erectile dysfunction

Thiamine Deficiency, Fatigue, and Erectile Dysfunction

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Thiamine deficiency and erectile dysfunction

Hello, I am a 33 year old male who has been experiencing a vast range of symptoms over four years including progressively worsening fatigue, brain fog, muscle weakness, body pain and erectile dysfunction. Only a few months ago, I discovered that there could be a relevance of thiamine in all of my issues. All of my health problems worsened at the age of 29 years old. More context can be found below.

Childhood Problems

I had problems with:

  • Concentration and focus
  • Emotionally down
  • Prone to common cold (infection)
    • Unfortunately I was put on antibiotics more often every few months as a kid (amoxicillin)
  • Brain fog
    • My brain is slow at processing things, there is always a latency associated with me to perceive things.

Health Journey

My health journey is complex. In the sections below I have tried my best to capture the sequence of events and diagnostic data we have so far. I began developing fatigue, not feeling refreshed even after sleep in my early 20’s but I continued pushing myself – not knowing how to address this. Irrespective of these limitations, I was an active adult – I was working out regularly, lean and athletic. My food habits were clean i.e., no processed foods, no alcohol, but majority of my calories were from carbs. My macro mix was approximately 50% carbs, 25% fat, 25% protein. Being a South Asian, white rice is part of my staple diet.

Things started to go really bad around 29 years of age when my fatigue, brain fog, muscle weakness, body pain worsened and nocturnal erections started to degrade. I was not able to obtain erection without Viagra. I started my health journey to fix my erectile issues. Because of my appearance (lean and athletic) all the doctors refused to even work with me, saying the issues were psychological. I found an alternative doctor who ordered blood work and we found few biomarkers that were off.

  • Very low Vitamin-D3 – 12.8
  • Low Platelets – 60,000 – 80,000 x10E3/uL
  • Subclinical Hypothyroidism (Elevated TSH – 9.5 uIU/mL and Reverse T3 – 33.8 ng/dl)
  • Testosterone was low for my age but not below reference range – 525 ng/dl

Unfortunately, this is the first time I had a comprehensive health checkup, so I don’t have any previous data to compare against. Since I was in the Pacific Northwest area where there is not much sun, I was living with low D3 for years. I worked with a hematologist to ensure low platelets were not as a result of any major illness. I started addressing my thyroid using levothyroxine and low vitamin-D3 with a vitamin-D3 supplement.

Subclinical Hypothyroid and Low D3

We developed a plan to address vitamin-D3 deficiency via supplements and also thyroid via levothyroxine. We started with 50 mcg of levothyroxine, which improved some of my symptoms slightly. The fatigue, brain fog and erectile issues improved somewhat. Unfortunately this was short lived and after ~4-6 weeks, my health started deteriorating again. Since I saw initial progress with thyroid, the doctors assumed my health issues were related to thyroid and started treating me with different thyroid formulations, different forms etc., to improve thyroid function.

After looking at my thyroid labs, doctors always mention that my thyroid hormones – FreeT3, FreeT4 were good but my reverseT3 and TSH were always elevated.

Neuropathy and Disc Herniation

In the end of 2020, I began developing burning pain in my lower back, which eventually started flowing to both my feet. MRI confirmed that disc herniation in my L5-S1 layer impacted S1 nerve root. I also took EMG that confirmed there is mild impact on S1 nerve root. The burning pain coincided with worsening erectile dysfunction. I was no longer responding to Viagra and I was in immense burning pain. After a few months of intense pain, the pain has begun to recede, but I am still experiencing a constant burning sensation, except when I sleep.

Disc herniation or burning pain was not as a result of any incident. It seemed to develop gradually, like everything else. A straight leg test or no movement worsened it immediately. One neurologist had an alternate theory that burning pain was not coming from disc herniation but because my D3 was low for a long time my microbiome was affected. Since gut bacteria synthesize B vitamins, she suspected that I was deficient. Her theory was I was deficient in vitamin-B5, which was resulting in burning pain and sleep issues. It is also possible that burning pain is caused by thiamine deficiency. I talk about this in the thiamine supplementation section below.

