DOSE:	2400 mg	oral	Damiana	(daily)
	1575 mg	oral	Various	(daily)
	1000 ml	oral	Various	(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

185 lb

Sex... who doesn't want to have better sex? I started my sex enhancing experiment by researching 3 herbs (Maca [Lepidium meyenii], Damiana, and Rhodiola rosea) that are supposedly well known for their sexual enhancement qualities. As an editorial note, I'm a 27 year old male and have never had any sexual problems; I began this regimen with the sole intent of enhancing my sexual experiences. I went to a health food store and purchased the individual herbs that were in the form of capsules and manufactured by a well-known brand name. I read the dosage recommendations on the side of the bottles and the dosages coincided with my research findings. My daily intake was as follows: 525mg of Maca 3 times daily, 800mg Damiana 3 times daily, and 1000mg standardized Rhodiola Rosea 1 time released tablet once daily. My herbal supplement regimen covered the time frame of exactly 2 weeks. [Daily Intake: 1575mg Maca, 2400mg Damiana, 1000mg Rhodiola Rosea]

My initial bioassessment of the herbal concoction was that I did not notice anything out of the ordinary except that I had a little extra energy throughout the course of an average day and that I lost a few pounds (whereas my weight usually remained static at 185lbs). After one solid week of taking the combination of herbs, something had happened to me that never happened before. I was about to have sex with my girlfriend and noticed that I could not become erect. No matter what she or I tried to do, it just would not get up. How embarrassing! The spirit was totally willing but the flesh was truly weak (I hate clichés, but it really applied to this situation). In desperately looking for an explanation, we chocked that instance up to work related stress. Then after the 2nd week of taking the herbs, the exact same thing happened again. It was that second time when I couldn't become erect, that I realized this negative effect must be caused by the herbs. I immediately stopped taking all of the herbs and since have not had any sexual dysfunction problems.

What I learned from this herbal supplement experiment: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. My attempts at trying to enhance my sexual experiences severely backfired with the intake of these herbs. Maybe it was a combination of the herbs or maybe it was only one of the herbs that produced this highly undesirable side effect. Either way, I'll not be experimenting with them on an individual basis to find out. Sex is just way too important to me to put my performance on the line like that again. Every single substance that we put into our bodies has an effect on our biological system. Even the most common, everyday substances such as water, oxygen, and salt, produce effects (no matter how small of an effect) on our internal systems. I can understand if a person has a pre-existing sexual dysfunction that they would want to experiment with potential remedies. However, if there is no problem and the person merely wants to enhance their sexual experiences, one should be weary of the potential negative effects that could occur. Appreciate your body the way it is and what it does for you naturally.

Exp Year: 2004	ExpID: 38077
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Nov 30, 2004	Views: 55,515
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Various (136), Damiana (107) : Health Problems (27), Sex Discussion (14), Combinations (3), Small Group (2-9) (17)