Updated 10/15/23. Tribulus Terrestris first became popular in the 1990s but seemed to have fallen off a cliff until a few years ago when people started asking me about it again. While I admit to being a Tribulus skeptic – because of what the research says and doesn't say – I was intrigued by the people who commented on my review of Tribulus and testosterone that the supplement was working for them. Specifically, people told me that Tribulus was not only helping to improve muscle mass but also that it increased their sex drive and erections!
My Tribulus Experiment
If Tribulus really was doing all of what men said, then it could be a pretty cheap and effective way to help a lot of guys. So, I decided to test this supplement on myself – a 47-year-old apparently healthy guy who eats fairly well and goes to the gym 3-4 per week on average.
I have no heart problems in my family. I think my genes are pretty good since my grandmother lived to be 104! I'm telling you this for a reason.
Keep reading…
So, I went to Vitamin Shoppe and purchased Tribulus for my personal experiment. The brand I used was Ultimate Nutrition Bulgarian Tribulus. Each capsule had 750 mg (extract and aerial portions of the plant) and the bottle said that it contained “over 45% steroidal saponins”.
This was similar to what someone in my Tribulus and testosterone review said worked for him. I did my experiment for about 2 weeks.
At the start of my experiment, I took 1 capsule of Bulgarian Tribulus a day, and then after a few days or so I took 2 capsules per day.
I took both capsules of either together or separated by several hours to see if taking them at the same time gave me different effects. Likewise, I took the supplement on both an empty stomach and with food to see if either of these mattered.
I did not measure my testosterone level before I started taking the supplement. I figured if tribulus really worked, that I would notice the more obvious signs – energy, erection frequency, sex drive etc. – pretty fast.
Did Tribulus Work?
At the end of my 2-week experiment, these are the results I observed:
- Energy in the gym: Tribulus terrestris had no noticeable effects
- Muscle strength: Tribulus terrestris had no noticeable effects
- Erections: Tribulus terrestris had no noticeable effects
- Sex drive: Tribulus terrestris had no noticeable effects
I didn't notice any difference at all. That's actually why I quit taking it after 2 weeks – and that's when something did happen…
Does Tribulus Raise Testosterone
Watch on my YouTube channel
Tribulus Terrestris Side Effects
A few days after I stopped taking Tribulus, I noticed that my heart started skipping beats.
Skipped heart beats and normal and we all get them from time to time. You may have heard them called PVCs – pre-ventricular contractions or PACs – premature atrial contractions.
What I experienced was NOT normal. Just while sitting, watching TV, I counted several skipped heartbeats in a minute. That's NOT normal!
We take our heart beating for granted. But when you can actually feel your heart stop beating for an instant, it's very scary. After searching online, I saw other people saying that this herb might cause a faster heart rate. I could not find anyone saying that Tribulus caused skipped heartbeats.
I never experienced any chest pain either at rest or with exercise. I even biked to the gym and didn't notice any problems. Likewise, I never felt dizzy or lightheaded or had a lack of energy. Still, the skipped heartbeats persisted.
After about 3 or 4 days, I went to see my doctor. My blood pressure and the resting EKG test were normal. It was only after speaking to the physician's assistant in my doctor's office did the idea of a “Tribulus withdrawal” occur to us.
Was it possible that Tribulus was doing something in me even though I didn't notice it? And when I stopped taking it, was it possible that my body reacted – which was manifested in my heart skipping beats? This is an interesting theory and I don't know if it's true or not.
I know I've never had a problem with persistent skipping heartbeats before. After about 5 days or so, the skipped heartbeats went away and, as of today, have not returned.
Does It Work?
It did not work for me. I noticed no positive benefits. Based on that I believe what other people say is due to a placebo effect. Could it be I didn't take it long enough? It's possible. Regardless, since it seemed to cause skipped heartbeats, I don't think it's worth it.
What Do You Think?
i know this is an old article but i believe i am experiencing the same thing – i do think it * might* have had a positive effect on my libido however the heartbeat skipping has gotten quite discomforting and i think it might be the TT – so off it i go!
Hi Robert I’m sorry to hear you are dealing with what happened to me. With me the effect persisted for a short time after I stopped but my hunch is that is different for everyone. let me know what happens when you stop taking tribulus.
BTW here’s my video about the tribulus testosterone proof https://youtu.be/c6PYbNH_EHQ
Hi Joe, glad I found this post. I am a 42 years old man, I started to take terrestris about 1.5 week ago and wanted to see if the benefits, but unfortunately, no. I noticed PVCs (which I had never had before) at this period, not sure if it’s terrestris related. Did your have your PVCs AFTER stopping taking terrestris, not during the time?
Eric Im sorry to learn you also experienced PVCs with tribulus but I appreciate you sharing this. The PVCs I experienced continued for a few weeks after I stopped taking it. A doctor suggested maybe that was related to a sort of withdrawal but I have no way of knowing if this was the case. What brand of tribulus were you taking?
He took the supplement for two weeks, noted no improvement so he quit. Tribulus takes at least three weeks to actually work, so quitting after two weeks seems a bit….ummmm…stupid!
Maxmeanter, what research says tribululs takes 3 weeks to work? Just curious.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17530942 -> IT WORKS!
Hawk, I actually included that 2007 study in my review of tribulus research which you can see here:
http://supplementclarity.com/tribulus-terrestris-review-testosterone/
In the study you referenced, they clearly state that tribulus did not work.
