Is diabetes causing erectile dysfunction?

I'm married to a T1 and can tell you that you are entitled to treatment and medication, which should you risk buying it yourself and get the genuine article( there are loads of fakes about), is VERY expensive. you're looking at 10s of pounds per pill.Speak to your Gp first. He/she can refer you to an endocrinologist who specialises in the subject.
I'm appalled that the diabetes care people are still not routinely asking male patients about this. It's VERY common.
Whatever you do don't stop taking essential meds and let your BG go up. that would probabaly make the problem worse, as well as making you feel awful.
If you need a bit of moral support. Do you have a sympathetic, wife? Take her with you.

I have been so down for a while with this problem and was unsure as to the reason. I am being treated for M.E aswell as my diabetes and had just assumed that it must have been the M.E that was causing the problem. Like you have mentioned hanadr, doctors should inform you of this and check as it can be a very embarassing condition and not something everyone is comfortable talking about. I wish I had had this mentioned to me as it would have helped me out and saved me some worry. I can't remember if it was on this site or not but I heard of a supplement called L-Arginine http://www.healthydirect.com/product/LARG5/d.jsf
I was tempted to give this a go as I figured it can't hurt. I will be mentioning it to my doctor aswell first in case they can suggest something better. On a side note I did have to laugh as on that page for the pills for erection supplements it advises you not to take them if you are pregnant!!!!!

Is this something caused by medication exclusively then, I thought I'd read that having Diabetes might cause it?

I don't suffer currently, but am interested to know if I might...

I think after I have been using Viagra for a week now that I can say that its safe to take. My sex life is back on track (!) and I still have normal readings - I had a headache and I was a little red in my face the first two days - but its gone now and even I have high blodpressure those readings are also normal. So whether you try Cialis or Viagra I dont think it should make any difference. My sugar readings are 5.6 on an average so I believe that my life is now stuck with yet another regular tablet to keep this part of my life intact. I dont know why I cannot get it up in a natural way with such good readings - Im only 45 - and I shouldnt become impotent already....especially as the amount of seemen seems to be normal.

Anyway - I suggest anybody with malfunctions down under to try these tablets whether having to buy them first from somewhere or getting them from the GPs that seems to be very careful in giving them out in big numbers. I understand from others on this site that GPs only allow 4 pieces per month which of course is totally unrealistic for a person with a normal sex drive. I really think this is something the diabetes community should take up with the NHS as it seems to be a huge problem that only few of us like to come forward with.

Its no good if our lifes are ruined because we cannot satisfy our healthy partners anymore it just adds more stress to our lifes and this should not be permitted especially when there are ways to make the problem go away!

KIM

i was told it could be a problem, but was able to get help for the condition. do not pay for it as the amount of fake stuff out there could do you harm. good luck and hopefully you will be back to normal soon

ED is mentioned in the Diabetes Uk materials. In this area of SE England, the medicine of preference is Levitra as a safer althernative to Viagra and Cialis. However it's NOT SAFE to buy this stuff over the internet. you don't know what you're getting, If anything.
I have written a letter to our local diabetes centre. I think they should take the lead in asking their male patients about it.
Nothing, however has changed so far.
Anyway
I'm a mere woman and not medically qualified, so why should they listen to me? A biology degree and 150 IQ don't count in their eyes.

With the age a man does lose some power and ED is one of that what some with type 1 or 2 are affected. That is not the end of the road. There are many solutions and certainly an expert i.e. Urologist can treat or diagnose. Buying anything on the internet or by some other means is a great risk to life. Those who are on mono nitrate would be risking if they take any drug like Viagra. Best person is your GP who can refer you to the Hospital specialist for this particular treatment. Get it and enjoy the life in this advance era of medicine. There is no need to worry be brave to discuss with the Drs. to overcome this problem. Good luck.

Don't just assume it's solely the diabetes that's causing the problem - you could have low testosterone. There are a number of studies that have found low testosterone in Type 2 males and more recently in Type 1 males as compared to the normal population.....

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index. ... le&id=2324
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 202018.htm

Low T can affect not just errections but also libido, muscle mass and cause fatigue. It can also lead to osteoporosis in later life.

It's worth bearing this in mind, as if it happens that you do have low testosterone, then taking viagra is just masking the underlying problem.

As you are all aware now, reading through this topic, your diabetes does have a impact on your sex life. I strongly suggest you speak to your GP. I am T1 and recently spoke to my doctor about ED and that my sex life was suffering. She was very understanding and said it is not an uncommon problem with diabetics, but she explained the options and medication available.

I am now in receipt of the little blue pill (viagra) which is only one of many options available, but I have found it to be a wonder and am now enjoying a full sex life once again.

So the message here is bite the bullet and speak to your doctor (trust me its difficult), they will have dealt with this before and will be understanding and sympathetic.

