Tag Archives: Levitra

Is it possibile for Viagra, or any other medication, to cause Peyronie disease?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Is anyone doing research on the possibility of Viagra causing Peyronie disease or any other type of medication causing this disease?  Mine seems to have started after I took Viagra . Thank you,  Floyd Mathis

 

Greetings Floyd,

Sorry to hear of your problem with Peyronie's disease.

Yes, there is growing evidence that Viagra, Cialis and Levitra (all the PDE5 inhibitor drugs) can cause Peyronie's disease in some men.  I have reported this and written about this observation for many years now.  You can read more about this topic in these posts from the PDI website:  Viagra Peyronie's disease connection and Viagra, Cialis and Levitra Use with Peyronie’s Disease and Peyronie’s Disease Plaque, Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and Blood Supply .  There are more articles that are available but I think you will get the idea from these. 

The basic way the injury happens that leads to the start of Peyronie's disease is from "over inflation" that damages the internal tissue of the penis called the tunica albuginea.

I was talking to a man the other day from Australia whose PD started from just a single use of one of these PDE5 drugs. He told me that he developed an erection that was so hard and large that he was scared what might happen to him.  He said he thought he might explode.  Obviously that was the last and only time he took any drug like that.  About two months later he had three internal Peyronie's plaques and a curved penis of 45 degrees.  Because he did not have any sexual activity for months before that event or after it he is positive it was the drug that injured him. 

He went to his medical doctor who told him that this sometimes happens to men.  You will notice that there is a caution on inside drug product information that warns that men with PD should not use these PDE5 drugs.  

What strikes me as especially careless and inappropriate is that there are medical doctors who actually prescribe Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to men who already have Peyronie's disease to help them have an erection when they show signs of erectile dysfunction.

Yes, there are other drugs that are said to be associated with or to cause Peyronie's disease.  The common list includes beta blockers used for heart problems and all of the statin drugs used to lower cholesterol.    

I suggest that you review some of the Alternative Medicine treatment ideas on the PDI website to learn how you can use Peyronie's natural treatment to help yourself correct this problem.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.  TRH 

Is there a connection between using Cialis and Peyronies disease?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Is there a connection between using Cialis and Peyronies disease? The reason being is because I had no signs of the disease developing. I woke up one morning to find the scar/plaque on my penis when I went to the bathroom. Overall I took about 13 pills over 6-7 weeks, only taking one at a time. My doctor examined me and confirmed that I have it but did not offer anything solutions or why it happened. He did say he was surprised that it just came on as fast as it did which was like overnight for me.  I know my body and I was completely surprised.

Greetings,

Cialis is a member of group of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors, used to treat symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED). Other members are Viagra and Levitra.

Yes, there definitely appears to be a connection between using Cialis and Peyronies disease.   Over the years I have encountered many men whose Peyronie's disease started after using just one dose of a PDE5 inhibitor.  There are many lawsuits pending in this regard.

Here are a few of the posts I have written about this subject over the years: Peyronie's disease plaque, Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and blood supply, and Peyronie's disease treatment and Viagra, Cialis and Levitra; there are others if you look further on the website.  TRH

Can Avodart increase or aggravate Peyronies disease symptoms?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Can the drug Avodart increase or aggravate Peyronies symptoms?   Currently taking this medication for an enlarged prostate.

Greetings,

There is growing concern about Avodart use leading to or aggravating Peyronie's disease.   Currently some statistics and experts say yes, and others say no.  

The drug most commonly reported to cause Peyronie's disease as a side effect is Viagra, and the next common is Levitra. Both of these are PDE5 inhibitors used to treat sexual dysfunction.   A short distance down this list, about the 7th most common drug reported to the FDA to cause Peyronie's disease symptoms is Avodart. 

From common experience I think we have all seen the medical profession refuse to acknowledge that a drug is causing too many bad side effects, until public pressure from growing evidence becomes overwhelming and the drug is reluctantly removed from the marketplace.  The drug goes one day from being great-fine-perfect-no problem-don't get excited, and the next day it is gone because someone finally does the right thing.  

I do not have a straight answer to your question.  I do not know if Avodart causes or aggravates Peyronies symptoms.  However, when you see dark clouds on the horizon and you hear distant thunder, you should begin to question the expert weather forecast for bright skies and sunshine.   

You should talk to your prescribing doctor about your concern.  Make no changes to your prostate treatment without his/her knowledge.  TRH       

What are your thoughts about Peyronie’s disease after second prostate biopsy?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

I never had a problem with my penis til the last year. I am 63 yo, WM who has had two prostate biopsies over the last 6 yrs…each biopsy came back negative. After this second biopsy I notice my cock bends towards my tummy when erect and that it has lost about 3/4 of a inch…this is substantiated by my wife. Also, I have trouble obtaining and maintaining a erection even with the use of ED drugs.  Please help with your thoughts.

