I am new to this site and need help. I am a spouse of a diabetic. He has had diabetes for the past 5 years and very recently has started experiencing erectile dysfunction. His Dr prescribed Viagra but it gives him severe headaches even with cutting the dosage. He has gotten to the point where he will not discuss this with his Dr nor me. It is a very sensitive issue for him and I am not sure how to approach this and even though he won't discuss it I know it is bothering him. Can anyone make suggestions/recommendations? Would greatly appreciate it.

Gigi: I have had diabetes for about 4 years(type2)and I also have an erection problem, our doctor also prescribed Viagra which also gave me headaches. Is youe husband taking any medication? My problem is caused by a combination of medications but we decided that without med. my health would go down hill. We still enjoy sex, but in other ways, masturbation(either mutual or singular),some oral,and we let our imagination take us to other heights. Hope this helps and answers your question

Diabetes does NOT cause erectile dysfunction--elevated blood sugar does, and the circulatory and nerve damage that high blood glucose levels causes. I've been diabetic since 1965. I have no problems with erections as long as my blood sugars are always in control. 4 or 5 years with diabetes is not a very long time, certainly not long enough to cause sufficient nerve and circulatory damage to lead to impotence, UNLESS these men have wildly fluctuating glucose levels, or constantly high levels. It's not diabetes that causes erectile problems, but uncontrolled diabetes. With work, anyone can control their diabetes to the degree sufficient for avoiding complications--all it takes is 100% dedication 24/7! I've been doing that for 38 years.

Michael

Originally posted by MikelBear:
Diabetes does NOT cause erectile dysfunction--elevated blood sugar does, and the circulatory and nerve damage that high blood glucose levels causes. I've been diabetic since 1965. I have no problems with erections as long as my blood sugars are always in control. 4 or 5 years with diabetes is not a very long time, certainly not long enough to cause sufficient nerve and circulatory damage to lead to impotence, UNLESS these men have wildly fluctuating glucose levels, or constantly high levels. It's not diabetes that causes erectile problems, but uncontrolled diabetes. With work, anyone can control their diabetes to the degree sufficient for avoiding complications--all it takes is 100% dedication 24/7! I've been doing that for 38 years.

Michael

Michael,
You said "With work, anyone can control their diabetes to the degree sufficient for avoiding complications--all it takes is 100% dedication 24/7!".

Could you give me a rundown on exactly what vitamins, minerals, and herbs you take, and tell me about your diet? Do you exercise every day?

Thank you for your time

Freddyfree

Ah, Freddie, if only it were as simple as "what vitamins, minerals, and herbs you take, your diet... and exercise." It is much more than a magic bullet of suppliments. Here is MY secret to success, for what it's worth:

Be vigilant all the time. Be self-controlled, be obsessive-compulsive, be unforgiving. Be very tough on yourself. Practice moderation to the point of self-denial.

I test my sugars 5-8 times a day. I inject insulin whenever it is over my range. I measure and calculate everything I put in my mouth. I eat less than 1000 calories per day, the exact same breakfast (3/4cup of wheat bran, 1/2 cup of skim milk, 1/2 banana and 2 prunes) and lunch (1 cup undressed salad greens, no "extras" such as cheese, croutons, etc--greens ONLY) every day. Dinner is one serving of starch (rice, potato or pasta) fresh vegetable and baked fish or poultry. I eat no meat, no fried foods, no cheese, butter, cream, or sweets of any kind. I exercise three times per week for about an hour each session--hard cardio workout such as cycling 15 miles or running 5 miles. I do not snack between meals, keep my weight below normal, and my body fat percentage in the 8-10% range. I take multivitamins, a cocktail of antioxidants (including CoQ10 (100mg), Alpha Lipoic Acid (100mg), megadose vitamins C and E). I dedicate myself to my health, my wife and children and my job as a school teacher--in that order. I derive sufficient joy from those aspects of my life, that I seldom feel a need to 'indulge' myself, but when I do, I do so without gulit, and plan for it in terms of compensating with extra exercise, tests, injections, etc. Does it sound hard? My mother told me when I complained many years ago, "Nobody ever said this life was going to be easy." It hasn't been, and I have not escaped without some scars, but then again, nobody makes it out alive... Oh, and--while maintaining my sexual health after four decades with diabetes, into my 50's, at least THAT'S on of my pleasures I continue to enjoy...!

Michael

This is for Michael,
I have had Diabeties for 8 known years. I have problems off and on maintaining. But some nights I have no problems. My doctor has said my problem is in my head. My ?? is are you saying if you have sex on a night when your Glucose is high, then you will have problems with an erection that night. If it is within a range a decent range or less you will not.

Or do you mean someone that has not taken care of themselves and then begins to take care of themselves will be able to achieve an erection since there BS is back in control. Thanks for any response.-gle

-gle:

If your problems are "off and on", and some nights you "have no problems", then your doctor is probably correct--the problem is in your head. I did not mean to imply that on nights when your glucose is high, you will have problems with erections that night, but if it is within range you will not. I DID mean that someone that has not taken care of themselves and then begins to take care of themselves will be able to achieve an erection when BS is back in control. However, not all nerve and circulatory damage (which affects ability to have erections) CAN be fixed thru good control--if things are too far gone, you're out of luck. Also, it can take a fairly long time of good constant control to see an improvement, if one is to occur. Momentary highs will seldom have an impact on erections--THAT would be mental--if you think a high reading will affect you, then it WILL affect you. Lows can affect erections more immediately--with a blood sugar of less than 60, erections are difficult or impossible.

Hope this helps,
Michael

This is for Michael:

Do you lift weights as a part of your exercise routine?

Face--No, I don't do any weight lifting. After many many years, diabetes can cause problems with tendons and other connective tissues (this is a complication they never tell you about...), and I have some difficulties witn my elbows, wrists, knees and fingers, such as swelling, stiffness, pain, and an occasionally "frozen" finger joint. Weights just cause too much additional strain on these vulnerable areas. My exercise routine consists of cardiovascular workouts--cycling, jogging, etc. I generally cycle about 15-20 miles in an hour, or run 5 miles in an hour, during good weather. In bad weather (much of the year here in Buffalo!) I have a treadmill, stairstepper and a recumbant cycle in the basement, and I'll rotate between them for an hour in 20 minute segments. My goal is to maintain a heart rate set by the cardiologist, so I wear a heart monitor and work according to that.

Michael