Well, I tried two different manufacturer’s version of tribulus terrestris (which had other ingredients in it too), and it was a complete bust for me. No effect I could tell at all. Now I’m on to horny goat weed and ginseng.
Since I have so many issues, I’m on other stuff that could (or should) work well in combination with any ED related supplement. From what I can tell so far, I’ve made slight gains, and at least not losing ground like I was going.
Had my BP taken at the doc’s office this afternoon, 110/80, and this after having to walk 30 minutes to get there and 5 minute rest. It’s still a mystery why I’m dealing with any ED at this time, if it’s related to my arteries.
As I’ve mentioned before, I still have L-Arginine and pycnogenol waiting “in the wings” (after I read Dr. Lamm’s and Dr. Teitlebaum’s books) plus I’ve started taking L-Carnitine (with some good effect for energy). I’ve had improvements in my sleep patterns (finally) too. So, with summer on its way, I’ll be able to get more fresh air and walking in on a daily basis. I’m determined to find a solution to my issues.
devodude, thanks for the update. I was reading this article this week and thought you might be interested:
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/040715p44.shtml
Thanks Joe for passing on that link. After reading many similar articles, it’s clear to me that my ED issue doesn’t appear to stem from poor lifestyle choices, lack of exercise, and all the other common causes listed in the article.
Since I suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, much of my condition appears to come from this syndrome, according the material I’ve been reading.
As I’ve mentioned before, I had a heart attack 3 years ago. ED didn’t even enter my mind much before then. I do remember some loss of “staying power” a year prior to my heart attack, but sort of attributed it to fatigue and stress.
After the attack, I was placed on BP meds, Plavix and a statin drug (you know, the de facto drug regimen). Everything was sort of a blur during those times since sex was a pretty low priority at that point. After a year I was taken off Plavix, and I took myself off of the statin drug as it was literally crippling me. From that point on, I was only taking Ramipril 5mg.
That seemed to be the point I noticed things going downhill. All of this wasn’t helping my relationship with my wife so again, I assumed a lot of this was due to fatigue, ill health, and stress.
A year further down the road, and having gone through a horrible experience with severe G.E.R.D., sex wasn’t “on the menu” as I could barely cope with all the extreme reflux and nausea.
Then, last summer, it sort of all came to a head and my libido took a nose dive. Rock bottom. I couldn’t believe things could get this bad. It was a living nightmare.
But, partly due to websites such as yours, I started educating myself about supplements. I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve read that explained how erections work, why they don’t work, what Viagra does and what it won’t do. It was both enlightening and depressing at the same time.
Addressing the issue with my G.P. was really a waste of time. The only doc who at least spent time explaining all the (standard) options with me was my urologist, but in this country, they don’t write the prescriptions for ED drugs usually. You have to see your G.P. for that.
In any case, with all of this ill health, it led to my job loss, so having to fill a Viagra prescription was a form of sticker shock, and I knew I couldn’t afford this option. It still wasn’t going to address my libido problem either, so the drug wasn’t of much use to me.
This is when I started looking seriously into supplements. It was clear my BP drug wasn’t doing that great a job keeping my blood pressure down, and I didn’t want to increase the dosage, considering it also contributes to ED.
Over the past year, I’ve gone through a long list of supplements, and increased my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. (I never ate poorly most of my life anyway.) I ate as much watermelon as I could (especially the rind).
Last summer, I started buying all kinds of supplements claimed to help ED… Panax gingseng, L-Arginine, L-Citrulline, Maca, Tribulus, and so on.
Some slight gains have been made, but I’m nowhere close to what I was even 5 years ago. The “plan” now is to address the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue first, and apparently the ED will lessen, according to the books I’ve been looking at.
Prior to all of these supplements, I could barely go through the day without severe fibro pain and low energy. My BP was always on the pre-hypertensive side. I just saw my G.P. yesterday, and my blood pressure was 110/80, for the third time in my quarterly visits. I’m convinced all the supplements I’m using are working to keep my blood pressure in check.
I know I’m on the right track, and I am only on 2.5 mg of Ramipril these days. I’ll be tracking my BP for the next couple of months and presenting my daily results to my G.P. and requesting he drop my dosage down to 1.25 mg. The goal is to come off of it altogether.
Next month, I’ll be following the recommendations from Dr. Lamm’s book “The Hardness Factor” which touts the power of L-Arginine along with pycnogenol (and I’ll be adding L-citrulline to the mix). I’ve been on L-Carnitine for a month now, and notice improvements in energy throughout the day.
Sorry for the super lengthy reply, but as you can see, I really can’t put my finger on why I’ve been having any ED whatsoever considering the clean lifestyle I’ve had. No booze, no drugs.
I think there might be some venous leak issues too, but you can’t get a test from doctors here to prove that, or one that will tell you if your nitric oxide levels are too low. I’ve had all of the testosterone tests, B12, and so on and nothing clearly shows why I’m stuck with this problem. You can rule out the psychological stuff too as I had lost the ability to have “morning wood” (but that’s been getting a lot better in the past couple of months). I can feel my libido slowly improving.
I hope to share my successes or failures with you, if you don’t mind, Joe. I still have hope to turn this thing around or at the very least stop the decline in its tracks. I know I’m doing the right things, and it will take time. Summer is around the corner, so I will have more opportunity to get outdoors, soak up some sun, get fresh air, and eat fresher foods. There’s nowhere to go but up, right?
