Is Another Treatment Option Better For Preservation Of Erectile Function
The growing interest in pelvic radiation, including brachytherapy, as an alternative to surgery can be attributed in part to the supposition that surgery carries a higher risk of erectile dysfunction. Clearly, surgery is associated with an immediate, precipitous loss of erectile function that does not occur when radiation therapy is performed, although with surgery recovery is possible in many with appropriately extended follow-up. Radiation therapy, by contrast, often results in a steady decline in erectile function to a hardly trivial degree over time.
Prostate Cancer And Erectile Dysfunction
Prostate cancer may lead to erectile dysfunction in two ways, the tumor itself may invade and damage the surrounding tissues leading to erectile dysfunction, or the treatments to remove, treat, or shrink the tumor may lead to temporary or lasting erectile dysfunction.
A quickly developing case of ED may even be a sign of a developing prostate cancer, so abrupt changes in erectile function should always be brought to the attention of your doctor.
If required, surgical removal of the prostate gland due to prostate cancer may lead to the severing of arteries and nerves needed to develop an erection and may lead to ED in some patients. It is estimated that between 25% and 80% of men will regain their sexual function after a radical prostatectomy, but this will depend on the tumor location, nerve-sparing techniques used, the skill of the surgeon, and the patientâs age. It is important to note, that during the period of time that the vessels, nerves, and tissues are healing from surgery you may experience ED, but once everything has had time to recover, erectile function may improve.
Radiation therapy for prostate cancer may also lead to damage of the surrounding tissues and cause erectile dysfunction. Certain hormonal medications are sometimes utilized for the treatment of prostate cancer, such as Leuprolide, Goserelin, Flutamide, or Bicalutamide can also lead to hormonal effects that cause ED in some users.
How Does Cp Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Chronic prostatitis affects the penile tissue, which in turn causes the erectile dysfunction. There are two main mechanisms that cause ED:
- First Mechanism: Relating to inflammatory agents that are released during inflammation.
- Second Mechanism: Relating to neural damage that happens due to the expansion of the inflammation to the periprostatic genital nerves.
These mechanisms explain a number of physiopathological changes that take place on the dysfunctional penile tissue during chronic prostatitis.
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How To Manage Erectile Dysfunction During And After Prostate Cancer Treatment
The ultimate goal of both surgery and radiation therapy for prostate cancer is to remove as much of the cancer as possible while maintaining a patients desired quality of life.
Remember: your ideal treatment plan should be unique to your situation. Thats why its so important to get a second opinion and consult with an expert team of medical professionals including urology, radiation oncology, and other specialists.
If you want to learn more about potential treatment options for erectile dysfunction, or just have a lot of questions youd like answered, click here for resources from EDCure.org.
If youre looking for a doctor and want to discuss your options for treatment as well as possible side effects you can expect, feel free to use our free doctor finder tool below:
Does An Enlarged Prostate Affect A Man Sexually
An enlarged prostate can cause sexual problems in men, such as:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Reduced sex drive
Sudden onset of erectile dysfunction may be a sign of prostate cancer and needs medical evaluation. Erectile dysfunctions may also occur after the therapy for prostate cancer including surgery, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy.
Sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction or ejaculation problems, may occur in men with noncancerous enlargement of the prostate . Sexual dysfunction in BPH usually results from the treatment rather than the disease. Medications for BPH, such as the antitestosterone drug and finasteride , have been associated with erectile dysfunction in 3.7% of men who use it. Finasteride is also linked with diminished libido in 3.3% men. Other medications for BPH, such as terazosin , tamsulosin , and doxazosin , can improve BPH symptoms with a lower risk of sexual side effects.
Surgical procedures for BPH, such as the transurethral resection of the prostate , are often used when medications fail. Erectile dysfunction can occur because of TURP in a small percentage of men.
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Treatment For Erectile Dysfunction When You Have Prostate Issues
If you have prostate conditions such as BPH or prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction, there may be treatments that you can use to help regain some or all of your erectile function.â
Oral medications like Sildenafil or Tadalafil are often used as first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction. These medications work by helping to improve and enhance blood flow to the penile tissues when you are aroused. However, these medications may not be appropriate for you if you have cardiovascular problems or take certain medications like nitrates.
If oral medications do not work for you or you are not a good candidate for them, injection medications to bring blood flow to the penile area like Alprostadil or compounded âTrimixâ or âBimixâ injections may be able to help you. These medications are injected into the side of the penis before sexual activity. Injection medications are the most effective treatment for men who have ED due to prostate surgery.
An insertable urethral suppository containing Alprostadil called Muse may also help with ED in some men. If oral or injectable medications are not a good fit for you, vacuum or surgical options including a penile pump, a penile band, surgical implants, or vascular surgery may be able to help you maintain or achieve an erection. If you have a prostate condition along with erectile dysfunction, there are many potential treatment options, and your doctor can help you find the best ones for you.