Thank you,

Peter Martin

Greetings Peter,

Your upward distortion and lost of penile length suggest the possibility of Peyronie's disease.  I suggest you have yourself examined to see if that is true or not.  I also suggest you go to a urologist different than the one who did the biopsies to assure a more non-biased and straightforward discussion.

Many men with Peyronie's disease develop it as a result of repeated catheterization associated with prostate surgery and biopsy.  Please refer to "Possible Peyronie's Cause:  Catheter and Cystoscopic Trauma."   Much abuse to the shaft and urethra can and does take place during these procedures and this could lead to Peyronies disease developing; since this traumatic effects tend to accumulate, all the more so.  

Further, repeated use of ED drugs (PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra, Cialis and Levitra) can also lead to a curved penis.  For more information you should read "Peyronies and Viagra" and "Peyronie's Disease Plaque, Viagra, Cialis, Levitra and Blood Supply."

There are some good things that Alternative Medicine can offer you in the way of Peyronie's treatment.  Please read the PDI website for information on a way out of using more drugs and procedures that can make your problem worse than it is now.   TRH  

Herbal products to help with ED sex problems associated with Peyronie’s disease?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

I believe I got PD using ED drugs been married 30 yrs & need some erection help. Have stopped using the drugs, can you suggest something herbal I can use to replace them. Thanks Dave

Greetings Dave,

What you report is rather common.  I have communicated with hundreds of men who tell me their Peyronie's disease and sex started after using PDE5 inhibitor drugs (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra); this can happen after just one use or repeated uses.  For more information see Peyronie's disease and Viagra, Levitra and Cialis and Peyronie's treatment and Cialis.

If you go to the PDI shopping cart and scroll about 3/4 the way down until you see BetterMAN and about 5-6 other sex stimulant products. The most important of the group is a product called Stimulin. You would definitely want to include Stimulin with whatever else you use.  

All of these herbal products are much more gentle than your drugs and will not worsen your PD problem.   Many men use them while undergoing their natural Peyronie's treatment plan.  TRH

Herbal products to help with ED associated with Peyronie’s disease?

Posted on by Web Designer

I believe I got PD using ED drugs been married 30 yrs & need some erection help. Have stopped using the drugs, can you suggest something herbal I can use to replace them. Thanks Dave

Greetings Dave,

What you report is rather common.  I have communicated with hundreds of men who tell me their Peyronie's disease started after using PDE5 inhibitor drugs (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra); this can happen after just one use or repeated uses.  For more information see Peyronie's disease and Viagra, Levitra and Cialis and Peyronie's treatment and Cialis.

If you go to the PDI shopping cart and scroll about 3/4 the way down until you see BetterMAN and about 5-6 other sex stimulant products. The most important of the group is a product called Stimulin. You would definitely want to include Stimulin with whatever else you use.  

All of these herbal products are much more gentle than your drugs and will not worsen your PD problem.   Many men use them while undergoing their natural Peyronie's treatment plan.  TRH

What is my opinion of prescription drug injection?

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

What is the Dr's opinion on using the prescription Edex injected with a syringe? 

Bryant from Ohio

 

Greetings Bryant, 

You ask for my opinion about Edex injections.  I will not comment on the drug, because that is the decision of your treating doctor.  But I will make a few observations about injections in general and how they could further injure the tunica albuginea.

Anytime you inject ANYTHING – even sterile water – into the penis and directly or indirectly contact the delicate tunica albuginea, you are taking a serious risk of making your Peyronie's disease worse. This could either occur just from the simple act of piercing the tissue of the tunica albuginea, or the placement of a concentrated chemical that is foreign to that tissue, or both.

I have communicated with many, many men whose Peyronie's disease started or was made worse from penile injections of a variety of substances.

If your problem is PD, why are you taking an ED medication? Some MDs prescribe Viagra, Edex, etc to their PD patients in the belief that this increases the local circulation which in turn is beneficial to PD.

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. It would cause great damage to internal organs, your spine, your blood vessels, all major joints, etc. Simply put, “It just ain’t natural.” Same with Viagra, Levitra or Cialis. 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 wanted to bring to your attention. It is very likely that the MDs who prescribe these medications to men with PD will not agree with this thinking. MDs tend to favor a chemical “fix” even if it is temporary, so you would tend to expect a prejudice from an MD to use drugs to solve most problems.

A penis that is predisposed to PD in the first place cannot tolerate the kind of stress that these erections drugs create.  If you think independently and logically about what happens when these drugs are used, you should have no trouble understanding how this could work against you.  That is just the way I see it and I feel compelled to share this rationale with you. Use of Viagra and other related meds like it could easily be worsening the very problem you are attempting to heal. Something to think about.  TRH

Pentoxifylline and Peyronie’s Disease Treatment

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Pentox for Peyronie’s treatment is an off-label use

Every now and then I get an email asking for my opinion about using Pentox (Pentoxifylline) for Peyronie’s disease treatment.  Over time I have developed a few ideas about this controversial drug that is gaining some popularity as an off-label Peyronie’s treatment.

