Tag Archives: erectile dysfunction

I am wondering can my erectile dysfunction be fixed?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

I have an erectile dysfunction that I have since teenager and now I am 46 years old. year of 2001 and I went to see the urologist in Framingham, Mass when I used to work in Framingham, Massachusetts and he got me on x-ray and ultrasounds he found that I have a very good blood flows in my penis, good blood vessels but the blood vessels do not hold the blood in and that is why i have problem of getting of erection, and that is why I have an impotence. also I noticed I have an inability keep an erection premature.

I am very healthy I do not smoke, good heart beat, and that does not make any difference. during that time the doctor suggest me to take Viagra. but it causes me headaches and it works. then years later to use Calais that is even better and no headaches. But they cost me lot of money. I am wondering can my erectile dysfunction can be fixed? I am tired of this problem. I am not in depression or anything so I hope you could make some suggestion of what I shall do to fix my an impotence problem.

I am frustrated because many women left me due of this problems and wondering if you could help me with this?
Now I live in Ontario, Canada. I am a Canadian. I worked in USA with NAFTA Visa at that time. Many thanks for your help.

 

Greetings,

Since this website is focused on Peyronie's disease, I only get involved in the erectile dysfunction that is related to Peyronie's disease; it is a very special and unusual kind of ED because of the way that the Peyronie's plaque or scar interferes with how an erection occurs.    It would appear that your erectile dysfunction is related to a blood vessel problem.  What I do would not help your kind of ED.

I suggest you contact a urologist either in Canada or the US who works specifically in this area as a specialty.  You would call the office you are interested in visiting, and ask to speak to the doctor's nurse.  Explain to her what you mentioned in your email about the blood vessels not holding the blood in to create an erection.  She will know if that doctor works with men with this kind of problem.  Don't be satisfied talking only to the receptionist who answers the phone; you want to talk to the nurse who works directly with the doctor.   If she says her doctor does not do this kind of work, then ask her for the name of someone who does do this kind of work, so you can get the kind of help you need.    

However, if I missed something and you also have Peyronies, we can discuss how you might want to try to help both problems.

Please let me know how it goes for you.  TRH

Viagra Peyronie’s Disease Connection

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Greater Viagra use and increase of Peyronie’s disease

 

In a 2002 article in the International Journal of Impotence Research about possible causes of Peyronie’s disease, authored by Sikka and Hellstrom of Tulane University, these two medical researchers observed that with the increased use of Viagra, Peyronie’s disease also increased.

In my work with the Peyronie’s Disease Institute, while corresponding with six to 10 men daily who have Peyronie’s disease concerning various aspects of their problem, I have also made this observation – that with greater use of Viagra, Peyronie’s diseases clearly increases.  The difference between Drs. Sikka and Hellstrom’s and my explanation why Peyronie’s disease is becoming more common as the use of Viagra – and other PDE5 drugs like Cialis and Levitra – increases around the world.

Their explanation, quoting Drs. Sikka and Hellstrom’s report:

“Peyronie's disease usually affects 13% of males between the ages of 40 and 70, and the number of patients with such lesions have increased since the advent of oral sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer) either because more men are becoming manifest and/or not hesitant anymore to come to clinics for such evaluations.”

In other words, these two Tulane researchers say the only reason PD appears to be increasing is that more men are willing to talk about it, now that men are talking more about erectile dysfunction with the greater awareness brought about with the frequent TV and magazine ads about this problem and drug solution of it.

While they offer the simple explanation that because men are becoming less hesitant to talk about their sexual problems, they assume more men are inclined to enter medical clinics asking for help – like asking for a prescription for Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.  That is certainly a possible explanation of perhaps some merit.   But that does not match my experience in talking with men who actually  have Peyronie’s disease.

