Does Metformin cause erectile dysfunction is a matter of concern for the patients using it to treat diabetes. According to a report, patients with diabetes are 3.5 times more prone to have ED. Above that the use of Metformin can impact the blood flow to the penis and can affect testosterone levels. Metformin can significantly suppress testosterone levels leading to lowering the sexual drive in men.
The prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction(ED) is a widespread sexual disease that not only takes place due to physiological or psychological conditions but also results from the use of some medications. Medicines belonging to Diuretics, Antihypertensives, Antidepressants & etcetera are responsible for ED in men when used for a longer period.
Rather than discussing it over a short passage, it’s better to walk you through a descriptive article that will clarify the mentioned topic of “Does Metformin cause erectile dysfunction?”
Before jumping to a conclusion delve down into the article to know what is Metformin along with its uses, side effects & how Metformin affects a man sexually.
What is Metformin
Metformin is a prescription medication drug given to patients mainly to lower blood glucose (a form of sugar) levels in persons with diabetes. It is available either in the form of a tablet or a pill. Also, the dosage of this medicine is prescribed by the doctor/physician treating the patient.
People with diabetes may often have a few or multiple health complications, which may include problems like abnormally high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), increased cardiovascular risk, hypertension, obesity, frequency of urination, and several other health issues.
Treating diabetes in persons with the use of Metformin medication drug is generally considered safe by doctors/physicians. Thus, like several medication drugs, Metformin also is a common drug prescribed by healthcare providers to their patients.
Uses of Metformin
Metformin is usually prescribed by doctors/physicians to treat health issues, for example, type 2 diabetes (a metabolic disease) and gestational (pregnancy) diabetes, etc. The medicine is sometimes, also administered during therapy, since it is known to have anti-oncogenic (anti-cancer) properties.
The way this medicine functions in the body when taken orally is by increasing the body’s insulin sensitivity, which is responsible for controlling blood sugar. Insulin is a natural hormone present in the body that is produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar levels after eating foods that are mostly rich in carbohydrates.
For example, in a person with type 2 diabetes, the body tends to become resistant to this insulin and is thus, ineffective at reducing or releasing glucose from the bloodstream. Therefore, to treat type 2 diabetes disease in people, doctors/physicians usually prescribe Metformin medication drug to the patients.
The medicine is relatively safe and helps to increase the body’s insulin sensitivity improves glucose absorption into the cells and converts the absorbed glucose from the blood into energy without affecting the natural production of insulin in the body.
Some healthcare providers may often prescribe Metformin to be used with other medication drugs which is taken orally after meals and once a day.
How Diabetes Causes ED
Diabetes is a medical condition where the body fails to maintain healthy levels of blood sugar in the body. It takes place due to the lack of insulin in the body that helps to circulate the blood sugars.
Type 2 diabetes is a common form of diabetes that causes nerve damage and heart disease, which are responsible for causing erectile dysfunction.
Conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease & obesity are some of the factors contributing to the cause of ED.
How Does Metformin Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Various clinical research and studies show that erectile dysfunction can be caused by several different factors. In many cases, health conditions like enlarged prostate, high blood pressure, hypertension, atherosclerosis (clogged blood vessels), heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, sleep disorders, substance abuse, and the use of certain or excessive doses of medication drugs etc are the main reason for getting ED.
Metformin medication drug is likely to contribute to the development of erectile dysfunction with an indirect effect. When the prescribed drug is taken for a longer time than its specified dosage, the drug can start to affect the hormones mainly testosterone levels which lower the sexual drive of the individual.
Aside from the prolonged use of Metformin drugs, a person with diabetes may experience erectile dysfunction earlier than persons without diabetes. Also, for most men, the complications of erectile dysfunction may increase with age which could worsen over time as the condition progresses. This is because diabetes and erectile dysfunction share common risk factors associated with diseases that are known to cause endothelial disruption.
Erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes could further be a warning sign for other adverse health problems including cardiovascular disease.
How Erectile Dysfunction Takes Place
Erectile dysfunction is a condition that occurs in the male genital organ. Most men suffering from erectile dysfunction experience problems with maintaining lasting erections and are unable to cope with their partner, thereby affecting their sex drive and sexual relationship with their partner.
When a person experiences erectile dysfunction, it causes the erectile external sexual organs in males to stop functioning normally. This can happen when the male sexual hormone known as testosterone is lower than its normal level and is unable to produce sexual characteristics (sexual desire or instinct) in males.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone present in males that is produced mainly in the testes and is responsible for producing sexual characteristics in males. Testes are one of the essential male genital glands which secrete the semen.
If the testosterone hormone level in males is lower than the normal level, this could create complications like low sex drive, depressed mood, reduced energy, weak erection, short orgasm, premature ejaculation, low sperm count, fatigue, and other problems. These are thus, symptoms that start to show in persons with erectile dysfunction.
On the other hand, factors such as excess body weight, lack of physical activity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, old age, psychological factors (depression, anxiety, and hypertension), contraction of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and habits like smoking, consumption of alcohol, and drug addiction can also add to the condition. Furthermore, erectile dysfunction can be caused due to side effects from other consumable items, medicines, drugs etc.
How To Treat ED That Is Caused By The Use Of Metformin
When an ED is caused by the use of any medicine it can be squared or treated to a greater extent but if a person has prevalent ED before the use of Metformin then there is no permanent solution to it.
Some of the ways through which the ED can be reduced which is caused by Metformin are:-
- Altering the medicine or finding any other drugs that can treat diabetes & won’t cause ED.
- Typically there is a term called employing combined techniques, where different or various methods are used to treat a single disease.
- Keeping up with a habit of a proper & healthy diet, as food also plays an important role in the elimination of ED. Check some of the foods that kill Erectile Dysfunction.
- Make a habit of doing exercises regularly even after you don’t feel any sign of ED.
- Giving up on bad habits like regular smoking or consuming heavy doses of alcohol.
- If any of those things won’t work out, then you can also visit a psychiatrist.
Try any of these methods to get rid of ED that is caused by the use of Metformin. Before trying any of these solutions visit Erectile Dysfunction(ED) in New Jersey or any nearest urologist for extra personalized advice.
Some of the ED-treating tablets that can be used beyond lifestyle modifications are
Consult a doctor before using any of the medicines to treat ED. As these medicines carry the potential risk of side effects & overdose.
Wrapping Up
The statement Does Metformin cause Erectile dysfunction denotes that the use of it can affect testosterone levels leading to low sex drive when used for a longer period which is more than 3 months or more.
Above that persons with diabetes could also experience erectile dysfunction, whether it is from the complication of risks of the disease or due to a side effect from prolonged use of Metformin medication drug. It is important to consult a doctor for immediate treatment and prevent the condition from progressing.
Additionally, the key to combat such conditions is to live a healthy lifestyle, which can be achieved by doing physical exercises, eating healthy foods rich in protein, keeping one’s body weight in control, warding off emotional and psychological build-ups, and abstaining oneself from substance abuse, and addiction, etc.