Thinking about injections

[Wesbigs]

New member here, first time posting.
Im 50 years old and had RP surgery 8/15/2019. So far neither Viagra or Cialis has had any effect on my ED, I have been using the pump for a couple of weeks but so far the only way to stay erect has been by using two tight bands which are uncomfortable at best. I havent tried intercourse that way and Im not sure I could even orgasm with the bands that tight.
Im thinking about asking my urologist about injections when I see him next month but the whole thing seems odd to me and I have questions about them?
Do they feel like a normal erection? the pump doesnt feel normal at all.
How much experimenting does it take to find a dose that actually works?
Do you build a tolerance to the injections like you can with pills?
Are there side effects like the pills where you get the headache or stuffy head?

[mikestap]

Do they feel like a normal erection? the pump doesnt feel normal at all.
Darn close to a natural erection.

How much experimenting does it take to find a dose that actually works?
My experience was very little experimenting. One time at the doc’s office, actually.

Do you build a tolerance to the injections like you can with pills?
My experience is yes. Although I was motivated to move onto an implant because of my dissatisfaction with spontaneity.

Are there side effects like the pills where you get the headache or stuffy head?
No, but you may have pain in your penis after sex. Your doc will adjust your formula if so

[bldoink]

Welcome to the forum!

The reply by Mike was a fairly good one.

I'm not a medical professional of any kind. Anything I post is based on my own experiences, at best and delusions or hallucinations, at worst. Internet forum advice is very likely worth what you pay for it, or worse. Always ask your doctor and follow his/her advice.

I have been using the pump for a couple of weeks but so far the only way to stay erect has been by using two tight bands which are uncomfortable at best.

The pump and medical grade constriction rings is not a fantastic solution but it can be made to work acceptably and does get better with practice.

I'm thinking about asking my urologist about injections when I see him next month but the whole thing seems odd to me and I have questions about them?

Ask anything and everything you can think of.

Do they feel like a normal erection? the pump doesn't feel normal at all.

They can feel pretty normal, especially after you get your dose perfected. Keep the pump around for at least therapy purposes. The pump method does get better with practice.

How much experimenting does it take to find a dose that actually works?

That can vary greatly from person to person. It might be on the first try or it make take an extended trial period. But I think the norm is pretty quickly. Also, it has been my experience and apparently the experience of some other guys that after some practice with injections you may find that you can use less juice, AKA a smaller dose.

Do you build a tolerance to the injections like you can with pills?

That seems to vary a lot and for different reasons. Some report developing a tolerance. Some report developing a tolerance that can be reset with a break from use. A fair number suffer from a venous leak that slowly worsens requiring stronger doses until the point is reached where it no longer works. Some guys report using injections for an extended time without issue or dose increase. I'm pretty much in this last category.

My ED was caused by prostate removal and is profound. Pills didn't do anything on their own although they did help when using the pump as they made pumping easier. I've been using injections for a number of years now and my dosage has remained pretty stable once getting past a learning curve. Unfortunately my Uro provided no instructions and I didn't find this forum during my time of need so there was a longer than necessary learning curve. I did not have a venous leak prior to prostate removal and happily haven't developed one. That probably explains why my dosage has remained stable. It seems to work as well now as it did in the beginning, if not better.

Are there side effects like the pills where you get the headache or stuffy head?

There can be side effects but not necessarily. There is risk of priapism (unwanted extended erection of 4 hours or more) which can cause tissue damage if untreated. Some men, a minority, can develop scaring and/or calcification from the needle prick or the medications themselves. This can cause peyronie's disease and deformation of the penis. Again, this is a minority but it is a risk to be aware of.

