I'm interested in conversations about and I want to talk about
Know exactly what you want?
Show search

Notification

Error

Soma Pump & Erections

Email this conversation Print this conversation
User
Posted 27 Dec 2018 at 18:35

Hi Folks ,

               I had the Radical prostatectomey in Aug 2014 . Obviously that Operation left me with Incontinence and because they scraped my Prostate Bed and the operation was old school , slicing a cavity into the abdominal region i.e. not remote , rebotic procedure I was left with Erectile Dysfunction . Due to physical problems , Sepsis etc with my wound I did not start using the Vacuum Pump until June of 2015 . To put things into accurate perspective , I was just an average lad , 6 3/4 " penis when erect with average girth . Pre-operation I had normal hard erections . When I first started using the pump , it was extremely painful and after discussion at my clinics I decided to just start very slowly using the pump to just get an erection and hold for 60 seconds and gradually build up . When it came to attempting with sex , it was very disappointing and the best I could achieve by Spring 2016 was a semi-erection that only worked in the Cow-Girl position i.e. my wife on top . Our marriage broke down in 2016 due to many factors , I dare say my physical problems paid a small part ... That semi-erection was achieved by using the two clear rings , and they were very painfully tight !!! 

                                                                            Due to many physical problems with my Cancer , normal life pressures etc .... I have not really used the pump , masturbated or had sex since early 2017 . I am now making very small progress with my Cancer . If you wish to check the background to all this .... read my other post ... Cancer gone to the spine by Bill&Ben67 under Advanced or Metastatic Cancer .... 

       As a result of making progress I would like to experience some kind of sex life and I would very much appreciate any feedback and useful tips from guys or their partners , where they are in the same boat as I . That is you have full ED and cannot get a natural erection . Any useful advice will be very much appreciated . Advice on success with the Soma Pump , other better methods , supplements . For instance I read online the news regarding Graham Norton and the supplement that his partner has been using to great effect . I am going to check that out . I look forward to any helpful advice .... many thanks 

 

Bill&Ben67

User
Posted 13 Jun 2019 at 19:06
If you had non nerve sparing surgery then Viagra Levitra Cialis etc are unlikely to work however hard you try. But there is some evidence that Cialis ( tadalafil) will help maintain blood flow in the area to help maintain penile tissue. At eight months post op you will be suffering from atrophy where your penis tissue is deteriorating due to lack of multiple daily and nightly erections. You must get a pump and use it as much as possible to force and hold an erection daily to keep the tissue elastic. You can use rings to keep the erection for 30 mins for penetration. With no nerve sparing your first line of medication is Alprostadil. This can be injectable or pellets in the urethra or cream in the urethra. Only successful for some and can cause massive side effects of pain. The new Invicorp25 injection is a god send and very effective for many where all else has failed. Sadly not available on much of NHS but available privately at £25 per shot. Other than that you are looking at a huge surgery for an implant. Even with the best recovery possible most men lose 1 to 2 inches off normal length. My girth is much the same. It’s a very long difficult journey to recovery but can be fun all the same as you learn to adapt. I suggest a re visit to ED clinic or GP and move on from Viagra. You are prob wasting your time. Get a pump if you haven’t ASAP
User
Posted 14 Jun 2019 at 06:08
Well using your initiative in this business is the only way forward. I’m sure I’ve only reached this stage by pushing for what I wanted or buying it myself.

Yes for a good long while my penis seemed to look the same but eventually shrank to its new nor.m. It took forever to get that inner core of my erection back where you feel fully solid inside also. I guess that’s because a large bit of me got removed internally. An Invicorp injection leaves me rock solid , but sadly seems to set off slight incontinence which doesn’t bother us tbh.

User
Posted 19 Aug 2019 at 14:21
Just a quick update. I went to the ED specialist nurse at the hospital today and was instructed in the use of Caverject. I started on 5mg and had a good erection that lasted about 3 hours. It was firmer than using the pump but perhaps less inflated. I cant wait to pick up my first prescription.
Show Most Thanked Posts
User
Posted 27 Dec 2018 at 20:47
Bill&Ben, have you ever actually seen an ED nurse or been referred to an andrology clinic? If so, give them a ring and ask if you can be given a new appointment now. Specilaist nurses are best placed to help you work out what might or might not work for you. If you have never seen an ED specialist, ask your GP whether such a service exists in your area and get a referral asap.

