Some Herbs I Am Researching...

Here are some herbs that help blood vessels relax...

- Hawthorn
- Coleus
- Khella

I am looking into these because helping blood vessels can help ED. If you take any of these or are familiar with them, let me know.

Another product that is interesting -- but requires a prescription in the United States -- is nitroglycerin ointment. Because nitroglycerin causes blood vessels to relax, it should also be helpful for ED.

Fish Oil for ED?

OK, here's a new line of reasoning:

1. Erectile dysfunction results from problems in blood vessels - they don't dilate (relax) the way they are supposed to, so they don't hold the blood in them to stay rigid.

2. What helps blood vessels relax is potassium ion (K+) channels in blood vessels.

3. Something that improves K+ channels may help blood vessels to support erections.

So far, simple enough. So, it turns out that DHA- - an omega-3 fatty acid found in seafood and fish oil supplements -- improves K+ channels in a dose-dependent manner (at least in rat tissue). Dose-dependent means that the more DHA you use, the more effect you have.

Now, whether this means that fish oil with DHA will help erectile dysfunction is something I will have to research. If there is a benefit, the question is what dose should be taken? One person I know who takes fish oil (for something other than ED) takes about 5 times the normal dose. However, fish oil seems to be a very healthy product, so there is certainly no problem with taking it. My other suggestion is that you take it in the morning, as it may make it hard to sleep at night, because it can give you a caffeine-like buzz.

Anyway, here is a link to an article about this (LINK HERE). I'll see what else I can find!

Fighting ED at the Atomic Level...

If you want to know what happens with a successful ED drug at the most basic level - the atomic level - it seems that drugs like Viagra and herbs like Horny Goat Weed cause small muscles in blood vessels to relax by opening potassium ion (K+) channels.

So can K+ channel drugs help fight ED? One such drug is called NS11021. By the way, it's full chemical name is: (1-(3,5-Bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-3-[4-bromo-2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-phenyl]-thiourea). Scientists is Denmark reported in a recent issue of the British Journal of Pharmacology (LINK HERE) that NS11021 was as effective as sildenafil (Viagra) at causing rat erections.

One good thing about this type of research is that it may lead to combination therapy - where you can take two or three drugs that work at different sites to support erections. My prediction is that the future of ED treatment will consist of combination drugs. You can actually do this today if you combine Viagra with MUSE (alprostradil).

Combination herbs, on the other hand, are generally not tested. Most are probably a waste of money.

New Cause of ED -- Too Much Light?

Just when I thought I had heard every cause of erectile dysfunction...along comes a new one. According to some researchers, sexual problems are caused by "over-illumination" -- the use of too much bright light in our environment.

According to this view, chronic exposure to bright light (such as working in an office or Wal-Mart for 8 hours) causes a stress response in the body, so that it releases adrenalin. This adrenalin causes blood vessels to get smaller (vasoconstriction), causing hypertension and erectile dysfunction.

So, it's all Edison's fault.

The cure is fixing the lighting so it is more like sunlight.

By the way, speaking of "innovators," I just stumbled on this gem, which I had to share:

Modern drug therapy for ED made a significant advance in 1983 when British physiologist Giles Brindley, Ph.D. dropped his trousers and demonstrated to a shocked American Urological Association audience his phentolamine-induced erection. The drug Brindley injected into his penis was a non-specific vasodilator, an alpha-blocking agent, and the mechanism of action was clearly corporal smooth muscle relaxation. The effect that Brindley discovered established the fundamentals for the later development of specific, safe, orally-effective drug therapies.

Source: LINK.

Research Conducted on an Herbal Combination

Those who have followed this blog for a while know that I am not a fan of combination herbs for ED. Part of the problem is that the herbs may not be provided at adequate levels, even if they are effective. Unless you test the specific herb at the specific level of a specific product, you have no way of knowing if you are getting anything effective. Further, almost all products available over the Internet have NO research to support them. However, there is now a study reported in the reputable International Journal of Impotence which reports on a specific herbal product.

The study involved the product Etana, which consists of a combination of five herbs: Panax quinquelotius (Ginseng), Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Epimedium grandiflorum (Horny goat weed), Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) and flower pollen extracts. The study was done in rats but what is nice about the findings is that you can get the actual product that was tested.

The investigators reported that the herbal product was as effective as sildenafil (Viagra) in making the rats frisky. The authors claim the product is safe (non-toxic). I've tried some of the ingredients (tongkat ali and Horney goat weed) which I found to be mildly effective. Therefore, based on this study, it seems reasonable to try this product.

Here is a link to the study - judge for yourself: LINK HERE.

The study was done in Jordan, so I can't say if it is sold in the United States or anywhere except Jordan.

Yohimbine + Viagra = Good for Your Rat's Sex Life

Here is some recent research that shows combining yohimbine with sildenafil (Viagra) produces a better effect than taking Viagra alone.

Here is the study: CLICK HERE.

A few comments are in order here. First of all, we are talking about the DRUG yohimbine - which can only be obtained with a prescription in the United States (I don't know about other countries). So, we are not talking about the HERB yohimbe - this is a pure drug version.

Second, my experiences with yohimbe (the herb) have been very bad. I had all sorts of unpleasant side effects, including a racing heart, agitation, and insomnia. So, I am not suggesting that anyone try yohimbe. However, this study (in rat tissue) suggests that the effect of Viagra may be improved by adding the pharmaceutical drug yohimbine. Worth a try, because these two drugs have different mechanisms of action, so using them together may be complimentary.

Be in an Erectile Dysfunction Study! Try the Newest Drugs!

Don't know why I didn't think of this sooner! I just stumbled on a site (called Centerwatch) that has a searchable list of studies on new erectile dysfunction drugs. If you don't mind being a guinea pig, you can get some cool new ED drugs for free. Some of these studies will even pay you! How about that - my blog not only helps you with your sex life, it also gets you some cash!

For example, a study by AdvanceMed Research will give you a new drug that is being investigated for ED. Here's a link: (CLICK HERE).

Another study on CenterWatch describes research by Hoffman-LaRoche of a MC4 agonist. This is a drug similar to PT-141 (bremelanotide), which was in the news a lot (before the FDA shot it down last year). Here is a link about this study: CLICK HERE. This study sounds very interesting - a real pharmaceutical company exploring a new class of erectile dysfunction medication. Sign me up!

Choline - For Erections

The latest supplement I've tried is choline, an "organic compound" usually grouped as a B vitamin. Increasing choline use should increase levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in erections.

I have been starting with small doses (500 mg, 2x daily) but I feel like it may have some benefit, when I take it with pycnogenol, folic acid, vitamin C, and other supplements.

Here's some links about using choline and the role of acetylcholine in erection: LINK, LINK, and LINK.

Study Shows Some Effect From Maca

This study (LINK HERE) reports that an easy-to-get herb, Maca (Lepidium meyenii), has some mild benefit in humans. Men with ED received 2400 mg of Maca or placebo. The investigators reported that "a small but significant effect of Maca supplementation on subjective perception of general and sexual well-being in adult patients with mild ED."

It's nice to report on actual data.

My personal (subjective) experience with Maca is that it has some effect on mood; I feel the world looks a little better when I take Maca regularly. I don't know if this translates into any sexual benefits.

For more information on this and other herbs, please send $5 to my Paypal account (menznews@yahoo.com) and I will send you my e-book on Men's Sexual Health.

More Reports of Dangerous Chemicals Found in Herbal Products

Many men who will not take an erectile dysfunction (ED) drug are quite comfortable popping an herbal or over-the-counter product. However, they should know that herbal products ARE NOT tested by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- or by ANYONE. Therefore, you really have no idea whether they are safe.

Sometimes the FDA gets a complaint and then checks a product. There is a report on the FDA web site that describes their analysis of the herbal product Rhino Max. They found that it contains a drug called aminotadalafil, which is closely related to tadalafil, the active chemical in Cialis.

However, the chemical aminotadalafil has never been tested in humans, so we have no way of knowing if it is effective or safe. As far as I can tell, it's never even been tested in animals. In addition, drugs like tadalafil can cause a serious, even fatal, drop in blood pressure if taken with another class of drugs called nitrates (prescribed for heart problems). So, a person with a heart condition might skip taking Cialis - because he is taking nitrates - but feel confident about taking an "herb". After all, herbs are safe and natural, right? But the combination could be fatal.

Taking Cialis Every Other Day Improved Blood Vessels

A study out of Italy reported that men who take Cialis (tadalafil) every other day had improved blood vessels after 4 weeks. These men also reported "a dramatic increase in morning erections," which helps to provide adequate oxygenation to the penis.

Men in the study who took Cialis as most men do - on-demand (as needed) did not show the same results. The conclusion: We should all be taking Cialis every other day. Here's a link to the study: LINK.

By the way, if you think I am publishing a lot of Cialis stories because I get money from them, sadly, I can honestly report that I am not getting a penny from anyone (although I'm trying). If you would like to support my work, please buy a copy of my e-book, which provides more detail on this subject. You can buy a copy from Paypal for $5. My Paypal account is the same as my e-mail address - menznews@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Taking Cialis May Improve Your Testostesrone:Estradiol Ratio

Research shows that men who took Cialis (10-20 mg) for 12 months (as needed) showed a significant decrease in estradiol but no change in testosterone, although this effect was more pronounced in lean compared with obese subjects. The investigators hypothesized that improvement in sexual function associated with Cialis use for 12 months may have been associated with androgen-estrogen cross-talk and possible inhibition of aromatase activity during chronic exposure to the drug.

Link to the study, in the Journal of Sexual Medicine: LINK

Mediterranean Diet Helps Improve Erectile Function

Here is a link (HERE) to a recent study which showed that men with metabolic syndrome (who tend to be overweight and have cholesterol problems) improved their erectile function by sticking with the Mediterranean Diet. Men on this diet consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil then the other men, and after 2 years they had improved sexual function. So, this is a simple way to improve your health and your sex life.

Another Approach: Chloride Channel Blockers

Here is some research -- from the reliable Journal of Sexual Medicine -- which says that the chloride channels prevent erections, so that chloride channel blockers may support erections. (LINK to article)

This gets back to the concept I've addressed a few times that there are chemicals that either reduce or increase erections. It is somewhat like driving a car -- you have a gas pedal and a break pedal.

Using this somewhat crude analogy, the penis is not erect (flacid) most of the time because our body has it's "foot" on the "break" -- otherwise we would walk around with an erection all the time.

