Having doubts. Need advise.

Hi I'm 29 years old healthy guy.

I've noticed ED problem in May when I met my current girlfriend. My difficulties were/are to hold to erection without manual physical stimulation, I usually had like 30 sec without touch laying/sitting down and like 10 seconds standing.
So I assumed that it must be porn related. I was regular watcher for years but my fetishes have not developed as much as other stories I've read.

So I CAN get erection with just sexual thoughts, kissing my GF, hearing something from her, or just masturbation(no porn needed) no problem, but can't hold it very long without touch to save my life(light touch is enough, I could just touch my penis with a tip of my finger and it stays hard). it seems that my libido is ok and I can get aroused by real women.

So i stopped all porn months ago with 3-4 exceptions to test myself during that time but never ceased masturbation, just limited it significantly.

I tried small doses of Cialis and it works that's is for sure!

I never managed to go hard mode. It is just too much for me and I can't go through it. I've tried plenty of times but usually fail and masturbate after few days.

So I've done all test necessary to rule out physical problems.I had doppler  usg, ecg, urologists, blood work etc.

I was advised to take a hormonal drug with DHEA daily. After about a month I've noticed I am having regular morning erections(had only nocturnal), I don't need constant stimulation to maintain erection(not always but regulary and it wouldn't happen in the past months, before medication). And I am experiencing like once a week MW that lasts even when I walk around my house, brush my teeth etc and it won't go down.

Went to endorcynologist with my blood work and after reading my results he said that it is possible that my hormones are reponsible(results were in ranges but were rather discouraging tbh). I also had appointment with other Doctor and he said that it is possible but not obvious because hormones fluctuate and you cannot diagnose anything with just one reading.

But the truth is I've noticed dramatic improvements after taking this DHEA drug, it wasn't placebo cause I thought that my mindset and abstaining from porn is just working, but then connected the dots and found it too much of a coincidence (hormones and better erection).

Right now I am really depressed cause i don't know if it is PIED or some hormonal stuff of both, and don't know what to do really. Stick with reboot(no M - missing link in my reboot) or take drugs and see what happens. I just want to know one or another and take needed steps to deal with it.

I have been abstaining from P for a few months now, but M never ceased and I wonder if this is necessary to reboot.

What do you think? I could definitely be suffering from PIED considering not being in no relationship for years and consumating porn daily. But hormonal drug helping this much is just too confusing..
What should I do now?
My GF seems to accept it for what it is and says we will get through this together but I still can't have sex without Cialis or Viagra and it kills me big time!

Just how often do you masturbate?

That might be a matter to consider.

1-4 times a week.

To add to the confusion why can I maintain erection with mild touch(mine or GF's) or just lightly rubbing against bed clothing for ages it seems But when I enter vagina i loose it really fast? All other physical stimulation activities are enough but not actual vaginal which matters the most! And if that wasn't the case I would just accept that I need some stimulation here and there, if I could actually have sex and not loose it ONLY when inside of a woman. Again getting a boner is easy - maintaining not su much.

ojacek said:

1-4 times a week.

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It's too much. If you have a GF why are you M? That's the reason you fail, you're throwing your sexual desire away with M instead of using it in your GF. When I'm 2 weeks without sex I have strong erections, it's impossible to fail with my girlfriend even if I try, lol.

To add to the confusion why can I maintain erection with mild touch(mine or GF's) or just lightly rubbing against bed clothing for ages it seems But when I enter vagina i loose it really fast?

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PIED does that, that's the reason you need to reboot. Forget about physical/hormonal stuff for now, focus on your reboot. The problem is probably in your head.

The only thing doctors do is to prescribe medicine. If your problem is psychological, they can't help you. PIED is psychological.

enzomartins said:

The only thing doctors do is to prescribe medicine. If your problem is psychological, they can't help you. PIED is psychological.

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So you think it is still PIED even after all those months of abstaining from porn?

