Hi Anne-Marie,

I applaud the openness of your relationship with your son. I couldn't begin to imagine having that conversation with my Mom at lunch or any other time! ~lol~

You didn't mention if he was actually suffering from ED but I assume from the post he is based on the mention of Viagra and his relationship history. There's no doubt that ED can contribute to depression. That along with other factors can be indeed trigger depression. 33 years old is a little on the young side for ED but based on his medical history and drugs he's on, it certainly can present itself.

I have cardio vascular disease and have had two heart attacks, triple bypass surgery and stents placed in the last five years. One of the symptoms of cardio vascular disease is ED. Being overweight, sedentary, stressed and/or depressed can aggravate a cardiac situation. 20mg a day of Lisinopril is a rather high dose from what I know of the med. I was taking 10 mg and my cardiologist knocked it down to 5mg during treatment as my BP was low (still on 5mg). I also take a beta blocker 2x daily (Carvedilol 3.125mg) and Plavix 75mg 1x daily. BP/heart meds definitely can have a adverse affect on one's sex life and can contribute to ED. While a low testosterone count can be a cause, it's typically not the sole reason. Certainly, if he suffers pain in his chest/lung, it can be hinder sexual activity.

Even with my history, my cardiologist was fine with me taking an ED drug (Cialis). I would highly recommend your son get checked thoroughly concerning his heart. Chemo can have short and long term adverse side effects on the heart and another reason he should be looked at by a cardiologist. The previous factors as well as a family history of cardiac anomalies would be another reason to be checked out by a cardiologist.

There are some baseline tests that can determine if he is indeed suffering from depression. Again, I recommend a professional in determining this. I had a bout with depression after my open heart surgery and now, 3 weeks post treatment, I'm seeing a few signs that I may be dealing with some mild depression (very common in cancer patients). In my opinon, based on the information provided, this is something beyond a slightly low testosterone reading.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"