Alternative treatments

Some men with erectile dysfunction choose to treat their condition with alternative medicines or techniques. These alternative treatments, which include nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, and acupuncture, fall outside standard western medical practice; many have not been evaluated for effectiveness in clinical trials. It is important to consult a physician about erectile dysfunction to determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment for the condition. Men considering alternative treatments should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.

Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control More about Sexual and Reproductive Health Get more online resources about ED Erectile Dysfunction-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Popular nutritional supplements to treat erectile dysfunction include bioflavonoids, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, and flaxseed meal. Supplemental doses of the amino acid arginine have helped some men with ED, according to research. Some people claim that herbal remedies such as Asian ginseng and Ginkgo biloba help improve sexual functioning. You should consult a doctor before taking any herbal supplement to weigh the risks and potential benefits of herbal remedies.

Although some ED patients have shown improvement from low levels of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), experts have expressed concerns about the drug's long-term safety.

Acupuncture, a technique that involves sticking very fine needles into specific points on the body, is believed by some to stimulate the body's ability to resist or overcome illnesses and conditions. Acupuncture has helped some men with erectile dysfunction.