Guys, Here Are The Things Killing Your Sexual Libido

The average Nigerian is a doctor. To get a free
and unsolicited drug prescription, just
complain of one ailment and the drug referrals
begin to flow like a deluge.
People don’t just prescribe drugs or home
remedies for others, they also “treat”
themselves whenever what they consider
manageable health issues crop up.
Consequently, by the time many people finally
think of seeking professional help, they are
almost useless...
Perhaps after sleeping pills, the next
commonest drug of abuse is pain relief
medication. People take over-the-counter-
drugs for the relief of pain in various parts of
the body and also for various health
challenges. Many people are even unaware that
certain pain medications are better suited for
certain ailments and are therefore better
prescribed by a competent professional, who
will also monitor the effects, especially when
such drugs are to be used for extended
period, as in the treatment of chronic pain
conditions like arthritis, cancer, etc.
It has been revealed that chronic pain relief
drugs — also called non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs — can wreak havoc on the
body, sometimes with debilitating effects.
Scientists argue that, just like other drugs,
chronic pain medications are not to be trifled
with, even when they appear harmless and
‘gentle’ to the stomach.
According to a new study published in the
journal Spine, men who are taking prescription
pain pills in high doses and over long periods of
time are more likely to experience erectile
dysfunction — characterised by the inability
to develop or maintain an erection of the penis
during s*xual performance.
That was the bombshell delivered by scientists
at Oregon Health & Science University,
Portland Oregon, USA. The lead researcher,
Dr. Richard Deyo, notes that opioids —
medications that relieve pain — are known to
cause changes in testosterone levels, leading
to erectile dysfunction. The researchers had
examined 11,000 men who were taking
prescription opioids for chronic back pain.
They conclude that men who took high-doses
of certain prescription painkillers for longer
than four months were 50 per cent more likely
to require medication to treat erectile
dysfunction than men who were not taking
painkillers
Another study published in the Pain Physician
Journal and led by Professor/Academic
Director of Pain Management, Albany Medical
College, Department of Anesthesiology,
Albany, New York City, Dr. Howard Smith,
enthuses that in the past few decades, the use
of opioids as a long-term treatment for
chronic pain has increased dramatically.
However, he says, this comes at a price,
especially for men, in terms of hormone
imbalance, with symptoms like reduced libido,
erectile dysfunction, fatigue, hot flashes, and
depression.
The scientists also note that the symptoms
may include reduced facial and body hair,
anaemia, decreased muscle mass, weight gain,
infertility, osteopenia (unusually low bone
mineral density) or osteoporosis (weak bones).
Another study by Finnish scientists who
examined more than 1,100 men between 50 and
70 years of age found that erectile
dysfunction was much higher among painkiller
users than among non-users. The study is
published in the May issue of the Journal of
Urology.
Deyo and his team say their findings add to a
wealth of evidence indicating that long-term
opioid treatment for chronic pain should be
avoided when possible. “Patients who take
opioids for extended periods often develop a
tolerance to the medicine and can even
experience greater sensitivity to pain over
time,” Deyo says.
Yet, humans may not be in charge of their pain,
it turns out, as researchers at Harvard
Medical School say as we age, pain and pain
control become an important issue, because
many of the conditions that cause pain
disproportionately affect people starting at
about age 65.
They note that several of the conditions that
can prolong or amplify pain, such as insomnia,
become more common with age. “As age makes
our mental and physical health more tenuous,
our ability to weather the slings and arrows of
pain diminishes too.
“All of this puts a premium on effective pain
treatment in older people. But there’s a catch,
because the most effective painkillers
available have side effects that occur more
often and more severely in older people.”
General practitioner, Dr. Tomi Abegunde, says
in addition to these revelations, the categories
of people that may be affected are those
taking pain relief drugs for long-term chronic
conditions such as high blood pressure,
depression, anxiety, epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, cancers, arthritis, etc.
Others are those who take drugs that aid the
production of urine, anti-allergies, muscle
relaxants, drugs that suppress abnormal
rhythms of the heart, drugs used to treat
duodenal ulcers and prevent their return, etc.
Abegunde notes that the pain relief drugs
usually prescribed for these conditions not
only affect and oftentimes suppress the
central nervous system, they can also cause
serious damage to the blood vessels, resulting
in permanent erectile dysfunction.
However, he warns that if you notice this
symptom, don’t just discontinue the drug; see
your doctor immediately.