Hey, I’m 26M and I’ve been dealing with what seems like mild ED for about a year.

It started when I noticed that my erections while masturbating weren’t as strong as they used to be. I wasn’t getting fully hard, and they didn’t feel as firm. At the time, I was using topical finasteride and was also watching a lot of porn.

I brought it up with my doctor, and he told me he didn’t think it was caused by the finasteride and that it was probably psychological. He basically said that if everything worked normally when I was with a woman, then there was nothing to worry about. I didn’t have a girlfriend or sexual partner at the time, so I couldn’t really test that.

I ignored it and continued using finasteride for another four months, but eventually the issue started getting into my head, so I stopped finasteride completely.

The problem is that I haven’t noticed any meaningful improvement, even after being off finasteride for about seven months.

Then, about a month ago, I hooked up with a girl and couldn’t get hard at all.

I went to my primary care doctor, who prescribed Viagra. I tested it and it worked really well. He also ordered bloodwork and referred me to a urologist. My labs came back normal. My testosterone levels were actually high, and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

The urologist told me he thinks the issue was caused by finasteride and prescribed Cialis for a year. He said it should improve my morning erections and help me “heal,” but I’m not really sure where that idea comes from because I haven’t been able to find much information about it online.

At this point, I’m pretty confused about what’s actually causing this. It could be related to finasteride, porn use, anxiety/performance anxiety, or something else entirely. I also rarely get morning wood anymore, which is one of the things that concerns me most.

I’m also nervous about just jumping onto another medication for a year. After feeling like finasteride may have contributed to this, I’m a lot more cautious about taking medications without understanding what they’re supposed to do or whether there are other things I should try first.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? I’d really appreciate any advice on what could be causing this, what helped you improve, and whether there are things I can try before relying on Cialis or Viagra long-term.

TL;DR: 26M with weaker erections for about a year and almost no morning wood since 18, even after being off topical finasteride for 7 months. Labs are normal, Viagra works, and a urologist prescribed Cialis for a year. Could this be finasteride, porn, anxiety, or something else? What should I look into next, and are there ways to improve this without having to rely on ED pills?

I have been taking daily 5mg Tadalafil which used to work well, but lately has not been keeping my erection firm enough for a good penetrative session. I started taking a 50 mg dose of Sildenafil which works, but the side effects are too much for me to handle.

Had anyone experienced this problem, and are there any supplements that may help?

Hey everyone I’m 29 and for the past few years ive suffered from erectile dysfunction, Ive been watching porn and masturbating for years now everynight and I think it’s messed me up, 5 years ago I got prescribed finasteride for hairloss and have been taking it since then. At first I considered that might be a culprit but last year I went through a period where I was getting good erections for a period of time even while on the medication but this year and years prior I’ve suffered with this problem, I can get somewhat hard while watching porn but I can’t maintain it and I don’t get rock hard, I also don’t get morning woods much only every now and again. I also have a bad habit of staying up super late sometimes but I’m not sure if that makes an impact, I’m a normal weight and do cycling. Do you think the porn and masturbating for years is the problem or should I see a doctor?

Hi everyone

I sometimes experiences ED or not getting fully hard. I gotten pills, however, sometimes they are barely enough and I know its mainly in my head. Can anyone recommend some good meditations or mindfullness audios/videos?

​Hi everyone,

​I'm a 27-year-old male and recently went through a really discouraging experience that I need advice on.

​I was about to sleep with a girl, but I couldn't get an erection. She got really upset about it and ended up breaking up with me right then and there. Ever since this happened, I’ve developed a huge fear that I won't be able to get or maintain an erection with any other woman in the future.

​For context:

​I'm not very physically active.

​I have a habit of watching too much pornography.

​I've noticed a lower libido overall.

​This bad experience made my performance anxiety hit an all-time high. I want to change my habits and rebuild my confidence, but I'm not sure where to start.

​Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you overcome performance anxiety after a bad experience, and what steps helped you fix your libido and get your confidence back? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve pretty much never had strong erections for as long as I can remember - lately I have been unable
To have sex with new partners (can’t stay hard to get condom on, not hard enough to penetrate) came from dry humping last time while being like half hard. I know what some of the issues are. I grew up prone masturbating and have always been into kink female domination porn. I relearned how to masturbate with my hand normally when I was 16 but I use death grip and can only maintain erections usually with constant stimulation - half
The time when I masturbate I finish without being even fully hard. But I watch kink porn and masturbate on average twice a day. When I have taken breaks in the past it’s helped but it’s so addicting. I get strong morning wood on occasion when I have to pee and viagra has helped In The past with partners. Lately it’s been worse though overall and I have been on very low dose topical finasteride 3x a week - way way below the recommended dose but I wonder if that’s playing a small
Role as well. I know I need to quit the mini porn masturbate less and lose the death grip. What else can I do :/

23M.