Neurological Issues

During this time period when I developed burning pain, I was also struggling with temperature regulation issues. When I moved from outside ~90f to inside ~70f, I would get chills. I was feeling cold most of the time, cold hands and feet, and sweating profusely.  I used to get pins and needles randomly when out in the sun or while walking.

Gastrointestinal Issues

When I developed burning pain, I also started experiencing bad constipation. I was not able to empty my bowel at all. I had to take herbal laxatives every day for my bowel movement. I have also been experiencing bloating, seeing undigested foods in stool, chronic bad breath – potentially from SIBO. In the last three years, I have lost more than 20 pounds. I look more lean and weak at this point.

Sleep Issues

It has been years since I woke up feeling refreshed. I rarely dream. I have noticed that I am able to easily fall asleep and stay asleep most of the time but my sleep quality is bad, especially the later half of the sleep where REM sleep occurs.

Erectile Dysfunction

I have no nocturnal erections at this point and have not had any over the last several years. I still rely on Viagra and am now taking more than 100 mg, which is the max dosage of Viagra. On some days I don’t respond to Viagra as well. All other obvious issues associated with erectile dysfunction were ruled out including hypertension, heart issues, and hormonal issues. Essentially, I am a ‘healthy’ individual suffering from erectile dysfunction. With all of the other issues, am I really healthy? I don’t think so, but the doctors do.

Toxins and Micronutrient Deficiencies

One of the theories of a doctor who evaluated me was that I was exposed to some toxins. Testing revealed that I had high levels of ochratoxin A, a mycotoxin, which is usually from aspergillus but may be impacted by glyphosate exposures. Based on my blood and urine markers, they confirmed that my detox pathways were impaired and in need of more B-vitamins. I also did a Spectracell testing, which looks at the vitamins and minerals in the cell level, and it did show a deficiency in vitamin-B5, and borderline deficiencies in few other vitamins, which supplementing with a multi-vitamin didn’t appear help.

 

Thiamine (Benfotiamine) Supplementation

 I began supplementing with Life Extension – 250mg of Benfotiamine and many things happened.

  • My sleep quality improved and I felt slightly refreshed the next morning.
  • I started getting partial nocturnal erections.
  • I started responding to the same dosage of Viagra much better than before taking Benfotiamine.
  • Better energy and mood.
  • Burning pain in my feet reduced greatly.

The problem, from second day onwards my sleep quality fell apart. I was easily able to fall asleep but was not able to sleep for more than ~5-6 hours and my REM + Deep sleep was less than 90 minutes.

I increased electrolytes

  • Potassium
    • Add 1 litre of coconut water
    • Added 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
  • Magnesium
    • Increased from 250 mg to 375 mg – I am taking Magnesium Malate

This improved my sleep quality slightly, but I still struggled. I couldn’t sustain taking Benfotiamine at the same dosage for a long time. So I had to stop.

Current State

Supplements I take currently:

  • Vitamin B12 – 1000 mcg
  • Vitamin D3 – 10,000 IU
  • Magnesium Malate – 375 mg
  • Creatine (~3 grams)
  • Athletic Greens (Multi Vitamins)

I am still suffering with all the issues mentioned above and struggling to incorporate thiamine. How should I proceed here?

  • Should I try small dosages of TTFD and proceed from there? What cofactors to incorporate?
  • Should I work with doctors and take thiamine injections or incorporate IV?
  • Should I try Myer’s IV – which contains below formula once a week for few weeks to see if I can experience any improvement to validate this theory
    • 5 mL of magnesium chloride hexahydrate (20%)
    • 3 mL of calcium gluconate (10%)
    • 1 mL of hydroxocobalamin (1,000 μ/mL)
    • 1 mL of pyridoxine hydrochloride (100 mg/mL)
    • 1 mL of dexpanthenol (250 mg/mL)
    • 5 mL of vitamin C (500 mg/mL)
    • 20 mL of sterile water
    • 1 mL of B-complex 100 containing:
      • 100 mg of thiamine HCl
      • 2 mg of riboflavin
      • 2 mg of pyridoxine HCl
      • 2 mg of panthenol
      • 100 mg of niacinamide
      • 2% benzyl alcohol

I have been very determined to get myself out of these conditions. Any help or guidance here will be much appreciated?

