Should I consider implant with pyschogenic/hormone induced ED

[Lost Sheep]

My hormone issue again is high SHBG. this hormone binds to your free testosterone that limits its activity. There is no effective way to lower SHBG thru meds or other means so the strategy is to boost your testostorone to really high levels to compensate for whats being lost to the SHBG. Boosting test thru TRT or HRT for me has been a horrible experience. between the Gyno(hard painful lumps developed behind nipples) heart palipatations, shortness of breath, mood swings and risk of becoming infertile to just name a few. I decided its not for me. Apparently my bodies to senstive..

With that new information, my earlier advice (the stuff I intended to send) needs to be modified.

Usually I recommend waiting until you are absolutely certain there is no reversible solution that works before going to an invasive, expensive and irreversible solution. But your SHBG situation (if there actually is nothing that can be done, ever, and this is a certainty), the implant seems the only viable solution.

Other thoughts:

How is your sperm count? If low already, the infertility question might be out of consideration.

Can you freeze your sperm now? Preserving your sperm now for in-vitro fertilization or artificial insemination gives the potential for fathering your own child. Expensive, though and sometimes unsuccessful, depending on how much sperm you can preserve at a sperm bank.

[rayhay]

My hormone issue again is high SHBG. this hormone binds to your free testosterone that limits its activity. There is no effective way to lower SHBG thru meds or other means so the strategy is to boost your testostorone to really high levels to compensate for whats being lost to the SHBG. Boosting test thru TRT or HRT for me has been a horrible experience. between the Gyno(hard painful lumps developed behind nipples) heart palipatations, shortness of breath, mood swings and risk of becoming infertile to just name a few. I decided its not for me. Apparently my bodies to senstive..

With that new information, my earlier advice (the stuff I intended to send) needs to be modified.

Usually I recommend waiting until you are absolutely certain there is no reversible solution that works before going to an invasive, expensive and irreversible solution. But your SHBG situation (if there actually is nothing that can be done, ever, and this is a certainty), the implant seems the only viable solution.

Other thoughts:

How is your sperm count? If low already, the infertility question might be out of consideration.

Can you freeze your sperm now? Preserving your sperm now for in-vitro fertilization or artificial insemination gives the potential for fathering your own child. Expensive, though and sometimes unsuccessful, depending on how much sperm you can preserve at a sperm bank.

Thanks for the response, I'm really looking forward to your insight.

Shbg is a tricky situation because although it lowers your libido/ed issues, it is ironically healthy for it to be high. Apparently it is detrimental to prostate health and if its low you are at greater risk of prostate cancer. There are meds that can lower it(proviron) but this drug shuts down your testostorone production so it defeats the purpose.

So the only way is to spike testosterone thru any means you can to compensate for what you are losing to shbg. As i stated the TRT was a bad experience for me and when you come off your testosterone levels and sperm production is crashed. So im currently doing a recovery protocal to rebuild my test and sperm count. 1st Hcg(activates your bodies test production) 2nd nolvadex (which treats my gyno sides and tells your brain to make test.. but this drug unfortunately increases SHBG) and lastly Clomid (tells brain to make test and specifically raises sperm count) Im still on the clomid now and in about 2 weeks i will do blood work to check hormone levels etc etc.

I'm hoping my bolod work will reveal everything is back to normal ranges and by then the daily cialis will be working. But if all levels are back to my norm and no improvement from cialis.. The implant will feel like my only option.

[Lost Sheep]

My layperson gut reaction to any drugs protocol where one drug fixes one problem, but causes another which must be fixed by another drug, which, in turn causes another problem (and needs another drug, in a chain of problems and fixes that could go on circulating forever) is dismay.

Is it possible for your body to rebalance itself? Kind of like a sugar habituated person rebalancing his metabolism to a low-sugar diet or a salt-habituated person rebalancing his taste buds to a lower salt content. These are demonstrably successful. I have no clue if a similar outcome could be produced by going off all your medications to allow your body to rebalance itself or how long that would take, if it could work. Does your endocrinologist have any thoughts on the idea of weaning off these meds that have messed up your body? You are swimming in a soup of pharmaceuticals that confuse and obscure a lot of your natural systems.

That may be wishful thinking on my part on your behalf. But it could not hurt to ask the questions of a real expert.

[rayhay]

My layperson gut reaction to any drugs protocol where one drug fixes one problem, but causes another which must be fixed by another drug, which, in turn causes another problem (and needs another drug, in a chain of problems and fixes that could go on circulating forever) is dismay.

Is it possible for your body to rebalance itself? Kind of like a sugar habituated person rebalancing his metabolism to a low-sugar diet or a salt-habituated person rebalancing his taste buds to a lower salt content. These are demonstrably successful. I have no clue if a similar outcome could be produced by going off all your medications to allow your body to rebalance itself or how long that would take, if it could work. Does your endocrinologist have any thoughts on the idea of weaning off these meds that have messed up your body? You are swimming in a soup of pharmaceuticals that confuse and obscure a lot of your natural systems.

