erectile dysfunction

[skiddles 66]

Has any men out there have improvemnt in getting an erection after getting banded? My friends man has high blood pressure, PTS, depression, high cholesterol. He hasn't had an erection in years. So he asked me to find out from some other people that have similar problems have had any improvement. BTW- Viagra and all the other meds don't work.

[Bryn 3]

Does this guy already have a band?

[skiddles 66]

No, he wants to get one.

[Dave_NW 92]

It's easy to play "armchair physician" in this kind of case, so he definitely needs to talk to his doctor about the issue. His problem may not be so much mechanical as it is psychological. If he's been unable to get erect "for years," then his weight may not be responsible, and he may need help in other areas of his life..

However, if his issue is mechanical, it may be that excess weight (and presumed physical inactivity), may be restricting the blood flow to the area. If he can't increase the blood flow, he may not be able to get erect no matter what he does. But by losing weight and improving vascular health, it could increase blood flow throughout the body, and presumably, to the area where he's having an issue.

If he's a banding candidate, then I'd say go for it. At minimum, he'll find no change. But weight loss from banding can bring on extreme improvement in self-esteem, and he could find he's a whole new man -- with the addition of very positive side effects.

Dave

[sweetpea61956 6]

I will just say this....blood pressure meds will do that to a man...so if he loses weight and can get off his bp meds...that is sure to help even if it isn't the sole reason.

[54Shirley 105]

I agree with the person above. My Husband is on 3 different kind of Blood Pressure pills. The point is to keep all Blood Pressure DOWN. So for someone on a lot of meds. I don't see it as possible.

He should talk to his Dr. and see if in his opinion,,,,,, if he were to have the WLS, would he be able to get off of the Meds. If he says yes, and that is what he wants in life, then go for it. Plus he will only be healthier.

[sweetpea61956 6]

I was speaking from experience also on the meds. My late husband was 40 when he passed away and had major heart and blood pressure problems.. Unfortunately his wasn't fixable with WLS.

[54Shirley 105]

I believe you !

[Jack 855]

There's a jillion possible causes for such a problem. It does seem that many men do report an improvement in many areas of physiological as well as psychological functioning in the course of losing 50 or 100 #. Meds change, hormonal output changes, a world of differences; which causes what improvement remains difficult to scientifically prove.

[stateofzen 46]

It could help if it helps him to resolve issues that require medication that interfere with sexual functioning (including the bp, the PTSD, and the depression meds).

If it's diabetes or prostate disease related, surgery might not do as much. Hard to say, but it's certainly not going to hurt his erectile function.

[trish151 33]

You might also want to tell him to have his doctor test his testosterone levels. My husband had erection problems for a few years before I met him. He went to several doctors and the tests they were running all came back normal. My husband is a normal weight and all but the doctors kept telling him the erecftion problems were all in his head. After 4 years of struggling with it and about 20 doctors later, he found one who tested his testosterone levels and found they were almost nonexsisting. He has to rub two packs of testosterone called Androgel, a day on his belly but completely recovered from it. He has also told many of his male friends about it, and several of them had their levels checked and were low. Even small injuries from childhood can affect a man later on. Don't know if this is your friend's man's problem but it sure wouldn't hurt to check.

[xardoz 1]

+1 to what Dave said, and he definitely needs to consult doctors on this.

From personal experience, belly fat can interfere with testosterone and contribute to ED. Given all the other health issues that he has, banding will probably help - if his doctor says he's healthy enough for the band.

It's certainly helped me in that department.

[skiddles 66]

Thanks for all your opinions. I think alot has to do with his drinking. He drinks alot on the weekends. But he says hes willing to stop drinking and get banded if it means getting off all his meds and the CPAP machine.