Dudley Seth Danoff's Blog, page 2

Something Fishy About Fish Oil

A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute confirmed an earlier study in 2011 that found a higher risk of prostate cancer among men who consumed omega-3 fatty acids, raising new questions about the safety of fish oil supplements.

The research reported a 71 percent higher risk of dangerous high-grade prostate cancer among men who ate fatty fish or took fish oil supplements. These findings were widely reported in the media and generated telephone calls from many of my patients.

Alan Kristal, researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and senior author of the study, said, “We’ve shown once again that use of nutritional supplements may be harmful.” Although scientists are still puzzled as to why omega-3 fatty acids appear to be linked to a greater risk of prostate cancer, the findings suggest that these acids are somehow involved in the formation of tumors. A large European study also found the same link between omega-3 fatty acids and prostate cancer.

Researchers concluded that “the consistency of these findings suggests that these fatty acids are involved in prostate tumorigenesis and recommendations to increase long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake, in particular through supplementation, should consider its potential risks.”

Vocal critics of the study, however, have pointed out reasons to be cautious. First, no fish oil supplements were given to the subjects, and no crossover studies were conducted. Researchers merely looked at blood levels of long-chain fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, which are found in fish. Second, the study was based only on accumulated data from participants in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, which was conducted from 1993 through 2003. And third, the study reported only an observation that levels of omega-3 fatty acids and the incidents of high-grade prostate cancer were found together in this particular population.

The critics further emphasize that “correlation is not causation.” Observational studies like this one are not randomized or controlled; they simply point to associations. Because the study contains a slew of undocumented variables and contradictory findings, it might be worthwhile pointing out the participants and their possible confounding risk factors:

1. Fifty-three percent of the subjects with prostate cancer were smokers.

2. Sixty-four percent of the cancer subjects regularly consumed alcohol.

3. Thirty percent of the cancer subjects had at least one first-degree relative with prostate cancer.

4. Eighty percent of the cancer subjects were overweight or obese.

These statistics were compiled by Robert Roundtree, MD, chief medical officer at Thorne Research.

I have not yet seen a good peer-reviewed randomized controlled trial testing the effects, negative or positive, of omega-3 fatty acids. Until I do, I must go back to the age-old medical adage Do No Harm. Doctors generally do not recommend fish oil supplements because the true benefits are unclear.

Even though this published study did not evaluate the supplements themselves but rather the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the data strongly supports the connection between omega-3 fatty acids and the incidents of high-grade prostate cancer. Therefore, under no circumstances would I take these supplements, nor would I recommend them to my patients unless I had a compelling reason to do so. To date, I have not found that compelling reason.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Delaying Ejaculation: A Urologist Shows You How

It is impossible to come up with a universal definition of premature ejaculation because there is so much variation among individuals. I have met women who are perfectly satisfied with intercourse that lasts two or three minutes, while others are frustrated when their husbands cannot last more than fifteen or twenty. It comes down to individual judgment: do you and your partner feel that you reach orgasm too quickly? If so, there are many practical steps you can take to solve the problem.

The key to prolonging intercourse is to become so well tuned to your own body mechanisms that you can take action to hold off ejaculation before it is too late. Ejaculation is basically a two-step process. As arousal increases, you eventually reach the point of no return: ejaculatory inevitability. That is the moment when you feel that you are going to climax and there is nothing you can do about it. Physiologically speaking, you are correct; there is nothing you can do about it. Once that point is reached, the ejaculation reflex is set in motion, the muscles of the perineum forcefully contract, and the seminal fluid is already on its way out. In seconds, the expulsion stage is triggered. To delay ejaculation, you must be aware enough to do something before the point of inevitability sneaks up on you.

The first step is to pay close attention to physical sensations as you approach ejaculation. Just as you learned when to start braking your car as you approach a stop sign, you can learn to recognize when you are getting too close to the point of inevitability. That is the time to make adjustments. Some men try to distract themselves by thinking of anything besides what is going on: baseball, work, or anything nonsexual. Unfortunately, this is rarely effective. Even if it does slow down the process, it also separates you from the intimate connection of making love and ultimately detracts from your full enjoyment of the moment.

A more effective and far more enjoyable technique is to alter the way you are thrusting at that point: change the angle, speed, or depth of your thrusts, which will shift the sensations away from the head of your penis (the glans, which is the most sensitive part), thereby delaying ejaculation. Intercourse does not have to be limited to deep, rapid thrusts. You can make love slowly. You can move in a circular motion or enter only partway. The variations are limitless. The secret is to pay attention to the sensitivities of your own body and then make the appropriate adjustments to your sexual technique.