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Urological and Sexual Symptoms in Male Thiamine Deficiency

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male urological symptoms with thiamine deficiency

I’m a 29-year-old male who has experienced a vast umbrella of odd symptoms over the last three years, including several urological and sexual capacity symptoms. Only a few months ago did I discover the relevance of thiamine in all of my issues. All of my problems began at the age of 27 years old. I was drinking three to seven cups of coffee per weekday and binge drinking alcohol one to two nights on most weekends. Despite this, I was and am still a very fit, muscular, and lean individual. If I were to describe all of my health problems to a stranger, they’d be very surprised to hear that I was dealing with such things given my healthy appearance.

Urological Symptoms and Reduced Sexual Capacity

The seemingly random downward spiral in my health began in October 2019. I remember being alarmed as I started to feel some odd urological symptoms. I felt numbness and burning in my penis, pain with ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, altered sense of ejaculation, and more. As you can imagine, as a 27-year-old male who is still in his reproductive years this was very troubling.

I went to a urologist and without doing any testing, they told me I had prostatitis. I was convinced for the longest time that I had something called Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS), which is a poorly understood condition as well. I had all of the lab work that one would get done including an STI screening, hormonal panel, CBC, etc. I had no STIs, my testosterone was north of 800 ng/dl and all my other health markers were very well in range. On paper, I looked extremely healthy.

Gastrointestinal Problems

At the same exact time that I developed urological symptoms, I started to experience some very odd gastrointestinal symptoms as well. I’d experience extremely high levels of abdominal distention even after eating the smallest portion of food. I’ve always been into fitness and counting my calories therefore I knew it wasn’t because I was eating too much food. I’d also find myself constantly needing to burp, had reflux and I felt like food was just sitting in my stomach. I sort of ignored the GI symptoms a bit because the urological ones were so much more at the forefront of my brain.

Fatigue, Brain Fog, and Muscle Fasciculations

Three months later, I started to develop extreme levels of fatigue. A feeling of being “tired behind my eyes” and having no motivation to do anything. Just focusing on a task or even socializing with people became extremely difficult. Around this time, I also developed muscle fasciculations throughout my entire body seemingly at random. They weren’t painful, but just very odd. We’ve all experienced the occasional eyelid twitch, but this was way different.

Other Odd Symptoms

Other symptoms I’d experienced during the last three years included a hand tremor, feeling more “clumsy” than normal, anxiety, depression, SIBO, joint pain, muscle pains, random tingling and burning sensations. I had one panic attack, developed laryngopharyngeal reflux, and more.

My symptoms would wax and wane seemingly at random. I remember I tried cutting out alcohol and any form of caffeine for three months thinking that would help. Although it didn’t hurt, it didn’t completely resolve any of my issues. I also tried water fasting for three days and going gluten-free for a month.

Discovering Thiamine

Throughout the last three years, I’ve learned an exceptional amount about health, longevity, supplementation, etc. At one point, I became extremely fascinated by the process of methylation and was trying to see how various genetic polymorphisms may be playing into my issues (MTHFR in particular.). I knew I didn’t just have prostatitis or CPPS because it made no sense to me that all of a sudden all these different systems of my body were negatively affected (neurological, gastrointestinal, urological).

Then randomly, one day I stumbled upon one of Elliot Overton’s videos on thiamine when browsing Reddit. I must say that at this point I had never heard of anyone discussing thiamine. All of the information regarding B vitamins online was generally focused on B9 and B12. I binge-watched most of Elliot’s videos regarding thiamine in the course of a day. So many things started to make sense and I finally felt like I potentially had an explanation for all of my odd symptoms. I ordered TTFD fairly shortly after that.

The Path to Recovery

Of course, me being me I didn’t go “low and slow”. I started with a dose of 200 mg TTFD per day. On the second day of 200 mg TTFD, I remember feeling human again. It was as if someone gave me Adderall. I had an abundance of mental energy, I felt incredibly sharp, focused, relaxed and my ability to socialize with people improved tremendously. When I would walk around, I felt “connected” to people again. I don’t know how else to describe it. There was no need for my typical coffee when feeling this way.