N. Meunier, it sounds like you have indeed been making some good progress. Here’s to hoping that continues during the summer. Do keep me update on how things are going.
Hawk clearly needs a supplement that will help him with reading and comprehension. The study he linked to concluded Tribulus Terrestris not work. Maybe he just forgot the words “does not” in his posting.
Lead, I think that is probably the case. We all make mistakes sometimes.
I did some research about Tribulus the plant. The plant is a weed, a pest that grows easily in its original habitat in the Mediterranean, and also thrive in very dry regions, including near-desert lands. Bulgaria is a small country and Mediterranean climate is limited to the Thrace and Macedonia regions. I doubt local production could supply the global demand for this Tribulus extract. In colder climates, Tribulus is not perennial but annual and this would limit obtaining the extract in great quantities. Perhaps part of the extract is then imported from China or other countries, and encapsulated in Bulgaria? I do not know.
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Some athletes used to take Tribulus. However, reliable research about the effects of Tribulus terrestris impact on testosterone production are few. I found out one made in Swizterland. Two athletes took 500mg of Tribulus extract three times a day during two days and here is the result: ” None of these parameters revealed a significant variation or increased above the WADA cut-off limits. Hence, the short-term treatment with T. terrestris showed no impact on the endogenous testosterone metabolism of the two subjects.” You can Google it: “Short term impact of Tribulus terrestris intake on doping control analysis of endogenous steroids”, by Christophe Saudan, Norbert Baumecorrespondenceemail, Caroline Emery, Emmanuel Strahm, Martial Saugy
Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses, Institut Universitaire de Médecine Légale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Chemin des Croisettes 22, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland, 2008.
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However, that research analysed the short term impact of Tribulus ingestion. For the sake of giving this wonder product a chance, I am doing a 3 month test. I purchased Tribulus terrestris extract in capsules, 500mg, from a company in Bulgaria which has indications as being a reliable supplier of the original Bulgarian thing. I am taking one 500mg capsule per day. I have a pretty active sport life. Previous to start taking Tribulus I made a testosterone test which indicated my levels were within the normal range but on the lower side of it. I will take the capsules for the next two months and then make a new testosterone test and post here if Tribulus extract worked in my case.
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Several years ago I had an aquarium with fish in it and I swear this Tribulus capsules I purchased smell like fish food. Perhaps Tribulus extract smells like fish food. We know that food used to feed fishes in aquariums or fish farms usually have antibiotics, growth and steroid hormones in it. That could impact into our bodies. For instance, would the steroids and-or growth hormone cause the heart beating issues reported by some? Perhaps somebody can make a research and post here the findings.
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Poll:
Question 1 – What is the country of manufacture of the Tribulus extract capsules you purchased?
Question 2 – Does the Tribulus terrestris extract you purchased smell like fish food or not? ( ) Yes ( ) No.
Please, post your replies in this thread. We all are curious to know the results.
Wow. OP goes to health food store and randomly picks out ONE brand of Tribulus (which may have been sitting on the shelf for over a year, and was probably weak to begin with), then takes a few pills in different orders, and concludes from that that Tribulus Terrestris doesn’t work.
OP also never bothered to have his Doc test for Free Testosterone, before and after.
How scientific.
If the OP were a TRUE “supplement geek”, he would know to opt for BULK POWDERS, as they are typically MUCH fresher, not to mention more cost-effective. I will NEVER buy capsuled powders of ANYTHING ever again, as I noticed over the years (age 55; been supplementing since age 20) that the potency has almost always been substandard (in the case of Tribulus, the saponins have mostly oxidized and dried out already due to exposure to air in the bottle, so they have little to no effect, even with double or triple the normal recommended dose).
Tribulus Terrestris has worked for me, but even if I use 45% standardized, I need to take several GRAMS at a time now, to achieve any effect (due to my age).
So, don’t write off Tribulus from one flawed test by some health blogger…
Vukov, I take it that “OP” is a reference to me. So let me say that I used a brand of tribulus that others said worked for them. True, I didn’t get my testosterone levels tested pre/post which, while a weakness of my “study,” given what people were saying about tribulus, my assumption is that I would “feel” the difference as others said they did.
With that in mind, what you said may be correct about problems with the brand I used. I have no way of knowing either way. I’m just like everybody else – we all have to take the word of companies that their products contain what they say and are not spoiled. I give the company that benefit of the doubt.
People say a lot of things on the internet. Some things are true and others maybe not so much. While you call me “some health blogger,” I am not an anonymous person posting on the internet. Interestingly, the email address you listed when you left your comment looked a little spammy-like to me. When I googled that address, nothing showed up for it on the web. Is it a true email or not? I have no idea – and I don’t care. I won’t deprecate what you are saying, but by the same token, dont attack what I experienced because it differs from your opinion.
I’ve been taking Trophic “Bulgarian Tribulus-Extra” for several weeks (capsule form) . Zero effect from what I can tell. It has a lot of ingredients that should be good for me, but I really can’t say I’ve noticed any difference at all.
Shortly, I’ll be moving in to L-arginine and pycnogenol. Arginine is in powdered form while the other is capsule (very expensive too…could have refilled a Viagra prescription for what they cost together).
Of course, it takes more than just supplements to feel better. Sleep, exercise and nutrition work hand in hand.
N. Miller, Ive seen at least one study on the Arginine /pycnogenol mixture. I hope it works for you. Amen to those other things too!