Peyronie's and Viagra

Men I talk to about starting Peyronie’s treatment still ask about how the mailing package will be labeled and if the return address will mention “Peyronie’s disease,” lest their letter carrier will learn they have PD.   I am asked if the credit card statement will mention that their therapy products are for treatment of PD, lest someone at the credit card company will learn they have PD.   I am asked by men how to explain the problem of Peyronie’s disease to a new girl friend so that she will not be scared away from a relationship with someone who has a disease of the penis.  I talk with men who do not want to talk at work about their PD lest someone overhears the conversation.  I learn from men that the worse thing about PD is not the pain associated with the scar development, but the loss of penile girth and length – something that most men would seem hesitant to tell the world about.

I do not doubt for an instant that men are more relaxed and casual about admitting to a problem with erectile dysfunction, and more willing to ask for a Viagra prescription than they were a few years ago.  This is a more sexually open society – for good or for bad.  Yet, I doubt that men are just as willing to admit that they have Peyronie’s disease in which their penis is shockingly smaller than average or that can be so distorted as to be incapable of entry to engage sexual intercourse.

Erectile dysfunction is one problem related to advancing age that perhaps has some dignity related to it and hope of easy drug solution, but Peyronie’s disease might not be seen in the same way since it is associated with permanent deformity and reduction of the size of the male organ.

My opinion is that Drs. Sikka and Hellstrom are reluctant to discuss the possibility that these PDE5 drugs sporadically, irregularly and without warning cause severe injury to the tunica albuginea by extensive over-inflation of the corpora cavernosa of the penis.  The mechanism of this possible route of injury was discussed on 8-17-09 in the Peyronie’s Disease blog under the title, Peyronie’s Disease Treatment and Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, and again on 8-1-10 under the title Viagra, Cialis and Levitra Use with Peyronie’s Disease.

These doctor’s hesitance to discuss or speculate that the increase of PD parallels the increase use of these drugs due to yet another drug side-effect of yet another group of drugs itself can be speculated upon.   Each man with PD must make up his own mind if this possibility makes sense to him, and if it is further reasonable to avoid the use of these drugs if he wishes to avoid further injury to his penis.     

Viagra, Cialis and Levitra Use with Peyronie’s Disease

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

 

Peyronie’s treatment using erection producing drugs

The erectile dysfunction and soft erections associated with Peyronie’s disease are sometimes treated with Viagra, an erection causing drug made by the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company.  The information about Viagra duplicated in this blog post is written by Pfizer about Viagra, in relation to Peyronie’s disease.   The basic information presented by Pfizer is essentially true for other erection producing drugs, like Cialis and Levitra.

Here is the Viagra drug information from Pfizer, found their website.  I have removed a considerable amount of technical Viagra information that does not apply to Peyronie’s disease to make it easier to find what you need to know. Notice the section below that I have put in bold and underlined.

PRECAUTIONS

General

The evaluation of erectile dysfunction should include a determination of potential underlying causes and the identification of appropriate treatment following a complete medical assessment.

Before prescribing VIAGRA, it is important to note the following:

The safety of VIAGRA is unknown in patients with bleeding disorders and patients with active peptic ulceration.

VIAGRA should be used with caution in patients with anatomical deformation of the penis (such as angulation, cavernosal fibrosis or Peyronie’s disease), or in patients who have conditions which may predispose them to priapism (such as sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia).

The safety and efficacy of combinations of VIAGRA with other treatments for erectile

dysfunction have not been studied. Therefore, the use of such combinations is not recommended.

In humans, VIAGRA has no effect on bleeding time when taken alone or with aspirin. In vitro studies with human platelets indicate that sildenafil potentiates the antiaggregatory effect of sodium nitroprusside (a nitric oxide donor). The combination of heparin and VIAGRA had an additive effect on bleeding time in the anesthetized rabbit, but this interaction has not been studied in humans.

Use of any drug to assist erections in Peyronie’s disease

It is my opinion that any man who is undergoing Peyronie’s disease treatment is taking a huge risk to use any of these erection producing drugs because it has been my observation and experience in talking to hundreds of men about their Peyronies problem, that these drugs can injure the penis and actually start Peyronie’s disease, make it worse, or possibly delay or interfere with your effort to try to heal your Peyronie’s plaque.   This happens because of the damage done by the surprisingly strong and uncontrollable erections these drugs can create.

