Monthly Archives: April 2009

Peyronie’s disease treatment philosophy

Posted on by Web Designer

Peyronie’s disease treatment is effective because it is different

The Peyronie’s disease treatment philosophy of PDI is not accepted within the medical community at this time.  You should know the opinions and philosophy of PDI are not current mainstream medical thinking, although PDI has assisted perhaps a dozen or more MDs with their own Peyronies problem in the last few years.

The Peyronie’s Disease Institute philosophy for Peyronie’s treatment is different from standard medical thinking in two fundamental ways.

1. PDI recommends using mainstream Alternative Medicine therapy products (vitamin E, copper, DMSO, enzymes, etc.), and procedures (a special manual stretching technique we have developed, manual penis stretching,  along with exercise, massage and acupuncture).  These are recommended even though they have not fulfilled the testing standards usually required of medication.  The use of stretching, exercise, massage and acupuncture are included because of their longstanding use in medical care for a wide variety of health problems; they have stood the test of time.

2.  PDI has found after seven years of review and research that taking multiple therapies, all at the same time, in sufficient quantities as described on its website, often stimulates or supports an improved ability to heal and repair the famous Peyronie’s plaque or scar.  The scientific term for this phenomenon is “synergy”.

The specific therapy products used by PDI are well known and generally accepted as important, and often essential, for health and well being, such as vitamin E, MSM, acetyl-L-carnitine, etc.  However, what is unique is that PDI advocates these therapy products are used in combination and in significant number for maximum potential effect and benefit.  This synergistic concept of therapy used by PDI to treat PD takes advantage of the affect of synergy – a concept that is very well known in medical practice. Synergy is the ability of two or more substances to work together to produce a total effect greater than what each individual therapy could produce by itself.

This Peyronie’s disease treatment concept is based on simple observations about this problem:

  • Why do some men completely recover from Peyronie’s disease without treatment?  You know, this happens in about half of the case.
  • Why do some men get worse and need surgery, no matter what treatment they try?
  • If the Peyronie’s plaque is similar to scars like I have on other parts of my body, why does it seem to change so much – not only the size, shape, and density of the scar, but also the location?
  • If it’s actually the same problem among all the men who have it, why does Peyronies vary so much from one man to the next?
  • What’s the difference between the two groups of men whose Peyronie’s disease goes away on its own, and the other in which it only gets worse no matter what they do for it?
  • What is the fundamental difference between these two groups of different responses?
  • How can I join the group that repairs and eliminates the Peyronie’s plaque and reverses the bent penis of PD?

Certainly, no one has complete or easy answers to these questions – yet.  However, I think it makes perfect sense that the man whose Peyronie’s disease simply goes away on its own has a better healing capacity, than another man whose PD never improves.  It cannot be a mater of luck; nature is just not that way.   It is my opinion that you can increase your healing capacity and become healthier in some yet undetermined way so you are able to heal your Peyronie’s scar and reverse your Peyronie’s bend to the best of your ability.

The fact that some men are able to recover better than others, must mean there is variable − not static − capacity to healing and repair among men.  Common sense and generally accepted knowledge about health, nutrition, and the healing process offers you and I the foundation for a treatment concept and philosophy that should improve your chances to recover from Peyronie’s disease better than if you did nothing to enhance your ability to heal.  It is really as simple and direct as that.  The Peyronie’s plaque found within and on the tunica albuginea can be seen as an expression or extension of the overall health and healing potential of the body in which it occurs.  Similar to an ulcer, a Peyronie’s plaque or scar can be thought of as the result of abnormal body chemistry and physiology.  As such, treatment of Peyronie’s disease should attempt to improve that distressed or abnormal chemistry and physiology of the penile tissue in which the plaque is found.

All therapy products, nutrients, techniques and ideas presented by PDI are all directly or indirectly intended to improve the chemistry and physiology of the body in general and plaque elimination in the tunica specifically. The end result of this effort should be a healthier person with healthier tissue that can heal better. That is the reason all Peyronie’s therapy items are selected on the basis of their potential to improve or normalize the chemistry and physiology of the tunica of the penis and the foreign plaque material.  Peyronie’s Disease Institute adopts the judgment of Mayo Clinic concerning Peyronie’s disease when it stated. ”early stage disease [of Peyronie’s disease] is reputed to respond better than well-established plaques, an early trial of inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated oral therapy is often initially recommended. … With advances in the molecular biology of inflammation and wound healing, the management and understanding of this frustrating disease will no doubt improve.”

