Yohimbe erections come at a price because side effects are almost impossible to avoid with this supplement.
Why?
Because yohimbe fires up the sympathetic nervous system, which boosts norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline) in the blood stream.
And this adrenaline rush largely explains the caffeine like side effects yohimbe bark brings on after you take it (source).
And sure, you can cut the dose down to minimize these side effects, but the lower you go dosage wise, the lower the potential erection benefits.
In the most telling yohimbe trial less than 1/3 of the controls experienced a boost in wood performance, and only at high dosages….
Which means in order to get the wood bennies, you’ll need to sign up for the side effects as well.
Not only that, but despite what you may have heard, yohimbe has no impact on anabolic hormones, and that includes testosterone.
It’s for these reasons, and the fact that I don’t like feeling like I’ve just drunk 6 pots of strong coffee that I stopped messing with yohimbe 6 years ago.
My take with all erection supplements now is, if it brings on a negative side effect, I don’t use it, and yohimbe falls squarely into that category.
Now here’s Jason with more….
Yohimbe Erections – Part 2:
If you’ve been searching the web for advice about erectile dysfunction, you’ve probably heard about yohimbe. Some – most notably folks who sell it as a supplement – suggest it’s a miracle cure for your flaccid penis woes.
Yohimbine is the most active pharmacological compound found in the bark of the pausinystalia yohimbe tree, which grows naturally in South and West Africa.
It’s sold both in extract and powder forms, as well as included as an ingredient in Big Pharma impotence medications.
The name-brand drugs have been around since the 1930s, and made billions for their manufacturers over the decades. But like all Big Pharma “wonder drugs” they have their ups and their downs (no pun intended).
How Yohimbe Works
Yohimbe contains the alkaloid yohimbine, which impacts your erectile healthy in two ways.
First, it enhances your body’s release of norepinephrine and epinephrine. Both of those hormones are in part responsible for sexual arousal and stimulation in men and women.
For this reason, drugs containing yohimbine have been used to treat erectile dysfunction, loss of male sex drive and to help women experiencing low sex drive.
Second, it dilates blood vessels throughout your body.
That’s why it’s used to dilate your pupils during some eye exams…and why it helps with circulatory issues that can impact your ability to have and keep an erection. Dilated vessels carry more blood.
More blood flow means harder and longer lasting function downstairs.
Rather than use the Big Pharma drugs, some people have opted to instead use yohimbe extract. The extracts work via the same mechanic, since they deliver yohimbine much like those drugs do.
What’s Not to Love?
So far, Yohimbe/yohimbine sounds pretty awesome. It goes directly to two of the major causes of erectile dysfunction. Is it the miracle cure some folks suggest it is?
Not quite.
Yohimbe Side Effects
Side effects of drugs containing yohimbine include dizziness, flushing, headache, nausea, nervousness and anxiety (source).
They are contraindicated for children and the elderly because both may be more sensitive to its intended effects and side effects.
Severe allergic reactions aren’t uncommon, and discontinuing use can result in its own set of health issues.
Yohimbe supplements come with the risk of all of the side effects of the Big Pharma drugs, plus a range of other reactions you might experience because of the other chemicals in yohimbe:
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain
- Heart arrhythmia
- Heart attack
- Difficulty breathing
- Flushed skin
- Painful rash
- Involuntary muscle tremors
- Increased urination
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Partial paralysis
- Pain in the genitals
- Painful erections
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Sleep problems
- Upset stomach
- Irritability
Overdoses have caused heart failure, severe low blood pressure, paralysis and death. In some cases these were overdoses from taking too much of the supplement. In others, it came from a synergistic effect when taken with other drugs, supplements or even foods.
The supplements are strongly contraindicated for anybody with anxiety disorders, depression, heart problems, prostate problems, high or low blood pressure, kidney or liver disease or Alzheimer’s disease, seizures or ADHD as they can actually worsen those conditions.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are warned against using the supplement as it can be dangerous to the child.
Yohimbe also neither works nor plays well with others. It can interact dangerously with antidepressants, drugs for diabetes and blood pressure, tranquilizers, antibiotics and a variety of stimulants including caffeine.
You should even take care to avoid wine, cured meats and aged cheeses, since the tyramine in those foods causes potentially hazardous interactions with some compounds in yohimbe.
Well, Damn. So, Now What?
“The answer, my friends, is blowing in the wind”…literally.
Yohimbe vs Pine Pollen
Pine pollen is tree sperm, and a powerful supplement that helps your erectile health in more ways without nearly as many side effects. Pine pollen has been used in traditional medicine, and again in this century’s resurgence of these natural, respected remedies.
Pine pollen…
- Increases testosterone production inside the testicles, leading to greater libido and a better ability to act on that increased sex drive
- Stimulates your body to produce more nitric oxide, an important substance in the chemical processes responsible for getting and keeping an erection
- Balances estrogen levels in your body. Men need estrogen, but too much estrogen erodes libido and erectile health for most of the reasons testosterone improves them.
- Has a high content of arginine, which helps with stronger erections and healthier, more plentiful sperm
- Contains superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that breaks down free radicals which age many of the tissues involved in getting wood and keeping it
It’s also helpful in improving liver function, boosting immunity, and helping with prostate health. It can also give you more energy, along with the improved confidence and sense of well-being that comes along with that energy.
None of these are directly related to erectile dysfunction, but they’re nice to have since you’re “in the neighborhood” anyway.
As for side effects, some folks who are allergic to pine pollen experience mild to severe allergic reactions when they eat it in a concentrated form.
People with nut allergies should also avoid pine pollen as a supplement. Beyond that, no side effects have been conclusively linked with pine pollen supplements.
Yohimbe Erections – Conclusion:
Don’t believe the hype. Yohimbe does directly impact your sex drive and sexual health, but at a serious cost.
Unless you’re already using it, and happy with it, and experiencing no side effects, and at no genetic risk for developing the medical conditions it makes worse, I really can’t recommend trying it to help with your erectile dysfunction.
The risks outweigh the benefits.
For the same kind of tree-based wood treatment, pine pollen packs a bigger punch with far fewer risks.
