higher doses as well, and they only really help a little bit (maybe increase my hardness from a 5/10 to 6/10), they don't completely help the issue.

For me, my ED issues are primarily in terms of quality. I can get an erection but it is fairly weak, especially considering what it used to be just a few years ago. If my erections used to be a 10/10 no problem, then my erections now would probably be about a 5/10 or 6/10 now. Hard enough to have sex but not hard enough to actually feel "hard" and not really satisfying. This seems to be the case whether I'm alone, with myself, masturbating (to porn or without) or when having sex. The quality is pretty close to the same across the board. I also don't tend to have morning wood that often, and when I do, it's pretty weak.

I don't masturbate that much anymore, maybe 1 time/week now (I've cut back as I thought it could help, although I only every did it a 3-5 times a week before this issue). Same with porn. I've tried to stay away from it as much as possible. I don't ever think I had an addiction to it (I used to view about 3-5 times a week, and now I look at porn maybe a few times per month, again cutting back more and more).

Anyways, nothing I do seems to be helping. I'm not sure what is causing all of this and what I can do to fix this issue, and if it's mental or physical, or a bit of both. I've been trying a lot of different things to no avail. It's a big bummer. I feel quite happy and satisfied overall in my life besides this issue.

Any thoughts on what could be causing my ED? And/or what I should do to correct it?

Any help is appreciated! I've been struggling with this for awhile and I really want to move on, correct things, and get back to normal.

[Happy Toy]

Sounds like a little of both. Your brain is a sex organ too and if says "I don't think I can do this", then it's not going to happen. This happens after you have a few failures caused by something else. Once your confidence is gone (the brain), then the real trouble begins. I would see a Urology doc and have some test done. When I started having problems (I would get hard but would not stay hard), my doctor put me on injections, worked great for 12 yrs., hard for two plus hours. But of course all good things come to an end and a implant was my only answer. That was 2 yrs ago and I love it! But I am 76 yrs. old, so you may be on the injections for awhile longer or as long as they still work. An implant is the final fix and can not be reversed, so it will be your last option. See a doctor!
Good luck, Andy
P.S. PM me if you like.

[illustriousd]

Cialis did absolutely nothing for me...Levitra on the other hand worked better than injections. I could cut a 10mg pill into 4 pieces and each piece would give me 2 to 3 days of instant erection of superior quality. Injections, while they worked, numbed me completely and I couldn't finish. Levitra though made me a new man! I had plenty of sensitivity, hardness and instant response. However, it also gave me crushing migraines afterwards so I cannot take it.

So my advice is try something else other than cialis. It's like some people can take a single ibuprophen and life is wonderful - another person has to take an aleve because ibuprophen does nothing for them - your chemistry may be such that cialis doesn't do anything for you. Try the Levitra and see if that works.

[Old Guy]

Do you take any medicines that might cause the lack of erections? Are you a smoker?
I believe both of those were my issue, although not until I hit 50 or so.
I suffer from migraines, and after several years of injecting Imitrex is when I noticed ED coming on. 50 years of smoking probably didn't help either. (cigarettes and marijuana)
Have you tried any injectable med? I know it sounds painful to stick a needle into your penis, but it isn't that bad. Did that for a few years before getting my implant. Unfortunately any med I tried only worked for a while, had to up the dose for a few more months of having erections before it failed again. Once you get into higher doses side effects start to appear, either migraines, pain in your penis, bruising from injecting, etc.
Find yourself a good urologist that specializes in men's health and sexuality. That will give you options to consider. Good Luck because you are way too young for this.

[codyj109]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I really appreciate the responses. This is helpful! 

My first visit with a Urologist was about a month ago, he suggested trying daily Cialis for two months then following up. I've been taking it for a month and haven't really seen any improvement. 

Hopefully, we will be able to conduct some other tests at my next followup. I will also mention Levitra and give that a try if I can. I've tried Cialis and Viagra, but not that one yet, nor any injections.

Are there any other specific tests that should be done?

So far the only tests I've done have been bloodwork and those have come back normal. Other than this issue, I'm a healthy guy too. I don't take any medication (besides the daily Cialis I mentioned), and I don't smoke cigarettes (never have, don't smoke weed either), I only have a few drinks a week (usually one day out of the week), and I eat fairly healthy (a lot of healthy, whole foods). I also weight lift a few days per week and walk a mile about everyday (walking my dog). It's frustrating since I'm in good health besides this issue and there's not a lot I can do in lifestyle changes (at least from the above activities).

