ED treatment

gopher72
gopher72 Member Posts: 3
in Prostate Cancer #1

A doctor has recomended I explore the use of devices like high end vibrators and pumps designed specifically for survivors of radical prostate surgery to help with ED. Can anyone with experience using these give me their thoughts and recommendations?

Comments

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    #2
    Specifics

    gopher,

    You give no details about yourself, except that you apparantly had a R.P.

    Virtually all doctors recommend almost immediately after cath removal that patients begin daily cialias to prevent vascular atrophy in the penis.  This will NOT give erection the first several months, but rather preserves the tissues for later, potential recovery of function.

    Many, but not all, also perscribe "the pump" for men who wish to use it.  Many doctors perscribe Trimix, a self-administered dialator, that causes erection in around 90% of men, even those with serious ED.  I used it, and was having sex in under two months after surgery.  Trimix also stimulates and helps preserve vascular tissue in the penis.  But, some men just cannot and will not give themselves shots in the penis.  Decide for yourself.

    But regardless, the most curative thing after RP is time, assuming that the surgeon was able to spare the erectile nerves. Were your nerves spared ?  If so, chance of potency after about a year's wait is fairly good and always improving. If the nerves were not saved, lifelong impotence is virtually a certainty.

    max

  • gopher72
    gopher72 Member Posts: 3
    #3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

    Specifics

    gopher,

    You give no details about yourself, except that you apparantly had a R.P.

    Virtually all doctors recommend almost immediately after cath removal that patients begin daily cialias to prevent vascular atrophy in the penis.  This will NOT give erection the first several months, but rather preserves the tissues for later, potential recovery of function.

    Many, but not all, also perscribe "the pump" for men who wish to use it.  Many doctors perscribe Trimix, a self-administered dialator, that causes erection in around 90% of men, even those with serious ED.  I used it, and was having sex in under two months after surgery.  Trimix also stimulates and helps preserve vascular tissue in the penis.  But, some men just cannot and will not give themselves shots in the penis.  Decide for yourself.

    But regardless, the most curative thing after RP is time, assuming that the surgeon was able to spare the erectile nerves. Were your nerves spared ?  If so, chance of potency after about a year's wait is fairly good and always improving. If the nerves were not saved, lifelong impotence is virtually a certainty.

    max

    Ed

    Thank you Max. My nerves were preserved. It's been 3 weeks since surgery RP. I've been given daily Vagra. I have not yet tried sex. I'd prefer not to use more drugs ie Trimix, etc. Is  that what you mean by "the pump?"

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,180 Member
    #4
    Need more time

    Hi Gopher,

    At three weeks out you still have a lot of time before you could expect results, but as new people have posted recently anything is possible.  Anything you can do to get the blood flowing in your groin/genitals is a good thing.  Some people use drugs,pumps, injections, stimulations from your partner, ect.  Hard to say how long before you start getting usuable erections but you have to keep trying to stimulate and heal the nerves with blood flow that were damaged/irritated during your surgery. Hopefully in the next few months you will start to see some small erections followed by stronger and stronger ones. I had healing well into the end of my first year with some improvement in the first six months of my second year.  Eveyone heals at a different rate but keep the blood flowing down there.  If you do nothing you will probably get nothing as an end result.

    Dave 3+4

     

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    #5
    gopher72 said:

    Ed

    Thank you Max. My nerves were preserved. It's been 3 weeks since surgery RP. I've been given daily Vagra. I have not yet tried sex. I'd prefer not to use more drugs ie Trimix, etc. Is  that what you mean by "the pump?"

    Answer

    gopher,

    At 3 weeks post-op, most guys still are not healed and not much wanting sex.  

    It is great that nerve sparing was successful. This is a cause for hope as time moves forward.

    Continue on the med as your doctor directs. As I wrote, it is NOT intended to give you erections now, but to keep vascular tissue healthy for use later on, so lack of erection now means little.

    To answer your direct question, "the pump" is a mechanical device, not a drug. I never used a pump myself, although the doctor was ready to perscribe me one.  Trimix is a drug, given to the patient in liquid form, that must be kept in the refridgerator.  It is given via a tiny needle into the side of the penis, and erection occures within 15-20 minutes or so. Your urologist has to carefully TRAIN you or your wife to administer this shot, but I never found it to be painful.  We weere having sex at 8 weeks or thereabout post-op.  The needle is as I said very small, I was told it is about the size of a diabetic's needle for administering insulin in the stomach.

    I wish you continued good progress, and the erectile nerve success is a huge plus in your report. Be aware that recovery from ED is measured in months, not weeks.

    max

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,505 Member
    #6
    On target

    The above two posts (Max and Clevelandguy) are on target. One thing to add is that TriMix has to be individually 'standardized'. Too much leads to awkward situations, including visits to the emergency room.

    And just to confirm, TriMix is a mixture of three drugs (and each component can be individualized). The 'pump' is a mechanical device.

  • Grinder
    Grinder Member Posts: 487 Member
    #7
    the pump

    I used the vacuum pump instead of Cialis or Trimix. It draws blood into the corpus cavernosum. and gives the penis enlargement like an erection, but not the hardness. I used the pump for about six months before erections started coming back. After less than a year, I did not need the pump anymore, and now erections are back to normal.

    I preferred the pump to drugs... but you have to be careful to follow directions and not leave it on too long, or the swelling wont go down as quickly as it should. But like my doctor said, and the guys on here reiterated... Use it or Lose it. I decided to use the pump so I wouldn't lose it. It worked out fine. But just throw the rings away... the vacuum pump is good for penile rehabilitation, but for maintaining erections for sex not so much. If your nerves were spared, the erections will come eventually.

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