Recovery From Steroid-Induced Erectile Dysfunction

This is the story of Xialla customer "JL" as told to Xialla in an interview in January 2021.

"JL" had spent many years in heavy manual labor. As he approached middle age, the long-term effects of that work were catching up with him.

In 2016 he began taking steroids. The short-term physical relief came with a lasting consequence: within months, steroid use had destroyed his ability to get an erection.

He fell into a deep depression and did not seek help. Many men find erectile dysfunction hard to raise; for JL there was the added difficulty of having caused it through steroid use.

"I tried to find help online, but it was really hard," said JL. "There are not a lot of people who will come out and be honest about their steroid use and say, 'This is what happened to me and this is how I'm dealing with it.'"

Talking to a doctor

After a year without progress, JL met someone he cared about and decided he needed to address the problem. He told his doctor about the erectile dysfunction and about the steroid use.

His doctor prescribed ED medication first. When that did not work, he was prescribed testosterone, which increased muscle mass but did not improve erectile function. When his doctor refused a referral to a urologist, JL researched options himself.

Looking for treatments

Encouraged by that progress, JL searched again for ED treatments. Much of what he found was poorly evidenced.

"So many products are about some guy going to Africa and finding a special root from an ancient tribe that cures ED," said JL. "I just don't buy these stories. If someone actually made that kind of discovery, the big drug companies would all be manufacturing it and doctors would be prescribing it."

He also looked at shockwave therapy but did not see enough evidence that it would work for him.

"If I were rich, I would try everything. But I wasn't willing to pay thousands of dollars when there was no clinical proof."

"After years of struggling with it, I'm on the right track. There's someone I care about that I want to visit as soon as I can. We've already made plans. We just have to wait till it's safe."

Advice to other men

After years of searching for reliable information, JL wants other men in a similar situation to be direct with their doctors.

"Tell your doctor everything. If you've taken steroids, tell them. If you're smoking and drinking and eating poorly, tell them. If you're using recreational drugs, tell them. Don't let shame hold you back."

He also encourages men to check sources carefully.

"When you're looking for information, it's hard to get straight answers," JL explained. "It's hard to get congruency among different people selling different products. There's no perfect answer. And there's no perfect expert. But if you stay positive and keep searching, you can find what's right for you."

If you have questions about anything in this article, write to us at hello@xialla.com. We read and answer every message.

Finding Xialla

He came across Xialla during that research. The mechanism matched something he had already noticed on his own.

"The last time I had sex, I started helping the erection by using my hand applying pressure at the base. I realized: that's exactly what this product does."

He ordered it.

"It completely blew me away," he said. "I can't believe how well it works for me. It's like a miracle."

With useful results from Xialla, he has considered combining it with ED medication.

"When I couldn't get a referral, I was determined to do my own research and educate myself," said JL. "I didn't want to get swept under the rug."

Lifestyle changes

He changed his diet and quit smoking and drinking. He also tried cold showers, intermittent fasting, and other approaches aimed at resetting his metabolism. As his overall health improved, erectile function improved partly as well.

"I still wouldn't be able to make love to a woman," he admitted, "But I was pretty close."