You can also stop thrusting entirely. Try suspending motion for a while and just lying together with your penis fully penetrated. It is a great way to reduce arousal and prolong intercourse. It can also be wonderfully romantic. When you feel you can resume thrusting without ejaculating immediately, resume your motion slowly.

Another variable is to withdraw entirely. This “start and stop” method is often used by sex therapists. When you feel yourself nearing inevitability, simply pull out and rest. If your relationship is a good one, your partner should understand the need for this and welcome the opportunity to do other erotic things. This is the time for using your hands, lips, tongue, and any other body part that gives you pleasure while at the same time giving your penis a break from direct stimulation. When you resume intercourse, it will be that much more intense and your total time of penetration will increase. Do not be afraid of losing your erection if you stop thrusting or pull out entirely. You might lose it, but so what? It will come back with the right stimulation.

It is important not to view early ejaculation as a personal failure. If it occasionally happens, it is probably due to a long lapse between orgasms or to nervousness: a new, passionate love affair might be so exciting that the threshold for orgasm is lowered considerably. Even if the problem is chronic, I can assure you that it is not a sign of permanent inadequacy or diminished manhood, but simply a matter of bad habits that can be changed with practice and patience. The good news is that no matter where you start from, you can vastly increase your ejaculatory control.

 

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Your Penis Is Not Too Small

I cannot count the number of men who have asked me–as if it were just some casual question that happened to occur to them at that moment–if the size of their penis was “normal.” No man has ever worried that it might be too big. This preoccupation with penis size is one of the saddest and most complicated issues I encounter as a urologist.

In fact, the variation in size among human penises is less than that for hands, fingers, or noses. Penises can be as short as one and a half inches or as long as eight inches. The number of organs that fall at the extremes are exceedingly few. The average length of a penis in its fully flaccid (relaxed, limp, normal) state is about four inches. The overwhelming majority of men fall within centimeters of that average. Penis girth varies less, ranging between one to one-and-a-half inches in diameter when flaccid.

A very tall man might have a longer penis than a short man, just as he will probably have bigger feet and hands. The difference in penis size between two such men will be far less than that of their other appendages. A short man’s hand might be three full inches shorter than that of a tall man. He might wear a size eight shoe compared to a size thirteen. But his penis might only be a fraction of an inch shorter. I have often seen penises on short men that were as big, or bigger, than those of most professional basketball players.

Of far more importance, given the concerns of most men, is the size of the erect penis. The erect penis averages about six inches in length (although most of my patients prefer the phrase “half a foot long”). More importantly, the variation in the size of the erect penis is far less than that of the flaccid penis. If one man’s penis is five inches long when soft and another’s is three inches long, that two-inch size difference is likely to shrink to near zero when they become erect. It is even possible for the smaller penis to be bigger when erect.

The range in size for erect penises is simply much less than that of flaccid penises. It is as if nature wanted humans to propagate and so made it possible for just about any man, regardless of his overall size, to mate with any woman. So, when you hear men brag that their penises are a foot long, take it with a few grains of salt. They are either rare exceptions or liars. The only technical way they are not lying is if they are adding to their measurements that portion of the penis we do not normally think about because it is inside the body. (The idea is akin to measuring a hose attached to a sink inside a house because the penis actually begins several inches deep in the pelvic cavity.)

When people ask me about the biggest penis I have ever seen, I tell them it did not belong to any of the oversized professional athletes I have examined, nor to any of the Hollywood “studs” who have come through my office. I tell them that it belonged to a short, slightly built old man who was having prostate surgery. A pleasant, mild-mannered, pious man in his eighties, this patient was married to the same woman his entire adult life. Neither of them had the slightest idea of how relatively huge the penis that had sired their nine children was. I have never had so many helpers in the operating room! Half the nurses in the building wanted to assist me just to view this magnificent organ.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Penile Enhancement, Phalloplasty, and Penile Enlargement: Don’t Believe the Hype

Every day on the Internet, I get six or more offers on how to make my penis longer, wider, thicker, or more appealing. These ads promise to “satisfy my dreams.” They offer me some magic potion or surgery that “guarantees” to enlarge my penis.

Is there a legitimate way to make your penis any larger? The answer is unequivocally no! Many men have questions about a variety of “enlarging” procedures known collectively as phalloplasty. Surgeons are using a number of techniques, including skin grafts (known as dermal matrix grafts), in an attempt to increase the girth of the penis. These procedures, as well as a lengthening technique that increases penis length by severing the suspensory ligaments, are falsely represented as legitimate ways to increase the size of the penis.

