Notification

Error

priapism/invicorp qustion

User
Posted 12 Jul 2023 at 21:26

I am wondering about what exactly constitutes priapism. I find Invicorp to be quite long lasting. Last time I tried it, I injected about half the dose and it lasted over two hours. It did then start to go down, but very slowly. At at about three and a half hours it was maybe at 1/4 or 1/5. It wasn't until a little after four hours that it was completely back to normal. Looking at medical sites on the web, some suggest that it is only really a full, rigid erection beyond four hours that counts as priapism. Others suggest that any amount of sustained rigidity can be dangerous. I will ask about it at my next appointment with andrology, but that's not until October. In the meantime, if anyone has any advice I'd be grateful to hear it!

User
Posted 12 Jul 2023 at 21:55
A&E would consider it to be an urgent matter if you have had an erection for 4 hours - not if you still have a bit of a lazy lob.

We went to the hospital when the erection was 4 hours old. We waited in A&E while they got a urologist in from home - that took nearly another hour and he said "let's wait a little while longer before we start blood-letting." It did start to go down by itself - perhaps it was the prospect of them sticking a huge needle in! The problem afterwards is two-fold - there is a good chance that you won't be allowed to have any more prescriptions for caverject (or whatever you are taking) and getting erections in the future can be more difficult. So do anything you can to avoid the prolonged erection!

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

User
Posted 13 Jul 2023 at 05:51
I only worried about hard erections after the event when I was using the injections.

Once it stopped poking me in the eye I would cease walking up and down the stairs and go back to bed.

The midnight stair climbing is what the urologist recommended to "switch it off"!

Show Most Thanked Posts
User
Posted 12 Jul 2023 at 21:55
A&E would consider it to be an urgent matter if you have had an erection for 4 hours - not if you still have a bit of a lazy lob.

We went to the hospital when the erection was 4 hours old. We waited in A&E while they got a urologist in from home - that took nearly another hour and he said "let's wait a little while longer before we start blood-letting." It did start to go down by itself - perhaps it was the prospect of them sticking a huge needle in! The problem afterwards is two-fold - there is a good chance that you won't be allowed to have any more prescriptions for caverject (or whatever you are taking) and getting erections in the future can be more difficult. So do anything you can to avoid the prolonged erection!

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

User
Posted 13 Jul 2023 at 05:51
I only worried about hard erections after the event when I was using the injections.

Once it stopped poking me in the eye I would cease walking up and down the stairs and go back to bed.

The midnight stair climbing is what the urologist recommended to "switch it off"!

User
Posted 13 Jul 2023 at 16:49

Thanks both, that all makes a lot of sense. I definitely don't want to end up in A&E, so will do all I can to avoid that, and won't take any action unless it's still "poking me in the eye" (lol!) four hours later. I wish Invicorp had a variable dose like Caverject...

User
Posted 13 Jul 2023 at 19:20

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Thanks both, that all makes a lot of sense. I definitely don't want to end up in A&E, so will do all I can to avoid that, and won't take any action unless it's still "poking me in the eye" (lol!) four hours later. I wish Invicorp had a variable dose like Caverject...

You can reduce the Invicorp dose.

I had severe priapism with Caverjet and after several years of trying now get Invicorp prescribed. It varies in its effectiveness, several have failed completely, others have lasted c2.5 hours and extremely ridged, especially recently. All from the same batch. Last time I prepared the syringe and then slowly squirted out 5 of the 25mg and injected 20. Erection was very slightly less ridged but lasted 1.5 hours. I shall try the next one the same.

Cheers

Bill

Edited by member 13 Jul 2023 at 19:22  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 13 Jul 2023 at 22:01

"You can reduce the Invicorp dose.

.... Last time I prepared the syringe and then slowly squirted out 5 of the 25mcg and injected 20"

John does something similar

 

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

User
Posted 14 Jul 2023 at 05:20

Thanks Bill and Lyn, good advice. I was thinking I'd just have to eyeball it while injecting and try to use half the amount (which is what I did last time). Of course, squirting some out of the syringe beforehand makes much more sense! I'm somewhat alarmed by my own lack of practical common sense... 

User
Posted 07 May 2026 at 11:21

Posted on invicorp thread but thought I would add it on here too.

 

I had a RALP with 50% nerve sparing, an emergency bowel resection after complications and are now just over 4 months out.  I am using 5mg of tadalifil per day and other than twinges here and there are not getting any where near a normal erection. I am also using daily/ every other day a Soma erect II VED device.

 

I initially tried alprostadil but had very painful penile pain and about a 3 hour erection on the standard first clinic administered dose so after feeding this back , then approached my CNS for invicorp. I had already been trained on alprostadil injections so I was prescribed a first dose of invicorp without it being administered in clinic so self administered at home .

 

The standard first dose is 25mg (about 30 units on syringe )) from a 35mg ampoule of invicorp and due to the penile pain and long erection previously on alprostadil i only injected 10 units ( about 7-8mg ) 
It was firm enough for intercourse and was pain free which initially was great.
I then had a priapism (4 hour erection) though even with this low dose and had to go to A&E for urgent treatment .

 

After being admitted by the urology team overnight for observation the consultant in the morning then removed invicorp ( obviously) from my prescription list.

 

Has anyone else had this severe reaction and if so is there an alternative ?

 

Reading the instructions provided in the invicorp pack this reaction seems to be very rare so I am obviously very disappointed.

 

User
Posted 07 May 2026 at 11:22

I took the first Sudafed at 1.5 hours after injection and I noticed nothing had started to reduce. I started walking round the house at 2 hours. I continued to walk round until about 2.5 hours and then took another Sudafed. At 3 and a quarter hours after continued walking round there was still no movement so took the decision to get ready and go to A&E . I had not taken a tadalifil that day and also the day before to also try and reduce that risk.
i checked in and advised the issue (with the sense of urgency stressed to the receptionist ) and was seen by a triage nurse within 10 mins and then by a doctor about 10 mins later.  As I had already taken 120g of Sudafed without any real change they were unwilling to administer the usual injections of phenylephrine so after about another 10-15 mins I had the blood removed

User
Posted 07 May 2026 at 14:45
See other thread
 
Forum Jump  
©2026 Prostate Cancer UK