I think this problem is more common then people realize.  I recently read that it affects 10% of all men.  It can be because of diabetes, heart disease, prostate issues...all these effect blood circulation (blood flow) to extremities (yes the penis is a extemity).  Sometimes drugs cause problems (including ciggerates, alcohol, prescription meds etc..) In some cases (I read only 10%) the cause may be psychological.  Whatever the case it can cause guys to feel depressed, anxious, guilty (these feelings make the impotence worse) and eventually effects self esteem and your over all quality of life.  The good news  Doctors today, particularly urologists, can successfully treat almost every case of impotency.  You can depending on your particuliar case recieve 1/ Drug Therapy (Viagra) 2/ Penile Implant (I had a post op patient last night who had one and he was 68).  3/ Urethral suppository (increases blood flow to the penis)  4/ Injection therapy (increases blood flow but it is a shot you give yourself...ouch!)  5/  Vacum erection device..(yes it is how it sounds and once it gets up you put a band or cock ring around the base to keep the blood flow there).   Maybe cause I use to be a provider I have experienced all the above....Now that I am a nurse I really do care and hope that all of you have great sex because you deserve to and it is an important part of your life no matter who you are or what your age is.   Lastly if it is a psychological issue...counseling, sex therapist, learning to relax  can help and actually this in conjuction I think with the above therapies can only be even more benificial...If any of you need the name of a few good doctors I can personally recommend some to you...just PM me...Have fun!   xo

After visits to all kinds of doctors and being declared totally healthy by all of them, I think I have narrowed it down to something psychological. The fact is that I can't concentrate on one thing for more than a fraction of a second. It's like having a TV picture in your head and getting nothing but static and the channel keeps changing. Like holding your finger down on the remote control. It takes me forever it seems like just to respond to an email. I haven't wrote a letter in a few years because it would take too long. I live in a very small town so there is no such thing as sex therapy. I did talk to one sexual therapist at a university hospital who told me it was all in my head but didn't give me any clues on how to fix it. I'm thinking about trying one of the drugs that helps you to focus and concentrate to see if that helps. This has been going on for over two years now and it is very frustrating.

Ace, why not go to a urologist? Do you have one in your town? If not, go  to the same university that you went to.
All sex starts in the brain, and then ends up in the penis. A urologist can check your testosterone level, and if it's below normal, he'll give you a shot of the hormone. He'll have you try Viagra or some derivative thereof. If that doesn't work, you can give yourself a shot, right into the shaft of the penis. He'll probably put you on Bimix, which will give you an erection in about five minutes. Don't worry, the needle can de as fine as 30 ga.You'll never feel a thing. Besides, how badly do you want to make love to a woman!!! Bimix will probably work for a few to several months. Once that stops working, there is Trimix, which can be administered in the same way. When that doesn't work anymore, there is the magic of a penile implant that will work in a matter of seconds, and will give you an erection that will last as long as you want!!! How about that!!
You can use any position you want for as long as you want.  
The only drawback, you must heve better endurance than your partner.
B/C me if you have any Qs.

You have described a true medical condition for which I have seen adds for new medicines. Print out your own post add take it to a professional Medical Person. There is help.  I belive your condition is called Adult ADD.  Hang in there and fight for treatment if you have to.

Write to Dr.Phil, he is very well rounded and can help you.

I have already been to 4 urologists. They are the ones that say there is nothing wrong with me. In fact my testosterone level is way high. That's what is convincing me there is a mental problem of some sort. The other problem is that my libido is almost non-exstient. It all happened after two brief illnesses in 2002, Nobody seems to know what happened or how to fix it. I am not going to use shots or get an implant. I currently have a regiment of a combination of drugs that will work but it has to be timed out just right. There is no such thing anymore as spontaneous sex.

I really think that is what I might have. I think if I could concentrate like I used to, everything would come back to normal. My doctor has suggested a drug if I wanted to try it and I think I do. Don't know what it is called but I hope there are no side effects. I used to be able to sit and fantisize about things but for the last two years or more I can't concentrate long enough to do that. It also affects me at work.