Phalloplasty and lengthening procedures are both inventions of hucksters, charlatans, and fakes. Not only are they ineffective, they are also highly risky. The idea that men need to have huge penises is a cultural myth perpetuated more by men than by women. There is hardly a man alive who does not dream of a bigger penis. Be assured there is no medically or surgically effective way of doing this safely at the present time. To believe otherwise is to subject your penis to gross disfigurement.

My advice to the misinformed men out there is do not believe the enlargement and enhancement “bigger is better” ads appearing on the back pages of men’s magazines. They are totally illegitimate! Rather, just take a good look in the mirror, gaze down at that friendly organ hanging between your thighs, and be happy with it. If it functions well, then you have nothing to worry about. Do yourself the favor of treating it as a friend. Protect it from the mutilation that will occur if you trust anyone who promises an unobtainable result.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Don’t Let Poor Health End Your Sex Life

Any illness can have a dampening effect on a man’s penis power. The general weakness and fatigue that accompanies sickness will naturally affect your sex drive and your ability to respond to stimulation. Also, depending on the nature of the affliction and its severity, a patient’s range of movement might be limited to the point where he is not able to engage in sex. In many cases, illness brings with it a certain amount of depression or despair, a feeling of inadequacy, and an image of one’s body as impaired. All of this can diminish penis power, even if the illness itself does not.

Unfortunately, many sick men give up on themselves as sexual beings because they are convinced they are no longer capable of virile, sexual activities. They might also become unreasonably fearful and refrain from all exertion, including sex-related exercise that could potentially benefit their conditions.

Arthritis victims, for example, sometimes abstain from sex because the pain in their joints prevents them from moving around as vigorously as they would like. They are not only depriving themselves of some much-needed and well-deserved joy, but they are also overlooking the significant ways in which sex can improve range of motion and relieve pain as well. My rheumatology colleagues tell me there is evidence that arthritis sufferers can experience relief from pain for up to four to six hours after an orgasm.

Unfortunately, some physicians play into much of the negative mind-set of their injured or sick patients. They advise these patients to limit their sexual activity, or even give it up entirely, when illness strikes. A doctor who goes by the book might even tell a patient that he will never have “normal sex relations” again. What terrible advice to give!

Patients not only get depressed when they hear this, but they also take it to mean that they have to retire their penises and give up all sexual and sensual pleasures entirely. Furthermore, the doctor’s negative prognosis is often flawed. Not long ago, physicians told heart patients and people with back pain to avoid exercise. Today, we prescribe exercise programs for their rehabilitation and advise against being sedentary. In many cases, the same is true of sex. I advise and encourage my patients to use their penises to bring cheer to the sickbed, rather than allowing the penis to shrivel up before its time.

If your doctor tells you to abstain from exercising your penis power, get a second opinion! He or she may be misinformed or may simply be old-fashioned. Illness might limit your sexuality, but it does not have to eliminate it. For most individuals, the solution involves simply learning new habits. Your condition might mean that you take longer to achieve an erection, in which case you can learn to be more patient and your partner can learn new ways to stimulate you.

Your illness might make it impossible to make love in the positions to which you are accustomed. If so, practice the ones that do work. You might have to have sex less often or less vigorously, but instead of lamenting that situation, you can learn to fully savor the slow and gentle sensuality that you used to hurry through. If you have intercourse less often, you might be able to enjoy oral sex or mutual masturbation more often. Such changes make sex different, not inferior. They should be viewed as opportunities for new experiences, rather than reasons to feel sorry for yourself or to give up one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Body Building In Teenage Boys, A Very Bad Idea

A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics reported that an alarming number of middle-school and high-school boys appear to be taking unhealthy measures to try to achieve Charles Atlas bodies that only genetics can truly confer. Many of these boys spend long hours in the gym and supplement their diet with unapproved or even risky illegal steroids, all in search of the perfect body. 

In the study, more than 40 percent of boys in middle school and high school said they regularly exercise with the goal of increasing muscle mass. It is not just girls these days who are consumed by an unattainable body image. This national phenomenon is affecting teenage boys—whose goal is simply to add muscle—as well. Attitudes toward male body image have changed dramatically over the past 30 years. The idolization of fat-free, chiseled men by the media appears to dominate teenage male thinking.

This trend is alarming because these boys, who chase an illusory image of manhood, run the risk of stunting their development, particularly when they turn to unproven supplements or illegal steroids.

