| avocet 2004-12-29, 7:07 pm |
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"NotMe" <not_my@email.com> wrote in message
news:BDF8815A.A1E6%not_my@email.com...
> I was the original poster of the question about diuretics and ED and I
want
> to thank the many posters for all your information.
________
I agree that hypertension and its treatments ought to be talked about more
here because very often it is hypertension and/or its treatments that lead
us to ED.
I have had many conversations with my (very good) internist on the subject
of diuretics. Our "Peabody" and I have talked many times also about the
many treatments we have both tried.
The reality is this, from what I have learned:
Most people with hypertension get better b/p management taking an
anti-hypertension drug combined with a diuretic. Most patients
(historically) began b/p treatment only on an anti-hypertensive medication,
no diuretic. Later in the course of their treatments it was found that the
medication alone did not do as well at all-day or long-term management for
most of them as a combination with a diuretic does. Today, many doctors
simply take a short cut and start patients on the two, because odds are that
the two will work better than the one.
Having talked about ED here lo these many years and done a lot of reading, I
am convinced that hypertension must be treated as the priority over ED. Get
b/p under good control, then handle the ED. ED doesn't cause heart attacks
and strokes. Hypertension does. Easy as that.
Fortunately, there are many, many anti-hypertension medications on the
market now. Lots of choices. Lots of the choices have less ED fallout than
others. As aware consumers (with hypertension and ED) we can sort through
the options. But our doctors have to know from us that erectile function is
a very important aspect of our lives or they are going to think _only_ about
getting b/p under control.
HCTZ is a very effective (and very cheap) diuretic. When I last asked my
internist about his prescribing me another one instead (I have been on this
stuff since 1984), he suggested very sanely that since my present combo of
Cozaar and HCTZ, relatively small dose of that, works so very well and that
my ED is well managed, why rock a steady boat?
I had to bow to that observation. The fact is that if I stopped HCTZ
altogether, my ED would not disappear. And if I tried another diruretic,
would it work so well with the Cozaar - the medication that has worked the
best for me of all I tried before and in all the anti-hypertension drug
classes you mention?
This is a very personal decision and most doctors will allow you to be a
participant in the decision.
As they say, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince. If
in your own search you find a medication or a combo that works beautifully
on your b/p, stay with it. Then find the ED therapy that works well on your
ED.
By the way, Edex works nicely for many men. Trimix works better for more
men. You might consider a run on Trimix.
Jim
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