I’m a 58 year old male who had a heart attack three years ago. Prior to my heart attack, there were subtle signs my libido was waning, and things got really bad about 6 months ago. My G.P. prescribed Viagra, but I only tried two doses at the minimum 25mg level. I didn’t bother using a half-pill dose of 50mg. I didn’t like the side effects even at 25mg.
So, I was on a quest to find something that would help with my recent ED and low libido. I tried Ginseng (two types) with no positive effect. I also included zinc. Tried L-Arginine and Othinine and that really helped with my blood pressure, but ED wasn’t helped.
I tried Maca for awhile, with no real sign of improvement. I tried cordyceps for awhile too, and it seemed to prevent me from falling asleep, which isn’t like me at all. So I stopped that cold turkey.
Now, I’ve moved on to Trophic’s “Bulgarian Tribulus-Extra”. I’ve been on it for a couple of weeks. Yesterday, I woke up with the strongest erection I’ve ever had in years. It only lasted for about 10 minutes, but was encouraging, to say the least.
I’ve never had erectile dysfunction issues my entire life, and always had a very strong libido. The recent changes scared the hell out of me, so I’m still a bit desperate to find a “cure”.
I monitor my blood pressure closely and it has been fantastic for the past few months, maybe even better than before. No skipped beats, which I used to have regularly before I ever started using supplements.
The “extra” in this formula contains tribulus extract 4:1, American ginseng, saw palmetto, ginkgo biloba, damiana, and lycopene. The bottle suggests taking 5 capsules a day, but I started off only with two. Then a week later, I upped it to three a day. This week, I’m going for four per day and see what happens.
In another week or so, I’m go the full five capsules and see how it affects me.
I’ve had my testosterone checked and I sit at around mid-point (nominal level), but I never had a baseline to know where things sat with I was really hot and bothered like I used to be. I have to be careful taking heart meds so if this affected my heart or sleep in any way, I’d stop using it, but so far, I think I’m getting better results, but nowhere near “cured” of ED.
It’s clear everyone body chemistry is different. It’s always best to tread softly at first, and work the dosage up gradually, and not expect instant results. I’ll try to re-post updates if things improve further. I plan on taking tribulus for at least another six weeks or longer. If that doesn’t pan out, I’m on to other supplements that promise the world. 😉
devodude, I hope you find a solution to your problem. If you are not doing any aerobic exercise, like walking, it might help too. there is some evidence it might help keep the blood vessels elastic. this helps them work better.
Thanks for your comment and empathy. With respect to walking or aerobics, unfortunately very little of my healthy lifestyle has done anything positive to prevent a litany of acquired illnesses. I walked vigorously 45 minutes twice a day for over two years, and got a heart attack (3 yrs ago). I had 3 stents put in. I also suffer from over a decade of fibromyalgia. I won’t list all the other things that have taken a toll on me in the past few years.
The irony is that I have NEVER smoked, don’t drink, never been lazy, never been overweight (140 lbs for years, went as high as 170lbs and now down to 162lbs. I’m 5ft. 11in.) I never eat large portions of meat, avoid cheese, hardly ever use salt. Love fruits and vegetables, and eat salads almost daily. I’m a medical anomally.
Going to see a specialist (urologist) in Toronto this week. I’m hoping he can shed some light on my condition which seems to be getting worse with each passing day.
Since July 2014, I’ve been trying different supplements claimed to help. Maca, L-Cittrulline, Ginseng of various varities, Tribulus “Extra”, iron, cordycep, Vitamin D, C, B12, zinc, etc. etc. I eat plenty of nuts, particularly almonds. Nothing is having much of an effect on me. It’s very discouraging and I don’t know how long my mental health will be able to hold out. This is soooo unlike me. All of the hormone tests I’ve had done seem to indicate “nomimal” values, but I’m not convinced they’re necessarily “optimal” values.
My local doctors don’t give a rat’s ass and think Viagra is a viable solution. Well, if you don’t have a libido, guess what? That type of drug doesn’t work. I’ve ruled out any psychogenic reasons too. So that’s why I’m hoping the urologist will be willing to put me through more tests and narrow down the problem. It’s well known what fibromyalgia does to libido, and erections. I’m still trying to read more books on the subject and hope I can find some answers. I don’t give up too easily.
Devodude, I can understand how chronic pain might reduce libido. Also Im sure worrying about the issue might also compound the problem although you said psychgenic issues were ruled out. Have you ever tried ribose for fibromyalgia? I linked to my review on it. The research isn’t where Id like it to be but the case reports are intriguing. Hopefully your urologist will be able to shed light on things.
I’ve been using D-Ribose for about 8 years now. Basically can’t function without it. I learned about its existence for a book on fibro written by Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum. Although I read some of the book years back, I got it again from my local library and intend to read it cover-to-cover. It didn’t make too much sense to me when I first read it. Now that I’ve been researching my medical problems and have read and tried many different supplements, the book will make a lot more sense to me now.
I have spoken to doctors about D-Ribose (as it also helps with heart recovery after a heart attack) and they are all completely clueless about it. It is the foundation to making my life tolerable. Without it, I feel like death warmed over. I only take 1 tsp. each morning now. It’s expensive, and you can’t buy it in bulk in Canada, as the government has made that illegal for some unknown reason.
I am also reading another book called “The Hardness Factor” written by Dr. Steven Lamm. I bought it for 25 cents from the library, which is a deal. I also have reams of other written material (in PDF form) to get too as well. I think this urologist in Toronto will be a bit surprised how “up” (no pun intended) I am on the subject of ED. I’m am very annoyed at what they call doctoring in this part of the country. It’s a virtual turn-key operation, and they are just glorified pill pushers.