Maybe it is possible, but again how can I explain MW returning? - Better longer lasting erections after taking this drug not before(It is not erection drug).Seems like to much of a coincidence.

I want to go give up all masturbation this time (besides trying sex with my Gf from time to time) and see what happens. It is difficult to give up on M. I need it from time to time especially that me and my GF don't have many sexual opportunities this days. Not watching porn is easy and I resisted cravings pretty easily once i decided to not watch it anymore and I don't miss it but M - not so much.

That is the problem for me mainly. I don't know what to do because I am being still unconvinced about whether it's hormonal or psychological(PIED) and I also failed PIED test - I can get erect with or without porn no problem but they don't last too long if I stop touching myself.

Sounds just like PIED. Yes abstaining from P is great for you. But for added benefits, quit the M. Save your desire and energy for your GF.

A little science, not any attempt at a clinical diagnosis, but DHEA can have a wide range of effects, including:

Stimulation of dendrite maturation of new neurons, particularly in middle-aged test animals subject to stress. It might help repair a stress-damaged brain. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28062256)

Higher serum levels of DHEA in untreated individuals with depression may associate with successful treatment of their depression. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28038403)

DHEA does seem to have potentially beneficial effects on a stressed nervous system. However, this is not tested through any strict clinical trial.

I know it may sound like PIED.

But in most stories I've read guys had actually trouble getting aroused and having a boner at all with a real person. Not a problem for me, never have been, constant touch(once achieved - visual, audio, physical) required was a problem. I am horny(and I get erect). I feel good and all but my wiener just won't work as it used to. It took Gabe 15 months to get erect just by touch. I could/can all the time. I was definitely regular porn watcher but have not been into any fetishes(but had my favourites ) and kinky stuff, usually watched it for like few minutes just to jerk off and go to sleep, or to release some tension. I have definitely not been spending hours with porn etc.
So I am not a typical PIED sufferer. Or am I? This one keeps me not convinced too.

This morning and last evening I've laid in bed for 20 min with a boner without touching it, and this becomes a routine too. Sometimes my standing up problem disappears (walking around a house with MW like once a week).

So even after all this evidence with DHEA you would still be certain it's not hormonal but PIED?

The science that Penitent talks about is not convincing unless I am some kind of exception that reacted this positively (improvement is huge TBH), or am being first case that proved DHEA to help with PIED (PIED medication besides reboot, awesome ).

Don't get me wrong I will still reboot. I must give it a chance. I have nothing to loose but I'd feel so much better If I've known  what is the real cause of it all. Being uncertain is the worst.

So abstaining from M is necessary? I mean I've not been watching this stuff for a long time, and when I masturbate I don't get all "porny" in my head, often I don't fantasize at all or am having some 'healthy' thoughts about my GF.

Thank guys for your input. It's difficult to deal with this alone, and I need to make some plan of action for the next few months.

So I am not a typical PIED sufferer

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Actually, you are, and I had the same symptoms. If you can get it up, it's not a physical/hormonal problem. The problem is you get nervous and lose your erection. That is psychological, and it's very consistent with PIED/PA (which are almost the same thing, one leads to another).
If you are M'ing 4 times a week, it's working like a P-sub, you're wasting your sexual energy, no wonder you fail with your girlfriend. That's why we say "no-PMO", and not "no-P" only. 4 times a week is not a necessity. I can understand if you MO when you have blue balls. I start to have it with 2 weeks approximately, still I avoid MO'ing, I keep it to my girlfriend.
Your hormone treatment may be helpful, I don't deny that. But it didn't solve your problem, or you wouldn't be here asking for help. It may give you more libido, raise your testosterone levels, I don't know. But if you have a psychological problem, it won't help you at all.

You're just fooling yourself. Stop PMO

Well it seems drugs helped - remedied my 30 seconds problem. I thought that if I improve on that I will be "fine" but apparently it is not enough, that's why I am looking for help. T below 400 is not encouraging at 29 so I think this might contribute to my problems even though I have good libido.