When we have sex, the body blocks the break chemicals or overides them with "gas" chemicals -- until we are finished, then the break chemicals come back (for example, prolactin levels rise with orgasm, which affects our ability to have another erection -- our refractory period. In fact, there is a case in the medical literature of a guy with NO refractory period - because he had no prolactin. Also, people with high levels of prolactin have difficulty getting an erection).

Anyway...this is another (very early) line of research (in rabbits). In fact, if you look up chloride channels on wikipedia (usually reliable), they are described as "poorly understood." Perhaps some herbs around now are chloride-blockers. Feel free to research this and let me know! As usual...we need about 10 more years of research to get really good drugs.

So, support my research -- I'm trying to put all the pieces together for you, the reader (and for me, of course...) Buy a copy of my e-book for $5 using Paypal. My Paypal account is the same as my e-mail - menznews@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Last Night...

Here is what I did last night...worked out pretty well:

1. Had plans to see my girlfriend last night, so I made sure that I had an empty stomach by 6 pm (light lunch - rice, shrimp, veggies).

2. At 6 pm, I took 100 mg of Viagra and 100 mg of grape seed extract

3. At 6:30 pm, I ate a light meal, nothing fatty (brown rice, some vegetables)

4. By 8 pm, I was ready to go -- had a great night. Girlfriend happy.

So, that's my advice - take Viagra, add grape seed extract (for one day/one dose), and avoid fatty foods. Have fun.

By the way, I don't make any money from Viagra or any herbal companies for these recommendations, although I would be happy to do so.

FDA Warning on Sex Pills

Many people assume that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates herbs and other non-drug pills. In fact, these products are legally considered "nutritional supplements" and are outside the FDA's jurisdiction -- as long as the manufacturer does not claim to offer a cure. That is why you will see all sorts of tortured language on various products, in which they imply -- but don't state -- an actual benefit.

The worst case, of course, are the non-prescription sex pills. Just watch an Enzyte commercial, and you'll see many things implied but never stated.

However, the FDA does get involved when they find unhealthy ingredients in the products. Since 2004, FDA has identified several products sold online as so-called "dietary supplements" for treating erectile dysfunction and enhancing sexual performance. These products have contained potentially harmful, undeclared ingredients.

Here is the FDA list of products to avoid:

Actra-Rx
Actra-Sx
Libidus
Nasutra
Neophase
Vigor-25
Yilishen
Zimaxx
4EVERON
Liviro3
Lycium Barbarum L.
Adam Free
Rhino V Max
V. Max
True Man
Energy Max
HS Joy of Love
NaturalUp
Blue Steel
Erextra
Super Shangai
Strong Testis
Shangai Ultra
Shangai Ultra X
Lady Shangai
Shangai Regular, also marketed as Shangai Chaojimengnan
Hero
Naturalë Super Plus
Xiadafil VIP tablets

Here is the link to the FDA news release, from February 2009: LINK

As Usual, No One Knows What They Are Talking About...

We've been told that nitrite (used to preserve salami and pepperoni) is a terrible, terrible chemical that causes cancer! In fact, I just got back from the local Trader's Joes -- and all the salami there says in bold print "Nitrite Free!" But wait - it turns out that there is more nitrite in spinach than in a hot dog. Plus, there is now research showing that dietary nitrite actually reverses endothelial dysfunction -- which is the presumed cause of most erectile dysfunction. This is because nitrite can increase levels of nitric oxide...

So, here is the practical tip for today: eat foods high in nitrites, and it may help your blood vessels, causing better erections.

I've had a hard time finding a list of foods high in nitrites. Someone, please post them as a comment, if you can find them. Hey, do I have to do all the work? After all, I don't get paid and no one has been buying my e-book recently (but you can by sending $5 to my Paypal account, which is the same as my e-mail - menznews@yahoo.com). Anyway, the foods that seem to have high levels of nitrite as: spinach, lettuce, and beets. So, eat a salad, then have a hot dog.

Here's a link to an article on this: (LINK).

Grape Seed Extract?

I casually added a few things to my Viagra last night...but experienced a significant improvement in response! I'm trying to figure out what it was, and I think it was the grape seed extract that did the trick.

I haven't read much about grape seed extract but according to this well-researched article (LINK HERE), from the folks at Life Extension (who seem to generally know what they are talking about), grape seed extract can increase testosterone levels by blocking the enzyme (aromatase) that converts testosterone to estrogen. (the rest of the article is worth a look, by the way, since it covers a lot of good research on sexual health herbs).

As far as I can tell, there are really no negative effects to taking grape seed extract. However, if less testosterone is converted to estrogen, this could raise testosterone levels. While this may seem like a good thing, the body might respond to this higher level by making less of it. So, my guess is that it's probably ok to try it but not every day.

What Are the Doses?

Here is another web site - LINK HERE - that offers a wonder pill - Stay Erect, MSPF (Male Sexual Performance Formula). In this case, they offer a complete Who's Who of sex herbs, including: Eurycoma Longfolia Jack (Tongkat ali), yohimbe, catuaba, tribulous terrestris, macuna prurens [Which they spelled wrong, but oh well]; muira puama, cistances deserticola, oat straw (Avena sativa), ginseng panax, ginseng siberian, astragalus, gingko biloba, L-arginine, jujuba red (Zizyphus), ashwagandha root, maca, flos catharmi, rhizoma curcumae longae, kelp 0.2% iodine, bioperineTM, sabinsa, zinc gluconate, vitamin A-palminate, vitamin E, vitamin B6.

While they make a big point that "Each capsule contains 975 mg," they don't say what that 975 mg consists of. How much yohimbe? How much oat straw? Unfortunately, I cannot determine the value of a product if I don't know what I'm getting.

Summary of My Research

For new readers, here is a summary of my research so far:

• For most men, you can get decent results from Viagra and Viagra-like products (Cialis, Levitra). If you use Viagra, take 100 mg and avoid fatty meals after taking it.
• Use real drugs. Fake drugs -- bought over the Internet -- can be useless, dangerous, or fatal, unless purchased from a real pharmacy.
• You can enhance the effects of these drugs by adding MUSE, although this requires sticking a tube in your penis, which is unpleasant
• As far as herbs go, the only one I can recommend is Horny Goat Weed, which has some mild benefits. Yohimbe can make you feel very sick.
• Everything else -- all the miracle sex pills -- are probably useless and a waste of money. Some of these even had unhealthy things in them.

For more details on the above points, please buy my e-book on Men's Sexual Health. It is available for a contribution to my Paypal account, which is the same as my e-mail - menznews@yahoo.com. If you want to go to Paypal, it is at: www.Paypal.com, and it is very secure.

Musings on MUSE (Aprostadil)

I have good things to say about MUSE (alprostadil), which is a small, waxy pellet that you insert into your urethra. It is not pleasant poking a small plastic tube into the opening of your penis, but once you get used to this you may find this is a pretty interesting product. My insurance company pays for it and it is pretty cheap (although pharmacies don't have it in stock - they have to order it).

I started with 125 mcg - the smallest dose - and then went up to 250 mcg. A "mcg" is a microgram - one thousandth of a gram - so 250 mcg is .25 grams. Sounds like a small amount but that means it is very potent. You can go up to 1000 mcg (1 gram), if necessary.

Alprostadil is a chemical that is apparently the same as prostaglandin E1. This is a chemical in your body that causes the blood vessels in your penis to expand. This is important because:

• In the flacid (non-erect) state, the penis is blocked from being erect because chemicals in the penis keep tiny muscles on blood vessels contracted (small), so that the blood vessels do not fill up with blood.
• When a man is sexually stimulated, his brain triggers his penis to release chemicals the remove this block, so that the tiny mucles relax, the blood vessels expand, and blood fills the blood vessels; this causes an erection. After sex, the blocking chemicals come back and the blood vessels constrict (contract) again, and the erection ceases.
• While there are many other factors involved (and some are not even fully understood), two well known systems involved in the blood-vessel relaxation are the nitric oxide system and the prostaglandin system.
• Nitric oxide, a gas, is released during arousal, which causes blood vessels to relax. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra work by blocking an enzyme, PDE5, that reduces nitric oxide levels. Viagra was originally studied for patients with heart disease, because they have problems with their blood vessels. But many patients reported that the drug increased erections, so Viagra was discovered somewhat by accident.
• The other system the increases blood vessel relaxation uses prostaglandin E1. By inserting MUSE into your urethra, you are causes the blood vessels to relax and blood to fill the penis using this second system.

The interesting thing about MUSE is that it is the only product I have found that actually CAUSES an erection, unlike Viagra, which only SUPPORT an erection. Another good thing about MUSE is that it can be used WITH Viagra, because they use different systems. In the future, some sort of combination product will no doubt be available, using multiple systems.

The only question I have about MUSE is if there is a long-term benefit from using it. There is some research that suggests that taking Viagra every night will help your penis. This is because you should have several erections at night (nocturnal tumescence), which increase blood flow to the penis at night and presumably are healthy. So, taking Viagra at night will support this process and help your penis health. Is the same thing true for MUSE? Will taking MUSE every night result in more blood flow to the penis, and support improved penis health (or at least prevent penis health decline?) Or will it somehow use up chemicals in the penis, actually causes a decline in sexual function? As far as I know, there is no research on this question.

One for the Ladies...Nitric Oxide and Clitoral Engorgement

Although this web site is for men interested in improved sexual function, I did come across an article that explores the mechanisms of clitoral erection. The authors claim that nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in this, as it does in the male erection. If you are looking at mechanisms that might support female sexuality, then this article may provide some clues, although, as the article says in its first sentence, "Female sexual function is under-studied..."

Here is a link to the article: (CLICK HERE).

For more information on male sexual function, please send me an e-mail (at menznews@yahoo.com) for a copy of my e-book. While it is free, I hope that you will send me a $5 contribution to help support my research, as I have no other support for this work. However, if you can't afford $5, then I will still send you this useful and well-researched e-book, and will not berate you for not sending me anything for my hard work.

Angiotensin II - the Erection Blocker?

In addition for combing the medical literature for overlooked techniques for SUPPORTING erections (eg, HGW, nitric oxide, oysters, etc), I am also checking things the BLOCK erections - with the idea that it may be possible to BLOCK the BLOCKERS.

Of course, you don't want to do this TOO much, or you can cause priapism - an erection that won't go away. This happens with some drugs and in some people who have sickle cell anemia. This is because it is actually the natural state of the penis to be erect, but various factors keep it flacid. Remove those factors, and the penis fills with blood and become erect until these factors return, and the penis become flacid once more.

So, what if these relaxing factors (actually, vasoconstricting factors, because they cause blood vessels in the penis to constrict) are a little too overacting with age? Would it be possible to block these erection blockers a bit, therefore supporting the natural erection process?

