Medicines that may interfere with an erection include:

• Antidepressants (e.g., SSRI's)
• Blood pressure medications (e.g., beta-blockers)
• Heart medications (e.g., digoxin)
• Sleeping pills
• Peptic ulcer medications

If you think that a medicine you are taking may have something to do with your erection difficulties, DO NOT stop taking your medicine or take less of it without talking to your doctor first. In many cases, your doctor can change the medicine you are taking or adjust the dose so that your erections are not affected.

Things You Can Do To Deal With, And Avoid Erectile Problems

• Eat a healthy diet
• Reduce or stop smoking
• Avoid using drugs (e.g., cocaine)
• Get enough sleep
• Avoid too much stress (feeling pressure, worrying a lot)
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink (especially before having sex)
• Take your mind off your penis and pay attention instead to kissing and touching your partner. The less you worry about having an erection, the more likely you are to get one.
• Try to talk openly and honestly with your partner about your sex life together including the pressure you may be feeling about having erections.

Getting Help for Erectile Difficulties

If you continue to have regular difficulties getting and keeping an erection and the problem does not go away, you should go to see a doctor. Don't be embarrassed! More and more, men are going to see their doctors about erection difficulties. Most doctors are used to having their male patients ask about erectile problems. In most cases, the doctor will be able to help and there are effective medicines to treat erectile dysfunction.

When you call the doctor's office to make an appointment, you do not need to give details to the receptionist, about why you want to see the doctor. You could say "I would like to see the Doctor about a personal health issue"When you see the doctor, you could say "I am having a problem with my erections." If you are going to the doctor for a regular check-up, tell the doctor about your erection difficulties at the beginning of the appointment, not near the end. The doctor will probably give you a physical examination and ask you some direct questions, such as how long you have had erection difficulties, if you sometimes wake-up with erections, if there are certain situations when you get hard but others when you don't, if your penis gets a little hard when you are sexually excited or not hard at all, and other questions like this. Try to be as clear and honest as possible in answering these questions. The more clear and honest the information you give, the more likely it is that your doctor will be able to help solve your erectile difficulties.

next: Teen Sexual Behaviors