Kidney failure from drug abuse and men's "right" to sexual frigidity

**Drug abuse can lead to kidney failure**

In some places, street advertisements and even local tabloids abound for various aphrodisiac drugs. However, while some people enjoy the pleasure brought by these drugs, their indiscriminate abuse can lead to acute renal failure. Wang Dazhuang (pseudonym), 38 years old this year, is a typical example. In the nephrology clinic of Xiangfan Central Hospital in Hubei Province, Wang Dazhuang hopes to remind men through his tragedy: never take aphrodisiacs indiscriminately.

Wang Dazhuang is a self-employed long-distance passenger transport driver. Due to the hard work, he felt that he was becoming increasingly "ineffective" in his sexual function. So, he set his sights on a product called "Wei Ge Wang" (meaning "Erectile Dysfunction King"), which was sold in sex shops along the roadside.

After taking the medication, Wang Dazhuang felt like he was "capable." However, he then inexplicably began experiencing lower abdominal distension and his abdomen swelled up like a drum. At a nearby clinic, the doctor diagnosed an infection and administered gentamicin and other medications. Whether due to the gentamicin or the aphrodisiac, Wang Dazhuang experienced nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, paleness, and general weakness. Upon examination at the hospital, he was diagnosed with acute renal failure, at which point his serum creatinine level exceeded 600 units (normal is below 90).

After ruling out various causes of kidney failure, the doctor believes that Wang Dazhuang's illness is most likely caused by the abuse of "Weigewang" and high-dose injections of gentamicin and other drugs.

Fortunately, timely emergency hemodialysis and a series of symptomatic treatments brought Wang Dazhuang's acute renal failure under control, and his serum creatinine level returned to normal. However, once bitten, twice shy. For more than a year, whenever he experienced lower back pain or leg aches, Wang Dazhuang's first thought was whether his kidney function had failed again. So, whenever he had time, Wang Dazhuang would take the thick stack of medical records he had accumulated during his treatment for renal failure to consult with nephrologists.

Author: Zhu Xiaomin, Xiangfan Central Hospital, Hubei Province

**Men have the "right" to be sexually frigid.**

Most people think that only women experience sexual frigidity, but men can also experience this lack of libido.

Some men, after experiencing decreased libido, feel embarrassed to talk about it and always avoid the issue, but they are very worried and anxious inside, which further aggravates the condition and may even lead to actual sexual dysfunction or depression. In fact, a temporary loss of libido is a common phenomenon among middle-aged men, but this does not mean that libido will disappear permanently. Just as the famous German psychologist Dr. Delmer Frenz proposed that "men have the right to be impotent!", men also have the right to experience decreased libido. They should deal with this physiological change in a normal way and not worry excessively.

Sexual desire is an instinct that generally doesn't disappear completely, but it's easily influenced by psychological and emotional factors. Since there's no specific standard for the strength of sexual desire, even for the same person, it can vary depending on age, health condition, mental state, living environment, relationship with a partner, and sexual experience. Therefore, one shouldn't prematurely assume they have a problem with frigidity. Only when sexual desire remains unawakened despite prolonged sexual stimulation should one consider the possibility of frigidity or lack of sexual desire.

Most cases of low libido will disappear over time. If it persists for a long time, a doctor should first determine if it is related to a physical illness, such as diabetes or endocrine system problems. If the examination determines that the low libido is caused by psychological reasons, some measures should be taken, such as non-sexual foreplay with your partner, which can help reduce stress and increase libido.

After age 50, men experience a gradual decrease in testosterone levels, leading to a decline in libido-a natural physiological phenomenon with significant individual variations, generally requiring no treatment. When a man experiences decreased libido, his wife should not blame him but rather maintain a harmonious marital relationship, offering extra care and understanding to alleviate his anxiety. She can also stimulate his erogenous zones to rekindle his sexual arousal. If the decreased libido is caused by an underlying medical condition, the primary disease should be treated first. If it's caused by medication, the medication causing decreased libido should be discontinued. In addition to the above methods, medication may be used, such as a short-term course of anthraquinone.

Author: Jia Yusen