One candidate for this is angiotensin II, a common chemical in the body that increases with many conditions. I found an old article (1997) which says that angiotensin II supports contraction of tissue in the penis, and that this effect is blocked by an angiotensin II receptor blocker (often called an "ARB"). So, drugs (such as ARBs) and perhaps foods and herbs may be able to improve erections by reducing/blocking angiotensin II.

For more information on this article, from The International Journal of Impotence Research, CLICK HERE.

For a copy of my new e-book on sexual health, send $1 or more to my Paypal account, which is: menznews@yahoo.com. I will send you a WORD file chock full of helpful, science-based, and interesting information.

Spam - Don't Bother

This blog must be reaching some level of popularity, because now I am constantly bombarded with morons who are attempting to post links to "generic Viagra" on my site.

If this clowns bothered to read my blog, they would know that I strongly discourage anyone from buying "drugs" from these sites, because you could be ingesting anything. There is no such thing as a generic version of Viagra that has been approved by the FDA, so you are buying an unknown substance from counterfeiters - criminals. Good luck with that!

David Carradine and Autoerotic Asphyxiation

Just a quick comment about David Carridine and autoerotic asphyxiation (AEA) -- readers of my blog will recall that new evidence suggests that carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are similar to nitric oxide in that they can cause vasodilation, needed for an erection. For people who practice AEA, it seems reasonable to assume that they are increasing levels of these gases, which increases erections and perhaps pleasure. This may be especially true as they get older, when nitric oxide systems decline.

This is a very sad story (I was a big fan of his work, especially in Kill Bill) but the lesson I get from this is that we need more research on sexual health. The more I research this topic (and it's been over 3 years of intense review of the literature), the more I am surprised how little research is being done in this field. But then I am always surprised how little medical research is being done AT ALL, considering that health/life is the most important thing we have. Apparently, we have more important things to do with our money than save our own lives.

Well, I will continue to review the literature and make connections that no one else seems to be making, as one of the few objective sexual health websites that is not sponsored by anyone and not beholden to anyone but you, the reader. After all, mine is the ONLY WEB SITE that can explain WHY autoerotic asphyxiation may actually work on a scientific level. No other site uses science to explore human sexuality the way I do.

That reminds me -- please buy a copy of my e-book, which goes into more depth on these issues. All I ask is a contribution of $1 or more to my Paypal account (menznews@yahoo.com) . One reader sent me $100. I don't expect that from everyone but it was very thoughtful, and I am still amazed by his generosity!

Minoxidil?

Here's an interesting fact about minoxidil -- the drug for hair growth. It was designed as a nitric oxide-like drug, so that it could be used to treat heart disease by relaxing blood vessels, just as nitric oxide does. So...this is what Viagra does, right? So why isn't minoxidil used (perhaps in conjunction with Viagra) to maximize blood vessel relaxation (and erections)?

I did a quick search on this, and some people looked into this in 1994, but then Viagra came out and they forgot about this.

The nice thing about minoxidil is that you can buy it over-the-counter (at least for hair growth). While it is a topical medicine, and not a pill, it still seems this is a possible treatment. The one problem with minoxidil is that it has to be metabolized to work, so you can't apply it directly to your penis; it has to pass through the liver first. But if you apply liberal amounts to your skin, and then it passes through the liver and is converted into the active chemical, then it might have some benefit. Seems worth a try.

From Swingin' Saudi Arabia - A New Sex Herb.

The Saudis, apparently, like to research herbs as alternatives to Viagra. Here is an abstract describing their experience with extracts from the plant Casimiroa edulis (I never heard of it, either). But if you are ever in Saudi Arabia, maybe you can score some. Let me know how it goes.


Here's the link: (LINK HERE).

There is also information on IslamOnline.net (LINK HERE) about ED. They recommend various herbs, including Horny Goat Weed.


Please support my research, and send $1 to my Paypal account (menznews@yahoo.com).

Good News on Booze

Does alcohol consumption lead to erections problems? New evidence, from The Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests that moderate drinking of alcohol actually reduces the risk of developing ED. (LINK HERE)

Another study -- a meta-analysis published in The International Journal of Impotence Research -- found that "consumption of 8 or more drinks per week significantly reduced the risks of ED." (In case you are wondering, a meta-analysis combines several studies to look for trends by combining data.)(LINK HERE)

These studies do not get into causes, but one possibility for these findings is that alcohol raises levels of the "good cholesterol" -- HDL-cholesterol -- which can help blood vessels. This might explain an interesting finding - that binge drinkers have less ED than ex-drinkers.

In earlier posts, I noted that carbon dioxide (CO2) may also support erections; so, beer or champagne should be especially beneficial.

Please support this site, and buy a copy of my e-book through Paypal (using my e-mail address, menznews@yahoo.com . I can't generate income through advertising, because this is a considered an "adult" site. I would accept any payment over $1.

It's a Gas - Hydrogen Sulfide

Just published - new study that suggests that hydrogen sulfide is another gas -- along with nitric oxide -- that plays a role in helping erections. That's the good news. The bad news is that hydrogen sulfide is a poison gas (used by the British in WWI) that causes the smell of rotten eggs and flatulence. OK, so it's not perfect. But new research suggests it plays an important role in many body processes.
As I've noted many times, there is still a lot we don't know about the body, and many unknowns concerning erections. If we could only spend more money on medical research, then we would all live longer, happier lives. But the average person and the people who decide where our resources go seem oblivious to this fact. So, we have to deal with the world as it is. In this case, it means you searching the Internet for information on how to improve your sexual health. In my case, it means searching the medical literature for clues that can improve sexual health.

One more thing you can do: help support my research by buying a copy of my e-book on Men's Sexual Health. You can do this by sending a small contribution to my Paypal account, which is: menznews@yahoo . I must say I am very appreciative of the recent buyers, who have mostly sent me $5 for the e-book. I will accept $1 if that's all you can afford; more would be great, as I can't advertise on this site (because it's considered an "adult site", so Google blocks all advertising).

Anyway, back to hydrogen sulfite and information you can use. It is worth noting that hydrogen sulfite is produced by the breakdown of allicin, which is found in garlic. This fact supports the use of garlic for cardiovascular and sexual health. Whether there are other sources of hydrogen sulfite is something I am investigating -- but for now, this is an easy way to support your general and sexual health - eat garlic or take allicin pills. By the way, allicin is produced when garlic is chopped or crushed, so just eating raw garlic isn't the same as eating crushed garlic or allicin.

Also, I think onions and scallions have the same properties as garlic, but I'm not sure.

Minoxidil for Erections?

Someone in 1994 took out a patent on the use of minoxidil for causing erections. Here's the LINK. The person taking out the patent claims that it is effective as a topic medicine (on the skin). I don't recommend trying this, but it would be interesting if it works, because this is an easily available product.

Once again - information only available on my site!

For a summary of all my findings, please send $5 (or $1 if you are poor, more if you are rich) to me via my Paypal account, which is menznews@yahoo.com . I will send you my e-book with all my research findings within 1-2 days. Thanks!

Nitric Oxide / Nitrous Oxide

Just a note about how poor the quality of information is on some web sites...if they say erections are caused by "nitrous oxide," then they are not very trustworthy. Erections result when sexual stimulation causes blood vessels to relax and fill with blood. This is presumably caused by NITRIC OXIDE. Not nitrous oxide - that is the gas used by dentists (so called laughing gas). The only thing that nitrous oxide is used to inflate is whipped cream (as in whip-its). So, if you are reading some fake sex pill site, and they start talking about "nitrous oxide," save you money and buy my e-book instead.

Endothelium-Derived Hyperpolarizing Factor (EDHF): Another Source of Erections

Research by the world-class Spanish scientist Inaigo Saenz de Tejada into a THIRD system for erections - based on endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) - shows promise for developing new agents for supporting erections (LINK HERE). His group has done research with the drug calcium dobesilate, which seemed to provide benefits even when other systems - based on nitric oxide - were inhibited (as in men with diabetes). They propose a combination of approaches, which is likely to be the treatment of the future, at least for diabetic men (LINK HERE).

Now, if only I could find an herb that is an EDHF...then that would be something to add to Viagra/Cialis for increased benefits. I did a search for this but nothing showed up in the medical literature.

By the way, I wonder what Dr. Saenz de Tejada takes before he goes to bed at night...

Alfuzosin: Another Strategy for ED?

A recent study - not yet published (only "epublished" in the British Journal of Urology International) describes a possible CAUSE of ED called partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO). I believe that this is an enlarged prostate. It apparently causes a reduction in erections (in lab rats) because it lowers levels of nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme that helps release nitric oxide, which supports erections by causing blood vessels to dilate (expand) so they can fill with blood.

I have often felt there was a link between BPH and ED; this suggest that is true.

Anyway, when the investigators gave rats with PBOO the alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist alfuzosin, the erections improved and blood flowed better. The investigators concluded that combining an alpha-adrenorecptor antagonist with a PDE5 inhibitor (ie, Viagra, Cialis) could provide better treatment than a PDE5 inhibitor alone.

There are some alpha-adrenorecptor antagonist herbs that are available, such as yohimbe (this is an alpha-2 blocker, while alfuzosin is an alpha-1 blocker; not that different, as I understand it). Although I don't recommend yohimbe, another mechanism always offers amateur sleuths like me (and perhaps you) new options to explore.

Here's a link to the study: (CLICK HERE)

(I just checked and alfuzosin is a drug marketed for BPH [benign prostatic hypertrophy - an enlarged prostate]. In the US, it is sold as Uroxatral and elsewhere under the tradename Xatral. Alfuzosin was approved by the FDA for treatment of BPH in June 2003. )

So, Uroxatral would have 2 benefits: it would shrink the prostate, removing the problem caused by PBOO, and it might have a direct effect on receptors, helping erections. Might be worth asking your doctor about this!

Should You Buy Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra On-Line?

OK, you've decided to try an ED medication - Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra. You get tons of spam saying buy it on-line. It's easy, it's cheap, and you really don't care where it came from. Should you?

Here are my reasons for NOT buying these drugs on-line:

• You have no idea what chemical you are getting. These drugs are not tested, they are not regulated.
• They are made by criminals (by definition).
• You have no idea if they are safe or effective.
• Even if the real drug is present - and not a fake or dangerous substitute - you have no idea if the dose is correct (Dangerously high? Very low?)
• There is no quality or safety control, no testing.
• You have no idea what the conditions were when the pill was made - was the lab filthy (probably)? Are there high levels of arsenic, lead, or mold (these have been reported)?

According to this article in the Telegraph (UK), (LINK), a fake Viagra plant in Egypt uses cement mixers to dye the pills blue (see picture above).

