Viagra Ingredient Found in dietary supplements

May 16th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Working with other FDA components, the division’s Internet and Health Fraud Team led an Internet survey in which more than one-third of purchased “dietary supplements” claiming to spur sexual enhancement or treat ED contained undisclosed prescription drug ingredients or similar substances.

Six of the 17 products contained sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra) or a substance similar to either sildenafil or vardenafil. Vardenafil is the active ingredient in Levitra, another FDA-approved prescription drug that treats ED.

Mark Hirsch, a medical team Leader in CDER’s Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products, says this undisclosed presence of prescription drug ingredients—and similar compounds known as analogs of the drugs—can lead to serious side effects in users.

Source: FDA Consumer Health Information

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How is erectile dysfunction commonly treated?

May 13th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Lifestyle changes—including exercising more, quitting smoking, losing weight, and cutting back on alcohol—may solve the problem. If you have made these changes and still have erection problems, your doctor can offer a number of other treatments. Treatment may include

  • Counseling. Even though most cases of ED have a physical cause, counseling can help couples deal with the emotional effects.
  • Oral medication. Your doctor may prescribe a pill to treat ED. Current brands include Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis. These drugs work by increasing blood flow to the penis. Do not take any of these drugs if you are taking nitrates, a type of heart medicine.
  • Injection. Medicines injected into the shaft of the penis or inserted into the tip of the penis usually cause an erection within minutes.
  • Vacuum device. A vacuum tube inserted over the penis can create an erection. As air is pumped out of the tube, the penis expands and blood flows into it. After the tube is removed, a specially designed rubber band is placed at the base of the penis to keep the blood from flowing out.
  • Penile implant. If other options fail, a surgeon can implant a device into the penis that inflates or can be straightened to create an erection.


Source:  National Kidney and Urologic Diseases

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Hidden Risks of Erectile Dysfunction “Treatments”

May 13th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Men looking online for “dietary supplements” to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) or enhance their sexual performance should beware: these products may contain prescription drugs or other undisclosed ingredients that can be harmful.

“The number of these problematic products available on the Internet appears to be increasing,” says Michael Levy, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Division of New Drugs and Labeling Compliance. The division is part of the Office of Compliance (OOC) in the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

Many consumers perceive these products as completely safe because they are often sold with labeling, suggesting that they are all-natural alternatives to prescription drug products that have been approved by FDA for treating ED.

But these products may be laced with potentially hazardous ingredients that aren’t noted on the label.

Since 2004, FDA has become aware of several such “dietary supplements”

Source: FDA Consumer Health Information

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What to tell your doctor if you have erectile problems?

May 12th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Talking about ED can be difficult. You might use a phrase like “I’ve been having problems in the bedroom” or “I’ve been having erection problems.” Remember that a healthy sex life is part of a healthy life. Don’t feel embarrassed about seeking help. ED is a medical problem, and your doctor treats medical problems every day.

If the interaction with your doctor doesn’t put you at ease, ask for a referral to another doctor. Your doctor may send you to a urologist-a doctor who specializes in sexual and urologic problems.

Your partner may want to come with you to see the doctor. Many doctors say ED is easier to treat when both partners are involved.

To find the cause of your ED, your doctor will take a complete medical history and do a physical examination.

Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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What causes erectile dysfunction?

May 10th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Many different conditions can lead to ED. Most of the causes of ED are health problems requiring treatment to help prevent more serious complications than ED:

  • High blood pressure and high cholesterol can injure the arteries that supply blood to the penis.
  • Diabetes injures blood vessels and the nerves that control erections.
  • Alcohol and drug abuse can cause ED by damaging blood vessels and deadening the nerves that control erections.
  • Some prescription drugs such as some antidepressants or some high blood pressure medicines can cause ED. Your doctor may be able to change your drug treatment. Never stop taking a prescribed drug without talking to your doctor.
  • Unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, and avoiding exercise can also contribute to ED.
  • Anything that’s bad for your heart is also bad for your sexual health.
  • An injury to the spinal cord can cause ED by interfering with nerve signals.
  • Treatments for prostate cancer, including radiation and prostate removal, can damage the nerves that control erections.
  • Diseases that affect the nerves, like multiple sclerosis, can also lead to erection problems.
  • A small number of ED cases result from a reduced level of the male hormone testosterone.
  • Doctors used to believe that most cases of ED resulted from mental or emotional problems. We now know that most ED has a physical cause. But depression and worry or anxiety can still cause ED. And ED from physical causes can lead to depression and worry, making physical ED worse.
  • A person should not assume that ED is part of the normal process of aging. There is quite likely an underlying cause.

Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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About Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

May 9th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Points to Remember about Erectile Dysfunction

  • Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse.
  • ED affects 15 to 30 million American men.
  • ED usually has a physical cause.
  • ED is treatable at all ages.
  • Treatments include psychotherapy, drug therapy, vacuum devices, and surgery.

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What causes an erection?