With this statement in mind, I strongly recommend that any man, in any stage of Peyronie’s disease – no matter how chronic or advanced – should at least investigate the use of synergy created by the combination of several simultaneous non-invasive treatment measures selected on the basis of the best understanding of your problem and the information that is available to you.

Peyronie’s disease treatment is variable from one man to the next. Because the Alternative Medicine therapies used in Peyronie’s disease treatment are intended not to treat the disease but to support and strengthen the man who has the problem, so he can heal and repair it to the best of his ability.  Since we are all different, each man must approach his own search for a Peyronies cure on an individual basis.

The PDI website is full of helpful information about Peyronie’s disease treatment to increase your ability to heal and repair PD, just as it naturally and spontaneously happens in 50% of the men who develop this condition.   Keeping this in mind should change the way you look not only at Peyronie’s disease, but also the way that you consider your relationship to the problem and how you hope to eventually overcome it.

Biggest Peyronie’s Disease Treatment Mistake You Can Make

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Learn from others about Peyronie's treatment

What’s the biggest fundamental mistake I see men make while undergoing conservative Peyronie’s treatment? This is a good question, because if you are making this mistake it could be sabotaging your success right now.

Men with Peyronie's disease say they want to recover. They all say they will do anything to get their lives back in order again. I hear it all the time. Yet, when I suggest things to do, additional ideas or strategies that often make a difference, I get a different reply from these same men.

As we communicate, I often hear and see a lot of indecision and lack of commitment to getting well. What I really see in my dealing with a wide variety of men is that they want to get over their Peyronie’s disease, if it is:
1. Easy
2. Fast
3. Guaranteed
4. Inexpensive
5. Convenient

Of this list of five reservations, the one that always interests me the most is #3, the one requiring that any PDI treatment must be “guaranteed.” I ask myself, “What in all of medicine can be realistically and honestly guaranteed?” and the answer is absolutely nothing.

I had some dental work the other day to extract a badly cracked tooth. I asked the dentist if he thought he could get the entire tooth with roots out of the socket. He said, “No, I can't say that. I just don't know ahead of time. If that root breaks off, you will need a dental surgeon to have the jaw opened to remove that nasty little root.” Did you ever notice that when you get some work done by your dentist, he asks you repeatedly how numb you are? Your dentist does this because he/she has absolutely no way to guarantee the exact effectiveness of a simple Novocain shot. You must be asked continually how much numbness was created, and how much pain you are having, because something as simple and direct as a Novocaine shot represents an unknown outcome, with no guarantee.

I doubt you can find an MD alive who would guarantee that the high blood pressure prescription – or even an aspirin – he prescribes for you will work. Since this is a Peyronie’s disease forum, I doubt you can find a surgeon alive who would guarantee before surgery that your curvature would be straightened, or that your Peyronie’s disease would not return in a few years. No doctor guarantees any outcome of treatment for a specific tissue response because the body does not operate that way.

Yet, because of all these goofy advertisements that surround Peyronie’s disease, you and I are all bombarded with “guarantees” of how effective a secret herb from India is to “cure” the Peyronie’s plaque. Especially bad are all the mechanical penis stretchers that “guarantee” to reverse a bent penis. These mechanical penis stretcher companies are a great lot. They come and they go. They offer a simple solution, but from my observation and reports I get every day, most men simply cannot use these stretchers for more than a day or two before giving up because of the pain they cause.

One of the surest signs of a phony setup in Peyronie’s disease treatment is when you see a guarantee of results offered. when it comes to guarantees, caveat emptor, buyer beware.

