Best Treatment for Low Libido in Men
You are lying next to your wife in bed thinking “I hope she doesn’t want to have sex tonight” because the thought of falling asleep is much more appealing than five minutes of sex. For many men ages 30 and up this is the reality of what accompanies male menopause. One of the main symptoms is low libido or sex drive. The second symptom, which is even more concerning for men, is erectile dysfunction.
These are issues not just present in Irvine, CA but global. This started happening to me when I was in my late thirties and I was lucky enough to recognize the symptoms and immediately begin treatment. I am going to give you three simple steps to maximize your libido and strengths of erections to give your relationship the best sex life possible.
Optimize your testosterone levels
The normal range for testosterone in men is 348 on the low end to 1197 on the high end. This means that if you take 1000 men your age some of them will have levels in the 300’s and others will have levels in the 1000’s. However we know that having optimal levels (850-1200) patients will feel much better.
In my case I started feeling a low libido at 37 and my levels at that time were 559 which 99% of doctors would tell me is normal. However, after I started using a high dose testosterone cream my levels shot up to 1250 and my libido improved dramatically. In addition I experienced no erectile dysfunction at all. I can not tell you how many men I treat with “normal” levels who are told by their doctors that “you are just getting old” that feel absolutely amazing within weeks of using testosterone.
In addition to feeling much better, the medical literature says that having levels in the upper 25% of the range reduces your risks of dying from heart disease and cancer by 25-30%. I can not tell you how many patients come to me saying “I would love to use testosterone to treat low libido or erectile dysfunction but am worried about what it will do to my body.” They equate testosterone with anabolic steroid use and are fearful. Contrary to what most people think, testosterone actually protects your heart, brain and bones and does not harm you at all.
Increase Nitric Oxide production in the body to reduce erectile dysfunction
Nitric Oxide (NO) is the molecule which causes the smooth muscle around the blood vessels to relax and increases blood flow to the penis. This is what is required for men to achieve an erection and have enjoyable worry free sex. The way to do this before the age of 40 is to make sure you are getting enough protein, specifically arginine, in your diet. Arginine is the amino acid that is a precursor to nitric oxide. This is why so many erectile dysfunction supplements contain arginine as the main ingredient.
After the age of 40 the process of generating nitric oxide switches from arginine to using nitrates in your diet. So what you need to start doing is consume foods high in nitrates. The two best foods are kale and beets. I simply tell my patients to juice kale, beets, carrot and apple daily to infuse your system with tons on nitrates. There are many companies that produce beet powder and put it in capsules.
The second thing you need to do to keep blood vessels happy and healthy is aerobic exercise. When I start taking to men about how exercise will improve their testosterone production and increase the firmness of their erections they suddenly become motivated to get up and move. All you need to do is exercise 20 minutes per day of interval training. Here is a typical workout that is only 25 minutes long but will do the trick.
Cut out the bad stuff and bring in the good stuff
The number one cause of erectile dysfunction in men is cigarette smoking. The chemicals in the smoke damage your blood vessels and make achieving and erection very difficult. So stopping smoking is a must. Secondly, if you are taking the drug propecia (finasteride) for hair loss you should seriously consider stopping it. Propecia blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is what drives libido and there is a black box warning that using propecia can cause permanent low libido. The reason why propecia works for hair loss is because DHT also drives male pattern baldness.
Do not be afraid to use a viagra (sildenafil) or cialis (tadalafil). The compound pharmacy I use makes viagra and cialis in many different forms and doses and it is only $8 per pill. This is much cheaper than the $25-$35 per pill that pharmaceutical companies charge. The bottom line is that these medications work extremely well and give you the much needed firm erection to have worry free sex with your wife or girlfriend. For 95% of men these medications are extremely safe and well tolerated.
The reality is that many men reading this right now are suffering and are not being told that they have legitimate options to correct their low libido and/or erectile dysfunction. The first step is to have all your hormone levels checked. Once we know that you are not in the optimal range we prescribe testosterone at the appropriate dose to get you there. We will then make sure that you are doing everything possible to boost nitric oxide levels and improve the health of your blood vessels. Lastly, we will make sure you that you stop any medications that could be effecting your libido and/or the quality of your erections and also get you on the correct dose of viagra and/or cialis.
If you would like to schedule a consult with Dr. Sean Breen simply give us a call at 877-721-0047 and visit us online at www.breencenter.com