However, I would not ingest drugs from the Internet, unless they are approved by the FDA. After all, the people selling these pills have no incentive to produce a product that is safe and effective, so why would they bother? It would be much easier to make a fake, useless, unsanitary, and potentially dangerous pill than to make real Viagra pill.

So, my advice? First, remember that there is no such thing as generic Viagra. If you value your health, spend the money on the real thing. You can get 100 mg of Viagra for the same price as 50 mg, so buy this and split in two. Savings! Ca-ching!

CO2: Simple

If you read this blog, you will see that I have many ideas for improving your sexual health. The latest one I've been following is very simple. Carbon Dioxide - CO2 - is poisonous at high levels; but at low levels, it can support vasodilation. The nice thing about CO2 is that you produce it all the time. Just don't exhale as much CO2 or inhale as much oxygen, and you will raise your CO2 levels. The body carefully controls these, but you may be able to get some benefit from this.

Once again, I am finding that our medical science is quite primative, and that some ancient forms of health knowledge - such as yoga and Chinese medicine - may have answers that we are only now discovering. I support Western medicine, but when it comes to something as simple as breathing, we simply haven't had much interest in this field. However, the more I look into breathing, the more I realize that most people either hyperventilate - breathe in too much oxygen - or don't expand their lungs fully. So, I am researching this and will report more in the near future.

Some Sex Herbs Have Bad Things in Them

Here is an interesting article from researchers in Singapore...it says that they found drugs similar to the drug in Viagra (sildenafil) in some "herbal products marketed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction." These drugs were analogues of Viagra - meaning, they were similar but slightly different chemicals. They point out that "Unlike established drugs, the efficacy and safety of such analogues are largely unknown..." and "Consumers who use such adulterated products are at risk of developing serious adverse reactions, potentially leading to death."

Since death is presumably not the result you want (except "la petite mort," as the French say), don't take anything that has unknown ingredients.

Here's THE LINK.

Here's another link, based on an FDA study that found another analogue ("designer drug") in an Internet-purchased sex herb. LINK HERE.

Saw Palmetto - Good or Bad?

Many of the combination pills sold for treating erectile dysfunction include saw palmetto, an extract of the fruit of Serenoa repens. However, is saw palmetto good or bad for erections? I am researching this question now, and find that there is evidence for both sides of the argument. This is why I discourage people from using combination pills. Some ingredients may help, some may actually make matters worse.

In the case of saw palmetto, some evidence suggests that it decreases the size of the prostate, which may help reduce ED symptoms. Or not. It contains many components, and the effects of all of them are not known. But it seems that it blocks a form of testosterone, dihydrotesterone, which is why it reduces the size of the prostate. However, it may also act like estrogen, which is not helpful.

I will now review ALL the literature on this herb and let you guys know what I find. At least there is some real research on saw palmetto, which is quite popular in Europe (especially Germany, where doctors prescribe it).

In the meantime, buy a copy of my e-book on sexual health. I will send you an electronic copy for a nominal contribution ($2 to $5) to my Paypal account, which is the same as my e-mail address (menznews@yahoo.com). Thanks!

Nocturnal Tumescence

Background information: "Nocturnal tumescence" is a fancy term for an erection while you sleep. It is worth understanding because men tend to have less of it as they get older. According to WebMD, "Most men have 3 to 5 full erections during deep (rapid eye movement or REM) sleep. Men who are unable to have an erection because of a psychological problem still have erections during deep sleep. Occasionally some sleep disorders or serious depression can prevent these nighttime (nocturnal) erections."
Why do men have nocturnal tumescence? HERE is one theory.
There are tests that you can have that measure nocturnal tumescence, as described here. (This article is interesting because it brings up the subject of bicycle seats and genital health. Pressing down on the blood vessels in that area can cause less blood to get to an erection.
Here is a study showing that Viagra increases nocturnal tumescence.
Patients given L-Dopa, which raises dopamine levels, have more nocturnal tumescence, indicating the importance of dopamine for healthy erections (see here).

Where Are the Scientists?

The more I look into ED, the more I realize that no one is putting the whole picture together. There are various clues, but no one (except me, of course) has thought about putting all elements together to promote optimal erections. These elements:

1. The nitric oxide (NO) system and erections.

• What is reducing NO in the penis?
• What role does peroxynitrate play in ED?
• How much of the damage is reversable? How much is irreversible?
• Why don't things many things that help NO (eg, L-arginine) have a obvious effect on better erections?

2. Prostaglandin. This is another vasodilator in the penis, and you can get some benefit from using MUSE, the waxing pellet with a substance based on prostaglandin that you can insert into your urethra. But why can't they develop an easier to use treatment that uses this same system? And does using MUSE long-term make erections better (by adding to the system) or worse (by depleting prostaglandin)?

3. PT-141 (bremelanotide). This was supposed to be the next big thing - a chemical you could spray in your nose and get an instant erection. What happened to this drug, why doesn't another company develop it, and why can't we add this to our arsenal of approaches?

4. Herbs. Horney Goat Weed (epimedium), which has iciriin in it, seems to provide some benefit. It appears to work 0n the same mechanism as Viagra (PDE5 inhibition). But most herbs are studied in isolation. It's very hard to find one person who understands all herbs and all drugs - which can be safely combined, which can't.

5. Sex hormones. Some herbs (Tribulus) and some supplements (DHEA) appear to raise testosterone. But what is the effect of this? Can you actuallyh make things worse - because the body will shut down the testes when the testosterone levels are high?

6. Other factors that affect erections: what role does diet, exercise, etc play in erections?

Anyway, the fact that no one puts all the research together is why I started this blog; I've found out some cool stuff (read the rest - over 100 entries). But I am still frustrated that I can't find someone who has all the answers and all the informaton collected in one place.

But Honey...I Just Want You to Be Happy!

Important research all men should know about! Women who do not use condoms are happier than women who do, because semen appears to be a natural antidepressant, according to published research.

Here's some links about this research: CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE Here is the original study: CLICK HERE.

Should You Avoid Soy Products?

Many soy products - such as soy milk - contain varying levels of compounds similar to estrogen, the female hormone. While this may be good for preventing breast cancer, it may not be good for men and their sexual lives.

Here is a brief discussion of soy and libido:

LINK HERE.

Viagra (Sildenafil) and Asthma: Bad Comination?

I have been experiencing some asthma symptoms after a cold I had; so, I wondered what effect Viagra (sildenafil) would have on this disorder.

I found one study (in mice) that says Viagra AND L-arginine (alone or together) are bad for asthma symptoms. Here is a link to PubMed for the article: CLICK HERE. This may be because these both raise nitric oxide levels. While nitric oxide is GOOD, it may also lead to more nitric oxide byproduct (peroxynitrate), which is BAD and causes inflammation. In fact, some people say an imbalance between nitric oxide and peroxynitrate is what causes a lot of diseases in the first place - including ED and asthma.

However, this article says the opposite - that Viagra is potentially GOOD for airway diseases - at least in guinea pigs. LINK HERE.

So, in conclusion...Viagra (and presumably, the related compounds in Levitra and Cialis) are either good or bad for people with asthma. Or both.

Burst Blood Vessel in Eye From Viagra?

Has anyone experienced a burst blood vessel in the eye while taking Viagra? It's not a big deal - supposedly - but it's pretty disturbing looking. A big bloody spot appears in your eye.

I experienced this twice. It may or may not be related to use of Viagra (which affects blood vessels), but I just thought I would ask to see if anyone else experienced this. Leave a comment or send me an e-mail (menznews@yahoo.com). Thanks.

More on "Breaks": Things That Prevent Erections

A prime candidate for the "villian" causing men to have weaker erections as they age is endothelin-1. As noted in the wikipedia description of this compound (LINK), which increases with age:

In a healthy individual, a delicate balance between vasoconstriction and vasodilation is maintained by endothelin and other vasoconstrictors on the one hand and nitric oxide, prostacyclin and other vasodilators on the other. Overproduction of endothelin in the lungs may cause pulmonary hypertension, which can sometimes be treated by the use of an endothelin receptor antagonist, such as bosentan, sitaxentan or ambrisentan. The latter drug selectively blocks endothelin A receptors, decreasing the vasoconstrictive actions and allowing for increased beneficial effects of endothelin B stimulation, such as nitric oxide production. The precise effects of endothelin B receptor activation depends on the type of cells involved.

Hmmm. The quote refers to pulmonary hypertension but I believe the same applies to erectile dysfunction. "Endothelin receptor antagonist"...I like the sound of that.

Erectile Dysfunction as an Inflammatory Condition

For you heavy science types, here is an interesting piece (which I am posting complete) that discusses erectile dysfunction as an inflammatory condition.

Bottom line: take lots of fish oil (such as from the Herring, shown here), folic acid, vitamin C, aspirin, statins; eat lots of fish, vegetables and garlic, and use other anti-inflammatory strategies.

Here is the short article, from this link (CLICK HERE).

Low-grade systemic inflammation is present in insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X, which predispose to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD),1,2 conditions in which endothelial dysfunction is present, implying that reduced production of nitric oxide (NO) by endothelial cells could be a common denominator. NO, produced by endothelial cells, is responsible for penile erection. Hence, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X are likely to be associated with erectile dysfunction. The findings of Montorsi et al.3 and Vlachopoulos et al.4 are not only in support of this but also suggest that erectile dysfunction could be a disease of low-grade systemic inflammation.
Increase in the levels of inflammatory markers—high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-), endothelial-prothrombotic markers/mediators, von-Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen factor (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and fibrinogen noted in patients with erectile dysfunction4—suggests that low-grade systemic inflammation is present in these subjects, similar to those seen in insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X. These findings coupled with the observation that there is a close association between erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease3 indicate that all these diseases are due to decreased endothelial NO (eNO) generation.
Oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor tadalafil, used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, significantly decreased hypoxia-induced upregulation of TNF- and IL-1ß expression in pulmonary artery,5 indicating that NO has anti-inflammatory actions. Ageing is associated with decreased expression of eNO synthase (eNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), whereas that of endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, increased.6 VEGF increases the ability of endothelial cells to produce NO,7 and its stimulatory effect on penile erection involves phosphorylated eNOS.8 Furthermore, VEGF enhances prostacyclin (PGI2) production,9 eNO overexpression attenuates myocardial reperfusion injury, and VEGF is essential for NO-mediated angiogenesis.10 These evidences suggest that a co-ordinated expression and synthesis of eNO, VEGF, and PGI2 and suppression of TNF-, IL-1, endothelin-1, and other pro-inflammatory molecules are essential to prevent erectile dysfunction, which calls for healthy endothelium.
It is likely that under normal physiological conditions, a balance is maintained between pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules such that optimal NO, PGI2, and VEGF production occurs to prevent erectile dysfunction and to ensure normal blood flow to vital organs, including heart. When endothelial cells fail to produce adequate amounts of NO, PGI2, and VEGF, it could lead to increased secretion of endothelin-1, free radicals (normally NO quenches superoxide anion, whereas excess free radicals inactivate NO and PGI2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (since NO suppresses the production of TNF, and IL-1) and decreased production and action of VEGF that impair vasodilatation and angiogenesis and cause erectile dysfunction. Hence, measurement of NO, PGI2, VEGF, hsCRP, IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-, vWF, tPA, PAI-1, and fibrinogen in subjects who are at high risk of developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and metabolic syndrome X and those with erectile dysfunction may help early detection of low-grade systemic inflammation and in the prevention, prediction, and prognosis of CHD.

