Impotence - Male

Male Impotence, Erectile Dysfunction (ED), is the failure to achieve an erection or ejaculation in males.  80% of cases of impotence are caused by reduced blood circulation to the penis. This reduced blood supply is caused by the narrowing of blood vessels in the penis or groin. The initiation and maintenance of erections of the penis are under the control of the Parasympathetic Nervous System a component of the Autonomic Nervous System.

 12% of men under 45 experience occasional to frequent Impotence.

 51% of otherwise healthy men aged 45-70 experience occasional to frequent Impotence.

Alkaloids

 Galanthamine (30 - 60 mg per day) may alleviate both forms of Male Impotence.  ^[1]

 Yohimbine (6 - 10 mg per day) may alleviate Male Impotence.  ^[2]

Amino Acids

 Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) may help prevent/alleviate Male Impotence in elderly men.  ^[3]

 Arginine may alleviate Male Impotence (by stimulating the production of Nitric Oxide, the endogenous chemical that stimulates Erections in males).  ^[4]

 Glutamine may alleviate Male Impotence. 

Hormones

 DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) (50 mg per day for at least eight weeks) may alleviate Male Impotence.  ^[5]

 Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone (LHRH) improves Sexual Function in some cases of Male Impotence.

 Melatonin (0.8 - 8.0 mg per night) improves Sexual Performance in Male Impotence patients.  ^[6]

 Testosterone may alleviate Male Impotence.  ^[7]

Lipids

 Forskolin may be useful for the treatment of Male Impotence.  ^[8]

 Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) may prevent Male Impotence:  ^[9]

 Exogenous, supplemental PGE1 administered via intracavernosal injection into the penis may alleviate Male Impotence.

 A Prostaglandin E1 gel has been developed that, when applied topically to the Penis, stimulates Erections in Male Impotence patients (prescription required).

Minerals

 Molybdenum deficiency may cause Impotence.  ^[10]

 Impotence may occur as a result of Phosphorus deficiency. 

 Zinc may alleviate Male Impotence when Impotence is caused by Zinc deficiency.  ^[11]

Neuropeptides

 Oxytocin stimulates Erections in males (and may thereby alleviate Male Impotence) - the mechanism by which Oxytocin stimulates male Erections is via its ability to stimulate the Nitric Oxide Synthase enzyme that, in turn, leads to Nitric Oxide production.  ^[12]

Nitrogen Compounds

 Nitric Oxide (NO) is the endogenous chemical that triggers erection in males by relaxing Smooth Muscle in the erection chamber of the Penis.

Prescribed Medications

 Apomorphine may alleviate Male Impotence (by selectively activating Dopamine D1 Receptors in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus; this stimulates the generation of signals from the Brain to the Penis, resulting in erections).  ^[13]

 Moclobemide may improve Sexual Performance in Male Impotence patients.  ^[14]

 Pentoxifylline may alleviate Male Impotence (when Impotence is caused by insufficient Blood Circulation to the Penis).  ^[15]

 Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors may alleviate Male Impotence - Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors “work” by blocking Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5, an endogenous enzyme that permits Blood to flow out of the Penis), thereby helping to sustain erections: 

 By inhibiting the Phosphodiesterase 5 enzyme in the Penis, Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors permit cyclic GMP to remain active, and this is the underlying means by which Viagra maintains erections.

 Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors only “work” for Male Impotence as an adjunct to Sexual Arousal (i.e., it does not cause erections in the absence of Sexual Desire).