Some men using tri-mix react badly to one of the ingredients. The usual drug causing the issue is the alprostadil also known as prostaglandin E1 or PGE-1. It is also the most potent ingredient for causing an erection. It causes severe pain in some men making it's use impossible. It can also cause some pain in many other men to an acceptable or controllable degree. If I use too much I will get some pain. Initially, when I first began using it it caused more pain but in my case, and reportedly in many other cases, it moderates or disappears with continued use. It is my medication of choice as I just use a mono-mix containing only alprostadil and saline. I've never experienced any other side effects. I also use novelty sex shop cock rings that help me to minimize the amount of drug necessary.

Sorry for such a marathon response. I hope it helped.

[Wesbigs]

Thank you for the detailed responses, they're very helpful.

Is it hard to get used to poking a needle in the side of your penis? When I read about injections before my surgery I was horrified and figured that would never be me. Since my RP surgery and everything I have been through, its doesn't seem as severe anymore. I knew that ED was going to be an issue after the surgery and thought I was mentally prepared for it, but the reality of it is quite different than talking about it.

[bldoink]

Yeah, it sucks! But the needle stick is really no big deal.

[Txagq8]

I’ve been doing the injections since 1990.

At first it was papaverine/phentolamine. Then prostaglandin E1. Then Trimix The. Quadmix. Now either trimix or quadmix, I have Rx for either one.

Yes, they feel like a natural erection.

Yes, they can contribute to delayed enaculation. That’s good if premature had been an issue. If you were slow to fire to start with, not so much. Pounding away for an hour and a half with a fairly thick male organ can cause some irritation and set up the mother of all yeast infections. If that happens, I hope you have a comfortable sofa.

The bimix, trimix, and quadmix cause very little pain. The Prostaglandin E1 by itself gives me a terrible case of achy dick.

The shot really isn’t bad and we arent just saying that to make you feel better.

It eventually can annoy certain wives that sex becomes a performance on demand instead of something spontaneous. Still, that can be a lot better than no sex at all. My wife was much more adventurous before menopause. Now I tell her just to lie back and think of England.

Whether they continue to work depends on what’s wrong. As an earlier poster stated, if it’s venous leakage it won’t work forever. I suspect that it isnt that the body gets used to the drug, but the arterial system feeding the erection gets less able as a guy ages. I’m not a doctor so please seek out and heed competent medical advice.

The worst thing that has happened to me is I missed the corpora and only a little bit of the medication got to it—a 10 minute semierection. I have not radically changed dosage but my once 2 hour erections now are half an hour and are sensitive to position and motion.

No real bad effects after 30 yrs. I would recommend them if doctor does.

[Thefarmer]

Ive been using Trimix since June and I love the stuff! The erections you get with trimix make you feel like an 18 yr old stud! If you get the dosage too strong, you may have a prolonged erection and it makes it harder to climax... Just toy around with it starting with a low dosage and working up to whats just right for you. You will be happy!

[Whodat]

Agree with all of the above comments. My experience with PGE-1 has been excellent since beginning in July 2017. My URO recommended it after the pills gave me headaches. My doctor began my dosage at 25 units with a 4 1/2 hour erection and some mild aching in the penis after orgasm. He was fairly close on his guess for my formula. Now reduced to 18 units which feels quite normal and very useful for 3 hours. Stabbing the needle is much less pain than a mosquito bite...no big deal.
Best of luck to you.

[ftwabeck3533]

The responses have covered all the key points very well. I've been on Trimix since June 2019 (RRP was Oct 2018), the stuff is awesome! After one little prick in the prick, you'll hopefully be singing its praises as well.

A couple additional points:
1. Trimix is quite inexpensive, I get mine from a local compounder -- $65 for 5ml. My dose is 15 units (0.15ml). I fill up about 30 syringes
(they're cheap too, Amazon) when I get my Rx...and put them all in the freezer. Pull one out when "the mood is right". So, a little more
than $2 a shot.
2. I haven't needed it yet, but I keep some Sudafed on hand. It's the antidote for the priapism (the 4 hour hard on). Was told to get the non-
drowsy, extra strength, 30 mg Pseudoephedrine HCl.

Good luck, and let us know how it works out.