Even sophisticated teenagers will have a hard time evaluating the various bodybuilding supplements on the market because none are FDA approved, and the content of these supplements is often unknown. From a urologic standpoint there is reason for significant concern.  If, per chance, a supplement contains an anabolic steroid, the results on developing testicular tissue can be devastating. The anabolic steroids pose a special danger to developing bodies because when taken indiscriminately, these supplements can reduce or eliminate the production of testosterone and can lead to testicular atrophy.

To compound the problem, the media depictions of men with a perfectly chiseled six-pack are widely available for viewing, and teenagers communicate freely online in bodybuilding forums. On Tumblr and Facebook, boys barely out of puberty share weight-lifting regimens and body-fat percentages to be judged by each other. Teenagers post images of elite athletes under the heading “fitspo” or “fitspiraton,” which are short for “fitness inspiration.” The tags are spinoffs of “thinspo” and “thinspiration” pictures and videos, which have been banned from many sites for promoting anorexia in girls.

Some boys exercise vigorously to become stronger and more conditioned for sports, and that’s okay, but the increasing number of teenagers who exercise solely to change their body type is worrisome.

I am not discouraging a lifestyle that includes healthy exercise, particularly when compared with a sedentary lifestyle as a couch potato. The goal is to promote exercise in a healthy, drug-free manner in order to both get and stay in shape.

As a general rule, lifting weights to build muscle mass may be beneficial for developing a more athletic body, but in teenagers, whose muscle and bone structures are developing, bodybuilding can prove to be tricky at best and dangerous at worst. Nevertheless, many coaches and peers encourage weight lifting in the quest for victory on the field. This environment is not good.

Steroid use among adolescents is not just a myth. A recent New York Times article reports that the The National Gym Association has indicated that weight lifting among adolescents is depleting the number of contestants in teenage bodybuilding contests because many of these children cannot pass a drug test. There are fewer teenage bodybuilders because “a lot of these kids are juiced, so they’re not entering natural shows,” said Andrew Bostinto, president of the association. “You get these kids now, they’re 5 feet 6 inches, 5 feet 7 inches, weighing 265 pounds with two percent body fat,” Mr. Bostinto said. “Give me a break. You can’t put on 30 pounds in a month.”

In the end, physical fitness, aerobic exercise, and cardiovascular conditioning are all good. But weight lifting should be approached with caution, supplements used judiciously, and steroids avoided entirely.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Penis Ignorance

When it comes to the penis and its attendant components, both sexes are plagued by ignorance. I am always amazed by how little my patients know about their own penises. Middle-aged men are constantly asking me questions that they should have been able to answer as teenagers. They are not only underinformed but also misinformed.

One reason for this reluctance to discuss male sexuality openly is our puritanical heritage. The very word penis still has a peculiar shock value. When many people hear it they giggle, blush, or avert their eyes.

The other reason men remain ignorant about the penis is that most physicians are undereducated in the area of men’s sexual health. Just as with every other organ, doctors learn the penis’s basic anatomy and the biological details of what takes place when it performs its various functions.

But doctors (and patients) are taught little about the concept of the penis mystique. The penis mystique is that curious realm where the hard data of biology meets the unpredictable and mysterious realm of the mind and emotions.

Doctors should be able to competently answer these questions:

What makes the penis work and what makes it not work?
Why does the penis seem to have a mind of its own?
Why does the penis get hard some times and not others?
Why are some sexual experiences more satisfying than others, even though the exact same reflex action occurs with every orgasm?
What is normal and what is not?

Men wonder about all of these things, but they are usually too embarrassed to inquire about them. And if they do ask their doctors, they usually get inadequate answers. The truth is that we do not know enough about these issues scientifically.

The psychic realm of the penis is being ignored in medical education, except in psychiatry classes, where the discussion is confined to abnormalities. This is a major problem. If men cannot turn to doctors for this vital information, whom can they ask?

Doctors talk about the penis only when a patient brings the subject up because he has a problem. Even in the context of a general physical examination, physicians will take at most a cursory look at the genitals for signs of gross abnormalities.

In most cases, most physicians do not even ask questions about the patient’s sex life, which could provide clues to physical disorders. This reality for men is in stark contrast to the rigorous yearly exams that most women undergo with their gynecologists.

The fact that doctors do not examine men on a regular basis is a major contributing factor to the widespread ignorance I have witnessed in men with regard to awareness of their bodies in general and their genitals specifically.