If your CCG does not provide andrology / ED services, it may all be down to your GP to sort out with you. It sounds like you never really got the technique right with the pump so that would be a good starting point. You could also try other things like tablets or injections, depending on the details of your op. It isn't simply the fact that you had open RP that has left you impotent (my husband had open RP and has full erectile function) so are you saying that they removed all the nerves? If you had non-nerve sparing, treatments like Viagra and Cialis won't help but treatments like Caverject (injection), Muse (pellets) or Vitaros (cream) work for many men, even some years later. If your nerves were spared, Viagra, Levitra and Cialis are all worth trying and each works in a slightly different way so even if one fails, the others could still be successful.

If you are not sure whether you had nerve sparing, the GP should have a letter from the surgeon on your medical file and will be able to tell you.

Have you learnt how to have an orgasm without an erection yet?

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

User
Posted 27 Dec 2018 at 20:49
If your pump technique is not quite working, concentrate on getting it right without rings for the time being. When you pump, can you get fully engorged in the tube?
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 27 Dec 2018 at 21:48

Hi Lyneyre ,

                     My Urology surgeon told me They had to cut quite a lot of tissue away in the prostate bed as my tumour had already gone outside of the organ . This would have severed most of the nerves . I have been using Ayurvedic medicine as I found out years ago that Ayurvedic surgeons were working on nerve damage from warriors injured in battle . The medicine that my ayurvedic lady gave me has done something but it is very early days . The erection that I get in the pump is nothing like my previous erection . It is quite differcult to describe but my previous natural erection was within say 30 seconds , from the inside of my penis outwards so the core felt like it was solid , giving me also a bulbous head . I also use to exercise it on my own lifting a wet towel ! Now in the pump , it is like I have more girth but it is more like an inflatable tube rather than a bamboo pole ! I have spoken to Soma about the techniques and I know I need to use the pump daily .... which I hope to do ..... Also they have said using double rings like I progressed too is also another valid technique . I am not squeamish regards needles but just on a discomfort / hassle level I don't think I would be keen . I would give it a go though . I did attend the ED clinic if that was with the hospital and the last thing was sensual exercises and giving the pump time etc .... Whatever level I get in the tube , as soon as I slide the ring off my penis loses some of the blood and never stays at the engorged level it does in the tube . Yes I tried Cialis and it made no difference whatsoever. Trouble is with all my problems I stopped anything to do with sexual performance in early 2017 ..... I realise that is not going to help matters . Part of the problem is that needing very tight rings to get even a semi-erection makes sex , even using cow-girl and easier positions very painfull for me . While still with my wife it was just better all round to simply focus on pleasuring her and forget about me. Orgasm is of course not the same at all ..... it is more a process of tension and release .... I have not really thought about describing it before now but I suppose everything is still there , my actual penis nerve endings still operate , I can still fully experience sensations but the orgasm lacks ejaculation . If I could get a hard erection like before I would be more than happy ...... 

I see my Onco every 3 months so I'll write down your tips and have a chat with him and go from there . Hopefully some lads might respond to my post too .... Also I'll get back in touch with Soma , the pump people and go over things with them too . Thank you for replying and Your help , tips are very much appreciated . Very Best wishes .

Bill&Ben67 

User
Posted 27 Dec 2018 at 23:27

B&B

In answer to your question on another post, I had robotic surgery and it was supposedly non nerve sparing although there have been some stirrings the pump is the only action guaranteed to make things work. I have not used the pump as often as I perhaps should I can still achieve good results. I think it is true to say with out nerves you will not maintain an erection without the rings in place.

I saw the Graham Norton thing and wondered if it was a prank. As advised get some professional help with the pump etc .

Thanks Chris

 

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 02:26

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

 Now in the pump , it is like I have more girth but it is more like an inflatable tube rather than a bamboo pole ! ............... Whatever level I get in the tube , as soon as I slide the ring off my penis loses some of the blood and never stays at the engorged level it does in the tube .

Bill&Ben67 

 

Re your first point - That’s life, I am sorry to say. The pump cannot produce true erections like you used to have because it is falsely drawing blood only into the cavernous nervosa whereas a natural erection would draw blood into the area round the pubic bone as well. So it will feel like an inflatable because that is exactly what it is. It may also feel weirdly cold to touch. 