On top of this, I noticed that my libido and erectile quality had massively improved. I was able to get aroused incredibly easily without any manual stimulation. I also noticed that the muscle fasciculations had reduced tremendously in frequency and were far less noticeable. This fell in line with the hypothesis of all these health issues being interrelated.

Unfortunately, this limitless pill feeling didn’t last. I noticed that despite the tremendous improvement experienced in those two days, my symptoms would constantly fluctuate. I remember I had some GI disturbances when I continued the 200 mg TTFD dose.

This is where I decided to become extremely detailed in my supplementation log. I’m highly analytical in nature and therefore of course I developed a spreadsheet where I would log my intake of all supplemental forms of B vitamins and what quantity I was taking. I would make notes regarding how I felt each day, my libido, the quality of my sleep, and anything else that may be relevant. I started digging more into Elliot’s videos, learning about the paradoxical effect, what each symptom may mean, etc.

At this moment, this is still a puzzle I’m trying to figure out. There are times in my supplementation with TTFD that I feel like I’m truly on the “limitless pill”. I’m a completely different person and it’s apparent to everyone around me. Things that would normally seem like a big deal were no longer a big deal.

One big breakthrough that I did have was that I realized that I may have gone too hard too fast with the TTFD. I was able to achieve the same level of success after bringing the dosage back down to 50-100 mg. I’ve also experimented with some different forms of thiamine including Sulbutiamine and Benfotiamine, although I’m not sure I’d say I’ve responded as well to those forms.

Diet, Medications, and Exercise

Although I eliminated foods with gluten for a period, I observed no noticeable change when I removed it from my diet. So I am back to eating breads and grains. If I had to give a rough macronutrient breakdown, I’d say my diet consists of approximately 150 g protein, 70 g fat, 300 g carbohydrates. This varies a lot day to day. I don’t go as far as tracking my macronutrients these days but I think this is a decent estimate. I definitely grew up on white rice and probably a generally higher carbohydrate diet. I wouldn’t say my carbohydrate sources are the healthiest, mostly bread and white rice.

I have really tried to minimize caffeine and alcohol intake. I may drink two to four cups of coffee per week max. I would like to eliminate it entirely because I feel like it does nothing but mask my symptoms and I know that genetically I have a SNP that causes me to be a slow metabolizer of caffeine. I am also trying to abstain from alcohol but it’s difficult and that definitely fluctuates. I’d say generally two nights per week I have 2-3 drinks for a total of 4-6 drinks.

I take no medications except Cialis on occasion.

I work out 3-4 days per week. It consists of a moderate volume of lifting weights and 20-45 minutes of low-moderate intensity cardio each time.

Every now and then I’ll take some BCAAs that have some sodium, potassium and a little bit of B6 as Pyridoxine HCl in each scoop. I only just started taking a whey protein supplement for the first time in ages. Maybe a scoop per day.

These are the supplements I have been taking.

  • B Complex: Originally started with Thorne’s Basic B and switched to Thiavite.
  • TTFD – 100 mg per day
  • Vitamin C: 500 mg as Ascorbic Acid/ 75 mg citrus bioflavonoids per day.
  • Vitamin D: I used to take more but lately only 10,000 – 15,000 IU per week. I live in Florida.
  • NAC: 500 mg – 1000 mg: I’ve cycled this off and on. I heard that sluggishness and unrefreshing sleep can be due to low glutathione levels and that this could help. I’ve also heard it’s good for your liver health, which is why I originally started taking it.
  • Magnesium Bisglycinate: 300 – 450 mg
  • Creatine: 5 grams
  • EPA: 4 grams
  • Seed Probiotic

Current Status and Remaining Issues

My current symptoms wax and wane and are as follows: fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, low libido, variable erectile quality, neuropathy (burning feet and numbness in my forearm) and muscle fasciculations. My GI-related issues are pretty much gone.

I feel like I’m on the cusp of figuring this out but it’s a bit tricky to get everything in the right balance, especially with a lack of testing. When I look back on my life, I definitely think there’s some genetic aspect to this considering I can’t even remember when my brain felt as good as it did during those first few days of TTFD. Not to mention some of those lifestyle factors like excessive coffee consumption and weekend alcohol binges.

Just thought I would share in case this could help anyone else out there. Would also love to know if anyone has any advice.

