Diabetes is a disease in which the body doesn’t properly use or produce sufficient amounts of insulin, which is a hormone needed to process sugar and starches. This disease has many side effects and can be deadly. Diabetes currently affects 7 percent of the population, and sadly the number of people with diabetes grows every day.One of the side effects of diabetes in men can be impotence. The fact that so many people know about this possibility means that many men who are diabetic suffer needlessly with impotence. In these cases, the impotence is caused not by the disease, but by the anxiety they feel.
If you’re a diabetic having problems with your erections (either a softening of the erections or no erections at all), I suggest that you visit a sex therapist for several reasons:
- The therapist may be able to help restore some or all of your lost functioning, if the cause isn’t physical.
- Even without a firm erection, sexual enjoyment and ejaculation can still be satisfying. A therapist can help you explore these possibilities.
- You should visit this sex counselor with your spouse because she may need reassurance that you are having these problems because of the disease, not because you no longer find her attractive or have taken an outside lover.
- You should also consult with your doctor because some products on the market may be able to restore your ability to have an erection, chief among them Viagra. If you’re not a candidate for Viagra or one of its competitors, then a penile implant may be the solution you require.
Drugs that can affect your sex life
Many drugs have side effects that pertain to your sex life. The following is a list of drugs that can affect various sexual functions. Take note: These drugs will not affect everyone the same way, but if you are taking one or more of these drugs and you notice that it is affecting your sexual functioning, speak to your doctor about it. The doctor may prescribe a different drug, or perhaps a different dosage, which can restore your sexual functioning. Drugs that have been on the market for a long time are more likely to affect your sexual functioning because when pharmaceutical companies first developed these drugs, their main concern was treating the symptoms involved. Only later, as these companies tinker with the dosages, have they eliminated some of the negative side effects.
Drugs that can affect sexual desire (names in parentheses are generic names):
Antihypertensives, antidepressants, hypnotics, antipsychotics, ulcer medications, birth control pills, and antianxiety drugs such as Aldomet (methyldopa), Anabuse (disulfiram), antihistamines, barbiturates, Catapres (clonidine), estrogens (used in men to treat prostate cancer), Inderal (propranolol), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), Lopressor (metoprolol), Serpasil (reserpine), TADs (tricyclic antidepressants), Tagamet (cimetidine), Tenorim (atenolol), Thorazine (chlorpromazine), Trandate (labetalol), and Valium (diazepam).
Drugs that can affect ejaculation:
Aldomet (methyldopa), anticholinergics, barbituates, Catapres (clonidine), Dibenzyline (phenoxy-benzamine), estrogens, Ismelin (guanethidine), Mellaril (thioridazine), MAOs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), Serpasil (reserpine), thiazide diuretics, Thorazine (chlorpromazine), tricyclic antidepres- sants, and selective serotonin inhibitors, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa.
Drugs that can affect erections:
Adalat (nifedpine), Aldomet (methyldopa), Antabuse (disulfiram), anticholinergics, antihis- tamines, Banthine (methantheline), barbiturates, Calan (verapamil), Cardizem (diltiazem), Catapres (clonidine), digitalis, Dilacor (diltiazem), estrogens, hydroxyprogesterone (for prostate cancer), Ismelin (guanethidine), Isoptin (verapamil), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), Lithonate (lithium), MAOs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), Mellaril (thioridazine), Procardia (nifedpine), Serpasil (reserpine), Tagamet (cimetidine), Thorazine (chlorpromazine), Trecator-SC (ethionamide), tricyclic antidepressants, Valium (diazepam), and Verelan (verapamil)
Drugs that can affect orgasm in women:
Aldomet (methyldopa), anticholinergics, Catapres (clonidine), MAOs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), tricyclic antidepressants, and selective serotonin inhibitors, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa.
Diabetic women can also suffer from diminished sexual functioning. The intensity of the orgasmic response is sometimes lessened, and she may develop a greater need for increased manual or oral stimulation of the clitoris to have an orgasm. Again, a sex therapist can help you deal with these symptoms.