I have these problems and have been suffering for about eight years with ED. I have tried all of the medical solutions but nothing works for me, I am so depressed with that and all the other symptoms of this curse that is diabetes, especially while having to put on a happy face for the world outside pretending there is nothing wrong!

All I can say is that if you've recently been diagnosed, then make sure you get on top of the disease and keep your blood sugars down, you may not feel particularly ill now but it's further down the road when all the bad stuff kicks in!

ED? Unfortunately yes, that was in the UK (now live in France). GP would prescribe four Viagra per month but only of a low dosage which was not terribly effective. BTW, diagnosed Type 2 ten years ago.

Here? Higher strength Viagra and eight per month. Oh yes Iam now a happy bunny!

UK GP apart from treating me for diabetes, hypertension and depression did not give the proverbial jot. Here, no depression, no ED and hypertension very well managed. What else can I add ...

i know diabetes does have a huge impact on your sexual life and i do think it is worse for men but i think as a diabete woman it has a huge impact on some women as well i am a normal person and i would love my life be back on track. :?

As a 12 year Diabetic I can assure you that it has had no impact on my sex life at all for over 10 years. Since taking greater control of my Bg levels I have never felt fitter, livelier and healthier for years. So all in all, it isn't half as bad as some make out, and yes many years ago I was treated for ED, so I do know something about it. All the injections. pills and tests did very little. Reducing those Bg numbers and blood pressure levels did.

Edited: the above is only my OWN experience - it may not work for others......?

moggy said:

i know diabetes does have a huge impact on your sexual life and i do think it is worse for men but i think as a diabete woman it has a huge impact on some women as well i am a normal person and i would love my life be back on track. :?

Click to expand...

That's a good point Moggy. We hear all about ED but there is very little health information from the NHS with regards to diabetes and sexual dysfunction in women.

Have you tried talking about it to your Diabetic nurse or GP? There might be stuff they can do.

Cugila it's great that you got your sex life back on track with tighter control but it is worth bearing in mind that not all autonomic nerve damage is reversible for everybody.

There is much information about Female Sexual Dysfunction all starting from the NHS Choices website......
http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/goodsex/page ... ction.aspx

Sexual Dysfunction Association
http://www.sda.uk.net/

Diabetes UK
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-dia ... -problems/

FPA.
http://www.fpa.org.uk/Homepage

Thanks Cugila for the links.

However what I am talking about is a lack of NHS information about diabetes and its connection to female sexual dysfunction. For example if you look at the NHS Choices website page on Diabetes Complications you will find the only mention of sexual dysfunction (as a result of diabetic complications) is in relation to men:

Impotence in men (erectile dysfunction)

Damage to the nerves and blood vessels can lead to erection problems in men, particularly in men who smoke. This may be treated with medication.

In general, your risk of developing complications is greatly reduced if your blood glucose level is well controlled and if other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are properly controlled.
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-t ... tions.aspx

Thus men with diabetes are being informed by the NHS's main communication portal that sexual dysfunction is a likely complication of their diabetes whereas women aren't.

Goji, that first link goes straight to female sexual disfunction! Are you having trouble accessing the link?

Extract:
A lack of sex drive can have a range of physical or psychological causes, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, relationship problems, hormone disorders, excessive alcohol and drug use, tiredness, and previous sexual experience that has been traumatic.

Sorry guys, maybe I am not making my point very well. I will try again. I'm not talking about doing a search for female sexual dysfunction in general, I'm talking about the specific information that the NHS puts out about diabetic complications and sexual dysfunction.

When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, you are told there will be complications later on, Perhaps your doctor or nurse (not having much time to discuss the issues) will suggest you read the patient website NHS choices Diabetic complications webpage. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes/P ... tions.aspx

If you are a man you will be made aware (from reading that website) that sexual dysfunction is a likely complication of your disease in the future. If you are a woman you will not (from reading the NHS Choices Diabetic Complications page) find any information that suggests that your diabetes will cause sexual dysfunction.

Diabetic men are being prepared for the onset of sexual dysfunction due to diabetic complications, diabetic women are not.

Perhaps it is different where/when you were diagnosed. I was given plenty of info about retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy and nephropathy but was never told anything about sexual dysfunction. If I looked up diabetic complications on NHS Choices - the NHS's main health information portal - I would be none the wiser.

goji

And a bit more to add to this.....

In the NICE guidelines on management of Type 1 diabetes, we have professionals being told to proactively conduct annual screening for sexual dysfunction in IDDM males whereas there is no mention for screening in IDDM females.......

1.11.4 Neuropathy and associated complications

1.11.4.1 Men should be asked annually whether erectile dysfunction is an issue.

The Type 2 NICE guidelines say the same thing.