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, and like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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Erectile Dysfunction as a Sign of Dysautonomia

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erectile dysfunction dysautonomia

It is entirely possible that some people are not aware of the mechanism by which the penis becomes erect. Because it arises spontaneously in relation to any form of sexual stimulation, the failure of an erection has long thought to be psychological. However, it must be clearly understood, that even if it is psychological in character, there has to be a physical mechanism.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common clinical entity that affects mainly men older than 40 years and so it has been generally thought that aging is a factor. It is associated with several lifestyle factors, including obesity, limited or absence of physical exercise and lower urinary tract symptoms. It has also long been associated with diabetes and hypertension and is a strong predictor for coronary artery disease. Therefore, a patient presenting simply with ED as his only symptom should receive cardiovascular assessment. Metabolic syndrome is the term given to a cluster of biochemical and physiological abnormalities associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It is reported to be the most important public health issue threatening the health of men and women all over the world. Its current prevalence is said to be approximately 30% but the numbers are continuously increasing. The syndrome is considered a risk factor for ED by itself.

The Autonomic Nervous System

As has been described in the pages of this website many times, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is almost completely automatic and is governed by controls in the limbic system of the brain and the brainstem. It consists of two major components, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. These two branches of the ANS always work in concert, emphasizing the “do’s” and “don’ts” of body functions. In order to become erect, the arterial blood is pumped into erectile tissue in the penis and the venous return is occluded. This action is under the control of the parasympathetic branch of the ANS, while ejaculation is under the control of the sympathetic branch. Obviously, this is complex because the two branches have to be able to coordinate their activity. That is why ED is a symptom of dysautonomia, a condition that may present with a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms. These include: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, orthostatic intolerance, heart palpitations, constipation or diarrhea, poor appetite or early satiety, urinary retention or incontinence and, as we have pointed out, ED. Failure to connect the diverse symptoms with a single underlying mechanism may lead to incorrect diagnoses, inappropriate interventions and frustration on the part of both doctors and patients.

An otherwise fit young man, leading an active life, whose only complaint at presentation was dizziness after extreme exertion, has been reported. Subsequently, he developed typical symptoms of autonomic failure, with postural dizziness, urinary abnormalities and erectile failure. Although so-called psychogenic ED is more prevalent in the younger population, at least 15 to 20% of these men have an organic etiology, shown to be a predictor of increased future morbidity and mortality. It is estimated that it affects 20% of men above 40 years of age with the incidence increasing with increasing age. For this reason studies are more frequently carried out among middle-aged and elderly man with underlying the comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular or neurological pathologies and medication. Please note the inclusion of medication, many of which are known to precipitate thiamine deficiency.

The Role of Nutrition in Erectile Dysfunction

A variety of studies have indicated a beneficial effect from vitamin D supplementation on the development of type-2 diabetes. The vitamin biotin also regulates the synthesis of insulin. Benfotiamine, a derivative of thiamine, together with pyridoxamine, a vitamer (any one of a number of chemical compounds, generally having a similar molecular structure, each of which shows vitamin activity in a vitamin-deficient biological system) of vitamin B6, both have properties that make them valuable therapeutic adjuvants in the treatment of diabetic complications. Thus, various vitamins and their derivatives have profound therapeutic potential in the prevention and treatment of type-2 diabetes.

Thiamine is an essential cofactor in carbohydrate metabolism and individuals with diabetes are thiamine deficient. The pathophysiology of recognized complications of thiamine deficiency is similar to that underlying atherosclerosis and the metabolic syndrome, namely oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. The potential benefit of long-term replacement of thiamine in diabetes is not yet known but may reduce cardiovascular risk and other complications.

Dysautonomia

A 42-year-old HIV-positive woman had recurrent episodes of vomiting and developed severe dysautonomia, together with the classical manifestations of Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The authors go on to say, “As dysautonomia is frequently the earliest sign of beriberi (the classical thiamine deficiency disease), this case illustrates the continuum between these two diseases whose cause, symptomatic thiamine deficiency, is the same”.  It is probably true to say that the recurrent episodes of vomiting were the first manifestations of beriberi rather than being a precipitating factor. Recurrent vomiting as a symptom of beriberi is rarely appreciated by physicians. In fact none of the symptoms are pathognomonic (essential to THAT diagnosis). The point that I am trying to make here is the fallacy of believing the present medical model that different diseases each have their specific differences in etiology and their separate names.