Sorry to say, nothing about ANY Peyronie’s disease treatment from any source is easy, fast, guaranteed, inexpensive or convenient. It is tough work because Peyronie’s disease is one tough problem, and it is most stubborn to treat. That is why there is no formal Peyronie’s cure at this time. The trick in treating Peyronie’s disease successfully is that it requires you to personally be more stubborn and tenacious than your problem. It takes a made-up mind, with a high level of commitment to be successful over Peyronie’s disease. If you truly have one of those determined minds and you are prepared to do some serious work to help yourself, you are far closer to success with your Peyronie’s disease treatment plan.

Must go all out to get Peyronie's help

A half-hearted effort will get you nothing – I can guarantee you that! You must approach your treatment plan knowing it will not be easy, and any good progress will take time and dedication. Dig in for the long road, and you will avoid discouraging yourself. On the other hand, you must also be realistic in your expectations concerning how long it will take to see results and your anticipated degree of eventual improvement.

You need to remember you are working to make yourself healthier and stronger so you can correct your own Peyronie’s disease problem, you are not looking in vain for a Peyronie’s cure. It’s as simple as that.

If you are truly serious about correcting your Peyronie’s disease, you must be ready to commit to work hard to strengthen your immune response. Give your body the time and opportunity it needs to heal like the 50% group whose Peyronie’s disease corrects on its own. Without true commitment and dedication to the task, it is almost impossible to succeed.

To help you put your plan together, I would be pleased to answer your questions about Peyronies treatment. Please write your question to me under the heading, “Ask Dr. Herazy…” TRH

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Peyronie’s Disease Treatment and Skin Cancer

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

How Peyronies treatment can be evaluated

This is not the usual kind of information I enter on the Peyronie’s Disease Treatment Forum blog.  However, it is important to discuss because the cancer  information you will read is important for any age audience, especially with the large number of seniors who are registered.

Even though this is not totally a Peyronie’s disease treatment topic, there is a strong PD message at the end.

If only Peyronie’s disease was this easy to figure out

A little over a year ago, my wife asked me about the black mole on the back of my left shoulder. Like in many of my conversations with her, I replied, “Huh?”

Twisting and stretching around, I examined myself in the mirror.  To my surprise I saw a flat black mole, slightly oval and right at ¼ inch across, that seemed to have come up overnight.  Good grief, Peyronie’s disease audience, what does that remind you of?

I knew that this flat black mole had the potential to become a melanoma, a malignant skin cancer, so I was concerned.

Melanoma skin cancer facts

The primary sign of a melanoma is any change in size or color of a mole or other skin growth, such as a birthmark.   A melanoma may even grow within a mole or birthmark that you already have, but they usually grow in previously normal and unmarked skin anywhere on the body.  Most often, they appear on the upper back (like mine) of men and on the legs of women.

Melanoma usually looks like a flat, brown or black mole with uneven edges, and  an irregular or asymmetrical shape.  When a melanoma is irregular or asymmetrical, one half of it doesn't match the other half. Mine was nicely even or symmetrical.   Melanoma are not small, meaning they are usually in the larger range of those funny thngs that sometimes appear on the skin, ¼ inch or more.

However, I knew that a melanoma in its very early stage can look like a mole.

Moles are harmless skin growths that can be either flat or elevated in one or more areas.   The color of a mole can vary from pink flesh to dark brown or black.  The number of moles that a person has depends on the genetic nature of the person and the amount of sun exposure during childhood. I was in the sun a lot; getting at least one or two bad bouts of sunburn was just something that seemed to happen most every year I can remember.  Moles sometimes appear in clusters and groups in different areas of the body, especially during the early teen years. It is rather rare that a mole will eventually become cancerous.

A skin doctor or dermatologist looks for “the ABCD's” to make a diagnosis of melanoma:

1.  A – Asymmetry – any two halves of the mole do not look the same

2.  B – Border – edges irregular, not perfectly round and smooth

3.  C – Color – not a solid color, but many different shades

  1. D – Diameter – larger than ¼ inch across

Also, if you notice that at any time a mole is becoming active and changing more than your other moles that you have, it should be checked by your doctor.

If you have ANY ONE of the above findings, you should see a doctor about the mole, because it could be a melanoma.

