41 yr old Diabetic with ED - considering implant

[aga1405]

I am a 41 yrs old. I have been battling diabetic erectile dysfunction for the last 10 years. Initially, meds like cialis and viagra worked but stopped. Since 2020, I have lost about 90 pounds and I am now about 40 pounds away from the appropriate weight for my height. A few months ago, I started back on 10 mg of cialis daily, then added in 3000 mg of L-Citrulline and now added in 100 mg of viagra daily - so 3000 mg of L-Citrulline in the AM - at noon 10 mg of Cialis and then at 7 on an empty stomach 100 mg of viagra. At first it was working and now it has stopped. My marriage is in shambles and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried the urethral trimex gel. My next option is trimex needle injections - but at this point I just want to bypass it and go straight to the implant. I don’t think my marriage would be able to survive another failed method and the implant seems like a sure thing.

I’m nervous because I am hearing that you lose size and that makes me nervous already because I am already a small guy - about 5 inches. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose my wife or my family.

Here are my main questions -

Any guys with smaller penis - did you lose size?

Can you still lift weights and exercise with an implant?

If you have an implant, can you still use a stream room or a hot tub?

My mind is everywhere right now.

I am in California and have been going to the Men’s Center at UCLA for ED treatment.

Thank you in advance for any help.

A.

[Gt1956]

Generally any lost size is minimal. Some report gaining a little.
Many men on here lift weights & exercise.
Hot tubs are popular during recovery.
There are several top surgeons in California.
Please read as much of FT as you can.

[sswinsfba]

I just got my implant 17 days ago and can't answer all of your questions but here's what I know based on what I have read or have been told by a penile implant surgeon:

1) An implant will NOT make your dick shorter. What you see is what you get. If your dick is 5" and you get the implant now, that's what you'll have after the implant.

2) However, many men who had an atrophied penis claimed to have achieved "growth" after receiving their implants. I can't say if this is true or not; how long it would take; and/or how much you might gain but it is apparently a possibility.

3) At 41 you probably have to pay for the implant out of pocket. Rates vary but most quotes that I've seen for out-of-pocket implants are around $20k. Medicare overs implants for men 65 & older.

4) I've been told and read that diabetics are at a higher risk for infection from penile implant surgery. You'll have to discuss your risk for this w/a qualified penile implant surgeon

5) There is a high volume penile implant surgery located in the LA area. I don't recall his name but it's available in one of the various threads and hopefully someone else can provide the name of that doc for you here.

6) You should be able to engage in any exercise activity that you engaged in before receiving an implant. There is a risk of herniation of the reservoir if you strain too much during recovery but that risk should pass after you are fully healed.

7) There should be no reason why you can't use sauna or hot tub after you get an implant. My doc recommended taking VERY hot baths while cycling (inflating/deflating my implant) which is what I am doing now. It is very soothing/relaxing when I do this. It would be no different if I used a sauna or hot tub instead.

Good luck!

[ThailandBound]

My Friend,

First, I'm sorry for the marriage difficulties you are experiencing. I think my ED was a factor in the impending breakup of my marriage, so since this is an issue, an implant will address that. Whatever other issues you might have, I wish you the best.

Franktalk is a great resource. As another member has mentioned, please spend a few hours going over past posts. You will find many posts that you can relate to and will address your concerns specifically. You are understandably apprehensive. This is a big step. The best advice, as a guy 5 weeks post implant, is to educate yourself. I posted here frequently in anticipation of my implant surgery, having many fears and concerns. Pain. Size. Recovery. Results. You will find the information you seek on the forum, as well as real-time support from the active members.

You have surely read about the 90%+ satisfaction rate. At this point i am still in recovery, but i can say that i am VERY optimistic and anticipate having no regrets. If you choose to have the implant, choose a high-volume surgeon, well-recommended on this site. Your chances of a great experience are high.

On youtube, please watch the "Meet The Penis" videos by Dr. Paul Perito. My own surgeon, Dr. Jonathan Clavell also has several very informative videos. View everything.

All doctors will tell you that "the day of your last erection is the day your penis begins shrinking", and "The implant does not shorten your penis, ED does". So, if you are at this point in your journey, consider those words. I still had function using trimix (with erratic results) until the very end. That means i still had healthy penile tissue and it appears at this point that I've lost no length. My recovery has been outstanding with not nearly the pain i'd anticipated, using only 1 pain pill and a few tylenol. But, read elsewhere about other experiences.

You can fix this. Welcome to the forum and please reach out with questions as you've done. You likely don't know a living soul personally who has had this done. Here, you will find many other men who have dealt with everything you have, from the psychological aspects, lost confidence, lost opportunities, as well as the physical aspects. Best wishes.

[sswinsfba]

Just did a quick search for docs in the LA area mentioned in FT and this is what I found:

Dr. Jeffery Loh-Doyle - USC/Krek Medical Center
Dr. Faysal Yafi - UC Irvine Health
Dr. George Adel-Meir Abelsayed - Kaiser Permanente/Los Angeles Medical Center
Dr. Jesse Mills - UCLA Health

These are NOT recommendations. These are just the names of penile implant docs mentioned by others on FT w/in the past 4 years. Do your "due diligence" and contact them yourself to see if they can see/treat you.

That said, if you are willing to travel to NorCal, I do (however) recommend my surgeon, Dr. Edward Karpman at the El Camino Urology Medical Group in Mt. View, CA (San Jose).

