Understanding the Limitations of Taking Medicine for Your Condition

Have you ever taken a medication for a condition only to find out that the symptoms return once you stop taking the pills? In this episode we'll explore why taking medication doesn't necessarily make the underlying condition go away and what you can do to manage the chronic condition long term. I'll see you on the inside.

This podcast is for you. The Modern Man I'm Dr. Anne Truong, your host. I'm an intimate health medical doctor and best selling author of the book Erectile Dysfunction Fix A Deep Dive Into Sexual Health and Performance and how it affects men of all ages and backgrounds. So let's get started and be sure to visit my website@sexualhealthformenpodcast.com for more information and resources from the show. See you on the inside.

Hi there, I'm Dr. Anne Truong and today I'm going to talk about why taking a medication does not really cure your condition. It actually sometimes can make it worse. But you may be under the misunderstanding that you're much better. So let's dive in. Let me tell you a story. Last week I was seeing a patient, let's call him Dan, and he came to see me for Ed. He is 68 years old. He's had Ed now for about five years. And he tells me that he has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. And he takes two medications for his blood pressure, two medications for his diabetes and one medication for his cholesterol. And I tell him, I said, well, how long have you had high blood pressure and high cholesterol? And he said, no, I don't have it. I took medication and I don't have high blood pressure, high cholesterol anymore. My blood looks good. And as well as my diabetes, he said, my blood Sugar, my hemoglobin, A1C, it's about 7, but it used to be 10. But I don't have diabetes anymore. I will have high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Now is he correct in saying that if he doesn't have high cholesterol and high blood pressure and diabetes, he continued to have ED even when he takes Viagra Cialis. It used to work, but then now after a couple years it doesn't do anything. And the last time he said he had an erection was at least about two years ago and him and his wife had not had intercourse in at least two years. He came to see me seeking help and the first thing I usually do when I see a patient with ED is to get a really good history, see what he's tried and what I Find out. And most of the patient I see, they tried at least two medication, at least one or two other supplements, which I think will help. It doesn't get better. And most of the time after medication, about maybe one to three years, it doesn't work anymore. And why is that? It doesn't work anymore because the problem that was causing him to have ED was never addressed. But he think that because he take medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol diabetes, he no longer has that condition. Well, that is farthest from the truth. Let's discuss about this point. Why taking medication does not cure you of your condition. And this is often misunderstood by many, many people, the idea that taking medication doesn't make the underlying condition go away. Many people assume that if you take a medication that they're good, they have nothing to worry about. Medications are only designed to treat the symptoms of a condition or illness, but they do not necessarily cure the underlying problem. For example, if you have high blood pressure, taking blood pressure medication will lower the blood pressure and prevent the complication of high blood pressure, such as a heart attack or a stroke. But it doesn't necessarily cure the root cause of why you have high blood pressure. And why is that? Because if you don't take the medication anymore, your condition return. And sometimes it may even worsen. And that not all medication work the same for everyone. Some need a different kind of medication, some need a combination of medication. And we know that if you change your diet, new exercise and stress, you can actually affect your blood pressure. So even if you take medication, you should still work on the diet, exercise and stress management, keeping your weight under control. And therefore your blood pressure may be controlled. Because if you don't, your blood pressure may still be high. That's when you may need two or three different medication. So it's important to remember that you can still have high blood pressure when you're taking medication. But then if you add lifestyle modification to it, you may impact your blood pressure better, but you still have high blood pressure because if you're off the medication, your high blood pressure return. Unless you lose weight, you change your diet significantly and you exercise. And I have seen that happen where I will see a man for ED and I advise that he change your diet. Stop the processed foods, stop the carbs, carbs, stop the bread and the pasta. Exercise more, sleep better, stop the smoking. What we see is that we see his testosterone level increases, we see his erection increase his morning erection return, and he's able to get a better erection just by doing just A few things that really move the needle significantly in lowering the blood pressure and lowering the blood sugar, because high blood pressure and high sugar and high cholesterol cause inflammation of the endothelium of the blood vessel, which is the lining of the blood vessel. And when that endothelium is inflamed, nitrous oxide production is impaired. And therefore when that is impaired, the blood vessel is not as elastic as it used to be. And then you start having plaque buildup and therefore, you know, decrease blood flow to the organ and eventually the penis blood vessel. So there are many conditions where taking medication does not cure the underlying problem, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and asthma. Now the most effective way to manage chronic conditions such as this is like what I said earlier is to diet, exercise and lifestyle modification. Now if you there are instances where you take a medication, it does cure the problem, such as when you have an infection, a bacterial infection, you take antibiotic and the antibiotic eliminate the bacterial infection and the infection is gone and the person is considered cure. And but medication is not a cure all. And taking medication just one part of the overall treatment plan and that you need to take an active role in managing your health and doing just little things such as, you know, watching what you eat and decreasing the processed food and the carbohydrate and even just walking about 30 minutes a day will go a long way not only for your sexual health, but also for your general health as well, as well as your longevity. And just know that I am your biggest fan, that I want you to know that your sexual health can be treated, can be reversed, and that you can live the rest of your life with sexual vitality. I'll see you in the next episode.

Thanks for listening to the Sexual Health for Men podcast. If you love this episode, then please take a screenshot on your phone and post it on Facebook, Facebook, Instagram or wherever you post. And be sure to tag me and let me know why you like this episode and what you like to hear in the future that will help me know what's great for you. And I would love to give you the most incredible free gift designed to help you improve performance quickly. Go to my website@sexualhealthformenpodcast.com to get the book the Five Common Costly Mistakes Men Make When Facing Ed. I would appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and just know that you can have sexual vitality for life. I appreciate you. Until next time.