“Doc, I need testosterone for my mojo.” I hear this every day in my practice. Which in “guy speak” means erectile dysfunction. Although testosterone is great for libido and “mojo,” people often mistake testosterone as a viagra-like substance to aid in “getting it up”.
However, Testosterone and erectile dysfunction drugs work in totally different ways and one may not work without the other. So here are the facts:
Testosterone is like the foundation of a home. It is needed to prime all the organ systems to work properly including mental clarity, glucose metabolism, fat burning, mood and ability to deal with stupid, libido and, oh yeah, those erections! Testosterone primes the tissues in the penis to aid in engorgement of the blood in the penis, nervous system response to stimulation and ability and strength of the orgasm.
Viagra, and other erectile disorder drugs on the other hand are a vasodilator….in other words it allows for the penis to be able to engorge with blood property so that an erection is possible.
If a man’s libido is low or he has an inability to obtain an erection, one should start with testosterone first. An erectile dysfunction drug should only be used if the testosterone did not fix the issue, as then blood flow is likely an issue.
Blood flow problems usually result from smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and other things that cause damage to the arteries and veins. And is usually occurs over years of damage.
In severe cases, even testosterone coupled with a drug like Viagra will not do the trick. This is when penile injections (most men cringe at this thought but will do just about anything to “get it up”) and pumps may be helpful.
Bottom line is……if you don’t have your groove in the bedroom, talk to a doctor that specializes in testosterone replacement and has a good understanding that Viagra-like drugs are NOT the answer to everything.