Sleep apnea and ED

[AlexWilliams]

Hi guys,
I have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Has anyone had any experience with this and the effects of treatment on erections? I think this has been a huge factor in my lack of libido and high blood pressure ... hoping the treatment might help. Any information much appreciated.

Alex

[Lost Sheep]

Hi guys,
I have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Has anyone had any experience with this and the effects of treatment on erections? I think this has been a huge factor in my lack of libido and high blood pressure ... hoping the treatment might help. Any information much appreciated.

Alex

I am an apneac as well.

Apnea causes a form of sleep deprivation which has all sorts of health effects and (my opinion) even psychological effects (tiredness-related depression and lethargy are most obvious). Low libido seems obvious to me, though I have not researched that aspect in the medical journals. I bet there are studies, though.

Anecdotally, I will relate this: I was hospitalized for shoulder surgery and had a blood oxygen device on my forefinger to sound an alarm if my blood oxygen feel below a certain threshold. So, I experimented falling asleep with and without my CPAP. Without, the alarm would sound as I crossed into sleep. With, the alarm would not sound. Even though I felt the same in the morning (at home) whether or not I slept with the CPAP, (that is, I could not tell any difference in the morning or during the day) this was proof that the CPAP did make a difference.

Neither my libido nor my ED seemed to be affected by the CPAP (and by extension, my apnea), but neither did any other self-observed experience, so not conclusion can te drawn on that account. But my ED was pretty conclusively due to venous leakage anyway and my libido suppressed by aversion training from failing erection over 30 years of ED.

In conclusion, I would not expect apnea treatment to affect libido. But if it does, consider that to be the cherry on top of the OTHER beneficial effects - better blood pressure, more healthful sleep patterns, more energy during the day, etc.

[Gt1956]

Hi guys,
I have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Has anyone had any experience with this and the effects of treatment on erections? I think this has been a huge factor in my lack of libido and high blood pressure ... hoping the treatment might help. Any information much appreciated.
Alex

I would offer up that just looking at the largest segment of ED sufferers. You're going to find lots of apnea. I forget the name but its like a mens syndrome. It has a long list of afflictions in it. Apnea, high lipids, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure & ED. I might of missed some of the less common ones. Most of them lead to a shortened lifespan. I haven't heard of anyone actually dieing of ED but why chance it.
Most/all of them can contribute to ED. So here comes the good news. They respond well to treatment & many of the drugs are generic so cheap. Now the bad news, most of the drugs can affect the quality of your erection.
I remember early in my ED journey taking all my drugs into my PCP & asking which could be causing my poor erectile performance. He picked up every bottle, read the name & said this does to every single bottle.
Please don't have the illusion of solving a health issue & magically getting your function back. I have better blood pressure than when I was in my 20's. Every other thing is in the controlled range. My ED has not changed one little bit.
My strategy, for what little it may be worth. Is to hit the table in the very best health that I can. I'm hoping a better condition patient will have a better outcome & have a less chance of infection.
Sorry for the long post but I guess that I'm just a long winded old guy.