What can I expect?

[falcon62]

I had my six month visit with my urologist the other day. Over two years since my DaVinci prostatectomy. PSA is undetectable. Unfortunately an erection is still undetectable! So far pills haven't helped. She gave me samples of Muse, 1000 mg. I did get some results from it but not adequate for intercourse. We are now discussing injections. The Dr. and I can talk comfortably but I come to you guys for some questions that I did not ask.
I understand the first injection is done in the doctor's office for training and to see what results the patient has. If it's successful do they give you something so you can leave or do you stay at the office until the erection subsides?
What can I expect out of an injection? Will I maintain an erection for a period of time after sex or once I reach orgasm will it end? After not being in the saddle for over two years I imagine my stamina will be minimal and it will be over within minutes. Wondering if I could go a second round after a short break or would I need to wait till another day / another injection?
Any shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[antelope]

Kudos to you for not sitting around bemoaning limpness. "This is not acceptable." was my mantra until we found the solution that worked for me. Keep at it and you will find yours.

That you are able to speak openly and frankly with your urologist is a huge step some guys never quite make. The uro is your key player here, so if you have ANY issues with the doctor, either resolve them or find a new one. I had/have a wonderful medical team (one for each body part, ha ha) and they were all involved and informed during my journey. You might want to do the same.

For what it's worth, I have never had a problem with a female doctor nor would I have a problem with a female urologist if she was treating bladder functions or whatever. For ED, I would want a male urologist, and not because I am shy about chatting about erections and all that goes with it. But I think only a male doctor can fully grasp the mental and emotional toll that ED takes on a man. I had more than one conversation with my team that began with "Do you like sex? So do I. Fix this." I'm not suggesting that a female uro might not be technically proficient; just that she cannot possibly understand what we are going through. A male do who has not suffered with ED cannot really get it either, but he can imagine not having sex for the rest of his life.

Okay, to your questions. Each doc seems to follow his own protocol, so what I say here may not pan out exactly with your doctor. What my guy did was give me the script, told me which compounding pharmacy to use, and then I went and had it filled. I came back the next day with the Happy Juice and he gave me the injection there in his office. The he apologized for not having any men's magazines handy, told me to sit still and wait to see what happened. He said it would be okay if I wanted to "jack" my cock a bit, but he would prefer that I just leave it alone so we could see what happens without manual stimulation--drug only. Then he left the room for about 15 minutes. When he came back, I had a big grin on my face and the first "I feel like I"m 19 again." boner in years (all without touching). He poked and prodded a bit, then reviewed the injection procedure verbally and told me to sit for 30 minutes and then get dressed and go home.

Well, after 30 minutes, Little G was still standing at attention, so he told me to get dressed and go on home and do anything that came to my mind. So I walked through the urology waiting room with an obvious boner in my britches. All I got were some envious looks from old men. So I did exactly as he suggested, but had to do it alone since wifey was still at school. I called the nurse about 4:30 that afternoon and asked her if I could give myself a shot later than night so I could have a real trial run and her response was priceless: "Oh, no, child! You don't want to do that." Well, actually I did want to do that, but I dutifully waited until the next day to give myself the shot and get busy.

I've never had a problem since and have done this long enough that I don't follow the "every other day" protocol as strictly as the book says. Uro said he couldn't okay that, but he didn't see where I was doing any harm. Message sent, message received.

Good luck my friend. All the best.

[bldoink]

Wow! A lot of questions and even more potential answers. In many cases more than one correct answer. I'll try but I strongly encourage you to read as many of the older threads and posts in the Injections sub-forum as you can take. I'm not a doctor and what I say is not medical advice. Ask your doctor questions and listen to him/her.

First, let me to encourage you to start faithfully using a VED (Vacuum Erection Device) for therapy purposes immediately if you haven't been already.

I would continue taking the pills if you don't have intolerable side effects.