Stress is also a contributor to ED, and I’ve done what I can to reduce that as well. I will be trying Tai-Chi and have a relaxation training disc from the library too. Believe me, I’m no slouch when it comes to taking action on my health issues. Long-standing prostatitis isn’t helping matters much either, and I’ve been on antibiotics on and off for years for it. I’m halfway through a month of sulfamed right now. I just can’t seem to win for losing. Nothing depresses me more than seeing a porn image online of some really fat old guy with a major hard-on, even if it’s propped up by Viagra.
Sometimes life ain’t fair. I’m trying to learn to deal with that too. 🙂 Only wish the doctor would prescribe one Beyonce and one Kate Beckinsale, and say “Call me in the morning.” 😉
Devodude, well at least you have a good sense of humor about this, which I think goes a long way. BTW, I have also heard good things about yoga and ED so that may be something else to try. Here’s something I found doing a quick google search:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201007/want-better-sex-do-yoga
When I tried it, I especially enjoyed the little nap time at the end of the class. Reminded me of the nap time in kindergarten minus the milk and cookies 🙂
After 10 years of NOT getting a diagnosis of fibromyalgia from doctors in my area, I went to Toronto in November and found two doctors who told me I had it. Finally! It wasn’t a surprise to me, but it was good to hear those words spoken by a doc who believes that it exists (unlike my G.P.)
One thing the doc in Toronto told me is that yoga is much too intense for someone with fibro. That’s why he strongly suggested Tai-Chi, which is much milder in movements and intensity.
One other thing I should mention is that I used to weight train in my mid-forties. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity, and set up a home gym. I stuck with it for a couple of years, but family demands and work screwed that all up. (I was on-call a lot, and my wife also found every excuse to get me to do other things…I think she called them “commitments”). In any case, I’ve also done my fair share of bicycling, and was able to do some of this last summer. It tended to flair up my prostatitis, as bike seats will do, so I couldn’t do it very often, or as much as I would have liked to.
Thanks for the link though. I’ll definitely read it over, and it may be something I can do further down the road. In the very least, watching hot women DO yoga can’t hurt my libido, can it? 🙂
So weight training (which helps build up testosterone) is also out of the question for now. Like I said, I’m one of those “odd balls” with a list of health issues. But, it’s not like I haven’t made any gains either. My blood pressure has never been better (no thanks to my BP meds). Supplements have really made a difference there.
Taking any supplement while on low-dose Aspirin and BP medication is a tricky thing too. It’s difficult to predict interaction between certain supplements, especially if it relaxes your blood vessels. Too much relaxation, and your blood pressure could drop to a dangerous level. Most ED “cures” involves the circulatory system, so the literature tends to focus on supplements to improve blood flow. But in my case, there really shouldn’t be an issue with that, from what I can gather. I may be wrong. I have a strong suspicion it’s all hormone related, or possibly nerve damage. I won’t elaborate further on that, since I don’t want to write a book worth of text. I tend to ramble on a lot as it is.
At this stage, I don’t have much faith in the medical profession to get to the bottom of things, and ED is one of the worst conditions to have that doctors shy away from digging any further than they have to. From everything I’ve read, ED is a virtual “canary in a coalmine”, indicating some underlying illness that will only get worse in the years ahead. I’m hoping to cut this off at the path, as my mental health is also being jeopardized. Anyway, I’ll see how things go this Friday. Crossing my fingers, my toes and my legs hoping this doctor can come with the a diagnosis and a solid plan. Thanks for taking time out of your day to get back to me on this!
Devodude, I will also keep my fingers, toes and legs crossed that you find some resolution to what is going on. keep me posted.
I just read the Psychology Today article on yoga you provided. The reason it works is the same reason all forms of exercise work. Anything that improves muscle tone, strength and oxygen capacity will translate to your genitals. But when ED is predominantly caused by physical disease such as nerve problems, hormone issues or atherialsclerosis, exercise has limited benefit.
To me, the real problem lies with how terrible the medical community (i.e., doctors) are in treating ED. It is rare to find a doctor who doesn’t jump to conclusions and assumes every case of ED he sees is due to stress or depression. They make money by prescribing Viagra, not send you for tests that may or may not indicate the true cause of your ED.
Unlike what the media seems to be telling men, erectile dysfunction is only psychogenically caused in about 10% of all cases (or maybe a bit higher). It’s too difficult to know the real numbers because a large portion of the male population don’t report their ED and even if they did, might lie about the effectiveness of the drugs they are using to combat ED.
It is also rare to find a patient who is willing to change their lifestyle and adopt a healthy one. It’s always too difficult to exercise. I just wanna pill doc. Plain and simple. Well, I’m not one of those guys and never have been. Regardless of my dedication to taking care of myself, my genetics have conspired against me and worked overtime to kill me or at least make my lack of health a constant reminder that I’m alive and in misery.
The fact that doctors tell an ED patient it’s probably due to depression is a real slap in the face. “Sure I’m depressed … I have ED!” Do any doctors know guys who have it and are happy-go-lucky about it? If so, I’ll show you a man who’s in complete denial of his condition. By that logic, I guess men have prostate cancer and infected tooth because they’re depressed. What stupid people doctors can be. Heaven forbid they should do their real jobs and investigate what’s going on with a man who’s never smoked, drank or squandered his health away on caffeine, energy drinks or poor eating habits. Yeah, that sounds like too much work for those doctors.