Your second point suggests that you have misunderstood how the vacuum works. It isn’t expected that you would retain the erection when you remove the vacuum, the only thing creating the engorgement is the vacuum. 

It seems your technique is fine but no-one has explained to you how it works or what it is readonably to expect.  

 

 

 

Edited by member 28 Dec 2018 at 02:27  | Reason: Not specified

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

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 08:32
The pump has been essential to me in my now fullish recovery 3 1/2 yrs on. But I haven’t enjoyed it for sex at all , just masturbation. And yes it’s weird losing that root or core of your erection inside you. I’ve only really just got that back now. My orgasms only got back to normal after about a year. I really miss ejaculating , in fact I’d say I’m still grieving tbh. If I was you I’d give the cream and pellets and injections a go. The Invicorp seems to work wonders for a lot of men , myself included. It’s actually very easy to use — just 5 mins in the bathroom. Gives me back what I had pre op bar a bit of length. Recently however it seems when I get a really solid erection it brings on slight incontinence :-(.
User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 10:58
You may also need more than 1 ring to keep the pressure. When I used the pump (before things returned 3 years later!) I always needed 2 rings to keep it up for long enough.

Personally I did not get on with it as it was to intrusive. The injections however were great.

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 18:19

Hi Chris ,

               do you manage to get a firm erection as before operation ? With the pump ? Do you only use the pump or do you also use medication , supplements etc ? Are you fit ? 

  Bascially I am after practical advise from actual Guys with ED and advise about how they get a HARD erection that is going to work for penetration .... ? 

  All advise and tips much appreciated ... thanks 

Bill&Ben67

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 18:29

Hi LynEyre ,

                yes that is life .... Karma etc etc ... no point crying over spilt milk , don't throw out the baby with the mucky bathwater etc .... So until some clever bloke designs a device that can be implanted that will pump up a normal blood erection , that also will be available on the NHS .... I'm hunting for the best compromise I can get with the Manual Pump or put a strap-on on !!!! 

     Thank you for your help and advise ..... Unfortunately with the extent of my tumour etc I think my options were very limited .... I suppose ED and being alive is much preferred to Rock Hard and Ice Cold !!!! 

   Thank you for your help and advise .... Hopefully some more tips etc will get posted to me and I'll see how it all goes with Dating etc ..... To be honest I am going to have to get the ability to flog a fridge to AN ESKIMO or I'm buggered before I start !!!!! 

   Best wishes ..... thank God for Humour and especially Live at The Apollo .... I am going to actually put a request in that one of the excellent comedians .... it would be great for a Man AND Woman comedian to cover ED !!! Hopefully I'll be crying with laughter rather than crying in pain from the rings etc ....

All the best 

Bill&Ben67

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 18:43

Hi Folks ,

               thanks for replying to my post . A lot to sort out and experiment with . I think with the very insightful and helpful advice , I have realised this . Dating and sex will be just a part of the quality of my life and if it does not go well ..... well I'll just have to concentrate on all the other positives that I have !!!! 

    As I said in my reply to LynEyre , the phrase selling a fridge to an eskimo comes to mind !!!! 

best wishes to all , if I uncover anything that makes a huge difference regards ED , I'll post it here !!!

I would not how ever , hold your breath !!! 

Regards Bill&Ben67

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 19:10

B&B

You don't need an erection to have intercourse. Probably much easier if you are in a in a loving relationship but if you can master "flaccid intercourse" it can be out of this world for the man and woman.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 28 Dec 2018 at 20:29
As Chris said above flaccid sex can work and certainly hit the spot a few times. The main problem was time and space to relax and breathe. For me it is 1 ) very regular use of the pump for engorgement only. Rarely use it with rings for sex but sometimes use it to kick/start things. 2) get hold of daily Cialis 5 mg if you have nerve sparing.

3) Don’t be scared to try all stuff even if you have to go private. I used Invicorp privately but you must check with gp and not mix stuff without a time gap. People will argue you need training but my ED nurse was a flop and the instructions were easier than assembling IKEA. I still swear you need to forge your own recovery. Our beautiful NHS doesn’t provide for all the broken souls out there left with ED because of PCa.