I really want to avoid Cialis or Viagra but they work, they actually help with the blood flow big time even if you are not suffering from any form of ED, so that erection is easier and maintenance too and it also gives confidence boost because of that.

My GF says that we could have sex on pills if I want(I don't). What I want is perhaps try - even 100 times until I "relearn" how to have sex, maybe if I get more comfortable with PIV I will be able to in certain positions.
We talked about cockrings - she likes the idea. Perhaps we could try explore that? So I can get more accustomed to vagina's feelings and then try without it.

So my plan right now is, continue my hormonal therapy(I am on different drug now and things aren't as spectacular as before but definitely better to what I had in the last 7 months) and NO PMO ever and sexual encounters only PIV. I want to avoid handjobs, perhaps will allow blowjob cause it's soft and more natural.

I am glad I have somebody that accepts my problem. But I never mentioned my porn habits. I told her at first that it is PA and then told here that it is PA and hormonal. She says that it is not my fault(she may be very well wrong on this one ) and she will help me out. So I have a good cushion now to try amend things.

Maybe you desensitized your cock, death grip issues caused by M. Before trying any medication / cock ring, you should rest your dick, maybe try a hard mode for a month, I don't know. You have to regain sensitivity and stop wasting your sexual energy. If you do that, you'll be hard even if you don't want to. It's happening to me when I'm 2 weeks without sex, super hard erections, just can't fail.

My cock seems to be sensitive to blowjob alone just fine.
I had this problem at the beginning but now I can feel sensations vividly, don't need to kegel to cum etc.
I am just not entirely sold I still have PIED(but I think it is possible). I've abstained from porn for a long time now and have not been such avid consumer like other guys.

Also I think your case wasn't as severe too if you've been able to recover in just 2 weeks. Everytime I abstained from MO for like a week I would get extremely horny but would still loose erection if physical stimulation stopped. Only hormones seems to have helped.

Hormonal drugs and my hormonal blood work results indicate that problem might be elsewhere. But what the hell. I will stop all M(4th day now), nothing to loose really and I would not forgive myself if I've not checked this option. But from what I've read abstaining from P is most important, MO'ing might not be super damaging but it can slow down progress. Hope if I stop for a while - my reboot will progress much faster, if not then it's certain I've hormonal problems.

I am recently feeling tad better considering my recent progress, i hope I can improve on that and not much is needed to resume sex life.

So in a nutshell - No MO'ing from now on

I am having "faith fluctuations" - one day I believe i have PIED, the other day I think it's hormonal.
Today I am mostly inclined towards PIED still being the case for me. Perhaps hormones have sped up this process, so that I mentally could break out of 30 secs problem. What is not understood is my standing up problem and fact like once in 7-8-9 days I walk around the house with MW but on the other days standing up seems to fade away easy but not to such extend as in the past. It's good I have regular nocturnal and MW everyday, also they won't subside as easily. I am sometimes thinking that my erection is gone  after few minutes then I check and it is like "Nope still there" .

I want to know where PIED ends and PA begins. Am being terrified that there is no saying when PIED ends and PA begins even after full recovery.

Many men face this situation due to stress and anxiety. That is the main cause which further decreases the blood supply to the penis and making the erection problem.

I want to know where PIED ends and PA begins. Am being terrified that there is no saying when PIED ends and PA begins even after full recovery.

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PIED is a type of PA, so they're basically the same thing.

When your brain is accustomed to porn and you go for a real girl, you get anxious, because real sex is not the same thing as porn, so you don't know what to do. That generates PA and you lose your erection. PIED is a type of PA. It's all in your head. The fear of failure, the frustration of not being with a porn star, I don't know. A lot of things can go wrong if you get wired to porn The more extreme the porn you're into, the worse will be the real experience. That's why you need to abandon porn forever