More ED

Hello Psticks 

I've just noticed your post has had no replies and is back on page 2 so by me responding it will be "bumped" back to the top of the forum.

I wish you well with your quest to sort out the ED.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Psticks 

Was interested in your post and hoped there would be some input from others on ED

i had surgery in Jan and have follow up monitoring with surgeon. Had my all clear so just managing side effects. Incontinence is manageable. I’m down to a level 1 pad in day and just a shield overnight. 
Ed is the lasting effect. Been using pump and have 100mg sildenafil twice a week. Pump obviously achieves the physical requirements but for getting back to a more natural erection not really seeing much effect from the viagra other than a change in sensation.
I have further follow up next week so not sure if it’s just a case of sticking with the viagra or whether a change in med is required 

would be interested to hear others on managing the ED. 

cheers

Alex

Hi Alex,

Interesting you are 3 months ahead of me. Like you Im finding incontinence is good, one pad during the day and am managing no protection through the night although i am falling into the old pattern of getting up once during the night. If i feel the urge i wake up.

I feel very blessed to be where I am with an all clear and virtually full bladder control and even if i did not improve any more at all, i would be happy.

But I’m now focussing on penile rehabilitation being optimistic that I may recover some natural erection activity. My GP eventually prescribed 50mg of Sildenafil (Viagra) and prescribed the pump above. 

I have mentally prepared myself for the long haul as far as natural erection activity is concerned. The information i have collated says everyone is different and has said recovery could take up to one, two or even three years - if any at all.

I asked the surgeon twice did he manage to spare any nerves and he side stepped the question both times. I don't blame him, his first priority is to remove the prostate including ALL the cancer. As far as I can tell even if all the nerves are spared they are severely traumatised by the operation and need recovery time.

I’ve used the pump 3 times so far. It certainly does what it is supposed to and from a mental point of view reassuring in that you can see it working unlike the tablets. It also gives a satisfying sensation feeling - with it filling with blood again. 

It would be interesting to conduct a poll of how long after a prostatectomy did it take to experience natural erection activity but i don't know if that would be helpful as everyone is so different.  

One helpful tip I read is that masturbation is considered good penile physio therapy

Keep in touch,

Cheers Phil

Thanks for your reply

Youre going great with the incontinence. I need to be more disciplined. I still have the habit of getting up once in the night. I have the need to pee feeling but it’s usually not a big wee. The advice is to try and ignore the feeling and you will go back to sleep. Easier said than done!

for the penile recovery, as you say, everyone is different, however, it would be good to know different experiences with different meds that people have had. 

I guess it’s a case of keep going and and staying positive. At least the tip you’ve read will also help to pass the time till things recover

cheers

Alex

I had radiotherapy, not surgery, 8 years ago and this can also cause ED.

Some are fortunate to achieve the return to natural erections and others are not. I am in the latter group and can still not achieve a natural one no matter what - believe me, we've tried everything!

However I do use sildenafil prescribed by my GP in conjunction with a vacuum pump and constriction ring which have enabled us to resume the intimate life we previously enjoyed over the 46 great years we've been married. It's obviously a bit "mechanical" but you soon get used to incorporating the procedure - otherwise it's just as good as, if not sometimes better, than before.

I do hope you can get the natural ones back, but I just wanted to say that it's not always possible but there are ways to work round it which are usually successful for many of us. In this case it will be necessary to improvise but remember that all is not lost. So, best of luck with your progress but just be patient as it can take a while.

Next challenge for me - going to have more treatment soon including HT, so will loss of libido mean a final round of applause in the bedroom or not? All I can say is I don't intend going down without a fight!

Derek.

I forgot to mention - the Prostate Cancer UK Online Community is worth joining for information on many subjects, and has an extensive section devoted to sex and relationships.

Hi Excavator, I appreciate you can’t take anything for granted. I’m hoping that something might happen. But if i stay as i am, ive come to terms with it.

The instructions ive been given is to use the pump for a month daily before trying the constriction rings. 

46 years, wow good on you. We have known each other for 46 years but only been married 42.

Yes your right about being patient, sometimes i have to pull myself back and realise how recent things have been.

Ive checked out the  Prostate Cancer UK online and your right, a lot of information there, thanks for that

All the best with the HT treatment, hope it goes well.

Thanks psticks and excavator for your updates. Really appreciated. 
I’ll check out the PCUk community also. 

All the best Excavator for the HT, Hope all goes well. 
cheers

A