So, I have been having the same severe ED and libido issues as everyone here. However, last night, I was able to get an erection, albeit a weaker one than when I take Viagra. I will retrace my steps and my thinking as to why I got one.
First and foremost, I told my girlfriend about my problem and fin, and how I may have to take Viagra for a long time before I “recover” since we don’t know the proprer treatment methods. She took it well, but said that it was big new to her and she needs some time to absorb that information. She didn’t hide the fact that it could have a negative impact on our relationship in the future such that she may break up with me. I love this girl, and she is the only girl I’ve ever loved, and she feels the same about me. So, it’s a big deal. Despite all that, we had a relaxing night and had a glass of white wine each while watching a DVD. She passed out, and I lay awake, just relaxing (from the wine). Then, all of a sudden, I notice a little bit more bloodflow to my penis than I’m used too given my fin related ED. I started rubbing it gently through my boxers, and low and behold, I got an erection. Keep in mind, it was a weak one, but still definitely better than anyone I’ve had before, with the expcetion of Viagra induced erections. I was elated, and thought back to the last time that this happened, and there was one similarity between the two times that I was able to get a random erection - I had a glass of wine about 45 minutes before. Now, to be sure, there have been many times when I’ve had a glass of wine and nothing happened, but between these two instances of random erections, I distinctly remember having a glass of wine, and one glass only. So, intrigued by this, I did a little research and stumbled upon this little article below. Maybe it is indeed a lack of allopregnanolone that has been causin my problems. In any event, this and others’ experience with progesterone cream is enough for me to give the cream a try. Please feel free to comment.
Progesterone Helps Women Chill Out Faster When They Drink
Alcohol’s legendary sedative effects may be caused by a brain steroid derived from progesterone that damps down anxiety. This could help explain why alcohol makes people feel so relaxed, and why men and women react to alcohol differently.
It only takes a few drinking sessions for revellers to get acquainted with alcohol’s effects. Scientists, though, have had a harder time figuring out exactly how the drug works on the brain. Alcohol appears to interact with two brain receptors, one of which, the GABA receptor, is exploited by tranquilizers such as Valium. But it is not clear exactly how alcohol interacts with this receptor.
Animal studies show that stress increases levels of the brain steroid allopregnanolone, which acts on the GABA receptor to reduce anxiety. Because alcohol triggers the release of stress hormones like corticosterone, and progesterone, from which allopregnanolone is derived, Morrow’s team suspected that drinking might also increase levels of the steroid.
To find out, the researchers gave rats moderate doses of ethanol roughly equivalent to the amount of alcohol someone might consume at a cocktail party. When they removed each animal’s cerebral cortex after 20 minutes, the rats given alcohol showed dramatic rises in allopregnanolone levels compared to rats given saline.
Was the steroid responsible for alcohol’s sedative effect? Investigators then treated rats with a drug called finasteride, which blocks the formation of allopregnanolone from progesterone, before giving them another drink. Alcohol usually lowers electrical activity in a number of areas in the brain, but finasteride prevented this, indicating that allopregnanolone does play a role in the relaxing effects of alcohol.
The investigators believe that allopregnanolone is very important for the anticonvulsant and sedative effects of alcohol. Perhaps women need to drink less to get the rewarding effects of alcohol because they naturally have higher levels of the steroid. That could explain why women are less likely to become alcoholics than men. Investigators have previously shown that female rats drink more ethanol during the phase in their reproductive cycle when progesterone levels are low.
The Journal of Neuroscience March 2000 (vol 20, p 1982)
COMMENT: Steroid hormones, like progesterone, have enormous potential influence on our health and behavior. Normalization of the adrenal hormones through proper rest, diet and stress management, along with addressing previous unresolved psychoemotional conflicts is one of the most potent ways to normalize progesterone levels.