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Recovering from ED

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User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 16:03

Hi,

I had a RP 11 months ago, have been able to have sex from about 6 weeks post-op using my trusty Osborn Erecaid pump, and in the last few weeks have started to regain slight erections, I would say about 50% of where i was pre-op. I've been on Cialis 5mg daily since day one.

My question to those further along the path than me is should I expect steady, albeit slow, progress from here, or is it possible this is as far as I'll get. I had 1 1/2 nerves spared and the surgeon estimated it would take 12-18 months to regain erections, although of course he couldn't guarantee anything. Trying Cialis 20mg previously had no effect; presumably this is something I should try again? Would be interested in others experiences.

Thanks

David

User
Posted 31 Jul 2017 at 22:14

Recovery can continue beyond 36 months.

The thing with "recovery" is that it can, if you are one of the fortunate ones, slowly creep up on you without you realising that progress is being made. Then, one day you notice and realise that things are better. Better than they were 6 month ago. And better than they ever post op?

It is such a lottery, sadly.

Factors that may influence or affect your recovery are the luck in the attempt at nerve sparing surgery, the luck in general damage to the area, the exercise that you engage in after surgery, your attitude, your partners attitude, whether or not you have a pump or access to a pump or similar, and medication that you get AND when you get it.

One thing is for sure, or may be for sure, if you do not give yourself the best chance of recovery, IE Do all YOU can, you will not recover to your fullest potential.

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 18:57

John had almost total ED for the first year or so and made most progress between months 24 - 36. He is now able to have normal erections without assistance; he still has some ED but it is psychological rather than physiological. You can read the whole process we went through on 'one wife's story of ED' ... he was fortunate that the ED nurse allowed him to continue with the daily Cialis for the whole 3 years, and he used Viagra, Levitra and Caverject for 'events'.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 20:07

Hello David
I've had real further progress between 18 and 25 months post op. I still use the pump for exercise and take 5mg daily Cialis. With a penis ring I can have full sex whenever now and sometimes without it. So you may have loads of improvement yet. Best wishes

User
Posted 31 Jul 2017 at 09:52

My experience was that even with the tadalafil (Cialis) there was no measurable erection, though I could sometimes feel an encouraging "flutter". as LynEyre says, the low daily amount is to keep good levels of oxygenated blood for recovery purposes, not to allow a full erection. (I only had one fo the nerves spared).

I wasn't introduced to a vacuum device until 5 months after the operation. It was obvious that one thing it did was to allow me to recover the "stretch" in tissue needed for an erection, to start with it was quite uncomfortable to use because things had tightened up so much. It took about two months of use before the erect size could be achieved comfortably. I only used the pump for rehabilitation, once I started responding I also got occasional small erections without the help and by about 8 months they were enough to be functional. It does need my wife to be patient as well as feel amorous though!

From the initial successful fumblings things have continued slowly improving, and are now (15 months) pretty reliable if still slow to develop - and reported by my wife as getting close to the old days. I am cheered by there being evidence that improvement will continue up to at least 36 months, as some of the contributors to this forum have described.

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User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 18:57

John had almost total ED for the first year or so and made most progress between months 24 - 36. He is now able to have normal erections without assistance; he still has some ED but it is psychological rather than physiological. You can read the whole process we went through on 'one wife's story of ED' ... he was fortunate that the ED nurse allowed him to continue with the daily Cialis for the whole 3 years, and he used Viagra, Levitra and Caverject for 'events'.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 20:07

Hello David
I've had real further progress between 18 and 25 months post op. I still use the pump for exercise and take 5mg daily Cialis. With a penis ring I can have full sex whenever now and sometimes without it. So you may have loads of improvement yet. Best wishes

User
Posted 29 Jul 2017 at 20:12

Thanks Lyn and Chris; just what I wanted to hear-onward and upwards(hopefully!!)

User
Posted 30 Jul 2017 at 08:36

Hi

Thanks for the post.
I am now 6 months post op. I was not offered or given any ED information/instruction/guidance. I was prescribed Cialis 5mg (by the hospital (a letter to my GP)) and I to get that from them hasn't been made easy. Experimenting with the Cialis it takes at least 3 tabs to make any noticeable difference. My question is . . is it best to take one a day or take them 'as and when?'

User
Posted 30 Jul 2017 at 11:22

Hi Nomad, the 5mg tablet is to help your nerve bundles to repair; it isn't expected to give you an erection. If you wanted to try for an 'event' you could take 3 or 4 together but important not to try to have sex too soon afterwards. You need to be aware that cialis 20mg tends to work a few hours after you take it - if John took 3 tablets at night he might get an erection the next morning.

The common mistake people make with cialis, viagra etc is to assume there is an instant response; in our house, Cialis takes about 7 hours, Viagra takes 3-4 hours and Levitra is the quickest at about an hour to 90 minutes.

Your alternative is to ask the GP whether s/he is willing to prescribe viagra for you to try without cancelling the viagra?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 31 Jul 2017 at 09:52

My experience was that even with the tadalafil (Cialis) there was no measurable erection, though I could sometimes feel an encouraging "flutter". as LynEyre says, the low daily amount is to keep good levels of oxygenated blood for recovery purposes, not to allow a full erection. (I only had one fo the nerves spared).

I wasn't introduced to a vacuum device until 5 months after the operation. It was obvious that one thing it did was to allow me to recover the "stretch" in tissue needed for an erection, to start with it was quite uncomfortable to use because things had tightened up so much. It took about two months of use before the erect size could be achieved comfortably. I only used the pump for rehabilitation, once I started responding I also got occasional small erections without the help and by about 8 months they were enough to be functional. It does need my wife to be patient as well as feel amorous though!

From the initial successful fumblings things have continued slowly improving, and are now (15 months) pretty reliable if still slow to develop - and reported by my wife as getting close to the old days. I am cheered by there being evidence that improvement will continue up to at least 36 months, as some of the contributors to this forum have described.

User
Posted 31 Jul 2017 at 22:14

Recovery can continue beyond 36 months.

The thing with "recovery" is that it can, if you are one of the fortunate ones, slowly creep up on you without you realising that progress is being made. Then, one day you notice and realise that things are better. Better than they were 6 month ago. And better than they ever post op?

It is such a lottery, sadly.

Factors that may influence or affect your recovery are the luck in the attempt at nerve sparing surgery, the luck in general damage to the area, the exercise that you engage in after surgery, your attitude, your partners attitude, whether or not you have a pump or access to a pump or similar, and medication that you get AND when you get it.

One thing is for sure, or may be for sure, if you do not give yourself the best chance of recovery, IE Do all YOU can, you will not recover to your fullest potential.

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

 
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