If you do not have a doctor who examines your genitals, or if your doctor is someone with whom you are not comfortable discussing your sexual well-being, then you should try to find one who understands that your sexual organs are not merely machines that perform biological services.

A good doctor comprehends that the penis is not just a functional body part but also a psychological and spiritual agent designed to bring you pleasure. Your doctor should be someone with whom you feel comfortable sharing the intimate details of your life. If this is not the case, then the time may be right for a visit to your local urologist.

Knowledge of the penis is so central to a man’s being–so natural, so normal, and so vital–that we must bring it out of the closet and into the light of day. If we do not, the damaging trend of penis ignorance will continue to grow.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

What Kind of Penis Do Women Want?

In my many years of urologic practice, I have had thousands of conversations with women about the most intimate details of their sex lives. They have told me things they have related to no other person, including their most esoteric sexual practices and wildest fantasies. For the most part, women do not ever seriously express to me a strong preference for one kind of penis over another. Believe me, I have asked! 

However, it cannot be denied that when it comes to penises, some women do have a definite preference as to size or shape. But the overwhelming majority of women I have interviewed have confessed that length, width, appearance, and complexion are all factors that do not seem to matter in a long-term relationship, even to the women who describe in detail the specific kinds of chests, legs, and behinds that excite them in their mates.

The only real complaints I have heard are regarding what we call a micropenis. This is an abnormally small penis. The true micropenis is extremely rare. It is at the low end of the bell-shaped curve. Ultimately, with the exception of those men who lie outside the middle of the curve, I stand by the belief that men can be as “big” as they think they are.

In reality, penis size is not as significant as most men believe it to be because the penis is not the only body part that can be used to stimulate and satisfy a partner. Whether or not penis size is an issue for you as a man or an issue within a sexual relationship, as a superpotent man, you must learn to use your hands, lips, tongue, or any other device that can aid in stimulating your partner.

For the majority, when it comes to the penis, what partners care about most is hardness and responsiveness; some also mention cleanliness. The penis is a functional organ, not necessarily an aesthetic object. For this reason, some women may require a larger functioning penis to stimulate them to orgasm. In most cases, this is simply an anatomical fact (a taller or larger woman will invariably have more body fat, creating a greater distance over which an erect penis must traverse, or a larger vagina that requires a larger penis for stimulation). It is important for the two partners to communicate their physical needs and personal desires. Experimenting with different positions and alternative or additional methods of stimulation can help satisfy both partners and go a long way toward maintaining a strong emotional and sexual relationship.

Some women and some homosexual men have a preconditioned attraction to a large penis as a sign of masculinity. They make a psychological association between large penises and their own satisfaction. This association is not only erroneous but it is also an unhealthy way of gauging the potential of a man. It is important for men and women to recognize that sexual satisfaction is not limited to the penis, and especially not to its size or shape.

As in all things, knowledge is power, and I cannot stress enough how much the sexual power of a man can be elevated when he simply learns how to cater to the specific and unique needs of his partner. Ultimately, the penis, regardless of its size, is one of many sexual tools that men have at their disposal. The more you learn how to use your entire body to stimulate your partner, the less important one part of the body becomes.

 

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

Sex at Any Age: Attitude Is the Key to Penis Longevity

Until recently, our society’s image of aging usually excluded sex. It was considered unseemly for older people to talk about it, much less do it. I know elderly people who have to sneak around to have sex just as they did when they were teenagers because they know it will be frowned upon by their peers and especially by their own children. Other older people stop having sex altogether because they buy into the notion that they are supposed to give up sex. They suppress their sexuality because it somehow seems inappropriate to express it.

It is my hope that the generation I now see entering their senior years challenges all of that. They deserve active, healthy sex lives as long as they remain physically fit. It will not harm them unless they try to do things their muscles and joints are too weak to manage or they overextend themselves to the point of exhaustion. Do not expect to do at fifty what you could do at forty, or do at sixty what you could do at fifty, and so on. Adjust your sexual activities as your body changes, just as you adjust other activities. Look upon the adjustment as both a new challenge and a new opportunity. As you age, learn to use your mind and imagination to make up in creativity what you may lack in physical strength.

As long as you are able to breathe, move your extremities, maintain relative control over your bodily functions, remain alert enough to identify the date and day of the week, and sustain a positive mental outlook, you can continue to exercise your penis power indefinitely. You can help stay superpotent as you age by maintaining good overall health habits: exercising regularly; minimizing your consumption of fat and cholesterol; controlling your weight; refraining from smoking, excessive drinking, and drugs; watching your blood pressure; and seeing your physician regularly. If you stay physically fit and mentally alert, you can remain sexually active as long as you have the urge.