We have tried to show that ED is a form of dysautonomia and has the same underlying cause as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, namely a deficiency of cellular energy, particularly in brain. That is why dysautonomia is the key to understanding why it has been associated with so many different named diseases. It is because the control mechanisms of the autonomic nervous system in the limbic system and brainstem are so highly sensitive to defective energy metabolism as depicted by thiamine deficiency. In our book “Thiamine Deficiency Disease, Dysautonomia and High Calorie Malnutrition” we make a plea for recognition of the widespread ingestion of empty calories as a cause of thiamine deficiency. It is suggested that the common presentation of erectile dysfunction is a symptom that represents poor nutrition, fed by perhaps the commonest of all addictions, namely sugar. The reason for the association of ED with aging is probably because of a natural slow decline in energy metabolism. Is it possible that energy metabolism is the key to all manifestations of disease?

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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Post Fluoroquinolone Sex and Libido

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Lisa Bloomquist

One of my symptoms of getting “floxed” (a short-hand term for fluoroquinolone toxicity – an adverse reaction to a fluoroquinolone antibiotic including Cipro/Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/Levofloxacin, Avelox/Moxifloxacin, and Floxin/Ofloxacin) was losing my “give-a-damn.”  I stopped caring about many aspects of my life – my job, my relationships, my aspirations, and many other things that used to give me pleasure; including three things that were previously on my list of favorite things in the world – food, sex and alcohol.  My desire for those things, things that used to bring me pleasure and excitement, was simply gone – over night – as my body went from being healthy and strong to being fatigued, in pain and unable to move much at all.

To lose the desire for sex, at the age of 32, was bizarre and disquieting. At 32 I was supposed to be at my sexual peak, but instead I found myself not caring at all about my former favorite recreational activity. As I went through sexual relationships I was able to muster up the energy to participate, and enjoy, sex. But it was different after I got “floxed.”  My way of thinking and feeling about sex was just… different.  I no longer cared about sex and I no longer desired it. It moved from the top of my priority list to the bottom. My libido was a faint shadow of its former self.

As I’ve recovered (it took a couple of years to recover from the toxic reaction that I had to an antibiotic that I took to treat a urinary tract infection brought on, ironically, by sex), my sex drive has come back, and I have started to feel like myself again – with the desires and appetites that make me feel like me. It’s nice to be recovering, and to be getting my “give-a-damn” back.

Because I was able to “fake it till you make it” as they say, my story of losing my sex drive is not the most compelling.  It was not the biggest loss that I suffered from, and, well, there are worse things in the world than what my vagina went through. But some of the other sexual side-effects that other people have suffered through as a result of fluoroquinolone toxicity, are far worse, and they are nothing to be dismissed or disregarded.

My fellow “floxie” friends have been through more sexual adverse effects of fluoroquinolones than I have. Here are a few snippets of their stories:

  • A woman in her mid-20s is unable to orgasm
  • A man in his 40s feels like he is being kicked in the groin when he orgasms
  • A man in his 50s does not respond to any erectile dysfunction medications – including a shot that “works every time” according to his doctor
  • A woman in her 50s experiences nerves that are so over-stimulated that she has a continuous, painful orgasm that lasts for hours
  • A woman in her 30s with extreme vaginal dryness
  • A man in his 30s with erectile dysfunction
  • People of all ages and both sexes who have not had sex for years

I hope that some of my “floxie” friends come forward with their stories about what it feels like to go through the loss of sexual function and sexuality described above.  It affects every aspect of a person’s life and it even rocks their identity. It is wrong for a drug to take away such an important part of being human as one’s sexuality.

Fixing a person’s sexual dysfunction, or lack of desire, isn’t as easy as taking a pill – though the people who advertise Viagra and Cialis would like for us to think that it is.  The people who are suffering from fluoroquinolone induced sexual side-effects are, unfortunately, not helped by any pharmaceutical “cures.”