Those MDs who prescribe Pentox are still trying to figure out the best way to use it, not only for PD but for many other conditions.  While the primary use for Pentoxifylline is based on its ability to increase peripheral blood circulation, hence it is used to treat senile dementia and intermittent claudication, Pentox is gaining acceptance with the medical community for Peyronie’s treatment.

Some MDs who have learned the hard way that PDE5 drugs (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) are not at all a safe or effective Peyronie’s treatment have instead begun to prescribe Pentox to increase blood flow in Peyronies.   But to have that make any sense at all you have to believe that PD is caused by reduced blood flow in the first place, or that merely increasing the blood flow will somehow help PD.  I can totally agree with that thinking if you have evidence that your penis suffers from reduced blood flow (it is cold and blue).  But if your penis is not cold and blue and bent, then you probably will not benefit from Pentox in the way that most people think.

It is my opinion that when Pentox is said to help men with PD it is because as the blood flow is increased to the periphery, it also brings in an increased flow of nutrients to assist the healing process.  Further, when Pentox helps a case of PD it is because of the totally secondary benefit of increasing the body’s ability to heal and repair the PD plaque when there are more nutrients in an area of the body.   It is a small point, perhaps, but a vitally important point to understand that it all comes down to the body healing the PD scar – not the Pentox having some curative ability by itself.   If Pentoxifylline can increase general circulation more safely than Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, then great I am all for that.  But you have to consider that if you do not have a circulatory problem in the first place, then why take any of these drugs at all?

If the benefit of Pentox is to bring more nutrients into the tissues, to assist healing and repair of the PD plaque or scar, that is wonderful.  If it is beneficial to bring more nutrients into the tissue, would it not be a more logical and effective Peyronie’s treatment to intentionally and intelligently supply a wide variety of nutrients at a higher than average dosage to the body to assist the healing process?  After all, that is what PDI has been doing since 2002 and it works in a great percentage of cases when it is done correctly.

Since extremely few men actually have any evidence of a circulatory problem in the pelvis, taking Pentox or even Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, will not make a difference because that is not the problem that is going on with PD.   If the problem is that you did not heal your tunica albuginea injury because of poor nutrient availability then I suggest it would do you a lot of good to increase the nutrients directly, not indirectly by playing with the circulatory system when there is no circulatory problem.

You notice that I do not say, “Do not take Pentox,” I only say it is new so use caution.  I also say that when Pentoxifylline helps it probably does so only because it helps the body work better by increasing available nutrients, not because it specifically increases blood flow.  If you want to help your pelvic blood flow:

1.    Wear boxer shorts

2.    Uncross your legs when you sit

3.    Do some Kegel exercises

4.    Put a moist hot pack on your privates when you watch TV

Most MDs are taking the attitude that while they do not know if Pentox helps PD, or why it helps when it appears to help PD, at least they currently have no evidence that it makes PD worse – so what the hell, take it and let’s see what it does for you.  This is how many medical patients get hurt in the long run with such a cavalier attitude about drugs.

I say better to take an Alternative Medicine approach to your problem to help your body heal and repair the Peyronie’s pathology naturally.

Cause of Peyronie’s Disease

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Trauma frequently seen as Peyronie’s cause

While the cause or causes of Peyronie’s disease remains open to speculation, some theories are more popular than others.  However it starts, it is important to remember that Peyronie’s disease is a disorder of the tunica albuginea.

Among the several explanations for a possible Peyronie’s disease cause, trauma or direct injury to the penile shaft is almost always mentioned as either a primary cause or at least a significant secondary cause.  More specifically, the cause of Peyronie's disease is universally explained as a wound that does not heal in the normal way, whether related to injury usually associated with sexual activity or a medical procedure. Even when other causes are mentioned it seems that injury will usually be associated in some way.

Role of wound healing in Peyronies disease cause

The penis contains two sponge-like, tube-shaped chambers (corpus cavernosae) with many tiny blood vessels that fill with blood during an erection.  Below the two corpora cavernosae is the corpora spongiosum through which runs the urethra or passage way to release urine from the bladder.  Each of the corpora cavernosa are enclosed in a thin and flexible sheath of elastic tissue called the tunica albuginea, which stretches slightly during an erection. Injury to the penis can cause inflammation and damage to the tunica albuginea.

If an injury heals as it should then usually there are no long-term problems.  But if the healing of the injured tunica does not proceed as it should, it can lead to excess internal scar formation, known as Peyronie’s disease.  The area of the injured tunica albuginea is not as flexible as before injury.  With the area less flexible, when the penis attempts to become erect the region with the scar tissue doesn't stretch, and the penis curves, bends, develops a dent or becomes distorted in some other way (bottle neck or hourglass deformity).