With the use of these drugs it is possible that the forced erections they cause can place great internal stress within the penis that can injure the delicate tunica albuginea.  The erections created by these drugs can be indeed super-erections, greater than what a man normally experiences.

I have had a number of men tell me they are convinced their Peyronie’s disease started after using Viagra, Cialis, etc.   I am confident that at a later time we will start to hear reports about more side-effects of these medications.  This should not be so difficult to believe when you can read for yourself that the drug manufacturer is already warning men in particular with Peyronie’s disease to be cautious about its use.

Peyronie’s disease aggravated easily

Super-charging an erection is not the way the body was designed to be used.

What if you could take a drug that would enable you to lift a ton of weight above your head and keep it there for an hour?  Nice trick, very impressive, but your body is not built to take that kind of pressure to the muscles, ligaments, joints, bones and blood vessels.  A trick like that would cause great damage to internal organs, your spine, blood vessels, all major joints, etc.  Simply put, “It just ain’t natural.”  Same with these erection drugs like Levitra and Viagra.  The increased pressure created by these medications can be very damaging to the delicate tunica albuginea, and can result in or worsen a case of PD.

What would happen to your car tires if you happened to over-inflate them with 100 pounds of air pressure, even though they were built to take just 40 pounds of pressure?  You would be running the risk of damage to the internal structure of tire, wouldn’t you?  Of course.  The same thing can happen if the penis is over-inflated and then given a “rough ride.”  This is where the problems start, and this is what I want to bring to your attention.

Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are not a Peyronie’s treatment

It is very likely that the MDs who prescribe these medications to men with Peyronie’s disease will not agree with this thinking.  MDs tend to favor a chemical “fix” to most problems, so you would tend to expect a natural and automatic prejudice from an MD to use drugs to solve most problems.

If you have taken Cialis or any other erection producing drug because it was prescribed for you, and you mention this information to your MD, what do you suppose he or she will say?  Well, the first thing you must consider is that this information indicates that your doctor prescribed something for you that was not safe or appropriate.  The natural reaction would be for your doctor to immediately defend her decision.  That makes sense.  It is not my intention to make trouble for your doctor, she was only doing what she thought was best for you.  It is my intention for you to independently think about these things and see if they make sense to you, the owner of the penis that could become injured.  Do more research on your own, then talk to your doctor.  This way you are armed with both sides of the story.

It is my further intention to prevent you from injuring yourself further with these erection producing drugs.

A penis that is predisposed to Peyronies in the first place cannot tolerate the kind of stress that these erections drugs create.  It is just like someone with asthma cannot tolerate dust, odors or smoke that does not bother other people.  If you already have Peyronies you should do everything you can to avoid any kind of stress to this tissue, including avoidance of erection producing drugs.

I talk to a lot of men who are given a prescription for Viagra, etc. to help their sexual difficulty, and they instinctively know that this treatment does not make sense to them.  Yet, they are tempted to use the drug because of the promise of improved sexual performance; besides, they are also tempted because they feel, “Heck, my doctor would not do anything to hurt me, maybe it is OK to do.”  I would agree, your doctor would not want to hurt you intentionally.  Yet, we all know that tens of thousands of people are hurt each year by drugs that are given with good intentions and bad consequences.

In addition, I have talked to many men who have reported to me that they used these erections drugs many times, maybe for several months, with absolutely no problem.  The erections were “normal” and controllable, and everything was fine, and the sex was great.  Then, one night, one time, they took that same drug in the same way, and they got an erection that was unbelievably hard and huge, and they thought they were going to explode.  It scared the devil out of both partners.  A few days or weeks later – a curved penis and Peyronie’s disease developed.

If you attempt to think independently and logically about what might happen to your Peyronie’s disease when these drugs are used, you should have no trouble understanding how this could work against you.  If your doctor can convince you that they are perfectly safe, then you should do what your doctor says to do. Just remember, who that penis is attached to if a tragedy happens.  Your doctor will shrug his shoulders; you will have a worse case of PD.