May 1st, 2009
by admin.
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Hormones, blood vessels, nerves, and muscles must all work together to make an erection. Your brain starts an erection by sending nerve signals to the penis when it senses sexual stimulation. Touching may cause this arousal. Another trigger may be something you see or hear. It may be a sexual thought or dream.

Diagram of nerve pathways from the brain to the penis
Your brain starts an erection by sending nerve signals to the penis.

The nerve signals cause the muscles within the penis to relax and let blood flow into the spongy tissue within the penis. Blood collects in this tissue like water filling a sponge. The penis becomes larger and firmer, like an inflated balloon. The veins then get shut off to keep blood from flowing out.

After climax, or after the sexual arousal has passed, the veins open back up and blood flows back into the body.

Anatomical drawing of blood vessels in the penis
Healthy blood vessels are needed for an erection.

Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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What men need to know about erectile problems

Apr 30th, 2009
by admin.
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Some people can talk with their doctors about sex. Others feel that sex is private. They do not want to share details with anyone. But if you have problems getting or keeping an erection, you have good reasons to talk to a doctor: your health and your quality of life.

Erection problems used to be called “impotence.” Now the term “erectile dysfunction” is more common. Sometimes people just use the initials ED.

ED can be a sign of health problems. It may mean your blood vessels are clogged. It may mean you have nerve damage from diabetes. If you don’t see your doctor, these problems will go untreated.

Another reason to see your doctor is to treat ED itself. Your doctor can offer several new treatments. For many men, the answer is as simple as taking a pill. Other men have to try two or three options before they find a treatment that works for them. Don’t give up if the first treatment doesn’t work. Finding the right treatment can take time.

Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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Surgery For Erectile Dysfunction Treatment

Apr 29th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Surgery usually has one of three goals:

  • to implant a device that can cause the penis to become erect
  • to reconstruct arteries to increase flow of blood to the penis
  • to block off veins that allow blood to leak from the penile tissues

Implanted devices, known as prostheses, can restore erection in many men with ED. Possible problems with implants include mechanical breakdown and infection, although mechanical problems have diminished in recent years because of technological advances.

Malleable implants usually consist of paired rods, which are inserted surgically into the corpora cavernosa. The user manually adjusts the position of the penis and, therefore, the rods. Adjustment does not affect the width or length of the penis.

Inflatable implants consist of paired cylinders, which are surgically inserted inside the penis and can be expanded using pressurized fluid (see figure 3). Tubes connect the cylinders to a fluid reservoir and a pump, which are also surgically implanted. The patient inflates the cylinders by pressing on the small pump, located under the skin in the scrotum. Inflatable implants can expand the length and width of the penis somewhat. They also leave the penis in a more natural state when not inflated.

Drawing of an inflatable implant to treat erectile dysfunction. An erection is produced by squeezing a small pump (a) implanted in a scrotum. The pump causes fluid to flow from a reservoir (b) residing in the lower pelvis to two cylinders (c) residing in the penis. The cylinders expand to create the erection.

Figure 3. With an inflatable implant, erection is produced by squeezing a small pump (a) implanted in a scrotum. The pump causes fluid to flow from a reservoir (b) residing in the lower pelvis to two cylinders (c) residing in the penis. The cylinders expand to create the erection.

Surgery to repair arteries can reduce ED caused by obstructions that block the flow of blood. The best candidates for such surgery are young men with discrete blockage of an artery because of an injury to the crotch or fracture of the pelvis. The procedure is almost never successful in older men with widespread blockage.

Surgery to veins that allow blood to leave the penis usually involves an opposite procedure intentional blockage. Blocking off veins (ligation) can reduce the leakage of blood that diminishes the rigidity of the penis during erection. However, experts have raised questions about the long-term effectiveness of this procedure, and it is rarely done.

Source: National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

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Vacuum Devices for Erectile Dysfunction

Apr 28th, 2009
by megdilts.
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Mechanical vacuum devices cause erection by creating a partial vacuum, which draws blood into the penis, engorging and expanding it. The devices have three components: a plastic cylinder, into which the penis is placed; a pump, which draws air out of the cylinder; and an elastic band, which is placed around the base of the penis to maintain the erection after the cylinder is removed and during intercourse by preventing blood from flowing back into the body (see figure 2).

Drawing of a vacuum-constrictor device placed around the penis. Pictured here are the necessary components: (a) a plastic cylinder, which covers the penis; (b) a pump, which draws air out of the cylinder; (c) an elastic ring, which, when fitted over the base of the penis, traps the blood and sustains the erection after the cylinder is removed.

Figure 2. A vacuum-constrictor device causes an erection by creating a partial vacuum around the penis, which draws blood into the corpora cavernosa. Pictured here are the necessary components: (a) a plastic cylinder, which covers the penis; (b) a pump, which draws air out of the cylinder; and (c) an elastic ring, which, when fitted over the base of the penis, traps the blood and sustains the erection after the cylinder is removed.

One variation of the vacuum device involves a semirigid rubber sheath that is placed on the penis and remains there after erection is attained and during intercourse.

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