Again, good luck.

[Rebz89]

Hey brother so sorry your suffering at the moment mate, my heart goes out to you.

Most importantly, your worth isn't in your penis. Whether it works, or not, is big small or in between, your worth is much more than this. Communication with your partner is the biggest advice i have through this. It's amazing how much of a difference it can make when times are tough.

As far as the implant goes, as stated with a good surgeon you won't lose size and may gain girth depending on which implant you go for. There are risks involved like any surgery but that's a risk/ benefit you have to weigh up. At 5" and rock hard and reliable? Fun times ahead!

Implants do their job and work very very good. Does it take getting used to? Of course. But so does anything new.

The overwhelming response I've seen here is, I wish I hadve got it sooner.

My experience. I waited 2 years to get it and guess what, it was 2 years too long.

Best of luck mate!

I'm type 1 diabetic and got the implant about 2 months ago. Also from type 1 issues.

Tried the urethra gel. Pills. Injections and ved with rings.

Feel free to private message me if you want to have a call or anything let me know Happy to answer whatever I can

[newbie443]

I am a 41 yrs old. I have been battling diabetic erectile dysfunction for the last 10 years. Initially, meds like cialis and viagra worked but stopped. Since 2020, I have lost about 90 pounds and I am now about 40 pounds away from the appropriate weight for my height. A few months ago, I started back on 10 mg of cialis daily, then added in 3000 mg of L-Citrulline and now added in 100 mg of viagra daily - so 3000 mg of L-Citrulline in the AM - at noon 10 mg of Cialis and then at 7 on an empty stomach 100 mg of viagra. At first it was working and now it has stopped. My marriage is in shambles and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried the urethral trimex gel. My next option is trimex needle injections - but at this point I just want to bypass it and go straight to the implant. I don’t think my marriage would be able to survive another failed method and the implant seems like a sure thing.

I’m nervous because I am hearing that you lose size and that makes me nervous already because I am already a small guy - about 5 inches. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to lose my wife or my family.

Here are my main questions -

Any guys with smaller penis - did you lose size? Normal size is about5.5" so I am a bit above normal but it took a while to get there. I was 4-4.5 for a while after surgery and first had sex when I was 5". I lost size due to ED and doing nothing about it for almost 10 years. At 5 years post surgery I am within 1/2" of my healthy youth size. Men who have no or reduced nocturnal erections should use a VED for penis exercise. But be careful as you can over do it and cause damage that can cause you size. Read this article: https://augustams.com/how-to-use-a-peni ... -exercise/ I used a VED 3 weeks before my surgery along with manual stretching and it seemed to help. The VED can also be used for sex. The AMS LGX will expand in length and girth and was made to help men restore lost size. Takes a year or more from my experience. Men with a replacement surgery 5+ years after the first mostly receive a larger device. So you may even restore some size with a reoperation when your first device fails 5+ years down the road. It is best however to talk with an experienced doctor that uses both brands and let them pick what is best for you. The biggest concern is infection. If this happens the device almost always needs to be removed and if a maleable device or another IPP cannot replace the infected device you are left with nothing inside for 6 months before another attempt is made. And there is mostly major size loss from this. So get as healthy as you can before surgery and control all your health issues before and after surgery as the risk of infection will reduce over the the first year.

Can you still lift weights and exercise with an implant? Yes



If you have an implant, can you still use a stream room or a hot tub? Yes but you may have to wait until your incision is fully healed. I would for infection prevention.

My mind is everywhere right now.

I am in California and have been going to the Men’s Center at UCLA for ED treatment.

Thank you in advance for any help.

A.

[Shadow9494]

I am 54 with Type II. Implanted 12/14/22. I wish I'd done it sooner.

You can see by the size of my implant I'm not very big either. I think I was around 6" in high school. Diabetes, ED and Peyronies haven't done me any favors. The longer you go without erections, the more you have to lose, so to speak.

My Peyronies was fixed using a a series of 16 shots (normally 8, but I injured myself after the first series), but nothing was working for my ED (I never tried trimix or gels, but ALL the pills and VED/rings).

After using a VED and rings, I could get close to my HS size again - between 5.75" and 6" and VERY girthy with the pump. It got to where the rings had to be tight and were not comfortable for all-nighters, so I decided to get the implant. As I said at the beginning, I wish I'd done it sooner.

When I went to the Dr. and he stretched me out, I nearly cried - I think my penis must've been around 4" stretched. I was devastated, but had heard the AMS LGX could possibly help restore what I'd lost, and then some. Even if not, having a hard dick is better than a soft one, right? I couldn't even masturbate happily.

When I came out of surgery and saw it for the first time, it looked so small (but my balls were HUGE! Lol). I wasn't sure I'd made the right choice. The pain, for me, was pretty bad the first 3 weeks, but not unmanageable. What had I done?!?

It's been 2 months now and I couldn't be happier. I'm cycling aggressively, using a VED on occasion and doing the Perito exercise and I can proudly say my bone pressed length is currently up to 5 3/8". Much better than the 4" that was staring me in the face in the Dr.'s office and hospital. My penis knew it still had more to give. I'm really hoping to get close to 6" within 6 months/year as some have said. Theoretically, based on the math, I shouldn't be over 5" ((16cm/2.54)x.75))=4.72", but here I am!

Feel free to PM me with ANY questions! We're all here to help each other out! Take care and good luck with your journey!