If not contrary to your doctors advice I would encourage you to try using a constriction ring AKA cock ring. A tighter medical version if attempting sex in conjunction with the VED alone, without injections or Muse.... But use a milder novelty ring if used with muse or injections.

I use the Lyps brand set novelty rings with the injections but which brand that works for you will depend on your size. The ring you use with injections or probably with Muse must be removable when fully erect. A medical ring intended for use with a VED probably isn't a good idea as they aren't generally as stretchable as the novelty rings, which is why the novelty rings don't work as good when using the VED for sex, they won't hold the erection.

..... As a side note I'll sometimes take a pill, use a novelty ring over the shaft, pump up some with the VED and then stimulate. Probably not any good for partner sex but it does give good therapeutic inflation and can be entertaining. I didn't have enough natural response to achieve this method at one or probably two years.....

It is my understanding that the first injection is normally given in the office as a demonstration and to determine your response and set dosage and sometimes but not always an antidote is given prior to leaving. Often they will want you to wait until the erection subsides as a safety precaution and to help determine dosage. That was not my case. I was given a script for Edex and sent off to figure it out on my own. That urologist has since retired.

If the injections work for you it will give you an erection that is largely but possibly not totally independent of stimulation, orgasm or the number of times you go at it. It is more dependent on dose. However, you may be able to stimulate a failing erection back to life for another go. In many cases the erection will start fading after orgasm but that is largely dose dependent and not a guarantee. With the appropriate dose and an ideal response to the injections two rounds should be achievable.

With some men the injections, while producing a fine erection, will make orgasm more difficult. If you have this reaction make sure your partner understands that it is a reaction to the medication and not a reflection of her performance or your sexual desire for her. While orgasm may become more difficult, when they arrive they can be absolutely mind blowing.

If you have a incontinence issue you may want to practice a bunch before adding your partner. You'll want to practice a couple of times anyhow.

As I mentioned earlier there will be more than one possible correct answer to your questions. We're all different as are our experiences and our doctors.

I'm not a doctor and what I post should not be construed as any form of medical advice. It is based on my experience and may only be specific to my experiences.

Edit for typos, clarity and to add that antelope obviously types faster than I do. Also that while his experiences are a little different from mine his advice seems golden to me. I personally wouldn't have a problem with a female doctor. A female would have to make a little more effort to relate to a mans issues but that should be achievable.

[tomas1]

My doc gave me a pretty weak shot, but it did show some erection after 10 or 15 minutes.
It wasn't hard enough to be noticeable, so I went home with a 3/4 and a prescription.

I doubt I'd have a problem with a woman doc.

As far as sex goes, sometimes I go softish after ejaculating, but it always comes back, usually harder.

If your partner is agreeable, you can have as many sessions on the one shot as you want.
I believe my record is 3 with ejaculations. Our normal is one bout sans ejac, then after awhile another bout to get it finished.

Wife is pushing 77 and seems to think she's getting too old for it, but she always comes back for more after several days.

Life's not too bad, but I haven't had any prostate surgery to complicate matters.

Good luck, but don't be surprised if you end up needing a stronger scrip than you are first given.

[Larry10625]

Kudos to you for not sitting around bemoaning limpness. "This is not acceptable." was my mantra until we found the solution that worked for me. Keep at it and you will find yours.

That you are able to speak openly and frankly with your urologist is a huge step some guys never quite make. The uro is your key player here, so if you have ANY issues with the doctor, either resolve them or find a new one. I had/have a wonderful medical team (one for each body part, ha ha) and they were all involved and informed during my journey. You might want to do the same.

For what it's worth, I have never had a problem with a female doctor nor would I have a problem with a female urologist if she was treating bladder functions or whatever. For ED, I would want a male urologist, and not because I am shy about chatting about erections and all that goes with it. But I think only a male doctor can fully grasp the mental and emotional toll that ED takes on a man. I had more than one conversation with my team that began with "Do you like sex? So do I. Fix this." I'm not suggesting that a female uro might not be technically proficient; just that she cannot possibly understand what we are going through. A male do who has not suffered with ED cannot really get it either, but he can imagine not having sex for the rest of his life.

