Yohimbe for Erectile Dysfunction

Does the little blue pill conceal a deadly secret? The fact is, in some men, using Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra can extract a high price for sexual pleasure, including distorted vision, loss of coordination, fainting, and even death. Moreover, these prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED) are not cheap and they are not covered by insurance or Medicare. That’s why more and more men are turning to alternative remedies for impotence such as yohimbe.

This herbal remedy for ED is made from the bark of an African tree. One of the phytochemicals in this bark, yohimbine, was in pre-Viagra days the only medication approved by the FDA for treating erectile problems. This male sexual stimulant compound is also found in a few South American rain forest herbs, igpepo, pamprana, and quebracho.

Yohimbe is like Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra in that it restores the ability to have erections regardless of the cause of the problem. Like the well-known prescription drugs, this natural impotence remedy acts by stimulating blood flow into the penis. Yohimbine, the chemical in the herb, “unlocks” norepinephrine, a stimulant hormone, in the lining of the blood vessels leading to the male sex organ, in the same way Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra do, by stimulating the release of antioxidant nitric oxide. Blood stays in the penis and erections are sustainable.

The difference between yohimbe and the little blue pill and similar prescriptions is that the herb is also an aphrodisiac. In a dosage of up to 30 milligrams, it is an antidepressant. It increases the brain’s ability to respond to dopamine, the pleasure chemical. It enhances a man’s ability to pay attention to his partner, allowing a smaller dose to get a better result.

So what’s not to like about this herbal miracle? You do want to be sure you are getting the real herb, not a substitute. In my personal experience working with brokers and manufacturers, the smaller, “boutique” manufacturers of herbal products are more likely to give you the real thing. Also, vendors of the South American herbs that work the same way, such as quebracho, tend to be honest and reliable.

Also, yohimbe works best if you let it “take your penis by surprise.” Men who take the herb every day need more and more to get the same result. That’s why some clinical studies found that men who take the herb every day didn’t get relief from ED, while men who took it on special occasions did.

How do you find the dosage that works for you? Patience is required. Start with 5 milligrams at a time and work up to 50 milligrams at a time, each dosage 5 or 10 milligrams higher. Don’t rely on the herb. Skipping a day between doses makes it more effective. It won’t interfere with the little blue pill (or Cialis or Levitra) if you decide to continue taking them.

There are some medications that don’t mix with yohimbine. The antidepressant trazodone (Deseryl, Trialodine) combined with the herb (or with any of the South American ED herbs) sometimes can cause priapism. That’s the “erection lasting more than four hours” (yes, there are erections that last more than four hours in men of all ages) you hear about on the television commercials. Mixing the herb and trazodone can priapism and surgical drainage of the penis may be necessary to prevent permanent damage.

This herb does not work when it is used selegiline, a drug used to stimulate male sexual desire (and to treat Parkinson’s disease). There is only so much dopamine reuptake modulation in the brain can do for your love life, and the combination of drug and herb is redundant. No herb containing yohimbine should be taken at the same time as butyl nitrate (“poppers”), and the blood pressure medication clonidine wipes out any stimulant effect of the herb. Clonidine is also the antidote for overdoses of the herb.

One other word of caution. Many men find it difficult to sleep for up to 24 hours after taking yohimbe. One should be prepared to enjoy the benefits the herb confers before taking it. It is best used in the context of a stable sexual relationship. Tranquilizers will not relieve insomnia caused by taking the herb. Only sexual activity does.

Recent reader questions:

Q. Does yohimbe help you have multiple erections? Does Viagra help you have multiple erections?

A. If you are a man otherwise healthy capable of multiple erections, yohimbe will keep you "turned on," since it is an aphrodisiac. Viagra is not an aphrodisiac, and its effects are at the "plumbing" level.

Q. Does yohimbe help you deal with anxiety medication side effects?

A. To the extent the anxiety medication causes absence of desire. If the anxiety medication causing low blood pressure, yohimbe doesn't work on the same nerve receptors and won't power blood flow into the penis.