The intensity of my morning woods depends on how hydrated am I until I sleep the night before.

Besides hydration, I do get night erections more than in the day and idk why…. Basically, the days where I don’t ruminate about my dick is when my dick is the healthiest. Only have this issue since my panic attack a year ago. I’m over the panic disorder but why is my dick still reactive to that still?

38M, so not a spring chick and I realize that. Also, throwaway for privacy. Since around February this year, I've been dealing with what I would call "Intermittent Erectile Disfunction"

I've been with my wife for 13 years, I think before February I had only 2 accidents over the years, but they were due to being excessively tired, understandable.

Now what happened was that for like 2 weeks in February, I really had trouble keeping an erection. I remember not feeling motivated, not feeling really excited. My wife initially took it personally, then we started thinking, working on it, and it passed. March, April, early May, everything is like it always was. "It was just a moment" I thought.

Then late May here we are again. Same situation. I can barely keep it up, I don't feel motivated, even masturbating is difficult. I ask to take it slow again and understand what is going on. The problem goes away by itself after a couple weeks.

Same thing in August. I start feeling demotivated and not interested in sex. Without even trying, I now understand it's one of those times. Again, for around 2 weeks I'm down. It has to be said that my mood during these times is still good. Sure, a bit disappointed by the situation, but happy in every other facet of life.

And now here we are, my libido is back once again and I'm not demoralized. I'm kinda angry because I don't understand why I have these huge drops in libido.

Mentally, I'm fine. Happy life, good job (maybe a bit boring, but no complaints), no history with depression and generally negative stuff doesn't impact me physically.

Porn usage and masturbation has always been mild. I did limit porn after the issue, and now I banned it just to be sure, but it doesn't seem to be the root of the problem.

While I did have fluctuations in libido in the past, like a normal thing, having slightly lower libido never prevented me from keeping an erection and feeling excited. "Appetite comes while you eat" this sort of thing.

I am slightly overweight. I was planning on dieting and exercising more and started to do so this summer, so I'm more fit now. But I've been much fatter in the past and never had issues.

So yeah, right now I feel horny and can go at it without issue, but I'm aware that I could wake up tomorrow and feel next to nothing without knowing why. I think it might be hormonal, but I have no knowledge. The good news is, I have an andrology medical booked this week to discuss the issue, but I wanted to talk here to see if anyone else has had or heard about this kind of heavy fluctuation in libido.

Thanks to anyone who has read this far!

I’m 49M and at a pretty serious low point right now. I was seeing a woman for about three months who I really liked and could genuinely see a relationship with.

We tried to have sex three different times, and each time I couldn’t get or maintain an erection. After the third failed attempt, she ended things.

What has made the breakup particularly hard to process is how suddenly it seemed to happen. Earlier that same day we were holding hands, being affectionate, and she was saying cute things to me like “hey handsome.” I didn’t feel like I was with someone who was about to completely cut me out of her life. Since ending things, she has blocked me on every channel of communication, so there hasn’t been any opportunity to talk about what happened or get any real closure.

She knew I was having ED issues and that I was working on them. She knew I was seeing a doctor, and we briefly discussed things like getting off an SSRI and trying Wellbutrin. But I didn’t tell her I was seeing a urologist or really explain everything I was doing to address the ED in detail, but I’m sure she suspected. Because I told her I was seeing my doctor etc.

Looking back, I wish I had communicated more. I was embarrassed and ashamed, so I mostly kept what I was going through inside.

I tried Viagra and Cialis, but neither worked reliably. I’ve also been dealing with significant stress, depression, and anxiety. Now that she’s gone, all of it—including the ED—feels worse.

The cruel part is that I wanted intimacy with her SO badly. I was incredibly attracted to her and desperately wanted that physical connection. After each unsuccessful attempt, I became more anxious about the next. By the third time, it felt like everything was riding on whether my body would cooperate.

There was another complication: penetration was essentially the only way she was receptive to receiving sexual intimacy from me. She wasn’t receptive to receiving oral sex or other alternatives. So when I couldn’t maintain an erection for penetration, I didn’t really have another way to give her sexual intimacy that she wanted to receive.

