Age vs. "A Problem"

[kreink]

I sorta realize that sexual interest and performance decrease with age, but my question is how do you determine if it is a problem, I suspect I am having issues but I have put it on the back burner as I have had so many other health problems this year and this just seemed like one more to add to the list.

I am 35, type 2 diabetic with peripheral neuropathy. I had back surgery earlier this year as well as gastroparesis. (Nerve damage to stomach) I take lantus insulin and manage my diabetes with excercise and diet. I have started smoking again, (since December) Yeah I know I have to quit, it is something I am working on. I weight about 220 lbs.

That is background, here is the disfunction

I have very little sex drive, I can get a partial erection but it I cant maintain it. Its nothing like it was when I was in my 20's I also have a great deal of difficulty achieving orgasm.

I figure its related to my diabetes, but wanted to see what others would say, seems like an issue since I am 35. Sometimes I wonder if it is also related to anxiety or stress since I worry about my health alot these days.

[glenntaj]

--of proper and enjoyable sexual function, but given the medical conditions you describe, it seems those would be avenues to look into.

A decrease in sexual interest, and in the ability to maintain erection for long periods of time, does happen with age, often due to both dropping hormonal levles and vascular considerations--one of the reasons that medications such as Viagra are so popular (these meds work by increasing vasodilation--in fact Viagra was first tested as a cardiovascular meds for heart patients; that didn't pan out, but some interesting side effects were noticed). Many men also regain some functioning with testosterone supplementation (also becoming increasingly popular).

There are clinical conditions, however, that also hinder sexual functioning--you may have noticed the ads on television for meds to treat benign prostate enlargement--and diabetes is one of the biggies in that regard. Erection/ejaculation are autonomic system functions--you already have autonomic issues if you have gastroparesis--and sexual difficulties (especially with erection maintenance--often ejaculation is relatively spared) are common in diabetics. The mechanism is thought to be primarily ischmeic (circulatory) in nature, as are many of the problems diabetes brings--damaged blood vessels can't bring nutrients/oxygen to and wastes from important distal areas as well as they once did, and sensitive tissue (especially nerve) is damaged.

Obviously, many diabetics use the above meds, and some swear by those that help prostate functioning, but the starting point, I think, is good blood sugar control, exercise (to tolerance) to improve circulation, checks for other conditions, such as low hormone levels, that may be ifluencing the process--and understanding partners (the last may actually be the most difficult to gain).

[kreink]

Obviously, many diabetics use the above meds, and some swear by those that help prostate functioning, but the starting point, I think, is good blood sugar control, exercise (to tolerance) to improve circulation, checks for other conditions, such as low hormone levels, that may be ifluencing the process--and understanding partners (the last may actually be the most difficult to gain).

Time to get my hormone levels checked then? I have had pretty good Blood sugar control and the Gastroparesis issues I had over the summer have subsided a great deal.
This has been really frustrating situation.

[mrsD]

Some drugs can affect this...

In males who use opiates, there can be depression in the hypothalamus affecting testosterone production. This can be measured, and treated with RX testosterone supplementation.

Diabetes is a common factor in loss of erectile ability.
In this case, drugs like Viagra are sometimes given.

[Jo*mar]

Smoking and impotence

[For men in their 30s and 40s, smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) by about 50 per cent.


Did you know?
The British Medical Association estimates that up to 120,000 men have ED because of smoking.
Erection can't occur unless blood can flow freely into the penis, so these blood vessels have to be in good condition.

Smoking can damage the blood vessels and cause them to degenerate: nicotine narrows the arteries that lead to the penis, reducing blood flow and the pressure of blood in the penis.

This narrowing effect increases over time, so if you haven't got problems now, things could change later.

Erection problems in smokers may be an early warning signal that cigarettes are already damaging other areas of the body - such as the blood vessels that supply the heart.]
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/smokehealth.htm

more info-
http://www.medicinenet.com/impotence_ed/page3.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003164.htm

[Idealist]

Hi, Kreink! :) One thing to remember is that appetites very often go together. I.E. Have you had a healthy eating appetite? Fun doing the things you like to do? Sexual drive is an appetite, too, and if all your appetites seem to be depressed, it could very likely be a stress disorder or a general body infection/inflammation/neuropathy. Whatever it is, I sure hope you find a way to get your act up again. :D Good luck, Fella! :)