Another "Break" Chemical: TNF-Alpha

As I've been saying for a while, we know how to increase the "gas" (to use a car analogy) - take ginseng, L-arginine, Viagra, etc, to boost nitric oxide levels. But these only seem to work part way. What if part of the problem is that we also have our foot on the "break" - the parts of our systems that keep blood vessels contracted and the penis flaccid?

Here's another chemical in the body that may control the break: TNF-alpha. Perhaps blocking TNF-alpha will let the "gas" work better.

Here's a study about this in mice (CLICK HERE). They are "TNF-alpha knockout" - which means they have somehow been bred genetically so they don't produce TNF-alpha. They have been shown to have better erections. The authors state that

"TNF-alpha plays a detrimental role in erectile function. A key role for TNF-alpha in mediating endothelial dysfunction in ED is markedly relevant since we now have access to anti-TNF-alpha therapies."

For more information on this and other recent findings, send me a small contribution (to my Paypal account) and I'll send you my e-book on men's sexual health, basedon 2 years of research. My e-mail address and Paypal account are the same: menznews@yahoo.com . Thanks.

Another Thing to Worry About: Gum Disease and ED

A new study - from the Journal of Sexual Medicine - found an "association" between periodontal disease (gum disease) and ED (erectile dysfunction). The authors say the findings suggest that gum disease, ED, and heart disease may all be related to common problems - chronic inflammation, endothelial (blood vessel) dysfunction, and atherosclerosis (fat clogging your arteries).

For the abstract of the study, CLICK HERE. And don't forget to floss (or at least see your denist regularly!)

I Found This Book On-line For Free...

You can download a pdf of a book on sexual health by a real doctor...I'm not...but I found it unremarkable. Basically, the author went to medical school but doesn't have anything original to say; my research has uncovered a lot more stuff because I am capable of independent thought. (OK, it sounds arrogant, but it is true.)

It's not bad as a starting point; here's the link, so you can see for yourself (CLICK HERE). The book is called The Hardness Factor and it was written by Steven Lamm, MD. It has some obvious information about basic cardiovascular health, and says you should eat garlic, take pycnogenol, exercise, relax, get lots of sleep...Oh, and he includes oodles of fab recipes! If someone finds something interesting in this book, please let me know - and I will post it.

I have created an e-book which is much more practical (shorter), has great useful information, digs deeper into research, reviews some future drugs, and has very little fluff. I also come up with new approaches he doesn't, because he's not a very imaginative thinker.

You can get a copy of my e-book for a contribution. So far, the smallest contribution I've received in $1, and the largest is $100 (thanks to one very generous reader!)

You can make a contribution to my Paypal account, which is the same as my e-mail address listed above (menznews@yahoo.com). Anyone who sends me $100 will also receive consulting services for free, as well as good karma and my undying gratitude.

More on Carbon Monoxide

As I noted before, it seems that carbon monoxide - like nitric oxide - is a vasodilator (that is, it helps blood vessels expand [dilate] so that they can fill up with blood during an erection). However, as one of our readers noted in a comment, this doesn't do much good in terms of a practical application for helping men having better erections. Also, let's not forget that carbon monoxide, at high levels, is poisonous and can kill you. Well, like many of these things, you have to dig further, and then you find interesting clues that none of the jokers in reseach are considering.

Take, for example, my finding that saliva has high levels of nitrites, and that bacteria found under the tongue convert nitrates into nitric oxide. The article I found this in was on nitric oxide in the intestinal system, but for sexually active men and women, saliva is associated with oral sex (see my entry from 'way back in 2007 - LINK HERE.) So the implications here are obvious. Hint on this: tell your partner not to use mouthwash before sex, since it will kill the bacteria that increases nitric oxide levels.

So, back to carbon monoxide. What clues can we use to help us amateur sleuths develope an approach that will help our sexual health? As with most of the ideas I investigate on this site, it should be:

• Available using easily obtained substances
• Not interfere with health, sleep, or any medicines
• Not require the use of prescription or illegal drugs

Anyway, here are some carbon monoxide clues. Maybe one of my readers can figure out an ED therapy from them:

• According to his article, levels of carbon monoxide decrease with age in the rat penis. (LINK)
• These researchers state that ED is caused by problems to both nitric oxide AND carbon monoxide systems. (LINK)
• Part of the effect of Viagra (sidlenafil) may be due to its impact on carbon monoxide, because drugs like Viagra (called PDE5 inhibitors) have been shown to interact with the key enzyme that raises carbon monoxide levels (heme oxygenase). (LINK)
• Nitric oxide itself raises carbon monoxide levels! (LINK) So, is it possible that Viagra's effect is due to raising carbon monoxide levels - by raising nitric oxide levels?
• YC-1, a chemical in the body that is being investigated as a future ED drug, increases levels of both nitric oxide AND carbon monoxide. (LINK).
• A form of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) has been shown to improve erectile function in hypertensive rats, presumably by raising both nitric oxide and carbon monoxide levels in blood vessels. Good news for hypertensive rats. (LINK)

The more I dig, the more I find. More later.

In the meantime, remember the basics of sexual health:

• Loose weight/don't be fat
• Exercise frequently
• Don't smoke (cigarettes or marijuana)
• Frequently take very warm baths/saunas
• Take nutrients/vitamins, including zinc, arginine, carnitine, vitamin C, fish oil, and garlic
• Keep your HDL-C high and LDL-C low
• Take Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra

Also, I will no longer be sending out my e-book on men's sexual health for free. I have asked for a voluntary donation but very few people have provided one. So I am now charging $1 for the e-book. If you can't afford to send me one dollar by Paypal, then you're out of luck. My Paypal account is the same as my e-mail: menznews@yahoo.com.

Many Men Not Told How to Use Viagra, Leading to Poor Results

According to this article, LINK, from the European Urology journal, many men do not have good results from using Viagra because they are not informed how to use it. This study found that of 100 men who did not respond to Viagra:
- 45 never used the higher dose (100 mg)
- 32 took Viagra with a full stomach after a meal (it's best with an empty stomach)
- 22 took the pill at the beginning of sexual activity! (You need 20-30 minutes for it to kick in)
- And 12 "were not aware that sexual stimulation was mandatory to achieve an erection" - in other words, they popped a pill and waited for an erection to just show up!

The investigators found with dose adjustments and better information, many of the men were able to get good results with Viagra.
Full study citation: Hatzichriston D, et al. Sildenafil failures may be due to inadequate patient instructions and follow-up: a study on 100 non-responders. Eur Urol. 2005;47:518-522.

Forget Nitric Oxide - Hello Carbon Monoxide!

The more you dig into the science of ED, the crazier things get. Now, they are saying that carbon monoxide (CO - a carbon atom and an oxygen atom) is involved in erections.

You probably have heard about the role of nitric oxide...it causes blood vessels to dilate, so they can fill with blood during an erection. Viagra works using this system. But now researchers are finding out that carbon monoxide may do the same thing. This opens up a lot of interesting possibilities, which I will be exploring in the next few weeks. However, please note that CO is also poisonous, so don't try using it as an aphrodisiac!

Why am I the only web site that finds out this stuff?

Anyway, here is an article on Pubmed on this topic, if you want to explore further: (CLICK HERE).

Don't forget to send me an e-mail (menznews@yahoo.com) so I can send you my free e-book on men's sexual health. And please send $1 (or more) to my Paypal account, which is the same as my e-mail (menznews@yahoo.com) so that I can continue this research!

Aspirin: Good? Bad? I'm Confused!

I know I'm supposed to be the big expert - that's why I have a blog on erectile dysfunction - but I can't tell whether taking aspirin is good or bad for men with ED. Aside from its benefits for preventing heart disease, what about its effect on the various components of an erection?

I have been concerned about aspirin, because it blocks some prostaglandins. That is why it an irritate your GI system. And there are some prostagladins involved in erections - that is why you can use a drug like MUSE (alprostadil), which is a form of prostaglandin E1. So - blocking prostaglandins should be bad.

However, whenever I research this topic, I find some evidence that aspirin is good. Take this study, for example, by Taubert et al, printed in British Journal of Pharmacology in 2004. It says that aspirin induces nitric oxide release from endothelium - the muscles lining your blood vessels. This is the same mechanism that Viagra uses. So...aspirin good?

Like many of this drugs, a lot depends on the individual - for example, is the person diabetic, or a thin, trained athlete? Well, I will continue to research this, but as yet I have no conclusion. Anyone want to share an opinion?

Here is the article on aspirin and nitric oxide. (CLICK HERE). I believe you can download the entire article (for free) from this site.

Don't forget to send me an e-mail for a copy of my e-book on treating erectile dysfunction. My e-mail address is: menznews@yahoo.com. The e-book is free but I will ask you for a $5 donation, which you can just ignore, if you don't mind the fact that I am slaving away on this web site for nothing.

Possible Bad News for Pot Smokers

If you are a "habitual" smoker of cannabis (pot), then you should consider the fact that you may be damaging your blood vessels (and thus causing erectile dysfunction). I had addressed the question of whether long-term use of marijuana causes a decrease in testosterone; this is a different issue.

The authors also say that habitual smoking of cannabis can also cause problems with insulin (insulin resitance).

Here's the link to a summary of the article - you decide for yourself. (CLICK HERE).

Today's Obscure Herb for ED: Eriosema kraussianum

Anyone have any experience with this herb - Eriosema kraussianum? According to an article in Phytochemistry, some variations of this herb have "75% of the activity found in Viagra." Presumably, it works on PDE5 and increases nitric oxide levels. If true, this would be quite impressive.

Here is a link to the article, written by researchers in South Africa: (CLICK HERE).

NMDA System and ED...