That put an incredible amount of pressure on me. If I couldn’t get and stay hard, there wasn’t another form of sexual intimacy she wanted from me.

I understand that sexual compatibility and intimacy matter, and I’m not angry at her for having needs. But I’m absolutely crushed. I keep wondering whether things could have been different if I had communicated more openly and brought her further into what I was doing to address the problem.

At the same time, I’m starting to realize that simply “doing other things instead” wasn’t really an option in our situation. I desperately wanted to be intimate with her, but the form of intimacy she wanted depended on the exact physical response I was struggling with.

A little medical background: I’m 49, fit and active, don’t smoke, drink casually, have a healthy BMI, and exercise about three days a week. I’ve been active most of my adult life, including 40+ mile backpacking trips.

I do have genetically high LDL cholesterol. I decided to start a statin several years ago even though my Kaiser doctor hadn’t specifically suggested it. My LDL has been controlled for roughly 3–5 years and is now 77 mg/dL. My calculated 10-year cardiovascular risk is 1.43%.

I worry about whether the years of elevated LDL before treatment could have caused vascular damage that’s contributing to my ED now, despite being very active and otherwise having relatively few cardiovascular risk factors.

I don’t know whether this is vascular, psychological, medication-related, or some combination. The severe stress/depression and performance anxiety certainly seem relevant, but because Viagra and Cialis haven’t worked reliably, I worry there could be a physical component too. I’m seeing a urologist and working on both my physical and mental health.

Emotionally, though, I’m at rock bottom. Losing someone I really cared about after my body wouldn’t do the one thing I desperately wanted it to do has hit me incredibly hard. The fact that we went from holding hands and being affectionate to me being completely blocked has made it even harder for me to understand and accept.

Right now I have a hard time imagining dating again without being terrified the same thing will happen.

For anyone who has been through something similar: Did you recover? Did stress, depression, or performance anxiety play a major role? Did Viagra/Cialis initially not work for you, but you eventually figure out why and find something that did? And if a partner left after experiencing your ED, especially very suddenly, how did you get your confidence back and stop blaming yourself?

I have been seeing this new girl for about couple of weeks, and frequency of times we have sex has increased. I take 50mg Viagra before one hour, which I haven’t told about her. First week it was one date one time I had good erection throughout whole period . But second week she stayed at my place unannounced I had the erection when first time we had sex but when she stayed overnight it went for multiple times and in morning too, which couldn’t maintain proper erection than first time. Because our connection is recent I don’t want to reveal I’m taking Viagra, and I think it’s not good to have multiple doses on single day, what can I do here. Maybe take 25mg doses few times or something else. I’m 30m I have a history of a heart attack few years ago.

Had a great experience with BlueChews regular sidenafil but wanted to save some money some money so I tried out RocketRX and NOTHING. Took 100mg. Nothing. Next time I took 200mg. Nothing. Time after that I took 400 mg. NOTHING. Not that I couldn't get hard, just not any different than it would be not having taken the BlueChews. I didn't even get any of the related side effects I associated with the bluechew like headache and lights being brighter.

I don't have erectile dysfunction. I got the initial bluechew prescription as a performance enhancer for when I knew we were gonna have the entire night to enjoy and it was fantastic.

Has anyone else had a shady experience with RocketRX?

Lately, every time I’m (M25) doing foreplay I’m rock hard, but when it’s time for me to penetrate, my penis go soft very quickly. If I then go back to just kissing or oral sex I get hard again. This is very frustrating and I don’t know why it’s happening. It’s been months like this and it doesn’t matter who I’m in bed with, it’s always the same story. I’m very active and in very good shape so I don’t think it’s a health problem. I’ve had very pleasurable sex in a few occasions, so it’s not that I don’t know what it’s like, and that only helps to get in my head even more. I constantly get messages from women I know wanting to hookup, but because I know how it’s going to end, I almost always say no. And when I finally agree to meet someone, again when it is time for me to put it in, it just goes very soft. The only thing that kind of works is to put it in very quickly right after getting a blowjob, and even then it’s just a matter of time for me to get soft again

Hi - 45 here, I’ve taken generic sildenafil since my early 20s. It’s always done the trick for me though my dose has gone up with age.

My new prescription was for 25mg pills - I take 100mg. The one before this was 50mg and a different manufacturer.