In any case, I passed along this article on my blog (I won’t mention which one… it’s got a lot of pornographic content on it… nudge, nudge, wink, wink…) but people should wake up and realize that everything runs fine when you’re 20 years old. Getting to your fifties is going to be a real bitch if you don’t want to take care of yourself. Your dick isn’t the only thing that won’t be workin’ right… your mind and psychological health will be in peril too. Good luck sorting all that out, right?
I’m nowhere near at the end of my rope, but I do have a limit to what I can accept in life. Let’s hope it never gets to that. This year will be a trying one, and I’ve got more books to read and supplements and lifestyle changes to try out. It remains to be seen what the established medical profession can do for me. I’ll try to keep a positive outlook on this, but it won’t be easy. 😉
Devodude, I understand. ED hits men where we live -or at least that’s how some TV commercials subtly make it seem. I do think we are more than erections however and that aspect of our lives constitutes very little in the grand scheme. We are not defined by it. I’m glad you are far from the end of your rope. I do understand your frustration. Lets hope your new urologist can offer some insights.
I saw the urologist. He wants my bio-available testosterone level checked. I have to pay for the test (not everything is paid for by my Canadian government). This doc doesn’t seem to give a flyin’ crap about nutrition or supplements, nor does he think they make any difference. It’s a typical stance from the medical community.
Although I wouldn’t doubt his expertise and medical depth of knowledge, he did have a rather cut-and-dry, know-it-all attitude.
I initially saw a urologist-in-training (geez, what’s with all the hypens?) who did all of the “leg work”, and once all that was done, the urologist got a briefing about my case with him. The trainee asserted that my ACE inhibitor drug “Ramipril” wouldn’t have any effect on my ED. I was about to mount an opposing view on that statement but let it slide.
Once the doctor was briefed, he asked the trainee about my BP medication and firmly (no pun intended) corrected him on that subject. BP meds often do cause ED, and that’s partly why I more or less forced my G.P. to reduce my BP med dosage to see if that would help. (Since that time, my BP has never been better, although I ascribe a lot of that to using L-Citrulline, L-Arginine, Ginkgo Baloba, Vitamin D, etc.).
In any case, surviving a heart attack has a lot of ramifications the Heart & Lung Association doesn’t seem to talk about. They obviously don’t understand men’s priorities when they advertise on TV. In my case, I cannot say with absolute certainty that my meds caused my ED. In fact, if anything, I still blame my G.P. for not seeing the signs of my impending tachycardia, despite my routine medical complaints prior to my episode. In many cases, ED is a tell-tale indicator of circulatory problems which can involve a heart attack or stroke. It’s not something that should be shrugged off lightly.
But having had fibromyalgia for so many years, it started masking my symptoms.
I’ve discontinued using any supplements suggested to bolster libido as I don’t want to falsely skew the T test results. For all of the stuff I’ve tried so far, I fail to see much difference in libido or my ED. I’m willing to try other things though, when I can find the funds.
My urologist will most likely prescribe some other ED drugs (like MUSE) in the meantime. Viagra doesn’t sit well with me. So once I get my results, I’ll let you know how it goes.
devodude, thanks for the update. I think checking for free T sounds like a good idea as do getting off your supplements as you prep for the test. hopefully this is the first step to getting you the help you need.
Hello again Joe… Here’s an update on my bioavailable t-test. It seems I’m at the lower end of the nominal value, and my “regular” testosterone test is about mid-point. So that’s both a good thing, and a bad thing as I’m unable to secure a “cure” since there isn’t anything clinical showing up.
In the meantime, I won’t be going back to tribulus terrestris for awhile. I’m using Korean Red Ginseng, but at a higher dose than I was taking when I first bought the bottle.
My follow-up plan then is to use L-Arginine and Pycnogenol in about a month or so. (It’s partly contingent on what my book on fibromyalgia and another book by Dr. Lamm suggest on dosage.)
I’m a bit concerned I’m sort of left drifting off to sea by these medical doctors, as it appears their only solution is Viagra, or related drugs. Those drugs will have no effect on nocturnal penile tumescence.
Although, as you’ve stated, our erections do not define us, in many ways I feel that I understand what you meant by that, yet I’m still left feeling “empty” and think there is more I can do to get back to some vestige of my former self.
Certainly, with the help of your website, and all the other pile of reading material I have, I’ll be able to come up with some sort of plan to stem the tide of ED. I’ve had nothing but a history of ailments that are not clinically traceable or explained, and I’ll just have to chalk this one up as another one of those ailments. Should I get some concrete results (no pun intended), I’ll try to post them to the appropriate supplement category on your site.
(BTW, my bioavailable test was covered by my government health care system, so that saved me $50…that I can put towards some other ED drug or supplement, right?) Thanks for letting vent my frustration, and hope others can gain some insight into their own situation from what I’m going through.
devodude, thanks for the update on how things are going for you. One thing you might also want to take a look at is beet juice. Its a source of nitrates, which increase nitric oxide levels. I covered some of the research in my review of SuperBeets. I’d say juice your own and see if it helps.
Glad to hear your testosterone test was covered by your insurance!
