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Anti Depressants, Erectile Dysfunction, Poor Erection. Treatment ?
Question: I was prescribed anti depressant (sertaline 25 mg) once a day with atenolol 25 mg also once a day.This was for three years (from2003),after which sertaline was stopped by the doctor itself. But I continued taking sertaline irregularly without knowledge of doctor for three 3 years .Because I feared return of old suffering. when I came to know that it is XXXXXXX to do self medication I stopped it.(from 2010).That is for last one year I have stopped both sertaline as well as atenolol completely.Now I find that my libido has decreased and I Have ED problems. could it be because of withdrawal of atenolol or is it because of side effect of sertaline self medication ?I had a feeling of poor erection.Now my weight is 71 kg and height is 157 cm. Now my age is 37 and now I am taking longer to get an erection Is this normal I had a feeling of poor erection. Is this normal ? I consulted doctor,who got me tested for urine,VDRL,blood group,haemoglobin,HIV test...but no test of hormones,and said that everything is normal except for haemoglobin which was 14 in reading.He said this haemoglobin reading is of sexual haemoglobin and it should have been 22.Eight gms deficit should be first recovered..He recommends 18 IVs to make it 22and then start his treatment .I think poor erection and taking longer for it may be because of age factor. I feel he is after my money and is exploiting the situation ,instead of genuine treatment.Please enlighten me on this.
Hello,
Thanks for writing to us.
Sertaline treatment can cause erectile dysfunction. But it should not manifest now that you have stopped the treatment.
Regarding the hemoglobin levels, a reading of 14gm% is normal for an adult male. You do not have anaemia if the report is correct . So, there is no need fo i.v. iron treatment.
Erectile functions are affected by multiple factors - both organic and psychological. Urologist is an ideal person who can investigate for organic causes. You may need battery of test - blood test, ultrasound scans, doppler study, neurological assessment, etc to identify the cause.
If no organic causes is found perhaps lifestyle modifications will be necessary. Anxiety is found as the cause most often. Destressing measures like exercise, particularly aerobic exercise is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Apart from this, good couple intimacy, quiting smoking (if any) is the necessary to reduce the problem.
A few medical drugs such as phosphodiesterase inhibitors / alprostadil have been used for the treatment. You may get them prescribed by a doctor if none of the above measures are successful in treating the problem. Both oral medications as well as injections are available to help in maintaining the erection. Your physician will help you in choosing the best agent for you after examining you to rule out the contraindicating factors.
When pharmacological methods fail, a purpose-designed external vacuum pump can be used to attain erection, with a separate compression ring fitted to the penis to maintain it.
To increase your sex drive you can add celery, raw oysters, banana,avocado, almonds, eggs, figs, garlic,etc to your food.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful. Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Regards.
Thanks for writing to us.
Sertaline treatment can cause erectile dysfunction. But it should not manifest now that you have stopped the treatment.
Regarding the hemoglobin levels, a reading of 14gm% is normal for an adult male. You do not have anaemia if the report is correct . So, there is no need fo i.v. iron treatment.
Erectile functions are affected by multiple factors - both organic and psychological. Urologist is an ideal person who can investigate for organic causes. You may need battery of test - blood test, ultrasound scans, doppler study, neurological assessment, etc to identify the cause.
If no organic causes is found perhaps lifestyle modifications will be necessary. Anxiety is found as the cause most often. Destressing measures like exercise, particularly aerobic exercise is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Apart from this, good couple intimacy, quiting smoking (if any) is the necessary to reduce the problem.
A few medical drugs such as phosphodiesterase inhibitors / alprostadil have been used for the treatment. You may get them prescribed by a doctor if none of the above measures are successful in treating the problem. Both oral medications as well as injections are available to help in maintaining the erection. Your physician will help you in choosing the best agent for you after examining you to rule out the contraindicating factors.
When pharmacological methods fail, a purpose-designed external vacuum pump can be used to attain erection, with a separate compression ring fitted to the penis to maintain it.
To increase your sex drive you can add celery, raw oysters, banana,avocado, almonds, eggs, figs, garlic,etc to your food.
I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful. Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.
Regards.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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