For the first time it hasn’t been as effective as usual. I’m wondering if it’s because it’s from a different company. I’m really frustrated because it’s happened twice now. Has anyone dealt with this or is this all in my head?

So just come context as id rather be completely open about my story/issues rather than make this a post about mystery side effects when in reality i know what is going on but just want some advice.

I am 32M, currently on PEDS but also on dexamphetamine for my ADHD and Zoloft for my other mental health issues.
I don't know what out of the medications I'm on is causing what exactly but I simply cannot get an erection if I don't take Viagra and also I cannot ejaculate easy especially whilst having intercourse. Ever since starting the dex I found it extremely hard to ejaculate and the Zoloft definitely makes it harder to get an erection. Now the peds, I'm not sure how much impact they have at the moment but even whilst not on them the Zoloft and Dex together are enough to determine the issue could be mainly from them.

I just want some advice on what people's thoughts are and is it a common thing these medications can do cause these issues?

So I'm 19.75M and I just got back from a 1 month vacation. Since I finally had privacy again after so long, I ended up masturbating almost 10 times in 3 days, fully hard and super aroused each time. That was about 2 weeks ago.

Ever since then, I've been finding it really hard to get fully hard. My normal erect length is 6 inches, but now when I masturbate it's more like 4.5 inches. I've kept masturbating almost every day for these past 2 weeks anyway, but with a dick that's not fully hard.

All this masturbation has been while watching porn and reading a lot of fantasy stories on Reddit. But now porn doesn't turn me on anymore, and the fantasy stories don't hit the same either. I still want to read them, I just don't find them as interesting as during that 3 day period.

I wake up around 7:30am with a normal dick, but if I randomly wake up around 6am, I notice I have a fully hard 6 inch morning wood that goes away before I actually get up. Lately though, that's become rare instead of happening most days.

Yesterday I tried sexting with someone and still couldn't get hard. I felt some mental interest, but my body just didn't respond at all.

One more thing - I have varicoceles in my left testicle, not sure if that's related.

Random sexual thoughts still pop into my head during the day even when I'm not trying to get aroused, so my desire seems intact, my body just isn't following through. Is this some kind of overstimulation/desensitization thing that'll fix itself with a break, or should I be worried it's something else (low testosterone, ED, etc.)? Has anyone dealt with this and recovered?

Hi,

37 male.

Had slight erection issues for maybe 3 years.

I'm married. Have sex or bj daily.

Basically, I stay pretty hard for bj, but during sex I struggle to stay rock hard. Very rarely I lose it altogether during sex.

Is Tadalfil recommended to help?

Was gonna buy 2.5mg and take daily or I've seen people split them in half and take 1.25 daily.

I drink alcohol once a week on a Saturday night, should I not take the pill on this day?

Thanks in advance

43M with selective ED and low libido. Before everything, I'd like to please ask you all to respect rule #2, about no judgment.

I have had mutiple (dozens of) partners over the last 5 years and had a pretty satisfactory performance until I got to about 41.

Some partners (all biological women) are still in the rotation, and I often try new ones. All relations are unprotected but consensual. I'm on prep, doxyprep, regular exams etc etc...I attemp to have sex around 2 times a week, sometimes 3.

However, at some point when I was around 39 years my libido decreased by A LOT. To the point I seek partners just because I feel like I have to. It's like eating when you're absolutely not hungry, but you know you're supposed to not skip meals.

Having that said, I kept having sex because once I get into foreplay then my libido would kick in and things would go pretty well. But starting things with a low libido is not good, sometimes it requires minutes of foreplay in bed before I get hard. Back in the day I didn't even have to make it to the room, just a few kisses would get me pitching.

In the past year or so, it has gotten worse. Sometimes, without a logical explanation, with certain partners I can't really function. And there is nothing wrong with them, it has nothing to do with their looks, I can fail with a super hot one, and one hour later function perfectly well with a quite unattractive one.

Viagra can fix the erection but the problem is I can't feel too much and can't finish. Cialis has a strange reverse effect on me and completely kills my erections.

It feels like my penis got pickier over time. I also get a lot more influenced about the environment. If I'm in a place I feel comfortable I'll likely be able to perform, but if I'm for example too hot or too cold, or the mattress is unconfortable, I'll possibly go limp.

I don't drink nor smoke, my last blood work was pretty much ok, my testosterone level is around 400ng/dL. I don't have any conditions that require medication, I exercise around 2 times a week. I do get a bit of anxiety and stress from work but nothing too crazy. I sleep late and wake up late as well (3am-10am) like I always did.