The tunica albuginea has many layers, with very little blood circulation between them.  When an injury to the tunica albuginea occurs, the tissue fluids associated with the inflammatory process can remained trapped between these layers for many months. During this time the cells found in the inflammatory fluid can release chemicals that lead to increased formation of fibrous tissue (fibrosis) that causes reduced elasticity of that area, internal scar tissue and possibly calcification.  The combined effect of these tissue changes is the characteristic penile deformity associated with Peyronie’s disease.

Inherited abnormality as cause of Peyronie’s disease

There is some evidence of a genetic cause or predisposition to PD related to an inherited abnormality of human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27).  Peyronie's disease is statistically more likely to occur in men whose immediate family members also have PD, or systemic lupus erythematosus (a connective tissue disorder).  PDI research shows that 37 percent of men with Peyronie's disease also experience Dupuytren's contracture, in which hard contracted develops on the palms of one or both hands.

Other conditions as cause of Peyronie’s disease

  • Vitamin E deficiency has been associated with the Peyronie's disease, primarily because early Peyronie’s disease research showed treatment with vitamin E demonstrated success in a significant number of cases.  Since that time less interest has been shown in using vitamin E as a Peyronie’s treatment.
  • Inderal and the PDE5 inhibitor class of drugs (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) used to chemically stimulate development of an erection have been known to cause Peyronie's disease.
  • Diabetes when severe or prolonged will precipitate damage to the blood vessels in any area of the body, including the penile shaft.  PDI research shows that 21 percent of men with PD also have diabetes.

Regardless of the cause of Peyronie’s disease, it is important to start treatment as soon as possible to increase your ability to heal and repair the underlying injury to the tunica albuginea. Refer to the Peyronie’s Disease Institute website to learn how to start Peyronie’s disease treatment using Alternative Medicine.

Drugs Can Cause Peyronie’s Disease: Beta blockers & PDE5 inhibitors

Posted on by Dr.Herazy

Prescriptions drugs that start Peyronie’s disease

The cause of Peyronie's disease remains unknown.  However, among the more commonly suspected causes are injuries as during intercourse, penile trauma as during a difficult catheterization procedure or surgery, genetic predisposition, or a problem of the immune system.

Because medical Peyronie’s disease treatment is also poorly defined, with no standard drug receiving formal approval, one must wonder about the drugs that are currently being prescribed by medical doctors for their Peyronies patients.

Several prescription medications list Peyronie's disease among the potential side effects.  While no formal research exists that proves these medications cause Peyronie's disease, presumptive evidence and frequent patient complaints of strong association with these drugs supports these as possible causes.

  1. 1. Beta Blockers – These are the most common medications in popular use that list Peyronie's disease as a potential side effect.  Beta blockers is a class of drugs used for various indications, but particularly for the management of cardiac arrhythmias, protection of the heart after a myocardial infarction (heart attack), angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, glaucoma, migraine prevention, mitral valve prolapsed, and hypertension (high blood pressure). They tend to diminish the effects of epinephrine (adrenaline) and other stress hormones in the body, thus reducing cardiac demands.  If you have ever been treated for any of these conditions, and were treated with a beta blocker, this might explain a current case of Peyronie’s disease. Commonly prescribed beta blockers:

Acebutolol                  Alrenolol                     Atenolol
Betaxolol                 Bucindolol                     Carteolol
Carvedilol                   Celiprolol                    Esmolol
Labetalol                    Metoprolol                  Nadolol
Nebivolol                    Penbutolol                  Pindolol
Propranolol                Sotalol                        Timolol

  1. Interferon – This prescription medication is used to treat multiple sclerosis, leukemia, and hepatitis.  Its manufacturers list Peyronie's disease as a possible side effect.
  2. Dilantin – This is a well established anti-seizure medicine, also reported by its manufacturers as a potential cause of Peyronie’s disease.
  3. PDE5 drug group (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) – this is a group of inhibitor drugs that block an enzyme process of the smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessels supplying the corpus cavernosa of the penis.  As a result of this influence, these drugs act to increase blood flow in the penis in response to sexual stimulation.   The maker of each of these three drugs advises that men with Peyronie’s disease should consult with their doctors due to possible adverse effects on the penis.

The bottom line concerning all these drugs is that every one of them has side-effects and related ways of complicating the problem of someone who is already sick.  Drugs should be used with great reserve and discretion, and avoided if at all possible.

Once PD is present and a man learns that there is no known medical treatment available, he should consider using Alternative Medicine for Peyronie’s treatment options.  This is an option that the Peyronie’s Disease Institute has researched and developed since 2002, with considerable success.