How To Return To An Active Sex Life After Prostate Cancer Treatment
No matter the cancer, treatments often cause side effects that affect patients quality of life. But with prostate cancer, the potential side effects can be particularly concerning to men who are trying to decide which approach is right for them. Surgery, radiation therapy and other treatments may impact a patients sex life, causing challenges like low sex drive, loss of penis length, dry orgasm or low sperm counts. Despite the angst these issues may cause, experts say most of these side effects can be managed and many men have a good chance of returning to a full sex life after prostate cancer treatment.
Unfortunately, sexual dysfunction is a possibility for nearly all treatment options for prostate cancer, including surgery, says Scott Shelfo, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Urology at our hospital near Atlanta. The degree of dysfunction depends on many factors, including the patients overall health, co-existing medical problems, as well as the patients level of sexual function and ability before treatment.
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Why Is Rehabilitation Important
Whether you are single, or in a relationship, you should have the opportunity to discuss penile rehabilitation with your doctor or specialist nurse. Self pleasuring is important for many people and this can play a part in rehabilitation. This might help to give you confidence and to become aware of the changes that your treatment might have caused.
It might still be worth talking to your doctor even if you are not sexually active, or dont plan to be. This is because penile rehabilitation has benefits in terms of keeping the penis healthy.
Ideally, rehabilitation should start soon after your prostate cancer treatment, or in some situations before treatment. For example, you should start rehabilitation within 3 to 6 months of starting hormone therapy or radiotherapy. Or within the first 3 months of surgery to remove the prostate gland.
Can Prostate Biopsy Cause Erectile Dysfunction
If are recommended by your doctor to undergo prostate biopsy procedure for the detection of cancer, you must have a lot of questions and reservations. One of the most common question that people usually have is, can prostate biopsy cause erectile dysfunction or alter the quality of sex life at all?
The answer is yes erectile dysfunction may occur after prostate biopsy in some susceptible individuals but it is usually transient and self-limiting.
Accorded to a study published in the Journal of Urology, men who undergo prostate biopsy are at risk of temporary erectile dysfunction due to anxiety or pain however, in most men, symptoms improve within a couple of weeks.
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Talk With Cleveland Urology Associates
With all of these conflicting and complicated circumstances, it is always best to consult with your doctor if you are experiencing BPH especially with sexual side effects.
Trust Cleveland Urology Associates to determine which treatment will be best for all of the symptoms you are experiencing.
As always, if you have any further questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call or request an appointment online today.
Key Points: Guidance At A Glance7
- Involve the man and his partner in discussions about ED rehabilitation before and after radiotherapy/ADT.
- Assess the man and his partner’s sexual functions â the partner may also require support.
- Assess other health problems / current medications that may affect sexual function.
- Encourage adoption of exercise programme and lifestyle changes.
- Start the rehabilitation programme early, and no later than 3â6 months after ADT or radiotherapy has commenced.
- Consider combination therapy of PDE5-I tablets and vacuum erection device as first-line treatment.
- Consider including daily low-dose PDE-I tablets in ED rehabilitation programme.
- Consider using the most effective PDE5-I, as judged by treatment trial.
- If initial treatment fails, consider alprostadil pellets, injections or topical alprostadil, followed by penile implant.
- Reassess erectile function regularly after starting a rehabilitation programme.
- Enable access to psychosexual therapy for men and / or couples who do not benefit from biomedical strategies alone and / or experience high levels of distress related to sexual changes.
- Duration of treatment depends on response â avoid strict time limits.
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Enlarged Prostate And Erectile Dysfunction
Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The prostate gland continues to grow throughout a manâs life, so, commonly when men get into older age, they may start experiencing urinary issues due to this enlargement. The enlargement of the prostate itself is unlikely to cause ED problems, but some of the medications or therapies used to treat it may lead to erectile disruptions.
âCertain medications like alpha-blockers or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are commonly used to treat BPH, and they may have the side effect of erectile dysfunction in users.
If you are using these medications for your BPH and developed ED after starting your treatment, you may be able to speak with your doctor about other treatment options that have less risk of ED.
If oral medications fail to help with your BPH symptoms, a doctor may perform a surgical resection of the prostate to help with your BPH. Sometimes this procedure can lead to ED in a small percentage of men.
Sex When You’re Single
Being sexually active and feeling attractive can be just as important if you are a single man. All the treatments described here are available to you if you’re single – whether you want to be able to masturbate, have sex, or want to start a new relationship.
If you are starting a new relationship, sexual problems and other side effects like urinary or bowel problems could be a worry. Some men worry that having problems with erections will affect their chances of having a new relationship. Fear of rejection is natural, and everyone has their own worries, whether or not they’ve had cancer. If you’re single, you may want time to come to terms with any changes prostate cancer has caused before you start having sex or dating.
Try talking over your worries with someone you feel comfortable with, such as a friend. Counselling or sex therapy may also help if you would prefer to talk to someone you don’t know.