[antelope]

You mention a testosterone level of 477. That's within the range of normal, but it's on the lower end. My T level got down below 400 some 12 years ago, so I went to work getting fit, losing weight, building muscle, etc. In less than a year, my testosterone level was over 700 and I was 60 years old.

So yes, 477 is normal, but it could be higher for a healthy man your age. I'd look further into that.

Did you do a complete Blood Chemistry Profile? You need to know your "Free Testosterone" level and most importantly, you need to know your blood sugar. Any hint of Type II Diabetes can be a driving factor in erectile dysfunction. At age 60, after dealing with Type II Diabetes for 25 years, ED was my only side effect. I did everything right as far as diabetes is concerned; Doc just says I won the Limp Dick Lottery.

Something is causing this, esp at your age. Keep looking.

[codyj109]

Yea, I wondered that, if my testosterone was in a normal range but maybe low for me? I am a big guy, not sure if that matters (6'5", 200 lbs.). 

I did have my testosterone tested twice. The first time was 506 ng/dL and the second was 477 ng/dL. I also had my Free+Weakly Bound Testosterone tested the first go-round and it was 89 ng/dL (the normal range 40 to 250).

I am in decent shape right now. I'm definitely not overweight by any means and I do have some decent muscle on me.

[Frank Talk Admin]

I would start by finding a sex med doctor. Where do you live? urologists have NO TRAINING in sexual medicine. They are surgeons. Everything he has done sounds like he is not at all trained. He sounds like a rank and file urologist. PLEASE run like hell. I am not diagnosing you long distance, but if erections for masturbation are bad as well, it is almost certainly physiological. Of course there is a mental component when things don't work right, but that is corollary, not causal. Big difference.

First off, you need 3 blood tests to determine T levels. The "Normal" thing is bullshit. There is no normal. It is what is optimal for YOU. Please download Nelson Vergel's book - "Beyond Testosterone" it is free. You have to become an expert on your body. As Antelope pointed out, 477 is not winning any awards. That is where most doctors would start - exploring that. Don't let them put you on testosterone if you ever want kids. There are other ways to boost it at your age.
Keep us posted
Paul

[Charlie2019]

I would start by finding a sex med doctor. Where do you live? urologists have NO TRAINING in sexual medicine. They are surgeons. Everything he has done sounds like he is not at all trained. He sounds like a rank and file urologist. PLEASE run like hell. I am not diagnosing you long distance, but if erections for masturbation are bad as well, it is almost certainly physiological. Of course there is a mental component when things don't work right, but that is corollary, not causal. Big difference.

First off, you need 3 blood tests to determine T levels. The "Normal" thing is bullshit. There is no normal. It is what is optimal for YOU. Please download Nelson Vergel's book - "Beyond Testosterone" it is free. You have to become an expert on your body. As Antelope pointed out, 477 is not winning any awards. That is where most doctors would start - exploring that. Don't let them put you on testosterone if you ever want kids. There are other ways to boost it at your age.
Keep us posted
Paul

Agreed... I am on the high end of "normal" and I still take 2.5 ml of Delatestryl every three weeks. It's awesome stuff.

[Charlie2019]

Cialis did absolutely nothing for me...Levitra on the other hand worked better than injections. I could cut a 10mg pill into 4 pieces and each piece would give me 2 to 3 days of instant erection of superior quality. Injections, while they worked, numbed me completely and I couldn't finish. Levitra though made me a new man! I had plenty of sensitivity, hardness and instant response. However, it also gave me crushing migraines afterwards so I cannot take it.

So my advice is try something else other than cialis. It's like some people can take a single ibuprophen and life is wonderful - another person has to take an aleve because ibuprophen does nothing for them - your chemistry may be such that cialis doesn't do anything for you. Try the Levitra and see if that works.

I had to take 2 Cialis/Viagra... The pharmacist went nuts but the doctor said, hey, some guys need to take 2. Also, my testosterone level was on the high end of "normal" but my doctor still prescribed testosterone anyway. After a while I needed the implant anyway. I am all fixed now and ready to rumble.