Since I was 15 I have always had "initial anxiety".  It has always been a problem, and not a physiological one - when you are 15 and healthy you get a hard on when the wind blows.

It is not the same as "performance anxiety".  I do OK in my opinion and a few others as far as performance.  

It only happens the first time with a "strange" female.  Like an "off" switch is flipped.  No matter how much I wanted to, it just didn't work.  After I spent enough time with the woman and started getting more comfortable it would eventually happen.  After the first time I would be unstoppable.

New female in the picture, same thing all over again.

It is "normal" for me.  People are different, and I think the whole pyschology industry is full of crap if they label everyone who differs from the general population as having a "problem".  

But it did "cause problems" for me(not the same IMO as "having a problem").

I did not try Viagra for years because I thought it would do nothing since I knew it was not a physiological thing.  But a few years ago, I decided "why not?"  Works like a champ.  

I guess it provides enough physiological enhancement to counterbalance the psych factor and push me over the wall.  If I take Viagra it provides enough boost to at least get enough of an erection to get started.  After that I'm fine.

If you have not tried Viagra because you don't think it will work for you (i.e. not physiological) try it anyway.  It may do the trick.  

May take a higher dose since the strategy would probably be the same sort for you - counteracting a mental perspective by increasing the physical response.  I take 100mg, the first time, then usually don't take it again at all with the same partner, or maybe occasionally 35 mg or so once in a while because I like the little extra kick.

Also as far as ADD goes - does this problem affect other areas of your life, or is it just sexual?   I'm no doctor, but if it is not a (major) problem at work etc (and keep in mind everyone has bad days where they can't focus, that's normal) then I doubt seriously you have ADD.

SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac, etc) are WAY overused in this country.  The industries that promote them have basically created all kinds of "conditions" as a reason to prescribe them.  ADD, "Social Anxiety Disorder", etc.  While I believe that a small minority of people suffer from genuine chemical imbalances that drugs may help, I truly believe the majority suffer mainly from the pressures and anxieties that *we* put on *ourselves* in our modern lifestyles.  

Too many people have lost sight of the fact that *true* quality of life does not come from money, keeping up with the joneses, constantly talking on a cell phone etc.  Slow down a little.  Life is about self-esteem, peace of mind, inner stuff.  True fulfillment comes from within, how we treat other people, etc.  None of which appears on your monthly paycheck.  

There are way too many people on SSRIs today.  They are not magic bullets, and they have adverse affects on sexual performance too.  

Try things like maybe decreasing your caffeine intake if you drink a lot, cut back on smoking if you smoke, etc. Take a long walk everyday to just let your mind wander without control.  Try a martial art, or yoga/meditation.  These are all much healthier ways to reduce stress and develop mental control and focus than taking a pill.  Hypnotherapy also seems to be really effective for at least some people.

The only pill I recommend is Viagra if you have not tried it.  It really might do the trick.  

But if you do feel like you need medication, try Bupropion first.  It can definitely make you feel sharper mentally, but may be a little speedy at first.  So it may make things worse, not better.  But it is worth trying at least.  It's not an SSRI, and unlike Zoloft, it does not have adverse sexual affects.  Plus you don't have to take it for weeks and weeks before you know if it will help you.  It is not as mentally dulling and probably does not tinker with your brain chemistry as much as SSRIs.

But overall I would suggest try finding a relaxing physical activity before you try anti-depressant/anti-ADD/Anti-SAD drugs, whatever they call them now.

Good Luck

You might want to ask your Dr. about Aderol. It's a fairly new med used for ADD or ADHD. It has very few side effects, unlike many meds. It will DEFINITELY help you to be able to concentrate and focus. Good luck! Also, you might want to try and relieve some of the stress you seem to be putting on yourself. It's all a matter of perspective )glass half empty or half full kind of thing). Just about every anti-depressant drug has sexual side effects......

Actually, the truth is there are NOT any really new drugs for ADD.  

The FDA has approved 5 "new" drugs in the last two years for ADD treatment.  

