Dr. Gott: Arterial blockages may make sex painful

Dear Dr. Gott: My husband has a problem that so far no doctor has been able to solve.

First of all, he is 60 years old and doesn’t have many health concerns. He has been to a urologist for a swollen prostate, for which he takes Flomax and Avodart.

He also is on metaprolol daily.

About a year ago he had a mild heart attack. His doctors put in a stent, and he has been doing great ever since.

The problem is, we can’t seem to have sex anymore without him having pain in his penis. He has no semen, he can’t get erect, and when he does, the erection doesn’t last at all.

He has discussed this with his internists, urologist and cardiologists. No one seems to have an answer.

He has had blood tests, and they don’t show a problem. He takes a very good vitamin every day and eats plenty of fruits and vegetables.

He has taken Viagra but still has pain in the middle of his penis. Sometimes he urinates blood.

There was also blood in his semen about five months ago. His two urologists don’t seem to have an answer to this, either.

We just can’t seem to get anyone to give us an answer to this perplexing problem, or a place to go to look for assistance. Please help.

We have been married 39 years and are too young to stop having sex. We still love each other very much, so the relationship is not the problem.

Dear Reader: Far be it for me to second-guess the plethora of specialists who have tried to define your husband’s problem. However, based on the information you supplied, I must conclude that your husband’s pain is caused by blockages in the arteries that supply blood to the penis.

To confirm this, he should undergo an arteriogram of his pelvic blood vessels. If this testing is normal (which I doubt it is), he should be examined and treated by a superspecialist in urology.

Such doctors are available through medical schools and teaching hospitals. Ask his doctor to refer him to such a resource.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my health report “Erectile Dysfunction.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title.

Dear Dr. Gott: We were discussing cough-and-cold remedies when a friend said that no cough syrup is effective unless it contains codeine. I told him that he was very wrong and asked where he got such an idea.

He said that it was in one of your columns. I said that I do not believe you would have said that because it is just not so. Then another friend said that he had seen the same thing.

Please set me straight as to just what was written.

I am a pharmacist, and I know that diphenhydramine, dextromethorphan and several other products are very good cough suppressants.

Dear Reader: Right you are.

I believe that what I wrote was that codeine is probably the best cough suppressant. Your other choices are appropriate.