I was good with all of these, except maybe the diameter issue, so I decided to see a dermatologist.  After waiting almost a month for an appointment, the dermatologist moved and spoke like a man who was totally bored and did not want to be in the office.  I got the impression he felt like he was a factory worker who had long ago lost interest in what he was doing.

After a very brief examination and scraping of the tissue, I was told that my mole was a mole, and nothing more.  He said it must be removed, so it could not at a later time become a melanoma.  I was given just two options for in-office removal: scalpel surgery ($$) or laser surgery ($$$).  No other information or treatment was offered.  When I asked if there were other options, I received a curious and wrinkled look as though I had asked something really stupid, and he just shook his head “no.”

I told him I would think about it.  And I did think about it – for 10 seconds.

I remember reading that in many parts of the world, bloodroot paste has a high rate of success and is used to remove moles, melanomas and other skin lesions.  When I got home I Googled “bloodroot paste” and found a very interesting and informative site from South America that sells a small jar for $9.95 plus shipping.  Within two weeks I started to apply it, using the directions that were included.

In less than two weeks the mole fell off, and left the cleanest and nicest little crater of skin where the mole used to be located.  It is now in the process of healing, and filing up nicely.

On top of that, I still have an almost full jar of bloodroot paste left over.  Of the original $10 jar, I figure I have used less than 25¢ worth of the paste.   A pretty good deal.  I wonder if the insurance companies know about bloodroot paste?

Peyronie’s disease connection

The message of this blog post that I write today is not that you should treat your moles with bloodroot paste.  No; that is what I did.  You should do what you and your doctor decide to do if you have a mole or you think you have a melanoma.

The message today is that this is another great example of how a medical doctor sees and thinks in a certain way, and leads a patient in that one direction only.  The tunnel vision of the doctor allows him or her (and you) to think in one direction only. I guess you would not expect the Ford car salesman to sell you a Chevy, anymore than you would expect a Chevy car salesman to promote a Ford.

So, when you see the urologist about Peyronie’s disease, he will give you the usual patter:  “Yep, you have Peyronie’s disease.  No one knows much about it; there is no known cause and no cure.  Surgery is the only sure cure for it.  Yep, if it gets so bad you cannot have sex any more like a lot of men with this problem, I’ll just cut on you and that will take care of it.  Let’s wait a year to see if your Peyronie’s disease clears up on its own, or it gets so bad that you need surgery.  In the meantime, yep, try not to worry.  And, oh, by hte way, you might become impotent, yep.  If that happens, don’t worry, I can give you a few drugs that sometimes work. If you want to try some vitamin E, you can do that, but it really doesn’t help.  And remember not to worry, OK? See you next year. And don’t worry.”  End of discussion, and out the door he goes. And you sit there deep in worry, with your head spinning, wondering if the last two minutes were a dream.

I did not get information about my mole from the dermatologist, and I sure did not get options other than two choices of surgery.  I am glad that I knew about these things before I walked in because the conversation was more about the two choices of scalpel or laser, like it was my choice of coffee or tea.

The medical doctor lives in a very nice world in which he or she thinks there is nothing outside of medicine and surgery.  The drug industry, the hospital industry and the insurance industry all work together to make sure all patients know that there is absolutely no one that knows anything about your body, your wellness, your sickness and disease, and your eventual death, more than your friendly MD.

Everyone says it is so important to get a second opinion, because, you know, two heads are better than one.  But, the drug industry, the hospital industry and the insurance industry, all doctors, nurses and others who work in the health care industry know that it is not acceptable – and dangerous – to say or do anything that contradicts the primary care doctor. You could get sued. There is that mysterious power of “How dare you! That is MY patient!” that serves to control and limit a patient's access to different ideas.  In this way, a typical patient only knows what the doctor wants the patient to know.   How convenient to keep a patient under control.

When a person goes for a second opinion, it is actually very difficult to get a true second opinion about the situation.  It turns out to be an exercise in which the second doctor is usually given a chance to say that the first doctor is correct.  This is the famous buddy system.   Did you ever notice that for the second opinion, the second doctor wants to read your chart so that he or she can see what the first doctor did and said about you?  This is done so that the second doctor knows the direction to go with your problem.  All of this happens so that the patient is not made to lose confidence or faith in the medical doctor.  Is this not true?  Does society agree with this arrangement?  Sure.  Is this a good arrangement for different ideas and information to be given to the patient who would like options?  No.

