Penile Injections for better erections and treating impotence

Therapy of penile injection is a non surgical method used mainly to treat patients who are impotent. The patient is injected with a medication (usually alprostadil) in the base of the penis. Instantly upon injection, the penis hardens. This erection in a patient lasts for almost about 1 to 2 hours.

But, it is very important to note that the injection cannot be administered frequently, in fact it has to be used 3 times a week and not more than once per day. Before beginning with the injection, the patient might be required to visit the clinic several times to find out the exact dosage of the medicine which is required to be injected. The treatment is also accessible on the NHS.

The best advantage of penile injections is that this treatment does not involve surgery. The treatment is also found to be effective in dialysis patients. Though not confirmed yet, the rate of success in patients suffering from kidney problems is found out to be 70%.

Injection therapy is considered as an alternative treatment of erectily dusfunction in about 30% to 40% of men who fail using Viagra. But the real treatment for patients suffering from erectile dysfunction depends on various things such as a patient’s health and even the physical and personal temperament for undergoing the treatment.

It is advised that a patient who is planning to go for a treatment for erectile dysfunction must also involve his partner or spouse while he visits his doctor for consultation regarding this treatment.

You can find several types of drugs which can be administered directly into the tissues of a person’s penis for causing an erection. Some of the commonly used drugs are papaverine (Papaverine hydrochloride), prostaglandin E1 (Caverject, Prostin, or Alpoprostadil) and phentolamine (Regitine). Patients can take each drug separately or even in combination. Once taken, the erection will start within about 15 minutes and will last for many hours.

Patients are advised to use these drugs exactly as per their physician’s prescription. If the drugs are not administered as per the instruction given by their physician, it can result in a prolonged erection also known as priapism. When priapism takes place, the blood does not drain from the penis.

This can lead to damage in the penile tissues and can be very painful. Patients having a history of substance abuser must take utmost care while taking these injections and definitely report their medical history to the doctor

Some patients must mix the injection with a vacuum constriction device in order to achieve the desired results. However, following this procedure can be quite expensive and awkward. Moreover, as it takes a lot of time, chances for being romantically seduced might reduce.

The brand name for an injectable mixture of alprostadil or prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) is known as Caverject and is manufactured and marketed by Pharmacia-Upjohn.

Apart from Caverject, we can find additional alternatives such as Edex. This is a product which is similar to Caverject and is manufactured by Schwarz-Pharma.

Caverject manufactures the shot kit. This kit is portable and the need for refrigeration is not required until the ingredients are mixed. This drug can be quite expensive when compared to other drugs such as PGE1 or PPP (Papaverine, Prostaglandin and Phentolamine).

The biggest complaint regarding this drug is that its needles are very large. Many of them suggest using smaller needles which diabetic patients use during injections of insulin. To do that you must mix the powder and the liquid by making use of the large needles which are accompanied with the kit and then change it to the smaller needles during an injection.

The reason why companies supply larger needles is that smaller needles can by mistake get stuck inside the penis of a patient and the company can be sued for such a disastrous mishap.

Trimix and Bimi are injections meant for administering intra-cavernosal. It can be in any combination of 2 or 3 chemicals. Bimix is a mixture of phentolamine and papaverine where as Trimix (PPP) will be added as PGE1.

All the above mentioned mixtures might not be available commercially and have to be mixed using compounding pharmacy. These mixtures are often found cheaper as compared to Edex or Caverject and are likely to reduce aching in the testicles or the penis which is a common problem found in male patients suffering from Prostaglandin (PGE-1).

When we speak about compounding pharmacy, these are the pharmacies which create custom medications based on the prescription provided by doctors and it does not include any corner drug store or any large chain pharmacies.

Is it safe?

Yes, all these medications are completely safe for men to use. But remember, like all other medications, these medicines have side effects.

Papaverine is a type of medication which is completely safe and can be used continuously for 20 years or more. In addition, it also helps in widening the arteries of the heart. Papaverine is also famous for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease & multiple sclerosis. Radiologists and Vascular surgeons have been using Papaverine for all process that involves arteries.

The toxic effect which is mostly found in Papaverine is a heartbeat being skipped or any abnormal condition inside the heart. This usually occurs in patients who take large dosages. Surgeons and cardiologists have successfully used up to 120 mg of Papaverine injected into a patient’s vein every 3 hours without having any toxic side effects. The normal dosage which is used in the penis has to be only 30 mg two times a week. And hence, the intake of Papaverine is much below the dangerous harmful levels.

Phentolamine when it is used in large doses, most of the times has chances of lowering the blood pressure levels of a human body. Its side effects mostly include diarrhea, irregularities in heart beats and discomfort in the abdomen.

The medication was initially used to reveal tumors found in the adrenal glands. The test was known as ‘pheochromocytoma test’ and it included the injection of Phentolamine at 5 mg. The dosage that is used in a penis of a patient is just 0.5 mg up to 1 mg, which is well below the toxic levels.

Are these drugs painful?

The needles which are used for the injection is a specially made 30 gauge ultra fine needle. More than 90% of patients who have been using this needle have mentioned that they could feel the needle entering their penis but were surprised to know how painless it was.

Simultaneously, since the hole of the needle is very minute in size, there is hardly any chance of bleeding or bruising of the skin. This drug is safe to be taken by patients who are taking Persantine, Aspirin and Coumadin.

When the needle is injected into a penis, Phentolamin and Papaverine does not release any kind of pain. Prostaglandin E1, on the contrary might cause a dull ache near the base of the penis, which is usually for a temporary period of time. This ache can be easily tolerated by patients and it does not hinder them while having intercourse with their partner. If the pain is present, it usually decreases within 15 minutes.

How frequently can one use it?

It has to be taken note that the number of injections that is administered must not be more than 10 times in a month and it’s also recommended that these injections must be spaced evenly. Also remember that the point where the injection will be administered in a penis must be done by switching sides of the penis to the left and to the right of the penis alternatively.

Will it work?

More than 80 percent of patients suffering from Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and those who have been administered with pharmacological treatment have found it successful in helping them achieve an erection. The erection is sufficient enough for enjoying sexual intercourse with their partner. The remaining 20 percent of patients who did not get the required erection are mostly those who are being diagnosed with other types of treatment.

What is the time duration required for the medication to start taking its effect?

Once the medication is administered, the erection will begin within 10 or 20 minutes and last up to one and a half hour. Overall, Prostaglandin E1 functions slightly better and faster than Phentolamine and Papaverine.

A person can get better erection with an additional use of foreplay. It can even take about 30 minutes for some patients to get a complete rigid erection. In short, the actual amount of time that is taken for obtaining an erection can be compared to the magnitude of the blockage of the arterial area.