My opinion is that the use of Viagra and similar erection drugs could easily be worsening the very problem you are attempting to heal.   The use of these drugs represents a calculated risk that you are taking, and you should be aware of it.

Please write a comment or question about this article if you want to know more about Peyronie’s disease treatment with Viagra, Levitra or Cialis.

Peyronies and Viagra

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Peyronies and Viagra are connected

Questions about Peyronie’s disease and Viagra are common.   Viagra, one of the PDE5 inhibitor drugs, is wildly popular and widely used not only among men who have erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence), but healthy men who merely use it to have longer lasting and more repetitive sexual intercourse.

While I hate to spoil the fun, over the years I have had a disturbing number of men tell me that they now have Peyronies  and Viagra was the cause of it.  They report the erection that occurred after using Viagra was a super-erection and caused greater than normal internal pressure and pain.  Shortly after having such an episode they report having Peyronie’s disease; they reason that Viagra use is the only possible cause, because no trauma occurred.

It makes sense that any of the PDE5 inhibitor drugs (Viagra, Cialis and Levitra) increase pressure that is sometimes greater than normal with the tunica albuginea. In addition, these drugs create such hard and long-lasting erections because they induce an artificial condition within the penis.

If it were possible to take a drug that would allow you to lift a truck above your head and keep it there for an hour, should you do it?  That would be an interesting, and very impressive to the ladies, but is that reason enough to subject your body to the potential risk that would be involved?   The fact is that the body is not built to be used that way.  Lifting a great amount of weight causes internal pressure on tissue and organs that were not meant to bear that kind of weight.  Great injury would occur to internal organs, your spine, knees, hips, shoulders, blood vessels, and so on.  The same relationship exists between Peyronies and Viagra, and the rest of these products.

All of this is so unfortunate because there are far safer methods for Peyronie’s disease treatment.

Even though it sounds like a teenagers dream come true, the penis is not designed or intended to sustain such great internal pressures that are created by these drugs, nor is the penis built to be used in hour after hour of intercourse.  Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.  That kind of activity can be abusive to the delicate tunica albuginea and could be the connection between Peyronies and Viagra or any other PDE5 inhibitor drug.

Several months ago a man told me he injured his penis while using Viagra.  He took some Viagra for the first time to the delight of his wife, and him.  After rousing intercourse, both fell asleep except his penis stayed erect.  He enjoyed the enormous erection and at first he thought it was great.  While asleep with this huge erection he rolled over and jammed his penis into the mattress.  In great pain, he heard and felt the tissue of the penis “pop.”  Two months later he was diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease.

Weekly I am told or I read that MDs write orders for their patients with Peyronies and Viagra is the most commonly prescribed drug.   The MD will explain that the Viagra will increase the blood flow to the penis and this is beneficial to Peyronie’s disease.  I think this is nonsense.

While there is an increased amount of blood within the penis during an erection that causes the greater size of the organ, it is perhaps only 2-3 tablespoons more blood than is normally present.  But here is the most important point that explains why this idea is so silly:  The extra blood, and even the normal amount of blood that is inside the penis during an erection, is TRAPPED there.  It is not freely flowing, or moving in and out as you would like to happen, to actually increase circulation.  During an erection, there is less true circulation of blood – that is why the penis gets darker, because there is less oxygen present – and so there is no therapeutic purpose in creating super erections with Viagra because that is not the way to get better circulation.

A man would know he actually is suffering from poor circulation in his penis, just as he would know he has poor circulation in any other part of his body – like his feet or hands.  When the feet or hands have poor circulation they become cold, painful and pale.  If your penis is not cold, painful and pale, then reduced circulation is probably not your problem.  And enduring prolonged erections from a PDE5 inhibitor will not help your Peyronie’s disease, and could make it worse.

