Hello,
Please allow me to explain what's going on with me and advise on if I should proceed with treatment.
I've been having painful erections for 6 months now. It was an immediate progression and the pain has not subsided at all. It begins as i'm getting erect and the pain is quite substantial for the first few minutes after which it subsides quite a bit. There is additional pain when I squeeze/flex it…like you would if you tried to stop peeing midstream. This leads me to believe that it's something with the blood stream. The range of motion is extremely limited and is very painful whenever it's moved too much. I'm now at the point where i'm not getting as hard as I used too and part of it is a mental block because I know it's going to hurt. I haven't been able to achieve a full hard erection on my own for a couple months now.
I've gone to my general practitioner and a urologist and left without a resolution. I've searched tirelessly for an answer and peyronie's is the only thing that even remotely fits my symptoms. I've been checked for STD's, did a urine and blood sample, and everything checked out. My hesitancy with the diagnosis is I have no deformity with my penis and I'm unsure of any plaque buildup. There is a very small hardness in the center of my penis when flaccid that is a little painful when I press it. I would relate it to the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. But it's not rock hard because it still feels somewhat squeezeable. Is it possible for the Peyronie's scar to be that small?
Could I be in the beginning stages and still feel this much pain? Is it safe for me to treat myself as if I have it to see if works? I keep reading about where this could lead and it's quite scary. My experience with traditional doctors has been very frustrating and expensive. The urologist didn't even consider peyronie's until i mentioned it but both doctors checked for it and neither felt any buildup. He said to take some vitamin E and that should fix it. I've been taking an extensive amount for 2 months now and nothing has changed.
'm 32 years old and in great health with an active sex life. I'm extremely concerned with these issues and i feel completely lost in finding a solution…please help.
Greetings,
Your story creates a picture of some poor care.
First some basics about a few statements or observations made about Peyronie's disease in general and your situation in particular. I will just respond back to what you have mentioned:
- Peyronie's symptoms can be rather variable from one man to the next. You are having more pain, and more consistent pain, than most men experience with PD, but that does not mean it is not PD. Some men have no pain with their PD condition.
- Not having the advantage of having examined you, I can only speculate about the source of your pain. My educated guess is that it is not coming from a blood vessel but from the PD scar pressing on the tunica albuginea and another layer of penile tissue called Buck's fascia which is rick in pain fibers. If you had constant pain, or if your pain coincided with your heart beat I would then consider it could be related to a blood vessel. Both of these tissues I mentioned could be irritated and stimulated enough to generate pain when being squeezed.
- You say you left two medical offices without resolution, meaning they did not come up with the diagnosis of PD. What did they speculate could be your problem. Did they just leave you hanging with no ideas, no follow up? So it is you who has come to this possible conclusion of Peyronie's disease on your own after doing some reading on the internet. The fact that you mention your blood work was negative makes a case for not having a serious or life threatening problem going on, my speculation is that this supports PD as a possible diagnosis. Personally, I have to suggest that you go to a third doctor to see if you can find a doctor who will take your problem more seriously than the first two.
- Peyronie's disease does not always cause a deformity, especially as early i the problem as you could be at six months duration. Do not expect all cases of PD to demonstrate deformity, or to have it so soon; some do, and some do not.
- The small area of hardness you feel when flaccid that is the size of a ballpoint pen tip, could be your PD scar. Did you show the MDs this area? What was their response? Many times a rushed medical examination will miss a small lesion like this. You should have shown it to both of them, and demanded more time and attention to your problem.
- Not all PD scars are rock hard. Some are so soft as to be almost undetectable. This is why so many are missed on examination.
- Yes, you could have this much pain in the early stages of your problem. It is amazing to me that you could have seen two doctors about your PD and not have been given this basic information.
- Considering you were told you have Peyronie's and they only extended vitamin E as a treatment option, it is up to you to determine how you wish to proceed. It is also up to you to determine the safety and appropriateness of undergoing a therapeutic trial of care for Peyronie's disease using Alternative Medicine I cannot make that judgment; you have to take that responsibility for yourself. I have had many men take this approach and were glad that they did.
- The PDI website is full of information for you to read and learn. I suggest that you go the PDI website to learn how to start Peyronie's treatment if that is what you decide to do.
Good luck to you and let me know if I can answer any questions as you look into this further. TRH