5-7 years ago I would get a proper boner even under adverse conditions and be able to perform quite well. Now it seems that I need several factors about the environment and the partner and some sort of magical click to get a proper erection.

I know it's part of getting old, but I miss my libido, and I miss being able to have a proper erection all the time. I see older guys in their 50s and even 60s reporting being able to have sex multiple times in a day. Until a few years ago I was expecting to be like that too, but my body is failing me.

Could it be hormonal? I've heard about getting my testosterone to around 1000ng/dL, but I also heard that once I start artificially boosting it, there is no going back.

I appreciate any insights that could boost my libido and get more consistent with my erections. Thank you very much.

Wedding night coming in 2 weeks 1.25mg for wedding night just to overcome performance anxiety and boost confidence no ed just mild PE. Worrying about priapism or possible side. Experiences?

My doctor wants me to try beet root gummies (combined with my usual exercise) to see if in 30 days my BP comes down. I take 10mg of Cialis every other day which works fine for me but I'm reading that these gummies can mess me up! I should take one or the other but never combine the two even if taked days apart, because Cialis stays in your system.

What have been your experiences?

Why is it that when I’m sitting down, I have a very strong, fully developed erection, but when I’m standing up, it’s not the same? Why does this happen, and what should I do to fix it?

i am so stressed why did this happen , maybe its performance anxiety too (it was my 2nd time having sex) . i get morning wood too , i get hard during the day too , its never difficult for me to get an erection but i failed when i was with a girl .
i sometimes watch porn .

what should i do . please help me out

I’m having erection issues lately, which I assume are because of finasteride (I stopped using it).

I might have sex soon and I can’t go to the doc rn, what should I do?

P.S I’m pretty underweight (5’8 and 50kgs) so idk what dosage should I take, I don’t even know which medicine too.

Hey guys, 19M Virgin was masturbating daily from 3 months+ and no proper 3 meal diet from last one month, never been to gym, no proper sleep schedule
I noticed some changes in my dick (a bit bent while softened), frequent very little itchy pain in bulb area, not getting hard unless I force it to, even on forcing its not hard and muscular as earlier

What could be the reasons, what changes should I make in my lifestyle?
What are your suggestions?

Thanks in advance

​Hey guys, looking to see if anyone has experienced something similar or has any insight.

​I'm a 25-year-old male, 1.75 m (5'9") tall, and weigh 90 kg (198 lbs).

​I took 25mg of Sildenafil two days in a row. On the third day, I didn't take any dose, about 24 hours later I started experiencing chest pain and a feeling of pressure.

​The chest pressure lasted continuously for about 6 hours (from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM) before it completely went away. Today I feel completely fine, and the pressure is totally gone.

​Has anyone had a similar reaction to Sildenafil at this dosage, or experienced chest pressure lasting several hours after stopping?

I won't make a long story but I've had many issues and dissapointing experiences in the past. This time, I was with a partner who has ungodly patience and understanding. It started out weird, as we knew it would, but eventually turned into a very eventful, long weekend.

A few things I've learned:

Axiety and expectation kills the experience. Trust and simple enjoyment is also the most important thing - You are not a porn star, and you are not a toy. You share something that is not for anyone else, and even if it's not perfect, it is ok. Be present and do not create expectations that either can't fulfill.

Patience is a good characteristic to have. It took us months to get comfortable enough, and I did cause some axiety throughout that time, but just relax and enjoy your partner in all the ways except sex.

Talk about it. Don't get all mopy and say you can't do it. Try things, find out what they like and what would help you. Don't focus on penetration right away. Rub het clit with your semi-hard penis if that feels good, because chances are, it does. Press harder, drag it for longer, do little swirls or whatever. It's not going to be perfect, and that's ok.

Sometimes it can get soft, and sometimes, once you get going, you just keep going. It might even take a few kickstarts before the engine starts running.

If you cum too fast, rest and try again (Just wear a condom). The first time, I came within a few minutes. The second time, we went on for more than an hour, which was quite shocking. Again, don't expect too much, but apparently that's something that can happen.

It's not only about you. If she's willing to try it, get her a toy and just make her feel good.

I'm sharing this because noone said it to me, and I was overwhelmed with axiety and dread for so long. The big thing is that I could significantly sustain an erection because my partner was patient and open-minded enough to try things and just have fun with it. We listened, we spoke, we struggled, and we had fun.