Sexual dysfunction is real, it is serious and it is life altering.  To take away a person’s ability to be sexual with an unnecessarily strong antibiotic that damages a patient’s central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, is wrong.

Please consider the possibility of losing your ability and desire to have sex before you take Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox or Floxin.  If there are alternative antibiotics available, please use those; because your sexuality is really quite important and fixing it once it’s broken isn’t easy.

Information about Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

Information about the author, and adverse reactions to fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Cipro/ciprofloxacin, Levaquin/levofloxacin, Avelox/moxifloxacin and Floxin/ofloxacin) can be found on Lisa Bloomquist’s site, www.floxiehope.com.

Participate in Research

Hormones MatterTM is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with the fluoroquinolone antibiotics, Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and others: The Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Side Effects Study. The study is anonymous, takes 20-30 minutes to complete and is open to anyone who has used a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Please complete the study and help us understand the scope of fluoroquinolone reactions.

Hormones MatterTM conducts other crowdsourced surveys on medication reactions. To take one of our other surveys, click here.

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Sex in a Bottle: the Latest Drugs for Female Sexual Desire

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Sex in a bottle

The 21st century quest for female sexual satisfaction comes not from romance, courting or even Kama Sutra type sexual prowess, but from the lab. Forget passion, forget lithe bodies moving rhythmically, forget needing to woo a woman, forget having any skill whatsoever in bed; why bother with any of that when you can get sex in a bottle. Every man’s dream right? Apparently, not. Sexual moirés what they are, there is nothing more frightening than a sexually hungry woman. With the newest, and dare I say, pharmacologically most interesting female desire drugs in clinical trials, concern over the potential explosion of female nymphomania is palpable. According to the New York Times reporter covering the story:

“…what if, in trials, a medicine proved too effective?” laments one scientist … and the FDA rejects “an application out of concern that a chemical would lead to female excesses, crazed binges of infidelity, societal splintering.”  

“You want your effects to be good but not too good,” says Andrew Goldstein, who is conducting the study in Washington. “There was a lot of discussion about it by the experts in the room,” he said, recalling his involvement with the development of Flibanserin, “the need to show that you’re not turning women into nymphomaniacs.”

And women, well, they’re not sure whether to jump for joy about the new drugs or bear arms against the 18th century misogynist perspective of female sexuality. I’m pretty certain no one worried about turning men into sex-crazed cads, the 8-hour Viagra induced erections or the potential blindness from said erections. (Fun fact: the same erection promoting enzyme blocked by erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra, Cialis, Levitra is also found in the retina and when blocked excessively can cause blindness). When all was said and done, a good, solid erection was considered beneficial in and of itself, no matter the cost. Lo, get those women going and watch out. Sex crazed and hysterical, they might upset generations of cultural oppression. Unless, of course, it’s used to maintain the monogamy and monotony of marriage, then by all means pop a libido pill.

The Quest for Female Sexual Desire in a Bottle

Sexual politics aside, these new sexual arousal drugs portend great things for the bedrooms of many. Though developed for women, I suspect they will be cross-marketed to men, almost immediately.

Called Lybrido and Lybridos, the two compounds address sexual desire both above and below the belt. These drugs combine a sexy mix of peppermint coated, testosterone to make you horny, coupled with the erection promoting, genital-blood-flow increasing Viagra (Lybrido), plus a boost of adrenaline with an indirect dopamine kicker (Lybridos). If that isn’t a chemical cocktail to promote copulation, I’m not sure what is. It is Lybridos that intrigues me most and here is why.

Motivating the Brain to Want Sex

Sex begins in the brain and there dopamine is king. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter released with all pleasurable activities, licit and illicit. Our brains are hardwired to seek pleasure via the dopamine reward system. Experience a little pleasure, get a boost of dopamine. Get too much dopamine and addictive behavior or psychosis ensue. Too little dopamine and there is no pleasure and no motivation to seek pleasure.

Adding a bit of dopamine to a hormonally primed and engorged sexual response system would seem to facilitate not only the pleasure response associated with the sexual act itself, but would likely increase the chances that future goal directed behavior would be initiated to sustain or repeat the sexual activity – and to take the drug again. And that is why this drug is so cool, but also, potentially addictive.

