When you first step foot in the chemotherapy treatment room, it can be downright scary. You’re going to be hooked up to a bag filled with cancer-combating chemotherapeutic agents, and you’re really not sure what the future is going to hold. You’ve heard that hair tends to fall out. You’ll get more sluggish. Your memory might not be what it used to. But there’s a side effect of chemotherapy that many men don’t seem to know about: erectile dysfunction.
Yes, chemotherapy can negatively affect other aspects of your body, including the ability to achieve an erection. Chemotherapy might also sap you of your sexual desire, further complicating your erectile chances.
This is because chemotherapy puts large amounts of stress on the body. Your body is basically working overtime to process these drugs, and is actively diverting all of its attention to eliminating the cancer from your body.
But fret not. Chemotherapy-induced erectile dysfunction is not permanent. As your body recovers from chemo, you should begin to see affected areas come back to normal. Chemotherapy side effects tend to resolve themselves after one to two weeks.
However, in rare instances, chemotherapy can cause major interference with the nerves responsible for controlling the erection. If your erectile dysfunction lasts more than two weeks after a chemotherapy session, consult your doctor immediately.