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Part 2: View the Demo of the GAINSwave to Enhance Sexual Performance in Men and Women
About Kathryn Retzler, ND
Dr. Retzler received her doctorate from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 2001. After completing an internship in integrative medicine with Andrew Weil MD, and a residency in McMinnville, OR with Dr. Bruce Dickson, she decided to focus my enthusiasm, talents, and knowledge in building bridges between conventional and alternative medicine.
Books and Resources Discussed in this Episode
Related Interview
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Show Notes
01:47 Erectile Dysfunction Rates: At least 52% of men over 40 have ED. Prevalence increases with age. As a general rule, 50% of 50 year olds, 60% of 60 year olds, and 70% of 70 year olds, have ED.
02:39 Causes of Vascular Dysfunction within the Penis: About 80% of ED is vascular in origin. As you age, blood vessels age, being less compliant and making less nitric oxide. They develop micro-plaque, which can impede blood flow throughout the body, which is also needed for a sustained erection, throughout the body. Vascular disease is systemic. Men get better results of underlying causes are treated, rather than purely pharmaceuticals.
05:05 PDE5 Inhibitors: This is the class of drugs that include Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Stendra. These drugs increase nitric oxide activity, which enhances blood flow. They do not increase the amount of nitric oxide your body makes. These drugs often will not work for men with metabolic disease and diabetes. For these men, another option would be an injectable medications like Trimix to enable them to have an erection.
07:25 GAINSWave Therapy: It has been used in Europe for about 15 years. It naturally helps the penis restore endothelial function. It is sound wave therapy. The high intensity version is used for breaking kidney stones. Moderate intensity can be used for tendon problems or plantar fasciitis. For ED treatment, low intensity sound waves are applied to the penis. Dr. Retzler generally recommends 6 treatments. It breaks up micro-plaque and increases nitric oxide production, recruiting stem cells to help regenerate the tissue, improving the nerves. It causes neovascularization, new blood vessel formation, improving collateral blood flow.
09:21 Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Penis: PRP used in the penis for regeneration of erectile tissue is a new application of the therapy. There are no human trials. It is very effective. Healthier men have healthier blood for reinjection, and will have a better response. GAINSWave has a faster response and less trauma.
10:58 ED and Depression: Men with ED often become depressed. In a study using Viagra, depressed men with ED, whose function was returned, had decreased depression. SSRI antidepressants effect sexual performance of about 50% of men who take them.
15:11 Hormonal Relationship to ED: You need a certain amount of testosterone to stimulate eNOS to allow for erections. Research does not show a serum level that is required for that. There does not appear to be a dose dependent effect.
16:22 Pornography Causing Erectile Dysfunction: Prolactin inhibits dopamine, which is required to increase libido, enabling erections. Excessive pornography use raises prolactin levels, and can thus cause ED. Pornography used to be a picture here and there. Now even children have access to pornography 24/7. The Coolidge Effect is that novelty increases dopamine. When things are new, they are exciting and you get a reward to your brain when dopamine is released. This is a component in all known addictions. The dopamine surge from pornography can be so much for some men, that they are constantly wanting it. This causes changes in the brain, downregulating dopamine receptors. Because there are fewer receptors, there is a need for even more stimulation. This could lead to craving/binging, a need for more stimulating/rougher materials, loss of impulse control/willpower, and/or erectile dysfunction.
21:12 Recovery of Function from Pornography-Induced ED: The older the man, the quicker the recovery. When his brain was developing, he was not exposed to a large amount of video pornography. Younger guys can take several months of therapies to recover. The organization Reboot Nation helps guys reboot their brain. A 2014 study in Canada showed that 25% of men between the ages of 16 and 21 reported ED. Many times this is due to pornography.
28:07 Efficacy of GAINSWave: GAINSWave therapy will not help a man who has pornography-induced ED. Not only SSRIs contribute to ED, beta blockers, Finasteride (used for hair loss or enlarged prostate), diuretics, and benzos do as well. GAINSWave will help men with ED who also have metabolic disease. It is effective with issues due to blood vessels or nerves. Often, Dr. Retzler has patients use both GAINSWave and PRP.
29:43 Peyrone’s Disease: It is a common disease where a fibrous tissue forms like a scar in the penis. It can prevent blood flow, causing erectile dysfunction and possibly a curvature of the penis or painful erections. GAINSWave therapy is effective for this. PRP can be utilized as a treatment as well.
32:33 GAINSWave Therapy and Women: Both PRP and GAINSWave therapies are beginning to be done on women for inability to orgasm. There are no side effects to GAINSWave therapy. A numbing cream is used. There is no down time. Dr. Retzler has seen bruising with PRP.
35:00 Preventing ED: Maintain healthy blood vessels and healthy nerves. Eat a healthy diet. Get off sugar and refined carbs. Keep your blood sugar ideal. High blood pressure often reflects endothelial dysfunction. Sleep well. Manage your stress. Stress hormones immediately can cause endothelial dysfunction in certain areas. When you induce your parasympathetic nervous system, blood flow to the penis is cut off. Exercise, especially endurance training. Vascular disease is a postprandial phenomenon. Every time you eat, you are effecting the health of your blood vessels.
38:08 Time Restricted Eating: Dr. Retzler absolutely recommends time restricted eating. Calorie restriction is the only intervention that has been shown to increase lifespan. Dr. Retzler compresses her eating into an 8 hour window. She recommends to her patients at least a 12 hour fast. Fasting allows your body to recover, repair and regenerate. She does not recommend snacking. There is no research showing that eating every 2 to 3 hours stokes your metabolism.
40:15 Metabolic Endotoxemia: Every time you eat, there is a small amount of increased intestinal permeability/leaky gut. This increases lipopolysaccharide bacteria in the gut and increases free radicals throughout your body. The body responds with an inflammatory immune response. The cumulative effect of a chronic poor diet is vascular dysfunction, insulin resistance, autoimmunity and more. Excessive alcohol consumption can also cause metabolic endotoxemia. Small to moderate amounts of alcohol may help with ED, because it increases vasodilation. Large amounts might be toxic.
44:36 Cost of PRP and GAINSWave: Dr. Retzler’s clinic is in Portland, Oregon. It is $3,000 for the recommended 6 GAINSWave treatments. The PRP or “P” shot is about $1500. If her patients need PD5 inhibitors, she prescribes trokies (lozenges). To make the trokies, PD5 is compounded with Apomorphine. It is a drug that was introduced in 1869 for Parkinson’s disease. Her patients get great results with this. The PD5 inhibitors are patented and very expensive, $15 to $30 per pill, or more.
Very helpful. I have identified some similarities with my situation I highly commend the doctor and the interviewer.
Thanks.
Careful with this: this is offered by some “health spas” with treatments performed (without the use of numbing cream) by a woman technician or nurse who may or may not perform the treatment properly, but who is very physically attractive. When an erection results, in part from the vibrations and in part from having an attractive woman handling your penis, the patient then is very likely to feel the treatment is working…