I am 57. In recent years I have experienced difficulty keeping an erection and it’s getting worse. I have used Viagra/Cialas,.. and they work fine. But I’m starting to need higher doses, and the effect doesn’t last very long. I am in very good shape (work out every day), no health issues. I don’t smoke, my testosterone shot down with out explanation from 550 to 200. after some tests, I am now taking testosterone replacement therapy. The gel underarm was fine, but now I am on my second pelet under the skin. Overall I feel real good, and my muscle tone has improved, but I feel like my penis is shrinking. Like in a flacid state it gets real smal and lifeless. What could be causing this? I feel like I am too healthy for this sincerely. P.S. I am an executive for a large company, so I do have some stress right now.
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Being healthy has preserved your erection function years longer than you would have enjoyed if you’d been a smoker, or were overweight and sedentary, or had diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or heart disease. But unfortunately, being healthy doesn’t exempt you from age-related sexual changes, for example, erection difficulties and a shrinking penis.
About your erections: I’m glad that Viagra/Cialis work for you. One of these drugs’ nasty little secrets is that they don’t work as well as the pharmaceutical industry claims. Manufacturers say 70 to 80 percent effectiveness, but the research suggests more like 50 to 60 percent. In addition, manufacturers and researchers define “effective” as any increase in firmness that enables intercourse. But many men think that “effective” means rock-hard porn-star erections. It doesn’t. The drugs can be “effective” and you still feel on the soft side.
It’s totally normal to need higher doses of erection medication over time. The good news is that higher doses are not toxic, so you can increase your dosage in consultation with your doctor without fear of horrible things happening. The bad news is that as the dose increases, so does risk of side effects, notably: headache, hot flashes, and nasal congestion. These side effects are considered medically minor, but for some men they’re annoying enough to discourage high doses of the drugs. You sound well informed, but you might want to read these articles in the Info Library: Erection Myths, ED Treatment, the , and .
About your shrinking penis: You’re by no means alone. Many men your age observe that their penises seem to be shrinking, with circumcised men often complaining that the head retracts into what’s left of the foreskin. At any age, penis size, both flaccid and erect, depend on blood flow through the organ. Even if you’re a nonsmoker and modest drinker who gets regular exercise, is not overweight, and has normal blood pressure and cholesterol, simply eating a typical American diet (meat and cheese several times a week, if not daily) means that you’re almost certain to have some arterial narrowing due to atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty, cholesterol-rich deposits in your arteries. Even modestly narrowed arteries mean reduced blood flow into the penis, and reduced blood flow means a smaller penis that looks and feels like it’s shrinking. In addition, stress constricts the arteries including the arteries of the penis. You say you’re under work stress. That may be adding to your problem.
There is no mainstream medical treatment for older men’s shrinking penis, but there is a medicinal herb that has been shown to improve blood flow around the body, ginkgo, available wherever herbal supplements are sold. You may have heard that ginkgo is used to treat dementia. The reason is that it improves blood flow through the brain. Ginkgo also improves blood flow through the penis. At the recommended dose, 240 mg/day, you may notice less shrinkage. You may also get a bit of an erection boost. Ginkgo is safe, but years ago there was a suggestion that it might increase risk of bleeding problems. More recent research has largely debunked that. So try ginkgo in consultation with your doctor. It just might help.