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Erectile dysfunction from physical/ night shift work?

Hi, I have a hard time getting a strong erection and I do not wake up with morning erections any more. I have been working a physically demanding job which involves 12 hour shifts, both days and nights. Sometimes I feel very tired (more tired than
I ever felt before starting this job), also sleep deprived from the night shift (sleeping during the day and not that long) and from waking up early for day shifts. I've been working this job for almost 3 years and I think it has a bad effect on my lung and heart health as well as causing me to have erectile dysfunction, very possibly lowering my testosterone levels in the process. Of course I am looking to leave and work something else.

Please share any information/ opinions on the subject, and if you have a similar experience how long approximately do you think it would take for me to start having hard erections again? Thanks.
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134578 tn?1693250592
It is certainly possible that your physically demanding job, just from being that physically demanding, has made you less likely to get an erection in the morning. Have you had your testosterone level checked?
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1 Comments
Also, some demanding jobs are very stressful, and stress can make morning erections go AWOL.
Avatar universal
Morning erections are not a sign of anything.  Mostly we get them when we're young and then we don't get them much anymore, although obviously people do differ.  So don't worry about those, they're irrelevant.  But yeah, if you're tired all the time, you might have trouble doing all sorts of things, and erections might be one of them, although there's certainly no guarantee this is so.  Shift workers have a problem with their circadian rhythms often, which affects the hormone melatonin which sets our sleep cycle -- we don't all have the exact same cycle, but everyone has a normal cycle -- and melatonin is made from serotonin, so it's possible that some shift workers will get neurotransmitter problems that might leave them a little on the down side emotionally, maybe dulling their senses a bit and that could also be a possible factor.  Testosterone deficiency is less likely if you're relatively young, and I'm assuming you are as you're still concerned about those morning erections.  Keep in mind, the main reason for morning erections is that's when for most people, though again individuals do vary, that's when testosterone levels are highest, but for shift workers when exactly is morning?  And if you're burning the candle at both ends, working both nights and days, then when is it exactly you do sleep?  You can go get your levels tested, and they should have been tested at your last physical, but to truly measure this you have to get tested over a period of time, not just once when you might have just been at a low point in the day or a low day that isn't your norm.  But if you're thinking of leaving the job anyway, I'd just suggest that you see what happens when that happens, assuming you're planning on leaving soon.  Peace.
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20620809 tn?1504362969
I think night work can change the entire rhythm of the body.  And actually with regards to erectile dysfunction, they've looked into it, studied it and yes, erectile dysfunction IS more common if you are a night shift worker. https://medivizor.com/blog/SampleLibrary/erectile-dysfunction/do-shift-workers-have-an-increased-risk-of-developing-erectile-dysfunction/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32736945/

https://www.webmd.com/men/news/20170515/shift-work-may-put-damper-on-a-mans-sex-life

Over and over again, it is said that shift work will hamper you in this way.  

Is it at all possible to work toward a day job only?  
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Avatar universal
I used to work nights and had the same issues at times. Switching to day shift will most likely help, but weight lifting on  days off worked well for me.
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1 Comments
that's great advice lakers5427.  I do think physical activity and weight lifting can be impactful.
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