Okay, to your questions. Each doc seems to follow his own protocol, so what I say here may not pan out exactly with your doctor. What my guy did was give me the script, told me which compounding pharmacy to use, and then I went and had it filled. I came back the next day with the Happy Juice and he gave me the injection there in his office. The he apologized for not having any men's magazines handy, told me to sit still and wait to see what happened. He said it would be okay if I wanted to "jack" my cock a bit, but he would prefer that I just leave it alone so we could see what happens without manual stimulation--drug only. Then he left the room for about 15 minutes. When he came back, I had a big grin on my face and the first "I feel like I"m 19 again." boner in years (all without touching). He poked and prodded a bit, then reviewed the injection procedure verbally and told me to sit for 30 minutes and then get dressed and go home.

Well, after 30 minutes, Little G was still standing at attention, so he told me to get dressed and go on home and do anything that came to my mind. So I walked through the urology waiting room with an obvious boner in my britches. All I got were some envious looks from old men. So I did exactly as he suggested, but had to do it alone since wifey was still at school. I called the nurse about 4:30 that afternoon and asked her if I could give myself a shot later than night so I could have a real trial run and her response was priceless: "Oh, no, child! You don't want to do that." Well, actually I did want to do that, but I dutifully waited until the next day to give myself the shot and get busy.

I've never had a problem since and have done this long enough that I don't follow the "every other day" protocol as strictly as the book says. Uro said he couldn't okay that, but he didn't see where I was doing any harm. Message sent, message received.

Good luck my friend. All the best.

You make some very valid points, especially about wanting a male doctor for ED problems. They will also understand... "don't do that, it hurts" better than a woman.

Thanks for the great post.

Larry
Moderator

[Larry10625]

Great replies for our brother from a couple of seasoned veterans. Thanks and please, keep them coming.

Larry
Moderator

[falcon62]

Thank you all for your great insights. I Have not yet talked about it with my significant other. She will soon be 62 and her interest in sex has lessened in the last year or so. Maybe it's her changes or maybe it's my inability to perform although we can satisfy one another in other ways.
My urologist is really easy going. We briefly talked about implants and she said " I like doing those ". Next visit I'll have to ask her to explain her response a little further.

[Pabowhunter]

My doc gave me a pretty weak shot, but it did show some erection after 10 or 15 minutes.
It wasn't hard enough to be noticeable, so I went home with a 3/4 and a prescription.

I doubt I'd have a problem with a woman doc.

As far as sex goes, sometimes I go softish after ejaculating, but it always comes back, usually harder.

If your partner is agreeable, you can have as many sessions on the one shot as you want.
I believe my record is 3 with ejaculations. Our normal is one bout sans ejac, then after awhile another bout to get it finished.

Wife is pushing 77 and seems to think she's getting too old for it, but she always comes back for more after several days.

Life's not too bad, but I haven't had any prostate surgery to complicate matters.

Good luck, but don't be surprised if you end up needing a stronger scrip than you are first given.

Yeah buddy! Good for u guys ...

[oldbeek]

My uro ordered trimix. The compounding pharmacy called me for credit card info and sent the script next day fed ex. At my six week check up today, I was told to bring the supplies. URO showed how to draw and shoot. I did my own injection. (see post about pain) It started to ache immediately and get hard. He left and returned in 15minutes. He said it would soften after orgazim. He also said pain from PGE-1 was normal in 30% of men. Told me he would be in the office all day with a caution to call him if it didn't start to soften after 2 hrs. I left the office with a very painful and very hard on (about a 10 on pain scale) bent over and hardly able to breath, I went to get some Sudafed asap. ( Have Sudafed on had prior to injection) Took Sudafed before 1 hr mark. Tried to use it with my wife. Did get an orgazim but it did not subside. Finally softened at 2 1/2 hrs. The erection was not worth the pain.