4 of the 5 are simply new mixtures of existing amphetamine based ADD drugs - typically either cocktails, extended release versions or both.  All are based on Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or amphetamine mixtures.  

Adderall is nothing more than a mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.  

All these meds are generally intended for children, although they may occasionally be prescribed for adults for narcolepsy, or less often for ADD.

Because of the abuse potential doctors are reluctant to prescribe these to adults.  If you want to go for an "amphetamine like" treatment, Bupropion is probably a much safer choice for adults.

The 5th drug is Strattera.  

Strattera is basically a very shrewd marketing approach by Eli Lilly.  Parents are concerned about children on traditional amphetamine based ADD drugs.  As I mentioned before, SSRIs are now being widely marketed for ADD as an alternative.  But parents don't like the idea of their kids taking Prozac either.

That means there is a potentially huge market out there for alternatives.

Enter Strattera.  

It is a "new non-amphetamine" based treatment for ADD marketed for both children and adults.  What it really consists of is a SNRI - Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor.  Same basic approach as SSRIs - except based on Norepinephrine instead of Serotonin.  The treatment philosophy is the same as prescribing Prozac or Zoloft for ADD - tinker with the same family of brain neurotransmitters.  

The general anti-depressant market is already flooded with many SSRI lookalikes - Prozac, Zoloft and others.  Lilly wisely chose to market Strattera as a drug targeted specifically at the very lucrative Ritalin replacement market instead.  Shrewd.  Very shrewd.  It is the same drug family  as Prozac, but none of the perceived stigma because the drug has never been marketed as an anti-depressant for adults.  Although the drug is also approved for ADD in adults, the real target market is the lucrative Ritalin replacment market for children.

The bottom line is it's really nothing new.  If Strattera is helpful to you, Zoloft is likely to be similarly helpful, but a whole lot cheaper.   Strattera also has the same adverse sexual side effects as Zoloft and Prozac. (Not surprising, considering it is the same family of drugs).

There are a lot of alternative ways to tinker with the amino acid chemistry in your brain.  Seeing a dietician and eating a balanced diet high in essential amino acids, taking a good quality B-Complex vitamin regularly, drink lots of water, exercise, learning mental relaxation techniques, etc.  All have been scientifically demonstrated to impact the amino acid balance in thye human brain (yes, even plain old exercise, and many other normal activities - sex, crying, laughing, etc).

Again, you may in fact really need medical treatment.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But it certainly does not hurt you to explore the alternatives. They could always augment, and even possibly replace taking a pill.

And all have positive side effects.  

Ok that is a lot of information to digest. Let me start at the beginning I guess. First, I don't take anti-depressants and don't want to.

My problem is that I am not interested in women or sexual activity. That differs from most people from what I have understood. The ED drugs help if you have the desire to make love but are unable to. I have come up with a formula, through a lot of trial and error, of drugs that allow me to get the job done (so to speak). I start off by taking two 20mg tablets of Levitra. Then about 15 to 20 minutes later I chew half of a 50mg Viagra then chew the other half about 10 minutes later. What this does (I guess) is to amplify what little libido I have and allows me to complete sexual activity. The downside of this is that I have to be rather quick about it because I tend to lose it rather quickly if things don't go just right even with taking all of that medicine. Here is where I think my loss of concentration is doing me in. Back in the good old days I could easily focus on who I was with and what I was doing and could go on for quite a long time with no problems.

You referred to an "off switch" being flipped that no matter how much you wanted to it just didn't work. I'm exactly the opposite. If my "on switch" could be flipped and would make me want to, then I think I could function normally.

This all started two years ago (while I was in Atlanta on vacation ironically) when I got very sick with some sort of mystery illness. All of my joints hurt, I couldn't make myself get out of bed, couldn't eat for a few days, had terrible chills. That killed my libido and it has never returned but along with it I have always had this trouble concentrating. It happens 24/7 not just when I am at work but when I am at home, driving someplace, everytime all the time.

I do not smoke or drink. I workout at the gym regularly, run two miles a day. I am 6'1" and weigh 155lbs. so I am in great shape. I play music and golf to relax so being out of shape is not a problem.