I'm been looking into another line of research...the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) system. This system is associated with excitation (in general). Examples of NMDA system "excitors" include glumate (as in MSG - monosodium glutamate). But don't rush out and start eating Chinese food just yet. The glutamate has to reach your brain for it to support an erection.

Here are some articles on this subject, pertaining to rat research: (LINK), (LINK), and (LINK). The last one involves injecting NMDA directly into the brain. I don't recommned this!

Is Atherosclerosis the Link Between Sleep Apnea and ED?

An interesting study suggests that the reason men with sleep apnea may have a higher rate of ED is that they have atherosclerosis - sometimes called "hardening of the arteries" - a condition in which plaque forms on the arteries. What is fascinating about this study is that they demonstrated the treatment for sleep apnea - called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) actually can REDUCE atherosclerosis in men with sleep apnea.
Whether this is true for men with ED was not tested, but it may explain why some studies have shown that CPAP can reduce ED in men with sleep apnea.

Here is a link to the study: LINK HERE

Another New Drug: MT-II

Another drug being developed, which is similar to bremelanotide (PT-141), is melanotan-II (MT-II). It works by a different mechanism than Viagra/Cialis/Levitra. Here are some reports on MT-II:

First article: by Francois Guiliano, a major researcher: (LINK HERE) [Note: For some reason, the author retracted this article...not sure why.]

Second article: Also by Dr. Guiliano; you can download a pdf of the article, which is from Journal of Andrology (2004): (LINK HERE) It is pretty complicated and not for the non-medical person, but it suggests this class of drugs will be useful in the future.

Third article: This study goes back to 2000. There are some side effects with MT-II (eg, severe nausea), which may be why they haven't developed it. (LINK HERE)

Epimedium - Icariin - Horny Goat Weed...

It goes by many names - Epimedium brevicornum (the plant), icariin (the active chemical), Horny Goat Weed (the commercially available product). I have purchased this from Physicians Formulas and found that it is like a weak Viagra. Of course, with herbs, you never know what you are getting - there is no FDA regulation or quality standards with herbal products - but there is definitely a weak effect.

Now there is a study from the Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milan, which says that altering icariin, the active chemical in Epimedium, can produce a chemical that is as active as Viagra. Here is the link to the recently published study: (CLICK HERE).

One of the authors on the study also showed, in another study, that red wine and the extracts from grape skin inhibit PDE5, the same enzyme that Viagra inhibits. For study: (CLICK HERE).

ED News - Various Items

Here is another selection of erectile dysfunction treatment news items.

• Here is a link (CLICK HERE) to an short article from International Journal of Impotence Research about a topical (on the skin) treatment using prostaglandin E1, the chemical is more or less the same as the treatment MUSE. Is is from Germany, where they care about erections. By the way, I have said nice things about MUSE, but I can't help feeling that after I used it, it has somehow "used up" all my prostaglandin E1 for a day or two. This is just my subjective experience but I never use it when I have a date the next day.


• Side effects of using Horny Goat Weed (HGW - epimedium). I found a report in the journal Psychosomatics that described a guy who have health and mental problems from taking HGW. LINK HERE. Read this before using HGW. Remember, these herbs are not tested by the FDA. Remember, if you buy HGW, get the pure stuff - lots of places sell "Horny Goat Weed" Formula or Complex or whatever. This is HGW mixed with other stuff - some of which can be nasty.


• There is a good organization called ConsumerLab that tests the actual amounts of a chemical present in herbs and nutritional supplements. They don't study their effectiveness (efficacy) but they do have a sophisticated lab to study their components. They have great reports that show some products have little or none of the promised ingredients. Unfortunately, you need a subscription to access their information; but here is a link to the site: LINK HERE.


• By the way, here is a link to another HGW article, which states that "Horny Goat Weed Is Linked to Better Bone Health." So, if you'd like better health for your bone, read this article. LINK HERE.

Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase...

Here's another avenue I'm following for better erections...dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) is an enzyme that degrades asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which inhibits the production of nitric oxide synthase. Why should you care?

Because nitric oxide synthase takes a nitrogen atom from L-arginine, producing nitric oxide (NO), so that NO can activate cGMP and cause blood vessels in the penis to relax, so blood can come in and you can get an erection.

In certain health problems - such as high levels of homocysteine (homocysteinemia) - the evil ADMA is more likely to impair the release of NO. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume these elements play a role in erectile dysfunction.

DDAH is a perfect drug for supporting erections. In a mouse model, mice with high levels of DDAH decreased levels of ADMA by 50%, which was associated with a significant increase in nitric oxide synthase activity. They also had healthier blood vessels.

Has DDAH been explored as an ED treatment? Are there any herbs that mimic the effects of DDAH? I haven't found any.

Anti-Hypertensive Medication and Erections

Here's a statement on the use of ARBs (angiotensin-receptor blockers) and their effect on erections:

From: CLICK FOR LINK

Recent drugs known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), also known as angiotensin II receptor antagonists are being used to lower blood pressure in men with hypertension. In one study after 12 weeks of treatment with an ARB called losartan (Cozaar), 88% of hypertensive males with sexual dysfunction
reported improvement in at least one area of sexuality. The number of men reporting impotence declined from 75.3% to 11.8%. Other ARBs include candesartan (Atacand), telmisartan (Micardis), and valsartan (Diovan).

Pharmacology of Erection

I've posted this before - it's a few years old - but for you hardcore science types, there may be some information in here to be gleaned.

So, here is a link to an article from Pharmacological Reviews called "The Pharmacology of Penile Erection," by K.-E. Andersson (Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden ).

One of the things I have been interested in is potassium (K+) channels, because ultimately, at the atomic level, this is what causes erection. But don't try taking more potassium - I've been told by a nurse I was dating that potassium is very closely regulated in the body, so whatever you consume will be quickly removed by your kidney. Or so I am told.

Anyway, here's the LINK. Read it carefully and let me know if you uncover anything that we can use.

And feel free to e-mail me (menznews@yahoo.com) if you want a free copy of my e-book, which has some great tips not found on this web site.

Traditional African Herbs

Microdesmis keayana, an African plant used for ED by traditional medicine providers, has been shown to be associated with factors that raise nitric oxide levels (the same pathway that Viagra uses). Is it any good - or even available? I don't know - first I've heard of it. For the study, CLICK HERE. Here's another Africa herb that seems to relax blood vessels. CLICK HERE.

Thanks to a Generous Reader!

Since I have started sending my e-book on sexual health out for free, I have received many requests for it, but few optional contributions. This e-book is not part of any company and is not subsidized by anyone. It is entirely based on my hard work and creative research into this complex and poorly researched topic.

So, while many men have requested the e-book (and some have demanded it!), few have made a small contribution to my Paypal account of even $1! Well, it is optional. That is why I want to express my special appreciation to one man - who will remain anonymous - who sent me $10 for the e-book.

Therefore, I dedicate this post to this thoughtful and generous man. It is not so much for the money he provided as the encouragement.

Despite the sales of Viagra, male sexual health remains a taboo subject that is hard to write about and hard to research. But if you, like me, are not willing to give up on this important part of life, and wish to continue to enjoy healthy sexual relations with your loved one, then support me as I work to uncover the nuggets of truth that are to be found in this field. You can do this by making a small contribution to my Paypal account, which is: menznews@yahoo.com. Thank you.

Garlic - Good or Bad for Erections?

Is garlic good or bad for erections? On the one hand, it seems to support increased levels of nitric oxide by activating the enzyme that makes nitric oxide (nitric oxide synthase), as described in this study (LINK HERE).

On the other hand, garlic reduces levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, as described in this study (LINK HERE). I'm confused!

Free e-Book Available on ED

I am now offering a FREE e-book on how you can optimize your sexual function. The concise, factual, well-researched, and easy to understand book provides the following information:

• How to get the BEST results from the prescription drugs Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Many men have poor results with these pills because they do not know how to use them correctly. I explain how to get the most out of these great drugs with some simple guidelines and how to avoid common mistakes.


• How adding a common amino acid (available in any pharmacy) to Viagra makes it work better without side effects (based on published research).


• A common vitamin that can boost your sex life. This vitamin safely raises levels of nitric oxide, just as Viagra does - but for pennies a pill.


• Sex herbs: those that work, those that don't (most don't). Read this section before you waste your money on fake sex pills - I describe specific products I like and where I got them.


• Why NO PRODUCT will increase "size". Sorry, but it's true.


• How to support good sex by exercising and eating the right foods.


• The benefits of a common heart drug for blood vessels and erections.


• Information on drugs in development, such as bremelanotide and MT-II. Will these drugs match the hype?


• Cutting-edge topics from the the research laboratories around the world, such as the causes of nitric oxide resistance, and how to manage it. There is a lot of amazing research that is going on right now, if you know where to look. Some of it provides options for the future, while some of it offers ideas for the use of existing agents.

Why should you order this e-book? Because you want to learn the latest information on having the best possible sex life without the fake claims and false promises of the "miracle pill" pushers. And because there is no obligation (although I will ask for a voluntary donation, which you can ignore).

My information is objective - I do not work for any pill company and am not pushing any agenda, except to share information from my research. I will not sell or share your e-mail address.

To request a free copy of my e-book or to ask a question, feel free to contact me at : menznews@yahoo.com Thanks! Have fun!

Speculations...

As I continue to research ED treatments, I have had pretty good results (send for my free e-book for details). However, many issues remain unresolved:

1. Is there any way to reduce the rebound time? This is the time to another erection following an orgasm. The one thing that seems to be associated with this delay is the level of a chemical called prolactin, which is released when you have an orgasm. These seem to go up as you age, and may be associated with the neurotransmitter dopamine. I found a case report of a man with very low prolactin levels who basically did not have a refractory period - he could keep having orgasms. Sounds cool to me.

2. What factors make erections weaker, and how can we block them? There are some obvious lifestyle factors - obesity, diabetes, smoking, lack of exercise, low HDL-C - but what other factors are involved? What about common foods or medicines, like aspirin or statins?

3. What role does BPH - benigh prostatic hypertrophy - play in ED? They seem to go together.

4. Does a product like MUSE - which contains alprostadil - provide long-term benefits if used regularly (by raising levels) or does it hurt, because the body stops producing prostaglandin? And why can't anyone answer this?

5. A related point: why aren't their drugs that raise prostaglandin levels in the penis? Erections occur with two pathways - nitric oxide and prostaglandin. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra all raise nitric oxide levels; so does the herb epimedium (Horny Goat Weed). But the only drug that works on the prostaglandin system is MUSE, a drug you have to insert into your penis (not fun but not impossible).