If you want to increase circulation to the penis, you can do it as you would to your feet or hands.  You would apply heat to the area as with a hot water bottle, or cover it with a blanket.  You can even rub it!  It is as simple as that.

The increased occurrence of Peyronies and the increased use of Viagra is not a coincidence.  There is a reason more and more men are getting Peyronie’s disease at the same time that more and more men are using Viagra and the other PDE5 inhibitors.  Now you know about Peyronies and Viagra.

Peyronie’s Treatment and Cialis

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

 

Peyronie’s and Cialis (Tadalafil) and PDE5 inhibitors

Peyronie’s and Cialis are both on the rise – no pun intended, and there is a reason for that.

Cialis it is not a Peyronie’s treatment; Cialis is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence).   Some MDs use Cialis in Peyronies treatment because they think it will help the patient achieve a stronger erection  since Peyronie’s disease and impotence or erectile dysfunction often occur together.    But    This practice is is coming under close scrutiny because Viagra, Cialis and Levitra (all the PDE5 inhibitors) can make Peyronies worse if they cause a very extreme erection that the body is not built to handle.  This can cause damage to delicate tissue and more Peyronie's plaque formation.

Peyronie’s and Cialis Usage

Every man should know each package of Cialis contains information warning that men with Peyronie’s disease should use Cialis with great caution because of possible side effects that include damage to the penile tissue that can actually cause Peyronie’s disease if you do not already have it.

MDs write orders for their patients with Peyronies and Cialis is a commonly prescribed drug.   The MD will explain that the Cialis will increase the blood flow to the penis and this makes it beneficial to Peyronie’s disease.  I think this is nonsense.

An erection is created when blood is TRAPPED inside the penis, causing the spongy tissue to fill up and expand with about 2-3 tablespoons more blood than is normally in the penis.  This additional 2-3 tablespoons of blood become TRAPPED inside the penis, just like when you blow up a balloon and tie a knot at the end of the balloon.  Sure there is more air inside the balloon, but it does not circulate freely – it is stagnant air. And the additional blood also does not circulate freely in the penis.  That is why the penis is darker when it is erect – the blood does not have much oxygen in it, making the tissue darker.  This just goes to show how little many MDs think about what they are doing when they write a prescription.

Cialis is a popular erectile dysfunction drug, but it does not make sense to use it for treatment of Peyronie’s disease. When a man goes to his doctor for his Peyronie’s and Cialis is prescribed, he should understand the reason for the prescription does not make sense.

Cialis and Peyronie’s Connection

While I hate to spoil the fun for those whose sex life is enhanced by Cialis, but over the years I have had a disturbing number of men inform me they now have Peyronies and Cialis use was the cause.  Any of the PDE5 inhibitor drugs (Viagra and Levitra are others) can increase pressure within the penis that  can be greater than normal.  Injury to the tissue can lead to Peyronie’s disease.

If it were possible to take a drug that would allow you to lift a truck above your head and keep it there for an hour, should you do it?  That would be an interesting, and very impressive to the ladies, but is that reason enough to subject your body to the potential risk that would be involved?   The fact is that the body is not built to be used that way.  Lifting a great amount of weight causes internal pressure on tissue and organs that were not meant to bear that kind of weight.  Great injury would occur to internal organs, your spine, knees, hips, shoulders, blood vessels, and so on.  The same relationship exists between Peyronies and Cialis, and the rest of these PDE5 inhibitors.

All of this is so unfortunate because there are far safer methods for Peyronie’s disease treatment.

The increased occurrence of Peyronies and Cialis use also increasing is not a coincidence.  There is a reason that more and more men are getting Peyronie’s disease at the same time that more and more men are using Cialis and the other PDE5 inhibitors.

Peyronie’s Disease Impotence

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Peyronie's Impotence facts

There are several reasons why Peyronie’s disease impotence (erectile dysfunction) develops in about 75 percent of the men who have this condition. Peyronie’s disease impotence can be mild or total, it can be occasional or constant, but it is extremely common for men with Peyronie’s disease to experience sexual intercourse performance problems or alteration of erection strength.

