Erectile dysfunction
Treatment
Before starting any treatment you should make an appointment with your doctor.
He or she will discuss your medical history with you and carry out a physical examination to identify the cause of the problem.
It is important that your diabetes and linked conditions - such as heart disease - are well controlled before taking certain treatments. Your doctor will be able to advise you.
There is now a wide range of treatments available for men with erectile dysfunction (ED). These include sex therapy, various types of medication, vacuum therapy, pellets and implants. You may also wish to discuss your choice of treatment with your partner.
Here, we outline the main types of treatment available:
Sex therapy
Most men who have erection problems will be affected emotionally, even if the cause is physical. Sex therapy, preferably with your partner, is an important part of any treatment. This type of counselling will help you talk about the problem and teach you how to manage it. It may also open up communication and help ease any tension in your relationship. If the cause is purely psychological, you may be advised to see a specialist sex therapist, before considering physical treatments.
Sensate focusing
Under the guidance of a specially trained sex therapist, this type of treatment involves a programme of physical contact where intercourse is banned for a set period of time. The idea is to help couples learn how to caress, stroke and touch one another in a sensual, rather than a sexual way.
This should help remove anxiety about performance, shifting attention away from the emphasis on erections and intercourse, while improving communication. It should help you focus more on love and enjoyment rather than performance. The result is often an improvement in obtaining an erection.
Medication
There are currently three oral drug treatments for ED available in the UK. They must be prescribed by your doctor as some tablets are not suitable when taken in combination with other medications.
Medicines containing nitrates in any form should not be taken with any erectile dysfunction tablets. Nitrates include the heart medicine nitroglycerine (GTN) and the long-acting nitrates used to treat angina (chest pain).
The tablets are available free on the NHS to men with diabetes. Department of Health guidelines advises that one treatment a week will be appropriate for most patients. The guidelines also state that if the doctor considers that more than one treatment is appropriate, according to his clinical judgement, then he should prescribe that amount on the NHS.
We strongly recommend that you do not purchase these tablets over the Internet or by mail order.
More information on oral medication can be accessed below.
Vacuum therapy, injection, pellets and surgical implants
If counselling or medication is not an appropriate treatment for you, there is a range of other methods to consider. To find out more about these options, more information on alternative treatments are shown below.