6. What ever happened to bremelanotide (PT-141), which was supposed to be a wonderful new drug you sprayed in your nose? I know it had some problems with side effects - extreme nausea, hypertension - but what drug doesn't have some problems? And why aren't their any herbs or foods that would also work on this system?

So, to summarize, men who want to treat ED and have optimal sex lives are stuck with one set of drugs - Viagra-like drugs - while research continues.

Various ED News Items

Still no breakthroughs in the treatment of ED - the status quo remains: only the PDE5 inhibitors (Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra) work fairly predictably; you can boost these with MUSE (alprostadil), but you have to stick a plastic tube into your urethra, which can sting a little.

Otherwise, research slowly moves forward on various new drugs. It isn't much of a priority in the research world (compared to cardiovascular disease, HIV, or cancer. Go figure).

But here are some news items of interest to those - like me - who keep following the research.

1. The drug tadalafil (Cialis) reduces a risk factor for heart disease (Apo A-1). (LINK HERE). So, the drug not only improves your sex life but could reduce your risk of a heart attack. Good to know.

2. Here is a study of a new PDE5 inhibitor, lodenafil, that is being testing in Brazil. Side effects seem similar to Viagra (sildenafil). (LINK HERE).

3. There is a product sold in Russia called "Impaza". Does it work? Nyet - according to a study in Russia that compared it to Viagra. (LINK HERE). Anyone intersted in Impaza can check here: LINK.

And send me an e-mail (menznews@yahoo.com) for an e-book on all my ED research. It is completely free, but I will ask you for a voluntary donation.

Some ED-Related News

1. Researchers find that diabetic men taking daily Viagra (sildenafil) experience improvement in their endothelial function (the endothelium is the lining of the blood vessels). (LINK HERE)

2. Here's an article describing the treatment of BPH (an enlarged prostate) and ED, which seem to have overlapping causes. (LINK HERE)

3. This study reinforces the point that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with ED. (LINK HERE) If you have apnea, you should be checked for ED; if you have ED, you should be checked for apnea. If you have sleep apnea (ask your partner if you stop breathing and gasp in your sleep), then you should receive treatment, usually with a CPAP machine that helps you breath at night.

4. Smoking increases the risk of ED. (LINK HERE) If you smoke, stop.

Summary: So Far

I have been researching the field of ED now for 2 years; I have read much of the existing medical literature, and these are my conclusions so far:

1. There is much that remains unknown about the subject

2. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra are the only oral drugs that consistently work for ED

3. Some herbs have some small effect, but these are not consistent and there are quality control/purity issues

4. There are two issues in ED treatment: reversing loss of function and preventing further loss/damage

5. There is a need for more research and new drugs

6. Certain lifestyle choices are just bad for sexual function: being overweight, smoking, not exercising

7. Many men have ED (to some degree) but few are willing to talk about it or seek treatment

I will continue to check the literature on drugs in development, herbs/nutritional products, and other ways for improving erections. My goals are the following:

1. To have the same sexual vigor that I experienced at my sexual peak.

2. To be able to engage is sex any time I want, and repeatedly.

3. To do this without experiencing any unpleasant side effects.

Research continues! The latest issue I have been investigating is the effect of BPH or an enlarged prostate of sexual function. If your urine stream is increasingly weak, then your prostate is probably starting to enlarge. Some research suggests that an enlarged prostate is the cause of many sexual problems, as it has been shown to reduce nitric oxide levels in the penis - the gas that supports erections.

Update on MUSE - The Stuff Works!

I tried out MUSE (alprostadil) last night, and I was impressed. It's not the most pleasant way to take a drug - sticking a thin plastic tube in your urethra - but in about 5-10 minutes, it starts to kick in and really works - lasts for 30-60 minutes.

I used 125 mg, the smallest dose. Not sure if I could handle the high dose (1000 mg)!

My insurance company paid for it (mostly), so it was cheaper than Viagra. I bet the manufacturer (Vivus) is selling it for a discount. I read that the company's sales went from $130 million in 1997 to $14.7 million after Viagra was introduced (and their stock plunged from $40 to $4, for you investor types). It's not easy to market against a giant like Pfizer; still, I found MUSE to be a very good product that is poorly marketed.

There was a little irritation from the applicator, but this is barely noticeable and transient. All in all, I would say that this is the best product since Viagra. I also felt that it increased my pleasure a little bit - although this is subjective.

Before using this or any prescribed product, you should read all of the warnings in the product material. For example, do not use this product with a woman who is pregnant.

L-Carnitine Plus Viagra or Cialis - Excellent!

I wanted to pass along my finding that taking L-carnitine with Viagra or Cialis appears to improve the effect of these drugs. The great thing about L-carnitine is that it is very safe (for most people - talk to your physician before taking anything) and has virtually no side effects that I can detect (although I've been a little itchy recently...) It's also not expensive.

If I were Pfizer or Lilly, I would give free carnitine with every prescription of Viagra or Cialis...

The research I uncovered used proprionyl-L-carnitine, but L-carnitine seems just as good. You can get it at any vitamin shop or drug store, or on-line (no prescription needed). I take 1000 mg/day (500 mg, twice a day), although some studies discuss 2 g (2000 mg) per day. Like some other agents, it may be good to use it for a while and then stop for a few days. I can't say how quickly it works, but I get the sense that it works pretty quickly (say, within 1 hour). I take it at night and in the morning (500 mg BID).

I've posted references on this before, but here's two more:

Life Extension Newsletter (CLICK HERE)They offer it for sale but you can probably find it for less in your local drug store. If anyone knows a cheap place to buy L-carnitine, let me know.

Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University: (CLICK HERE)

Has Anyone Tried This? New Theory...

Here's an idea...First of all, to support an erection, a man needs to have his blood vessels in his penis dilate (relax) during sex. Various factors - some known, some unknown - reduce the dilation of blood vessels with age.

Drugs - such as Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra - cause blood vessels to dilate during sex by blocking an enzyme - PDE5 (that is why they are called PDE5 inhibitors), thereby supporting erections.

So, here's my idea. I thought of this while using Afrin nose spray. The rational for using Afrin (drug name: oxymetazoline) is that your nose gets stuffed up because the blood vessels in your nose dilate. Afrin causes blood vessels to constrict, thereby opening up nasal passages. BUT you aren't supposed to use Afrin for more thant 3-4 days, because there is a rebound effect, causing blood vessels in your nose to dilate more, so you have to keep using more Afrin.

Now, my idea is this: suppose you do the opposite for blood vessels in the penis - cause them to constrict repeatedly; would this cause the same effect as in the nose - that is, blood vessels would dilate to compensate for this treatment? Wouldn't this be a good thing?

This is all just theoretical musings, but it's an interesting concept. If you are researching this topic, you may find as I did that not much is known, and there is surprisingly little research in this area. Viagra was discovered by mistake, and they don't have any impressive new ED drugs on the horizon.

Spider Venon for Erections?

Here is an article - not entirely new, but interesting - about the potential use of spider venom for causing erections. Read all about it.

CLICK HERE

Taking Cialis Every Day Helps Your Blood Vessels

Here's a study that demonstrates that taking Cialis (tadalafil) every day produces healthier blood vessels. Patients with ED taking daily Cialis also reported more morning erections, a sign that they were getting more oxygenation to the penis. Here is a link to the article, which appears in International Journal of Impotence Research (2007;19: 200–207). (LINK HERE).

Zaprinast - Another Viagra-Like Drug

Zaprinast is another drug like Viagra that is a PDE5 inhibitor. Here is a link that describes some research on this product in animals:
(CLICK HERE).

Sleep Apnea and ED

As noted in other posts on this blog, sleep apnea can be associated with ED. Here is a report that treating sleep apnea helps reduce ED. (CLICK HERE).

The Relationship of BH4 and Insulin

It is well known that sexual problems are common in diabetes. Here is a possible explanation: insulin raises BH4 levels. BH4 is in important factor in nitric oxide levels, which affect blood vessels that control erections.

Therefore, problems with insulin (as seen in diabetes, obesity, and - I believe - merely being overweight) can contribute through this pathway to sexual problems.

Here is the abstract of the article on PubMed: (CLICK HERE).

Another Traditional Aphrodisiac: Montanoa tomentosa

I've been hearing a bit about this herb - Montanoa tomentosa - which is from Mexico. I can't tell you if it is any good but here is an article about it from a peer-reviewed journal (CLICK HERE). The investigators say that it appears to be helpful for making rats frisky.

New ED Drugs in Development

This article describes some new PDE5 inhibitors in development...these are the next generation drugs after Viagra (sildenafil). They include avanafil, udenafil, SLx-2101, and mirodenafil.

LINK HERE.

Future Drugs for ED

THIS LINK is a recent article describing current research into ED treatments.

The following is from the abstract of the article, which appears in Cardiovascular Drug Discovery. There should be some interesting drugs coming out in the next few years, especially if they affect cyclic GMP.

In recent years, male sexual research has increasingly centered on molecular mechanisms operating from the central nervous system to peripheral end-organ levels involved in the penile erectile response. Major progress has been made in the field, and currently a whole host of neurotransmitters, chemical effectors, growth factors, second-messenger molecules, ions, intercellular proteins, and hormones have been characterized as components of the complex physiology of erectile function. Foremost among these mediators is nitric oxide (NO), which was initially characterized as a locally released physiologic mediator of the erectile response. Impaired formation and action of NO is closely associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), which may be caused by a variety of pathogenic factors. The impact of this knowledge has been substantial, leading to the development of several NO-based medical approaches for the treatment of ED. This review will focus on recent patents and current clinical trials involving innovative pharmacological and gene therapies in the field of male ED, particularly targeting the NO/intracellular cyclic GMP pathway, which still represents the most promising therapeutic approach to treat patients with ED.

Musing About MUSE...

I've posted in the past about my experiments with MUSE (from VIVUS Pharmaceuticals). It seemed great the first time I tried it, because it uses a different pathway than Viagra, so you can combine the two for a double benefit. However, I haven't had such good results with it recently; also, I wonder if it actually makes matters WORSE. My question is, does MUSE "use up" some of the chemicals that support erections? In other words, does using it lower the chances of a future erection by depleting chemicals? I don't think it causes any long-term effects, but it seemed to me that it might have had some negative effects the next day or so...And, as usual, no one can really give an answer about this that I can find (and I'm good at finding answers).

What Is the Role of Thyroid Hormone in ED?

Anyone with erection issues should look into their thyroid hormone levels. Thyroid hormone plays an important role in sexual health. According to this article (LINK HERE), 63% of men with hypothryoidism have sexual problems. Further, once these men had their thyroid condition treated, their sexual problems went away.