Most importantly, do not think old! Your body may produce less testosterone; your blood vessels may become partially obstructed and diminish blood flow to the penis; and your muscles and joints may begin to deteriorate. But if your mind is still strong, your penis can be strong, too. The key is not to lament what you have lost. Be grateful for what you still have, and make the most of it.

If you have penis power, you are young no matter what your age may be. The strenuous use of your penis will sharpen your mind, exalt your soul, and keep you feeling vigorous. In short, you do not stop having sex because you get old, you get old because you stop having sex!

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

Read discreetly with the Kindle™ edition of Penis Power™ now available for purchase from Amazon. The Nook Books™ edition from Barnes & Noble and the Sony eReader™ edition from Sony’s Reader Store. Available for under $7.00!

 

 

Are Prescription Medications Affecting Your Penis Power?

A television producer that I had treated for a urinary infection came to see me. The minute I walked into the examining room, I could tell from his facial expression that he had not come to see me only about the infection. Whatever was on his mind was serious, and not something he found easy to talk about. When he finally said, “Doctor, I cannot get hard anymore,” I was shocked. He had a reputation as a Casanova of note. He took great pride in his penis power.

When I took his medical history in preparation for a complete examination, I stumbled upon the cause of his problem. Since I had last seen him, he had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. The good news was that the hypertension itself was not affecting his penis power. The bad news, however, was that the prescription medication he was taking to control it was having an effect on his penis power.

A number of therapeutic drugs can cause erection or ejaculation problems. Unfortunately, very few rigorous scientific studies have been performed on the subject, so most of what we know about penis weakness that is associated with the use of common medicines is anecdotal or reported by manufacturers as possible side effects.

When I suspect that a drug might be responsible for a patient’s problem, I do an informal test. This test consists of reducing the dosage or eliminating the drug entirely to see if the patient’s penis power is restored. This is done with the cooperation of the primary physician and with all possible safeguards observed. In the case of the television producer, it was not long after we safely lowered the dosage of his antihypertensive medicine before he was back to his old tricks.

Blood pressure medications are not the only culprits, although they are probably the most common. If you were to peruse the Physician’s Desk Reference (the bible of drug side effects), you would see that sexual dysfunction is listed as a potential side effect of virtually every antihypertensive agent.

These medications work in different ways to lower blood pressure, so their effects on the penis also vary. If you are taking medication for high blood pressure and suspect that it may be adversely affecting your penis power, then you should consult your physician. You might be able to switch to a class of drugs whose ingredients will not keep you from being a superpotent man.

Other drugs that can diminish penis power include some medications used to increase the output of urine. These drugs are known as diuretics. In addition, certain medications used to treat anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disturbances can cause diminished libido, retarded ejaculation, or erection problems. Various ulcer medications can also cause impotency in some patients because they disrupt the production of testosterone.

I must caution anyone taking prescription medications not to arbitrarily give them up or alter their dosages. If you suspect that a prescription drug is negatively affecting your penis power, be sure to consult with your physician before doing anything on your own.

Reducing a dosage or stopping the use of a particular medication can cause an extremely complicated and potentially life-threatening situation. Even a well-trained physician is not always able to tell with certainty whether a specific medication is causing the problem. Many forces might be contributing to your inability to get an erection, not just the medication. Most patients who take such drugs (i.e., hypertension medication) are of advanced age, may suffer from more than one illness, may take a variety of medications, and may have other habits that could be adversely affecting their penis power.

More important are the underlying effects of the disease itself. High blood pressure alone can weaken penis power. Approximately 10 percent of patients who require antihypertensive drugs have significant penis weakness before starting treatment.

Similarly, depression triggered by the illness itself can also cause sexual dysfunction. How can we be certain whether it is the disease, the drug, the psychological effects of the sickness, or a combination of all of the above? The sexual side effects of the drugs have to be weighed against the consequences of the diseases themselves.

In some cases, switching medications or adjusting the dosage is an easy solution. However, when that is not possible, it might be wiser to live with diminished penis power than to risk aggravating a serious medical condition by disrupting its treatment.

Such decisions require delicate clinical judgment, which is why it is important to have a frank and thorough discussion with your physician and commit to a rigorous scrutiny of all possible options. The point to take away from this section is do not throw your prescription medications down the toilet in the quest for a firmer erection at the risk of a stroke, heart attack, or even death. Quite simply, “It ain’t worth it!”

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

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