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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

coping with erectile dysfunction

5 replies

Confounded · 18/04/2012 15:00

Have been married over 20 years to a wonderful man. We have always had a close relationship both mentally and physicaly. Recently have had problems with ED. Although, looking back I guess this has been coming on over time. Have been to the GP and have been perscribed Levitra. Other health investiations are ongoing. The Levitra works but obvioulsy takes spontanaity out of things. So if we go for a planned session everything is fine, perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky.

The problem is how do people cope the rest of the time. What about casually reaching for one another, or getting dressed in the morning and rushing for work whilst knowing that given half a chance we would be making love? Honestly, we both feel as if someone has died. How did people cope with the psychological impact of ED on a relationship a generation ago prior to medication? Or how do others cope now?

Suggestions please....

OP posts:
nizlopi · 18/04/2012 15:05

Does sex have to be penetrative for you both? There are other things you can do. If you are missing the closeness, then perhaps that would help?

Confounded · 18/04/2012 15:16

Fair point but yes that seems to be what we both like.

For myself I feel emotionally closer and happier if I orgsam during penetration. I am not sure why its important for him but I am sure it is.

I am also sure that whatever we do, for him, once the ED is apparent then the whole experience is less happy, spolit by worry, not what he wanted or expected, stops him doing what he would wish etc.

Anyway apart from the questions of technique and activity it is the sense of something lost which is so overwhelming and saddening at the moment.

OP posts:
BrainThrustMastery · 18/04/2012 18:45

Hi confounded, I guess my situation is a little different to yours, in that my OH has suffered from erectile dysfunction since contracting an illness as a child; when I met him he was very embarrassed about this, which is understandable for a young man in his late 20s. If we are going to have sex he has to take a tablet, but whilst this reduces the spontaneity it also increases the anticipation, and we can plan for things to be special/talk about the way we would like them.

Otherwise, I find that he can still get a lot of pleasure being played with, even if he's not erect (and can actually still ejaculate without an erection, which was a bit of news to me!). He's a very giving man anyway, so always likes to put my pleasure first, which I feel bad about, but I think on some level he feels like he has to make up for his inability to maintain an erection (which of course he can't help, and I'm completely fine with that!).

Anyway, sorry for all the waffle, the bottom line for me is that initially when we got together I selfishly worried that our relationship/intimacy would suffer, but we really have got stronger as a couple due to our ability to talk about these things, and come up with exciting and inventive ways to give each other pleasure. I do love him so much Grin

But I'm sorry to hear that you're both feeling bad about this Sad...it will be ok, it will just take some getting used to Smile

Confounded · 19/04/2012 10:21

It is really difficult

My H can get an erection but somewhat less impressive than before. He didn't notice things going wrong as early as I did. He says that when he orgasms it all feels the same. Given that its the ability to get and maintain the erection which is the problem then this seems reasonable because its the nerve endings which relate to pleasure not the blood flow.

Even so, to me it did seem a bit strange that he did not notice. I think it was just slow conditioning over time. Then any erection is lost once acheived, paticularly if I start to come. To be honest I think my activity squeezes any blood flow back out and so ends the matter - frustratingly. Now we can do other things to one another but this is not we want. For us becuase we always do most things together and spend a lot of time in one anothers company the idea of not climaxing together is upsetting.

My H focuses partly on the mechanics of the situatuation - man thing - engineering problem. Also being an engineer, I don't have too much of a problem with that and he is probably right. Becuase of other things, I think he is likely to have a cardio vascular condition.

Fair enough, but in the meantime we also have to live with this and there may never be a resolution. Its almost worst becuase he is athletic - goes running and seems to be one of thoese middle aged men who look better the more rugged they have become than his babyfaced youth. In short, outwardly, he seems to have so much to offer. Its such a come on. Unfortunatly, it dosn't end up like that.

Then whilst the Levitra does work, it is just a one off until the next time. We both want a love life rather than a series of orgies with one another and lets face it with 3 teenagers in the house these are pretty difficult to acheive.

Also becuase we already do other things in company with one another its not as if we can substitute sex with something else. I also liked the compliment of being obvioulsy the object of his desire. We are aware that he could have a far more life threatening condidtion and we could be dealing with something far worse in life but that dosn't mean that we don't miss what we have always had. We have both sat around in tears about it - being glum etc.

Then with teenagers being teenagers they carry on with their concerns, crisis etc. Not realising that their drama is intruding upon something to us which is a very personal grief. I don't expect that to be different but is hard to put up with.

I look at older relatives and think that they must have reached some accommodation in this direction at some point. I also think that their old age love is much to be admired. Yet currently I think, Not for us, Not now, Not so soon in our lives!

OP posts:
fiventhree · 19/04/2012 11:14

I can see alot of grief in your situation. Did you consider sexual health counselling with Relate. I think those types of organisations are actually better wehn you are not at loggerheads and you can agree together to work on a solution. They do have specialists in this area.

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