So much for exchanging information or learning anything new, or challenging the established way while looking for a better, safer, less drastic form of health care.

And thus we have a different way that I decided to treat my mole, and a different way that I decided to treat my Peyronie’s disease. If I did not think in a different direction I would still have Peyronie’s disease.

Cause of Peyronie’s disease

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

How Peyronie’s disease starts

As anyone who has the problem knows, the cause of Peyronie's disease is not well understood.  However, any research topics that shed light on this basic question are of great interest to men who have Peyronie’s disease.

Perhaps a good question to start with is, what causes the erect penis to bend in a case of Peyronie’s disease?  The answer lies in the function of the corpora cavernosa functions in the mechanism to produce an erection. There are actually two corpora cavernosa, laying side by side like two cigar shaped, paired balloon-like chambers that must be filled with blood to create an erection. Their connective tissue wall, the tunica albuginea, offers resistance and rigidity when it is stretched to its maximum.  The tunica is elastic to a point, but unlike the thin and flexible wall of a balloon, the tunica albuginea is interlaced with strong connective tissue fibers. These strong fibers do not allow for much expansion, and eventually determine the shape of the erect penis because of their structural rigidity.

Thus, in a very real and fundamental way, Peyronies disease is a disorder of the tunica albuginea. By producing dense and rigid areas of the tunica, called Peyronie's plaque or scars, Peyronie’s disease interferes with the full expansion of the tunica. Plaques are either regions of reversible inflammation in early phases of Peyronies, or permanent scars later if the inflammation is severe and continues too long.  Much like a piece of tape placed on the wall of a balloon, the plaque or scar causes uneven filling and expansion of the tunica, and this causes bending  of the column of the corpora cavernosa.

A basic question is, what causes these plaques to begin?  Microscopic and chemical studies show that plaques represent an early stage of the wound healing process when the tunica is injured. Whatever starts Peyronie’s disease, the problem seems to the inappropriately increase of the normally healthful and proper process of wound repair.  Actually, wound healing may not be the appropriate term in all situations.

Most likely cause of Peyronie's disease

One cause of Peyronies disease is obvious and direct trauma to the erect penis. This trauma can range from sudden and unexpected angulation during sex, to am actual rupture of the corpora cavernosa.  However, the fact is, many men with Peyronies do not recall any such traumatic occurrences.

Over time, all sexually active men will experience some degree of wear and tear on vulnerable areas of the soft tissue erection mechanism. Both the structural arrangement of the corpora and the inherent elasticity of its connective tissues counteract the strong mechanical stresses created by strong sexual activity.  But when men reach their mid-fifties, fundamental connective tissue elasticity throughout the body, and the penis, is on the decline.   And so, it just so happens that the average for appearance of Peyronies disease is fifty-four.

Peyronies plaques most often appear along the top surface of the penis. It is this region where the two corpora meet side by side, along the upper edge of the “inflatable I-beam” created during an erection that is most vulnerable to stress induced delamination.  Another word for a layer is a lamina; when layers are disrupted or separated, it is called delamination.

Autopsy studies in the mid-1990s on men have shown the earliest microscopic changes thought to be early Peyronies disease changes are actually a common finding.   It seems that while many men develop these changes, they will evolve into Peyronies plaques only for a small percentage of cases.

So what causes the process of normal wear and tear to develop abnormally into the destructive process of wound healing that is called Peyronie’s disease?  There are no clear answers to this question.   However, Peyronies disease is more common in diabetics, as well as men who have gout.  These are two conditions that can have an adverse affect on normal connective tissue healing. It is also more common in the presence of Dupuytren’s contractures. These scars of the fascial covering of the finger tendons in the palm of the hand are thought to be inherited, and may reflect an abnormal tendency toward scar formation in other areas.

Thus, we see that much is still to be learned about Peyronie’s disease, but as these microscopic tissue clues are unraveled, the mystery of this problem will be advanced, as well as Peyronie’s disease treatment.