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I'm 22 and think I have ED! Help!

Zeeshan123

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm 22 years old and was diagnosed as a child with type 1, my control has generally been alright but not the best and my recent hba1c was 6.8 which I'm told is excellent, however for the past few months I've been having problems with my elections. I'm able to get it up with no problem but not for very long and its also not as strong as it used to be (sometimes gets erect but stays really soft) it's really embarrassing and I haven't spoken to anyone about it and my wife mostly just thinks it's because my sugar level is high even though it's not. I'm so confuse, what should I do? I'm only 22 how can this be possible and is it diabetes related as I'm not particularly over weight maybe a couple kilos but not much. Someone please answer.
 
I would talk to your Dr or Diabetic team about the matter if I were you, long term Diabetes can cause this to happen BUT your still only young
 
Firstly, relax! Stress and anxiety will only make it worse.

Second, as gaz-m says, go see your doc. You may have to overcome some embarassment but remember that medics here this stuff all the time.

Third, it can happen for a variety of reasons so it's important that you get a proper diagnosis.

Good luck!
 
Gaz-M and urbanracer thanks for replying, I know I shouldnt stress because that just makes it worse but it just worries me considering how young I am. I have made an appointment to see my doctor and will definitely have to come up with the courage to speak to them about it.
I wish there was someone my age or around my age who's been through or going through something similar that I could talk to and get advice from.
 
it may well be that it has happened a few times for unknown reasons and now you think about it before you do.............. well that and that might be caussing the problem ???
 
I get where you are coming from. The one thing I kept being told by doctors was that if I didn't control my bloods this would happen. The issue is that it can play on your mind and you find that you are suffering problems in spite of there being no physical reason for it.

It's definitely worth having a chat with your team to confirm that physically you are fine. Then it's only getting over the mental blocks, which is much easier once you've got the physical okay.
 
Whatever you do, Zeeshan123, don't be a fool like me. I was a little older than yourself when I started to experience ED but was too embarrassed to go to my doctor.

As it happens, the first doctor I spoke to must have assumed I was joking because of my age and laughed. (He wasn't my own GP, but a doctor that I used to work with in caring for elderly, mentally infirm clients ... that's people suffering with one or more types of dementia.) That made me feel so small and embarrassed that it took me another good 18 months to 2 years before I plucked up the courage to talk to my own GP. At the same time I referred myself to a psychosexual counsellor, just in case it was the 'stress' of dealing with my job.

Eventually, I was referred to see a genito-urinary specialist at our local hospital and various tests were run. It was determined that I was suffering with ED due to autonomic neuropathy ... nerve-ending trouble. (It's a different type of neuropathy to the peripheral neuropathy that affects sensations in the feet and hands. This type affects things that happen 'automatically', such as sexual function, bowel and bladder function, blood pressure control, heart rate, temperature control, etc.)

The first lot of treatments offered were papaverine injections into the intracavernosal chambers of the penis. The doctor will need to do this for the first few occasions, and if it's suitable, teach you how to administer injections yourself. (Actually, papaverine sulphate injections have long since been replaced with another injection called Caverject.)

One slight problem that MIGHT occur, particularly if you inject many times, is that you get hardening of the skin ... it becomes slightly scarred.

Injections, of course, are NOT the only methods for treating ED. There are a number of different oral medications ... Sildenafil (Viagra), Tadalafil (Cialis), Vardenafil (Levitra) and derivatives of these. You MUST, however, be careful of these medications if you're taking medications for hypertension (high blood pressure) as they lower blood pressure, which COULD possibly cause ill effects for some people.

There are also intraurethral pessaries, called MUSE. This is a small tablet-like 'pill' that's inserted into the urethra ... the hole that you pee through.

There's a vacuum therapy device, which you can now get on prescription. This is a hollow tube, into which you insert your penis. You then use a pump mechanism to extract all of the air, creating a vacuum, which engorges your penis with blood. A tight elastic band is then applied around the base of the penis, which holds the blood in place, and the vacuum is then released and the plastic tube removed. You can then keep the elastic band in place for around about 30 to 40 minutes, which should give you time to 'do the business'. (The band needs to be removed as you'll notice that the blood begins to become less oxygenated ... turning blue ... which is due to the fact that you've stopped the blood from flowing to your penis.

To be honest with you, the vacuum therapy device was the method that proved most effective for me, though some of the other methods DO offer good results to some people.

Hopefully, sir, you will see your doctor. Diabetes is NOT the only cause of ED, so your doctor will need to look at such things as the medication(s) that you're already taking. Some of these CAN and DO cause 'problems' for some men. Your doctor MAY also consider the type of work that you do as some stressful jobs CAN have a detrimental effect on some people, as well as looking at other things, such as a lack of B vitamins, which MIGHT affect you.

I wish you well, Zeeshan123.

Lots of Love and Light.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'. It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for some 30-odd years now.
 
Thanks for the replies guys I hope it's nothing serious, I'll just have to wait to see my specialist now.
If there is anyone around my age on here please get in touch, would be nice to compare experiences
 
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