Yes, I noticed your article on beets when I landed on the home page, and plan to read it shortly. When it comes to beets, it always takes me back to the days when my sister-in-law was alive and made the best borscht (i.e., beet soup) I’ve ever had. She may have been Irish but she did a great job of making it taste Ukrainian. My wife makes great soup too, but has never tackled borscht.
I also picked up book on “superfoods” which is a great compendium of information on healthy foods, most of which I routinely eat anyway. That’s partly why I’m so damn ticked off with all my afflictions as I’ve always eaten well throughout my life. I really didn’t “deserve” fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue, tachycardia, ED, scleritis, shingles, kidney stones, BPH, prostatitis, etc, etc. Even chicken pox at age 40! I just can’t get a break…
As I stated, I’ll be using your website as a resource in the coming months. It’s a lot to absorb. Your healthy skepticism regarding supplements is appreciated, as I know the industry is full of dream peddlers. Thanks for “being there” for me. As Alice Cooper once sang: “We still gotta long way to go…”. I’m hoping to avoid ever having to sing to my penis the other Cooper song called “I Love the Dead”. 😉
I used tribulus for 2 weeks and didn’t notice any “positive” changes. What I noticed is that I started to urinate like crazy, and even worse is that when the urge to urinate arrives, I’d have to go QUICKLY! That’s something I’ve never experienced in my life before. Luckily, I took it during working hours, so reaching a bathroom was convenient! I have most of the bottle still full and I have no plans to complete it.
Dave, that’s interesting. Thanks for the feedback.
Ummm…It takes at least three weeks to work! Taking it for two weeks and discontinuing is totally pointless.
Hi, I took TestoJack 200 (2 pills) at 4 pm and couldn’t fall asleep until 3 am that morning. My heart was racing I just couldn’t relax. I waited a few days and tried another 2 pills at 2 pm. As I was leaving my work meeting, I became extremely nervous and felt like I might be having a heart attack. I was able to drive home and fall asleep by midnight
At 5:15 am, I woke up after having a sexual dream and my anxiety level was extremely high. I woke up my wife and told her I thought I might be having a heart attack. I am currently at the Doctor and waiting on some results to make sure I’m ok. Needless to say, TestoJack 200 is going in the garbage. Even if it does raise testosterone, I can’t deal with the side effects.
J, hope you are ok! let me know what the doctor says.
I just want anyone reading these comments here to try this test. Go to your doctor and have a blood test and have them check your testosterone level. Next take tribulus for 2months and go back to the doctor and have your level checked again.i promise you your testosterone will increase.it happened to me and I’m in my late 50s.i now take one cap a day tribulus from Swanson vitamins and my testosterone is at the level of a 30 year old.my doctor was amazed. This is no bs . Try it and do what I did and it will work for u and with no bad side effects .
Gil, glad it has helped you. Here is Swanson Tribulus on Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017O5TPE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017O5TPE&linkCode=as2&tag=sgtextlink-20 I dont even think it will take 2 months. I think if its going to work, 1 month should all that should be needed.
Question: did you do anything different in addition to taking tribulus? Did you lose weight in those 2 months? Just curious.
Just to relate my recent experience. I started taking Tribulus for a few days on the advice of my doctor, who also takes it. He claims it increases stamina, clarifies his mind, and raises his sex drive. I did notice an increase in sex drive and at first in mental clarity, but I had a series of terrible side effects.
I became insanely aggressive in traffic, at one point almost ramming a car in front of me for pulling into my lane, even though they had done nothing remotely wrong.
I got into huge arguments with people around me when I would have otherwise backed off.
I got extreme heartburn and nausea that kept me from sleeping, and worse, my brain was racing and jumping all over the place, like I couldn’t control it. This not only kept me from sleeping, but people around me said I was rambling almost incoherently at times.
And I would forget what I had just said, so I couldn’t keep a single strand of thought going for more than a sentence or two.
Finally, on the fifth day of taking it, I came down with a crushing headache like I’d never had before, went to bed, and slept twelve hours straight. When I woke up, the headache was gone, but I was drained and exhausted. So I quit taking it, and returned to normal.
Of course I can’t swear the Tribulus caused all of this. What I actually think happened is that the Tribulus exacerbated my reactions, so minor annoyances turned into raging anger, and sleepless exhaustion no doubt made it all worse.
For instance, I often get road rage and have no trouble controlling it, but this made it worse and I couldn’t control it. Same with the arguing, and the rambling, and the memory.
Now that I think about it, that’s exactly what was happening–I couldn’t control my normal reactions the way I normally do.
Just my reactions, in case they help anyone. I normally have no trouble with medications or supplements. I don’t even get jumpy or restless with caffeine. The only other bad reaction I’ve had, and it was similar to this, now that I think about it, was to a cortisone regimen to help me with a poison ivy outbreak.
The Tribulus was bought at the doctor’s office. The label says Medi Herb, and Standard Process. Not sure which is the brand. Each pill is 245 mg, and I took three a day for three days, and one on the last day.
Joby, Sorry that all happened to you! Question, what kind of doctor sold you the tribulus? Was it a chiropractor or your primary care doctor?
I really like this article and the comments!
I thought I jump in with my experience. I’ve been taking Ironmaxx Ultrastrong 1600mg Tribulus Terrestis and San Esrodex.
I have always been taking supplements and exercised quite heavily 4-5 a week the last 13 months. So I never knew whether my gains and changes in mood, energy are due to supplements or exercise.
So, I started a little experiment and I started taking the supplements I mentioned and quit all forms of exercise (it was a great excuse to take a break from 4-5 workout at the gym, always hated it but eventually I will start again).
