Prevention of penile atrophy.

Sorry to inject a bit of levity into the proceedings but my wife and I rewatched the DVD of "The Full Monty" the other evening. There is a scene in which the character - Horse - is in a phone box with something that looks a bit like a pump and he's saying to the rep on the other end of the phone:

"What do you mean in what sense it isn't working? It isn't working in the sense that it isn't working - nothing's getting bigger."

but not exceeding 20 minutes - or 30 minutes if you are removing the tube and using the restriction bands.

Hi,

Different health boards obviously have different criteria. I went to see my GP earlier this month. He referred me to Urology. They agreed it was the way to go and just over two weeks from the initial appointment I picked my pump up from the pharmacy.

Too early to say how successful it will be as I have only been using it for four days. I was able to achieve an erection anyway but a degree of atrophy has been apparent for a while.  As I say early days with the pump but using it I am able to achieve an erection that matches that of pre HT days and a natural one feels more comfortable and more like me, if that makes sense.

Another thing I forgot to mention before is that I was prescribed Vitaros (alprostadil cream) at that GP appointment, as that, as well as causing an erection also improves blood flow. The ED nurse recommended that I use that twice a week as well as the pump. Doc only prescribed four so they were gone before the pump arrived and the paperwork informing him of frequency and duration for more isn’t through yet. The cream does work, although not as straightaway effective as the blurb suggests, but until you get the hang of the applicator it’s a bit hit and miss - literally! 😆

I hope you get some success one way or another.

Dave

Vitaros did absolutely nothing here - no erection, no pain, nothing, zilch. Hence reverting back to injections after an 8 year break.

I can't remember who but someone on here was prescribed a make that uses rings at all times, even just for rehab - it doesn't work without them. Definitely not the ErecAid Esteem or Farnhurst Elite but I can't remember the details. 

The collective knowledge accrued on here over a number of years is that the pump should be used 3 x a day if possible, for example on waking, after work and then at bedtime, to attempt to replicate the average of 10 erections per day that a man (who hasn't had PCa treatment or other health problems) would normally have. The vacuum should be pumped slowly with regular pauses to allow blood time to be drawn in, once at optimum enlargement it should be released - repeat 5 times. If it hurts, stop - poor technique can cause Peyronie's disease. When J started, he could just about get to the first E of 'Esteem' written on the side of the tube - with practice he was able to get to the 3rd E 😉

I'm waiting for Caverject to become available again i used the last one i had just before xmas.  Still waiting so started with the vaxaid again. I'm not a fan but read that it helps to keep the tissue inside my penis from scaring. I've only used it twice last week but i dont get a hard erection just a floppy red one ,ok for masturbation but not penetrative sex. Any ideas how i can improve on the results I'm getting will be great fully recieved.😀

An erection with a vacuum device will never be rock hard like the days of your youth, because although it can draw down blood to engorge the penis it does not engorge the area around and behind the base of the penis which allows you to aim it at something. It will always be a bit floppy from the restriction ring back towards your pubic bone. If you mean that from the ring to the tip of your penis is a bit floppy, you haven't got the technique quite right

- if it gets properly hard when you pump and then flops when you remove the tube, you are either fumbling when transferring the ring (thus releasing some of the vacuum) or the ring isn't anywhere near tight enough

- if it seems okay with the ring to begin with but then starts to droop quite quickly, the ring isn't tight enough - try different sizes and combinations; John needed 2 rings on at once (one that came with the Erecaid and another from Farnhurst which wasn't really compatible with our pump but we found more effective than the Osbon ones)

- if it doesn't fully engorge in the tube, you may not be getting a proper vacuum - have you trimmed your pubes, do you use lube on the bottom edge and inside surface of the tube, are you holding the tube firmly and squarely against your pubic bone? 

- if it doesn't fully engorge in the tube but you are pretty sure you are getting a good seal, it may simply be that you are pumping too quickly and not pausing often enough for the blood to draw in properly. 

Collecting a starter pack of viridal tomorrow in the morning, looks like wife permitting I'll be back in the saddle in the afternoon yehaaaa😎

Saw my consultant this morning to discuss my psa blood test which was <0•01 he said the next test will be every 6 months so unless i get run over by a bus I'll be around for few more years yet!