Botox (the substance that is commonly used to rejuvenate facial features) is being studied as a possible treatment for men with severe erectile dysfunction (ED).
Male impotence can be challenging for your relationship, and it can feel like a personal defeat. Thankfully, treatments for erectile dysfunction are getting better every day. One potentially-promising treatment is Botox. It treats wrinkles, but should you look to Botox as a potential treatment for male impotence? Before you look for an injection to help you improve your sexual health, you need to know what you’re injecting and what the potential benefits and drawbacks could be. Asking questions about Botox injections is a healthy choice as well.
What is Botox?
Botox is actually a powerful poison. According to Medical News Today, it is “made from a neurotoxin called botulinum toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.” It is the most popular elective medical treatment that does not involve surgery. It is used in many different application: for example, it paralyzes the muscles in the face, reducing wrinkles. Botox is an extremely powerful substance, and a very small amount of the toxin is able to kill people. Yet an even smaller amount injected into the body can lead to desirable medical results.
How Does Botox Work?
When Botox is injected into the body, it prevents muscle cells from contracting by preventing the release of acetylcholine. It is injected in a dilute form in saline solution. Nerves release this neurotransmitter at the place where nerves meet muscle. The result is a decrease in abnormal muscle contractions. The muscles become less stiff. Since Botox works on muscles, it is used in a number of different medical applications, such as treatment for shoulder muscle spasms, eyelid spasms, crossed eyes, and bladder muscle problems.
Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
In 1998, the FDA approved the use of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction. This was a big moment for ED treatment, as those who were previously unable to have an erection were now able to use a pill with the knowledge that they would be able to be sexually active later in the day. There are now diverse ED drugs to treat male impotence, and while each of them has its specific recommendations and guidelines for use, overall, these drugs have greatly changed the way that men with male impotence are able to have intimate relationships.
Today, Botox is an emerging treatment for ED. However, this does not mean that it is the best treatment for everyone. How does ED happen and how do different treatments stack up against Botox?
Why Does ED Happen?
Male impotence is a complex topic. Impotence is defined as a condition that effects the ability to achieve an erection, maintain an erection, or achieve ejaculation. According to HealthLine, “an estimated 50 percent of men ages 40 to 70 experience some ED at one time or another.” Men who are experiencing erectile dysfunction may wonder why they are going through this. Is there something that they did or something that happened to them to cause erectile dysfunction?
While there are many causes of impotence, a few key causes are often to blame:
- Endocrine disorders can lead to problems with sexual function. For example, diabetes can impact nerve function and blood flow, both of which are essential to healthy sexual functioning.
- Nerve conditions change the body’s ability to communicate with the nervous system. That can impact your ability to have an erection. These nerve conditions include but are not limited to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, MS, stroke, or epilepsy.
- Some medications have impotence as a side effect. These medications could be very important to your overall health, so it is important to continue taking them, but they can cause erectile dysfunction. These medications include chemo medications, beta blockers, SSRIs, and central nervous system depressants. Ask your doctor if a medication that you are taking has been linked to ED.
- Any health condition that effects the heart and its ability to pump blood can cause impotence. Erections depend on blood flow, so if this is limited, then you may not be able to easily achieve an erection.
- Health conditions that effect the brain’s ability to get sexually excited can also cause erectile dysfunction. This is because the body needs to get sexually excited before an erection can occur. Depression, anxiety, fatigue, and performance anxiety can all lead to ED.
Why Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
Our society places great value on male sexual ability and health. Your sexual health influences your relationships and your sense of self-worth. When you’re experiencing impotence, this can effect your psychological health in addition to your physical health. It has a negative effect on your sex life and can lead to mental health challenges such as stress, depression, and troubles with self-esteem.
Treating your ED can help you regain a sense of control over your relationships and your sexuality.
Can Botox Be Used to Treat Erectile Dysfunction?
Men are always seeking promising new treatments that work longer and more effectively. Could Botox be one of these treatments?
Recently, doctors from Cairo University conducted a study on men with severe erectile dysfunction. The men involved in the study did not have the ability to have sexual intercourse. They did not have a lot of treatment options available. In fact, the only option they had was a penile prosthesis, or surgically-implanted silicone implant. Quoted in Express, one researcher stated that “the smooth muscle relaxation and increased blood flow to a man’s penis from a Botox injection could help him to maintain an erection and may last for up to 6 months.” According to London Andrology, the results of the trial look promising: “nearly 50% of men who received a 50ml injection of Botox, (botulinum toxin type A, the active component of Botox) as opposed to a placebo recorded significant erectile satisfaction. 25% were able to complete full penetrative sex.”
There will be a full trial of this study at International Andrology London in early 2018.
The idea of having a single injection and not worrying about erectile dysfunction for 6 months is very appealing to men.
How Long Does It Take for Botox To Work?
Botox’s effects are not instant. It often takes 24 to 72 hours for it to take effect. Sometimes, the treatment can take up to 5 days to work.
The Risks and Side Effects of Botox
Often, there are few side effects of Botox. However, about 1 percent of those who use it develop antibodies to Botox. This is potentially genetic.
Other side effects of Botox include pain, numbness, nausea, paralysis or weakness in other muscles, trouble swallowing, fatigue, dry mouth, swelling, wheezing, and hives. There are other common symptoms as well.
Seeking the Best Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction
Will you choose to pursue treatment with Botox? If not, are there other options available? Thankfully, there are many tried and true treatments available for your erectile dysfunction, particularly if it is not end-stage or severe. In the last two decades, research in this area of research and treatment has progressed and men have a wide variety of options available. Pills to treat ED are generally phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors that help increase blood flow to the penis. The pills work to increase nitric oxide in the body, and nitric oxide helps open blood vessels so that blood can flow freely, leading to an erection.
ED treatment options include:
- Viagra
- Cialis
- Levitra
- Stendra
Some medications work for a short time, like Viagra, while others like Cialis work for a longer time or can be taken over time in small doses.
Do ED Medications Work, or Is Botox Better?
According to Mens Health, only 9 percent of men still had ED after taking ED drugs. However, ED drugs do depend on the idea that those who take them will take them correctly. Many men forget that some ED drugs such as Viagra cannot be taken directly after a meal, for example. This can impact the ability of the drugs to work on the body, and some people may decide that ED drugs do not work for them, when they are actually not taking them correctly.
For a few people, alternative therapies are the best option. Some men who are on heart drugs called nitrates can’t take ED drugs. If you have heart disease, heart failure, or very low blood pressure, then you could also be at risk of health problems if you take ED drugs. Other men have severe ED and may not respond to ED drugs. For those men, alternatives such as Botox injections may look more promising. Unfortunately, these injections aren’t going to be on the market soon, as the treatment is still in clinical trials.
At eDrugstore, we’re here to help you access the treatments you need for your health conditions. Talk with us about our treatments for male impotence , including Viagra. If you’d like to access your prescription medications online, take charge of your erectile dysfunction treatment by connecting with eDrugstore.com today.
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