ADT RT and ED

No problems with ED before Treatment, and was still getting erections until about mid April. Seem to get worst side effects from the ADT after the treatment had completed (May 2020).

Will,

You aren't very precise in when your last injection was (May, or 3 months before?)

If in May, it would not be surprising if it wasn't worn off yet, and not impossible even if it was 3 months before.

There are things which can help with sexual function while on (or still under the influence of) hormone therapy, not a lot for lack of libido, but can help with erections for some people when you have lack of libido.

Monitoring your testosterone level while coming off HT is useful to know where you are (and for interpreting your PSA level). When you know where that stands, it might point what to do next.

Andy, I would be very interested in what you proposed on your private e-mail. You was correct I couldn't reply..

I would try to look on the bright side in that you aren’t going to be on ADT forever and that there’s hope. My oh is on it for life. It’s had a devastating effect on our relationship. I’m 45 and can’t see us ever making love again. I wish you all the luck and positivity you need.

Edited by member 22 Oct 2020 at 16:42  | Reason: Not specified

Wow 17 months on ADT, you have done will. I think I missed a trick not getting help with ED earlier, but there again I wasn't really prompted to. Did you need to be referred to an ED Clinic or did you instigate the approach yourself?

Think thats what I need someone to discuss my problems with and to formulate a way forward. Thanks for reaching out to me, much appreciated.

Regards,

Will.

I expressed concern about losing sexual function right at the beginning, before anything had changed, and the Macmillan CNS's got me an appointment with the ED clinic, who went through what I had to do to try and keep things going. They would have prescribed 5mg daily Tadalafil, except my GP already did so the moment I started on hormone therapy, without me even asking. (I'd gone in ready to ask for it, but he beat me to it.)

You should go along to your GP and ask for a PDE5 inhibitor (Viagra/Sildenafil, Cialis/Tadalafil, etc), which may enable you to get erections. This should be relatively quick to test out. Note that you will need sexual arousal for these drugs to work - you won't get an erection just because you took the pill. You might need to add in other ways to increase arousal and maintain concentration, such as vibrator (perhaps a vibrating cock ring), or erotica or porn. You need to try a PDE5 inhibitor 8 times before you can decide it doesn't work, unless you are getting an unacceptable side effect (such as a stonking headache). If one doesn't work, ask to try a different one (or higher dose). If none of them work, the GP should be able to prescribe Vitaros, a cream which is either used on the head of the penis, or dripped into the urethra (pee hole), depending what dispenser it comes with.

Vitaros is a vasodilator drug. It's the least effective , but it's the one a GP can prescribe without having had an ED clinic appointment first. There are better vasodilator brands, but you have to be shown how to use them in an ED clinic before your GP can prescribe them.

If you can get an erection, but it's not good enough for penetration, a cock ring can help. Even quite gentle pressure on the outside of the penis can make an erection much firmer. These are gentle rings such as the Durex Pleasure Ring (or even more gentle than that), not pump constriction rings.

Also, don't forget there are things like mutual masturbation and oral sex which you can both use, and work without erections.

I have been thinking about your and my responses, I don’t think either of us have actually discussed our changing relationship with our partners. We should both take Andy62s and Stalwarts information and advice and be proactive and honest with our loved ones.

Obviously you and my oh are the ones coping with this awful disease but I recognise the feelings you describe. I think it’s just the harsh reality of a sudden change in what we took for granted in our relationships. I wonder if your oh may feel the same?

I intend to have a conversation with my oh prior to his upcoming appointment. Perhaps you could try with your oh too?

Hi Sky, apologies, didn't mean to refer anything personal. These are very much my own irrational thoughts, of which there are many. Too many to discuss on this forum. My OH has been a star, not sure what she thinks of me at times, must come across as an absolute idiot with some of the things I propose. But you are right about the sudden change to both partners way of life.

Regards,

Will.