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Treatment Options For Symptomatic Bph
Symptoms related to BPH, particularly LUTS, can be managed by waiting for spontaneous improvement of symptoms, by medical therapies, or by various surgical procedures. The choice of treatment depends on the severity and annoyance of the patients symptoms, his expectations of treatment, and his acceptance of the risks of treatment.
One of the factors most frequently considered by patients contemplating a particular therapy for BPH is the effect of that therapy on sexuality. An inability to ejaculate or a significant decrease in ejaculate volume is significantly associated with deterioration in QOL. The selective 1-blockers cause few sexual side effects as a result, they are associated with a higher QOL. Physicians should inquire about sexual function as part of each patients pretreatment evaluation and, where appropriate, manage BPH and ED simultaneously.
Other Diagnostic Tests And Procedures
Other diagnostic tests , such as uroflowmetry and cystourethroscopy, have been used in patients with LUTS. However, their reliability varies considerably, making it difficult to base a diagnosis solely on the results of these techniques. However, they can be used in conjunction with digital rectal examination to estimate prostate volume, although prostate size does not have a significant bearing on the degree of obstruction or symptoms. Postvoid residual volume also has a high degree of intrinsic variability, which limits the value of this test.
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Can Prostatitis Cause Erectile Dysfunction
If you want to know if prostatitis can cause erectile dysfunction, you have come to the right place.
The prostate, a walnut-sized gland, is susceptible to various problems that impair its function. The likelihood of developing prostate-related conditions increases with age or in the presence of other risk factors.
Prostatitis is a common prostate disease with uncomfortable symptoms and can induce complications if you dont address it properly. But, is erectile dysfunction one of those problems?
Could prostatitis harm the strength and hardness of your erections? Read on to learn more.
How May Erectile Dysfunction Affect My Sex Life
Most men find that their sex life is different after prostate cancer treatment. Some men question their manliness when they cannot have an erection or find that they are not interested in sex. This can happen even if you are not currently in an intimate relationship. You may find this upsetting. Even if one of the medications or erection aids is helpful, having sex using these things may take some getting used to. It may not feel entirely natural. You can talk with your doctor or healthcare team about these feelings. Counseling may also help.
If you have an intimate partner, it is important for you to talk to your partner about how you are feeling. There is an old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved. Not everyone wants a sexual relationship. Dont try to guess or assume what your partner wants. Have an open and honest discussion with your partner.
This may seem unnecessary in long-term relationships as people tend to assume they know all there is to know about their partner but this is not always the case. With time, you and your partner may be able to find satisfying ways to have a sex life even though you have erectile dysfunction. Your partner will also have concerns about your sex life as well as concerns about your health. Talking about your feelings is very important during this time.
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Luts And Sexual Function
LUTS associated with BPH are often accompanied by sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory problems. Interest in sexual intercourse declines with severity of LUTS. Men with more severe LUTS have significantly lower libido, greater difficulty maintaining an erection, and lower levels of sexual satisfaction than men with less severe LUTS. OLeary showed that, in men with LUTS, the severity of urinary symptoms appears to exert the greatest influence on the degree of sexual dysfunction. Burger and colleagues found evidence of a correlation between sexual desire, erectile reliability, and sexual satisfaction and the degree of baseline symptoms. According to the U.S. National Health and Social Life Survey, both premature ejaculation difficulties and ED are associated with LUTS. Frankel and colleagues reported that men with storage-related complications from LUTS, particularly incontinence, had approximately twice the probability of experiencing sexual dysfunction, especially impotence, as men without such complications. It is unclear whether the sexual dysfunction that occurs with LUTS is due to sleep disturbance, anxiety, or a physiologic effect. The impact of ED the emotional distress that often accompanies it must be differentiated from LUTS, highlighting the need for several different diagnostic tools when evaluating a patient.
How Shockwave Therapy Md Can Help
Here at Shockwave Therapy MD, we have a team of highly qualified and dedicated medical experts specialized in helping men improve their sexual performance. We use the latest technologies and procedures in shockwave therapy to help you overcome any type of sexual dysfunction.
Whether you are experiencing sexual disorders or would just like to improve your performance to better satisfy your partner, we can help you. We will design a customized course of treatment that will bring immediate and long-lasting results. To schedule an appointment with us today, simply fill out this contact form.
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Can Erection Rehabilitation Be Applied To Improve Erection Recovery Rates
A relatively new strategy in clinical management after radical prostatectomy has arisen from the idea that early induced sexual stimulation and blood flow in the penis may facilitate the return of natural erectile function and resumption of medically unassisted sexual activity. There is an interest in using oral PDE5 inhibitors for this purpose, since this therapy is noninvasive, convenient, and highly tolerable. However, while the early, regular use of PDE5 inhibitors or other currently available, “on-demand” therapies is widely touted after surgery for purposes of erection rehabilitation, such therapy is mainly empiric. Evidence for its success remains limited.