Hormone Therapy Improves Sex Drive
 For men who aren't responding to Viagra, a new study says testosterone therapy might be the answer.
When men's erections aren't functioning, the usual solution is Viagra. But for some men the drug doesn't work, even in high doses. An article published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine suggests these men should have their doctors check their testosterone levels. If it's low, they should consider testosterone therapy. The study found that patients taking extra testosterone showed serious erectile improvement over patients who didn't. This was true even of men for whom Viagra was already partly working. The study did note, however, that while the men's erectile function improved greatly, it didn't rise to normal standards.
For Dr. Hazem A. Hamdy, Medical Director of Ottawa Men's Clinic, the study confirmed what 10 years of practice had taught him. "I already knew about it from experience, but it's good to have evidence to back me up," he said. Hamdy has been testing men's testosterone levels for years if they aren't responding to Viagra. Very few patients respond to neither Viagra, nor extra testosterone, Hamdy said. The usual ways to increase testosterone are by taking pills, gels or injections. A tablet called Andriol is ideal. So no new medication has to be made available. Men and their doctors simply need to be more aware of the good testosterone therapy can do. Drew Voight
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