A Sex Drug and Sex Addiction

Though the crude and frankly misogynist comments about inducing nymphomania warrant scorn, there is a very real possibility that this cocktail could be addictive. Think about it, combining the pleasure of sex with a boost of dopamine is the perfect addiction. Really, who wouldn’t want to have hot sex, repeatedly. And if taking a small dose of the drug increases sexual pleasure to certain degree, then would taking more of the drug increase the pleasure to a greater degree? Can someone overdose on these drugs? (You know someone will try). Conversely, if one takes the drug repeatedly, does the dose necessarily have to increase to maintain the same level of pleasure?

Because Lybridos enhances sex, a pleasurable, dopamine and endorphin releasing activity in its own right, by increasing dopamine while simultaneously enhancing libido and genital sensitivity, the possibilities for addiction are high. Therein lies the rub. Not only could this be the perfect combination of behavioral and pharmacological addiction, but pleasurable sex threatens every puritanically ingrained, social moire we have, for men and women. Create a drug that makes sex more pleasurable, make that drug and that behavior addicting and social structures will change. Perhaps, not such a bad thing.

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Porn Brain – A Leading Cause of Erectile Dysfunction

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If you thought erectile dysfunction was a disease affecting only old men in bathtubs, you’d be wrong. Increasingly, young men are developing erectile dysfunction. The use it or lose it adage for ejaculation doesn’t quite work the same way in the youngsters as it does in the older folks. Use it too much, or more specifically, rely on internet porn for sexual satisfaction and your brain won’t let your man parts partake in the real deal. Seriously, internet porn, during those critical periods of male sexual development  – adolescence through young adulthood – rewires your brain and makes real sex difficult, if not impossible.

Sex Begins in Your Head – the One Above Your Shoulders

Sex is pleasure and our brains are hardwired to seek pleasure. Every time we receive pleasure, whether it be from sex, drugs, food, or simply, a pat on the back for a job well done, the brain reward centers are activated. The neurotransmitter responsible for all things pleasurable – dopamine – is released from a tiny nucleus located deep within our primitive limbic, lizard brain called the ventral tegmental area.

Porn brain reward circuitsThat dopamine spreads out across the frontal cortex where goal directed behavior and impulse control are managed, to the nucleus accumbens where pleasure is realized, especially addictive pleasures, to the hippocampus where memory is stored and to the hypothalamus where all manner of hormones are regulated. Train your pleasure centers appropriately and you’ll have a long, happy life. Do it wrong, and all sorts problems arise (or don’t arise, as the case may be).

 

Porn Brain, Dopamine and Erectile Dysfunction

Dopamine is a very happy neurotransmitter – we need dopamine to feel pleasure. Too much dopamine and psychosis arises, too little and we have no motivation to move – literally and fundamentally cannot initiate or control movement. (Parkinson’s arises from decreased dopamine in a different region of the brain). Dopamine is necessary, and as such, our brains go to great lengths to ensure sufficient dopamine. Highly pleasurable behaviors repeated to addiction override the reward system – effectively wearing it out. Technically, it’s called desensitization, a brain state by which one needs more and more stimuli to achieve the same results. Sound familiar?

Internet porn is like heroin to our sex crazed brains.

It seems to be true guys, you can masturbate yourselves to oblivion or at least to sexlessness. The changes in brain chemistry elicited by the instant and constant stimulation of internet porn make returning to real sex passe.

If you begin this journey as a teenager when critical brain areas are still being formed, your brain will express a predilection for internet porn far and above its desire for real sex, with real humans. Viagra, Cialis or other bathtub bearing drugs don’t work for this type of erectile dysfunction. The problem isn’t in the plumbing. It’s in the brain. The short cut to sexual pleasure that was at once exciting and convenient, re-wired the sexual pleasure centers to respond only to the images on the screen. Real women or men, won’t do it for you.

Not to worry, there is help. Like any good addiction, you simply have to stop – cold turkey.  Help groups are sprouting up everywhere, really they are. Watch the video.  An interesting tidbit, the older gents who grew up on old-timey, magazine porn, return to full functioning much more quickly than the younger guys who have never ventured into the depths of real sex. That damned brain chemistry.

The Great Porn Experiment

 

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