So, among other things, if you are concerned about your sexual function, have your thyroid checked. Also, you can increase your level of iodine consumption - need for thyroid function - by eating more seaweed (which is served in many Japanese restaurants). You can also buy kelp (seaweed) at the health food store.

Topigland: Another Product in Development

Using the same drug found in MUSE, this is a gel you rub on: Topigland. It is currently being developed by MacroChem. Not sure what stage of development.

ROCK Star - Y-27632

The chemical Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) helps keep blood vessels in your penis contracted, so that they don't fill up with blood until you get an erection. Blocking this enzyme with the experimental drug Y-27632 may help erections.

For information on Y-27632, go to THIS LINK.

Here is another article about inhibition of ROCK: THIS LINK.

Nicorandil - Another ED Drug?

I am always looking for a new way to improve erections...consider the drug nicorandil. It seems to help blood vessels dilate - similar to Viagra. Someone actually applied for a patent in 2001 to use nicorandil for ED. The key is the most basic component of erection - the relaxation of the small muscles in blood vessels, which occurs with potassium and calcium ions adjust their levels. This is the atomic level of change! It doesn't get more basic than this!

Anyway, if you can find a way to boost potassium levels, that helps. Apparently, nicorandil does this. Here is an article about using potassium channels for treating ED: LINK HERE.

Drug for Female Sexual Disorder

I usually focus on male sexual enhancement, but I found an interesting drug in development for women. It is called flibanserin. It was being developed by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer-Ingelheim as a fast-acting anti-depressant; but, like Viagra, they found it had an interesting side effect: it increased sexual interest.

I don't know much about it but here is some links with information on it: LINK, LINK, and LINK.

Once-Daily Cialis?

This is old news - dates back to January, 2008 - but I've been meaning to address it. Once-daily cialis was approved by the FDA (LINK HERE).

I think this is a very good idea, given the long half-life of the drug (see graph), and its lack of side effects (as far as I can tell, unlike Viagra, which causes blue vision, a stuffy nose, and headaches).

However, as I noted, this may not be getting to the root cause of the problem, only reducing the consequences of the disease. The process may continue. Sadly, no one is talking about this (except me). I still think that it may be due to abnormalities in the nitric oxide system, which cause too much shift toward peroxynitrate. This has been hypothesized as a problem for many other conditions - from heart disease to fibromyalgia - but if true, then much needs to be done to restore the system to normal balance. Viagra and Cialis don't stop the process, they only compensate for some of the damage done to your blood vessels.

What Causes ED?

While I have found some approaches that help reduce ED (buy my e-book for details), there is another question that I am researching - what causes ED? I am coming to the conclusion that it has something to do with the same nitric oxide system that is involved in erection, the system that is supported by Viagra.

This is a very important question, because while Viagra and other approaches may reverse the damage, they don't stop the process from moving forward. This process, I am increasingly convinced, has to do with nitric oxide by-products, such as highly reactive peroxinitrate, that are produced as a result of a disorder in the nitric oxide system.

If so, the "treatment" of ED would involve two steps: reversing the effects of damage to blood vessels, with drugs such as Viagra, so that you can have sex; then, blocking further damage to your system, by using agents that reduce the amount of peroxinitrite in your system. Such agents exist, which I will describe in future posts.

This is all, of course, theoretical, and no one is really looking at this question, as far as I can tell. If there is someone, then please let me know! I am familiar with a Dr. Pall, who is investigating this question, but in terms of chronic diseases, such as fibromyalgia. I have also seen this system associated with various types of cardiovascular disease.

For information on Dr. Pall's theories, CLICK HERE.

The Future For Men Is Good!

If you are just starting out looking for information on improving your sex life, here is a good post to start with:

Click here. On this site, you will find advice about using existing agents.

The good news is that things will only get better in the coming years. Here is a report from last year about a SECOND generation PDE5 inhibitor (Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra are FIRST generation PDE5 inhibitors). The drug is avanafil, and it was very effective in patients with ED. The company that is developing it (VIVUS) claims that it acts quickly and is not affected substantially by food or alcohol. They also claim that nitrates are less of a problem. The company currently sells Muse, which is provides a pellet of alprostadil in an applicator you have to stick in your penis before sex.

Here is a link to the company, if interested: click here

Viagra Plus Vitamin E

Here is a study that suggests adding vitamin E to Viagra may boost its effect. LINK HERE:

This was recently tested in a diabetic animal model (here is the article on PUBMED: LINK. The investigators conclude that:

Vitamin E enhanced the therapeutic effect of the PDE5 inhibitor [Viagra - sildenafil] in a meaningful way in this animal model of diabetes. This study indicates a potential means of salvaging erectile function among patients who are refractory to sildenafil.

This doesn't prove that this would work in humans or even indicate the proper dose...but it suggest that adding vitamin E to Viagra (or similar compounds Cialis or Levitra) would be beneficial.

Worth a try.

Why Doesn't This Stuff Work?

I must admit something...although I have found a bunch of herbs, vitamins, and nutritional supplements that provide modest benefits, I still don't get the response that I should. I get dependable results from Viagra or Cialis, especially when combined with the supplements described in my e-book (for sale - see link below). But I don't get great results each time, and sometimes I think that adding stuff is not any better than Viagra alone.

But I am puzzled because there are theoretical reasons why various supplements should work. Adding L-arginine should increase nitric oxide levels. But I don't see any effect. Folic acid - similar to the body chemical tetrabiopterin (BH4) should also support much higher levels of nitric oxide - hence, vasodilation, hence better erections - but I don't see this happening. Adding potassium - the key to vasodilation - seems to have no effects.

Is there something that is working in the other direction? Something that has its foot on the breaks, rather than the gas? I don't know. It's so damn complicated, and we still don't know a lot about things. I continue to research stuff, but wonder why no one else is asking these same questions.

However, I continue to read the medical literature. I continue to have some modest results by avoiding the "male enhancement" pills, which are not science-based and are a waste of money, and taking high levels of specific pure products based on research. The quest continues.

Pycnogenol - Any Good?

I am always ragging on herb/supplement companies that don't do any research...so I have to report on a study that was actually done, with the supplement Prelox. You can read about it at THIS LINK, in an article that seems actually legitimate. The supplement has two ingredients - pycnogenol and arginine. I've been looking at pycnogenol for a while, but have seen some mixed data. This study says that the combination of these two substances helps men.

Now, you can buy these two ingredients separately, get higher doses, and save a lot of money. Worth a try? I don't know. But the article appeared in International Journal of Impotence Research, which is presumably a decent journal.

UPDATE: I have been trying pycnogenol (50 mg, 3x day), with L-arginine, and I feel it has some slight benefit. This is subjective, of course, but it reminds me of the feeling I get from taking Horney Goat Weed - a sexual buzz. I have added it to my daily supplement list.

Update on Enzyte Fraud Case...

Here is an article (LINK HERE) about the continuing troubles experienced by Enzyte. The most responsible thing I can say about this product - as well as all the other "male enhancement" products on the market that make millions of dollars - is that there is NO EVIDENCE that ANY of them work.

There is a lot of discussion of Enzyte on the Ripoff Report web site (LINK HERE). I didn't have time to read all 20-30 postings, but anyone interested in Enzyte might find this interesting. Some of it is old but the most recent posting is from 2007.

Ultimately, the question is, why spend your money using something that has never been tested? Why would you assume it works - just because someone says so?

You are much better off taking the ingredients in these pills - if they even bother to list them - on your own. Remember, the herbal market IS NOT regulated by the FDA. A law passed in 1994 says that herbs are NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS - basically, food - so they can be sold without restriction, unless they are proven harmful. The only thing that selers can't do is make a TREATMENT claim - only drugs can do that. So, you will see them using many different weasle words to get around this restriction.

If you want to know about scientifically proven products (there are a few but not many), please buy a copy of my e-book, which is available at the link below. It's only $5 and you will not only be helping yourself, but supporting my research and efforts to expose the well-financed but non-scientific frauds who sell "male enhancement" pills.

Noni - Any Good?

I have been researching a new herb - noni - which certainly sounds sexy. I've read that noni juice is effective for raising nitric oxide levels. But then, so does vinegar, so that's not saying much.

Another Option for ED

Here is another product that sounds promising - called TriMix-gel, from Applied Pharmacy Services, Inc (Mobile, Alabama). I don't know much about the product or the company. I guess they are basically a pharmacy that mixes a compound with three drugs (prostanglandin, papaverine, and phentolamine) into a gel that you apply to the penis. Based on the ingredients, it should provide some help for men with ED. It might even work on woman! However, I haven't tried it so I can't say whether it work and whether it is safe. It needs a doctor's prescription and it costs $187 for 12 doses - over $10 a dose.

If you want more information on this product, here is a link: LINK HERE. If you have any experience with this product, let me know.

News of the World!

Here's a few nuggets of information I found today...

1. Here is an article (LINK HERE) that says if you inject sildenafil (the drug in Viagra) directly into your package, you might get a good erection (not that we recommend this). For some reason, this approach never caught on.


2. Here is an article (LINK HERE) that describes a nitric oxide donating form of sildenafil (NCX 911). So you not only get Viagra increasing nitric oxide levels, you get more nitric oxide along with it. Interesting.


3. I found a report on an arginine cream (for diabetic feet). Would this also help improve erections? I don't know! (LINK HERE).


4. As noted earlier, my friend acquired Befar through the Internet. He tried it and said it didn't have any obvious effect. I have heard that Befar needs to be refrigerated, so it is possible that the product decayed in the mail and arrived useless. Or, it may have been useless before it arrived. Or, it may be that it simply didn't work on my friend.

More Findings on CPAP and ED

I was reading an article today (LINK HERE) that shows treatment of sleep apnea with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) helps men with erectile dysfunction (ED) after 1 month. They also reported that men with less oxygen during sleep had more ED.

Bottom line: If you have sleep apnea, get a CPAP mask. If you have a mask, use it every night!

More on Insulin Resistance and ED

Here is another article exploring the role of insulin resistance - common in overweight and/or diabetic men. They authors of this paper reviewed the literature and concluded that problems with insulin can affect nitric oxide (NO) production and blood vessel health, which are important factors in erection health. Here is the LINK.

Does Aspirin Cause ED? How About Ibuprofen?

There is some rationale for thinking that pain killers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can contribute to weaker erections. This is because these drugs block prostanglandins, which are chemicals in the body that contribute to erections. The drug MUSE, which causes erections, is a prostaglandin E product.

Here are some links for those interested in this topic:

- Ibuprofen and ED: LINK

- Men taking NSAIDs have more ED: LINK.