I’ve lost nearly all muscle gain, gained a little bit of fat (not much).
So, the supplements don’t really help to keep your gains without exercising, sadly.
For two months I barely noticed anything (what I noticed must have been placebo effect). After Estrodex ran out two weeks ago I started to feel some effects described by man of the people here (might have been a coincidence that it happened after Estrodex ran out, never felt much at all from Estrodex).
Effects after taking Tribulus for 8 weeks, 1 pill a day 1600 mg on average:
-feeling really good, energized, happy, more than usual
– weird heart palpation and feeling of heart skipping a beat mostly at night while lying down, nothing too scary but twice (each time having consumed alcohol the day before) my heart just kind stopped for a few seconds and I was woken up by a “mini-heart attack” ,that was really bad, might have been the alcohol interacting
– “pins and needles” feeling in testicles – as described by a previous commenter -, yes it comes in waves, very pronounced, getting more and more pronounced each day, usually starts after 2-3 hours of taking the pills
– I do notice increased aggression, but only if something or someone pisses me off, if nothing triggers it I’m really calm, maybe even more calm than usual but I can get really pissed if something happens
– nose bleeding and feeling of pressure on veins in the neck (signs of high blood pressure) but only if I consume alcohol the day before (notice a pattern here? alcohol really interacts badly with T, IMO), it disappears in 24 hours
– some increase in libido (nothing too much) but amount of sperm definitely increased, I cum buckets, literally 🙂
So, that all I noticed so far. I still have around 80 pills and I will keep on taking it till I run out and see what happens.
It definitely does not do much with your body if you don’t exercise. I will probably start exerciseing again very soon.
Simon, thanks for sharing. The “mini heart attack” symptom would be very scary for me…
I had just started taking Tribulus regularly for the past two weeks. I did not feel any considerable change until last night, right after I woke up from a nap I felt pain in my chest every pump my heart made. I had felt this before a couple of times but I assumed it was due to my unhealthy diet at the time.
It happened only a couple of times and just for a few beats. However, this time it didn’t stop until the next day.
Now, that I’m reading this post I will stop taking this supplement immediately. It is not worthy and I have not felt any noticeable positive change.
I had taken this supplement before when I was in my early 20’s and it worked wonders for me with my erections. I was also taking horny goat weed and training intensively. But this time, it seems like it’s not worth the chest pain at all.
C, was it the same tribulus supplements (same brand) you used now and in your 20s or were they different? Just curious.
Hi, I’ve been taking tribulus for 7 or 8 weeks now 3 capsules a day. I am a skinny, athletic 17 year old. I’ve noticed a tremendous increase in muscle mass from not only tribulus but obviously working hard in the gym. There is no doubt in my mind that it works.
I feel really energized and pumped up before work outs and my sex drive has sky-rocketed through the roof… It was already high and now it’s all I can think about haha. Which is fine by me. But seriously, the lean muscle increase that I’ve noticed is no coincidence. Tribulus definitely works.
Drew thanks. glad its helping you although at 17 I would recommend against supplements mostly due to the lack of research on what they do.
Hi Joe I keep my own experiences of this weed to myself. One thing that I learn is that you are a scientist. I am a scientists too and an amateur population biologist. I like your courage of replying to all the comments.
My suggest is now you have a data in front of you (the responses) assuming that people who responded have experienced this weed. analyses this data if you dont mind and share with us the yr findings. good luck.
Velabahleke, thank’s for your kind words. I’ll take a look at peoples responses and see if any trends can be found from it.
i tried Bodyactive tribulus from a seller on ebay.. 1st effect amazing dreams like a movie playing in my head. 2nd effect full flagpole erection in the morning. 3rd effect not noticed by me but my brother in law. he said that i looked full of energy. i do not train in a gym, just a few press ups and i could do extra 8 reps after a week.
i am 44. used it for 1 week. feel stronger.
It would appear that you had a bad experience with Tibullus, I believe that the dosage and the length of time had something to do with the experience you had with your heart. The recommended dose for Tibullus is to NEVER take more than 1200mg of it per day and only be on it one week at a time with two weeks off in between doses.
It is also recommended that you take a 10:1 extract rather than taking the raw Tibullus. The mechanism by which Tibullus raises testosterone levels is to raise the level of luteinizing hormone which in turn stimulates the ledig cells in the testes. These cells produce testosterone and raise it levels in the body.
Sorry you had a bad experience. Body builders have been using this drug for a long time with great results, but they are careful to use it according to safe instructions and levels. Maybe you can try it again sometime.
Fletcher, who recommends those dosages and amounts? Do you have published peer reviewed scientific studies on this I can look at?
I bought and started using tribulene about a month ago as a supplement for weight training. To tell the truth I haven’t noticed much change in either my training or my sex drive ( which has always been OK).
What I have noticed though is that I have to urinate a lot more both during the night at day. In the past I used to have to get up once (if that) during the night and had a strong and healthy flow. During the day at work likewise I would only have to go to the toilet a couple of times a day,
Now since commencing tribulene I find that I am up 4 or so times a night with a weak flow and only small amounts, likewise during the day I spend a lot more time in the toilet.
I have just googled ‘side effects for tribulene” and found that one possible side effect is an enlarged prostate which would explain my urinary problems.
I’m currently following the recommended dosage however will reduce by half and if that doesn’t improve things will give the stuff up altogether.
cheers
RM