Impotence is defined as the continual inability to sustain an erection long enough or strong enough for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve ejaculation, or both. Peyronie’s disease impotence is the erectile dysfunction that develops due to abnormal changes in the penis that are part of Peyronie’s disease.

Most people assume that Peyronie’s impotence develops due to lack of blood flow to the organ. This might be true in especially in those cases in which the man has an underlying problem with the cardiovascular system (high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, vascular disease, diabetes, etc.) In other men , another occasional cause of Peyronie’s disease impotence is emotional. Because of the reduced self esteem, shame, embarrassment and anger related to penile distortion and reduced length and girth of the organ, a man can develop strong emotional reactions expressed as Peyronie’s impotence. However, for most men the primary cause of Peyronie’s disease impotence is simply due to what is known as “venous leakage.”

Peyronie’s impotence fundamentals

In a great number of cases of Peyronie’s disease impotence the fundamental problem is that the blood is no longer being trapped by the veins of the penis to dam it up to create the greater fluid pressure of an erection. The problem is that the veins of a man with Peyronie’s disease do not close to trap blood well. This imperfect or absent closing is caused in great part by the presence of the Peyronie’s scar. The scar acts like something that is blocking a door from closing. That is where therapy should be directed in Peyronie’s disease impotence – toward removal of the scar so the veins can close to allow a normal erection to develop.

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Peyronie’s Disease and Stressful Emotions Related to Sex

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Stressful emotions and Peyronie's disease

Peyronie’s Disease Institute has for many years written about the various emotional issues closely associated with the bent penis disease.

Even though Peyronie’s disease is said by some to occur in 3-9% of all men, surprisingly very little is known regarding the psychological or emotional disruptions to the sexual well-being of those afflicted with this problem. In a 2008 research project, reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2008;5:2179-2184, Smith JF, Walsh TJ, Conti SL, Turek P, and Lue T, attempted to determine the source of emotional and relationship problems in Peyronie’s disease. In addition, this study attempted to identify risk factors associated with psychosocial difficulties in men with PD.

Of 245 men in this study, the mean age was 54.4 years, ranging from 19.4 years to 75.6 years; of these men 62% were married, and 59% presented within 2 years of disease onset. The overall prevalence of emotional and relationship problems that were attributable to Peyronie’s disease was 81% of the married men, and 54% of the unmarried men. Among those men who reported to experience relationship problems, emotional problems were noted in 93%.Loss of penile length and inability to have intercourse were strongly identified as the cause of a very high percent of emotional problems reported in this study.

Peyronie’s disease has physical and emotional aspects

Studies like the one mentioned above prove what every couple who deals with Peyronie’s disease knows all too well: living with PD is not easy and it puts a lot of stress on any marriage or relationship.

It is obvious to any Peyronie’s disease couple who must daily deal with the reality of this problem, that Peyronie’s disease can quickly and easily become a source of great mental and emotional stress to both partners. Having Peyronie’s disease should not be seen as a reflection of a man’s self-worth, masculinity, or virility. In all cases of Peyronie’s disease in which a loving couple is involved, improved communication skills make a great difference in how the stress is managed and how the couple survives on a daily basis.

If Peyronie’s disease advances it sometimes causes occasional or permanent erectile dysfunction. This inability to achieve an erection strong enough to allow for penetration is often seen as a sign of diminished masculinity by the man, and diminished sexual desire by the woman. It is most important that every man with Peyronie’s disease takes special effort to reassurance his sexual partner that this limit of sexual function is purely physical and not a refection of reduced interest and desire. Conversely, every woman who is involved with a man with Peyronie’s disease should assure him that his physical limit is not a true or valid reflection of her respect, love, or desire for him.

For additional insight into dealing with the complex emotional issues between loving partners, please review “Peyronie’s Disease and Sex” at Peyronie’s Disease and Sex. Since this topic is so large and complex, referring to the more detailed information of this book would be most helpful to couples who are experiencing sex problems as a result of the Peyronie's curved penis.

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