That may be wishful thinking on my part on your behalf. But it could not hurt to ask the questions of a real expert.

What you suggested is the path I'm trying to take..(natural rebalance). The meds i'm taking now is to jumpstart your natural levels for optimal recovery. The clomid i'm on currently is the last hormone pharmacuetical I plan on taking. Maybe another 3 weeks to see if i'm properly funtioning. At that point I will check my hormone levels and where ever I am is going to have to do. At that point if the ED pills are not helping then i'm in a tough spot.

The "science " behind your body rebalancing itself is a benefit for younger men. Apparently when men hit our late 30's we begin a decline of testosterone. In my case experimenting with steriods accelerated my decline to low levels. So unfortunately a rebalance of my own levels will happen.. but because of my age, it doesnt return to optimal levels to function at a high rate. So its more than likely that off of the meds and completely naturally rebalanced, I will end up where I started..which is weak erections..dependent on ed pills to perform that are becoming less and less effective.

[irishguy]

So let’s say you do the natural rebalancing and get back to where you feel is just the beginning of this. Would proper exercise and diet and meditation not improve test And energy dramatically and also I got my hormones checked when I was going through Ed and sleep problems and my cortisol was very high which is a stress hormone and that brought down my test.. so I took it on myself to improve health and mental health.. maybe after all the rebalancing you might have to get an implant but there has to be a way to naturally increase energy and libido.

[rayhay]

So let’s say you do the natural rebalancing and get back to where you feel is just the beginning of this. Would proper exercise and diet and meditation not improve test And energy dramatically and also I got my hormones checked when I was going through Ed and sleep problems and my cortisol was very high which is a stress hormone and that brought down my test.. so I took it on myself to improve health and mental health.. maybe after all the rebalancing you might have to get an implant but there has to be a way to naturally increase energy and libido.

Yes, I agree . There are natural ways to improve test, libido and energy. Unfortunately I have exhausted those options already. I'm consistently in the gym 4 times a week doing heavy weights and high intesity training. This has been going on for 10 years and has increased my total test levels from 200 to between 500-600 which should be fine for majority of people. My total test number is good but what controls your libido is your "free testosterone". Free test is a portion of the 500-600 number that is used specifically for libido/energy etc. A normal range for free test maybe from a 22-40.. with this number you will feel great libido etc etc. My issue again comes from the SHBG hormone that is binding to the free testosterone in my system .. so my reading has been coming back a 6 oppose to the 20-40 range.. Which is way to low. So its frustrating because i've tried the natuarl route. TRT is suppose to be able to fix it but I get bad side effects.. So now i'm stuck hoping I get some new found kickstart from the daily Cialis.. on day 6

[Lost Sheep]

Because it is controversial, I considered sending this suggestion in PM, but on the other hand, if it works (and there is evidence that it can), it may be good to put it out there.

My friend does hypnotherapy. It is (in legitimate medical literature) effective in many cases. It may ease anxiety (just as being asleep allows erections in otherwise impotent men). In conjunction with adjusting your blood and brain chemistry, I don't think it could hurt.

[postra7777]

RayHey,

My journey to an implant is about the same as yours minus the steroid part. I went to Uro because of my low Libido and she suggested testosterone pellets. That worked for a while but I was still having issues maintaining an erection. So I blamed my avoidance on my libido and not actually what it was. The fear of failure. A healthy brain protects a person from harm (physically and emotionally). So knowing that you wont fail may help. Now you have documented reasons so I don't doubt that is what's going on, but avoidance may be part of the issue. I tried injections and they worked for about a year and my libido spiked due to their effectiveness. Unfortunately those stopped working all of a sudden and I was left with only one choice to get the implant. Someone said that nothing beats a blood filled dick and they are correct, however NOTHING beats the relief you feel when there is NO chance of failure to have sex. That makes everything better and eliminates the avoidance and will boost the libido. There is something about the ego that will pull you through the low libido issue. Knowing that you've satisfied your sexually charged girlfriend/wife/etc does wonders for the ego. We all go thorough this "should I or shouldn't I get the implant" battle in our heads, but I can tell you 90% of us are glad we did.

Now if you decide against the implant I would have a couple of suggestions...Limit the porn viewing and masturbation if you haven't done that by now. Nothing against either but limiting those helped me until I got the implant.

[Lost Sheep]

(edited for focus)
NOTHING beats the relief you feel when there is NO chance of failure to have sex. That makes everything better and eliminates the avoidance and will boost the libido. There is something about the ego that will pull you through the low libido issue.

I second that notion. For a LONG time before my implant my knowledge that failure was was virtually certain and time after my implant doubt about my ability to "perform" (both maintaining an erection AND REMEMBERING HOW TO USE IT) was s stumbling block for exercising my libido.

[irishguy]

I third that notion... my libido was shot.. so I said what’s the point if I can do nothing with a woman. Well nothing with my penis that is!! Now at 34 I have pumped this bad boy up close to 20 times one epic week of sex... knowing you can at any time have a strong rigid cock and that she will love it def boosts the libido energy ego and confidence..