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Erectile dysfunction
testing and treatment
A GP who will look for the cause, not just post you tablets. Because sometimes the cause is the thing that matters.
The tablets work. The question is what is causing it
There is no shortage of places that will send you medication after a two-minute online questionnaire, and for a good many men that is genuinely all that is needed. But it skips a question worth asking.
Erectile dysfunction is often the first sign of a cardiovascular problem. The vessels involved are small and narrow before the larger ones do, which means ED can precede a heart or circulation diagnosis by several years. It is one of the more useful early warnings in medicine, and it is routinely missed because the symptom gets treated in isolation.
It is also commonly linked to diabetes, low testosterone, blood pressure, medication you are already taking, alcohol, sleep and stress. Some of those are easily fixed. All of them are worth knowing about.
So this appointment is a proper look: what is going on, what the bloods say, and treatment where it is appropriate.
What happens
Looking for the cause
The £89 consultation covers the appointment. Tests are charged in addition.
What gets checked
Guided by your history, not a fixed panel.
And then
Not a prescription and goodbye.
Worth knowing
Common contributors
Cardiovascular disease
The one that matters most. ED can be an early marker, which is why the lipid profile is part of this rather than an upsell.
Undiagnosed diabetes
A recognised cause, and frequently the first thing that leads to the diagnosis.
Low testosterone
Less common than the internet suggests, but easily checked, and treatable where it is genuinely low.
Medication you already take
Several common drugs contribute, including some blood pressure treatments and antidepressants.
Alcohol, sleep and weight
Unglamorous, frequently relevant, and often the most effective thing to change.
Anxiety and stress
Real, common, and not a lesser explanation. Often intertwined with the physical causes rather than separate from them.
Most men wait a long time before mentioning this to anyone. It is worth saying that there is nothing here a GP has not heard before, several times that week.
Questions
Things people ask us
Can I not just order the tablets online?
You can, and for many men they work well. What an online questionnaire cannot do is check whether something underlying is causing it. ED is frequently an early sign of cardiovascular disease, sometimes years ahead of other symptoms, and treating the symptom alone means that goes unnoticed. That is the difference between this and a subscription.
Do you prescribe treatment?
Yes, where it is appropriate, and it is discussed at the appointment rather than decided by a form. Most men leave with both an explanation and a plan, and if something turns up in the bloods it is managed rather than just mentioned.
What does it cost?
£89 for the consultation. Which tests are worth doing depends on your history. Testosterone is £57 and a lipid profile £75, and the GP will say what is actually warranted rather than running everything as a matter of course.
Is it worth coming in, or can this be a video consultation?
A video consultation is a reasonable start and plenty of men prefer it. Blood tests need a visit, and blood pressure is worth doing properly in person. Many people do the consultation by video and come in briefly for the sample.
Related
Related testing
Worth a proper conversation
Treated properly, and checked for the things that matter.