Even though I’m nearly 100% recovered I still use a cheap Durex penis ring which tips the scales to full hardness. I’ve lost length but have all the girth which I believe is important to ladies. Treat it as an adventure rather than a tragedy and you may move on. Further more if you meet someone I would have the guts to say it all up front rather than panic on the day !! Women can be lovely and understanding and an erection isn’t everything to them all tbh. I wish you all the best

User
Posted 13 Jun 2019 at 17:40

Hi all, I am 8 months post op and having nearly fully regained my continence I have now turned to dealing with my ED.  I have been using the Soma pump with some success since April but have only used Viagra as additional medication. I did not have nerve sparing surgery so am wondering if taking the Viagra is just a waste of time for me.  Is there any other medication I could ask my GP for?

User
Posted 13 Jun 2019 at 19:06
If you had non nerve sparing surgery then Viagra Levitra Cialis etc are unlikely to work however hard you try. But there is some evidence that Cialis ( tadalafil) will help maintain blood flow in the area to help maintain penile tissue. At eight months post op you will be suffering from atrophy where your penis tissue is deteriorating due to lack of multiple daily and nightly erections. You must get a pump and use it as much as possible to force and hold an erection daily to keep the tissue elastic. You can use rings to keep the erection for 30 mins for penetration. With no nerve sparing your first line of medication is Alprostadil. This can be injectable or pellets in the urethra or cream in the urethra. Only successful for some and can cause massive side effects of pain. The new Invicorp25 injection is a god send and very effective for many where all else has failed. Sadly not available on much of NHS but available privately at £25 per shot. Other than that you are looking at a huge surgery for an implant. Even with the best recovery possible most men lose 1 to 2 inches off normal length. My girth is much the same. It’s a very long difficult journey to recovery but can be fun all the same as you learn to adapt. I suggest a re visit to ED clinic or GP and move on from Viagra. You are prob wasting your time. Get a pump if you haven’t ASAP
User
Posted 14 Jun 2019 at 00:07

Thanks for the fast and very detailed response Chris. I already have a Soma Response II pump from the NHS and have been using it 2 or 3 times a week since April 2019. I'm able to get a pretty good erection using it but as mentioned by another on here, it's more of an inflatable than a bamboo stick. I think the girth and length is as good as I remember when erect but I have to admit it's not as impressive when flaccid as it was pre-op.

I'm seeing my GP next week and will ask about Alprostadil. He may refer me back to the ED clinic at the hospital.

It's kind of weird the way I got issued with a pump. At the post op group meeting at the hospital in December 2018, I asked for help with incontinence and also ED. The incontinence meeting came through in April 2019 but by that time I was almost fully continent. The specialist seemed to be more interested in the ED side of things but I said my appointment was not until July 2019. She said that was too long to wait and suggested I call the hospital to try and get an earlier appointment and not to take no for an answer. I called the hospital and at the same time did a bit of a search online and filled in an enquiry form at Imedicare.co.uk. As luck would have it I got a call back the very same day from their rep who arranged to come and see me at home within a few days. It turned out that he was the very same man that I would have seen at the hospital in July 2019. Armed with a pre-filled prescription I visited my GP and within a week I had the pump in my hand. 😄

Edited by member 14 Jun 2019 at 00:09  | Reason: added smiley

User
Posted 14 Jun 2019 at 06:08
Well using your initiative in this business is the only way forward. I’m sure I’ve only reached this stage by pushing for what I wanted or buying it myself.

Yes for a good long while my penis seemed to look the same but eventually shrank to its new nor.m. It took forever to get that inner core of my erection back where you feel fully solid inside also. I guess that’s because a large bit of me got removed internally. An Invicorp injection leaves me rock solid , but sadly seems to set off slight incontinence which doesn’t bother us tbh.

User
Posted 19 Aug 2019 at 14:21
Just a quick update. I went to the ED specialist nurse at the hospital today and was instructed in the use of Caverject. I started on 5mg and had a good erection that lasted about 3 hours. It was firmer than using the pump but perhaps less inflated. I cant wait to pick up my first prescription.
 
Forum Jump  
Email this conversation Print this conversation

Join the online community now.

Click through to become a member and gain access to support, information and real time replies.




MenuTop ▲
©2024 Prostate Cancer UK