Impotence Injection Therapy
Treatment for Impotence
It is important to discuss with your doctor or specialist which treatment is right for you.
Treatments need to be acceptable to both you and your partner/s.
Living with impotence is much easier when you have a supportive partner who knows about your difficulties that can be caused by impotence treatments.
Injection Therapy
Used for over 10 years to treat impotence (ED), injection therapy has successfully helped men achieve and maintain erections during sexual activity. This fact sheet contains basic information on injection therapies. For more information please contact your doctor.
Why Injections?
For maximum effect, as well as to allow for maximum control, it is best to have the medications injected directly into the penis.
The injections are available from your general practitioner, and the drug is called Caverject.
What Is Injection Therapy? (Caverject in the freezer?)
First discovered in the 1980’s, Intra-cavernosal injection treatments showed that drugs could be directly injected into the penis and ultimately causing an erection.
This discovery led not only to a greater understanding of how erections occur, but also offered another treatment variation for men suffering from Impotence. Nowadays, there are a variety of different injection systems that help one prepare and inject the medication.
Injection therapy is usually distributed as a mixed solution. However, dry sterile powder (Caverject Powder), which is mixed before use, is now available (Not on PBS).
It is necessary for one to take all precautions when administering injections. Please be sure that you have learned correctly the method for doing so. Most patients find these injection to be quite simple and with minimal pain. Much like the auto injectors used for patients suffering from diabetes, these injectors are now available for Caverject injections with the canister being a one use disposable chamber.
How Does It Work?
The drugs used in injection therapy help to relax the blood vessels carrying blood to the penis allowing for maximum blood flow. Simultaneously, the muscle layers surrounding the erectile bodies expand preventing the blood flow out of the penis keeping the blood “trapped” in the penis and allowing the patient to sustain an erection.
What Medication Is Used in Injection Therapy?
The main substance in Caverject is Alprostadil (prostaglandin E 1;PGE1), and is supplied from Australia by Pharmacia & Upjohn Pty. Limited.
Alprostadil is identical to a substance called prostaglandin-E1, a naturally occurring substance that is critical for the erection process.
Alprostadil relaxes the blood vessels and muscles in the erectile tissue of the penis allowing increased blood flow, which is the critical element of having a normal erection.
How Long Does It Take to Feel the Effects?
An erection will usually occur within 10 to 15 minutes, and should be hard enough for penetrative sex.
How Long Will the Erection Last?
For most patients, if this form of the treatment is correct, they will experience an erection time of approximately 60 minutes.
Getting the Right Dose
The initial dose will be decided by your doctor after taking into account the patients overall health and past problems with ED. It is very important to only use the dosage as prescribed by your doctor, and to never alter this dosage without his or her consent.
An overdose could cause a prolonged erection known as priapism. Priapism (a painful erection lasting for over four hours) may occur in a small percentage of treated men using injections. The first thing one should try to alleviate this erection is to exercise. Try running up and down stairs or riding a bicycle. If the erection lasts for more than 4 hours please see a doctor immediately. Prolonged erections can eventually lead to permanent impotence.
What Are the Associate Side Effects of Injections?
Some men have experienced penile pain after taking injections. In extremely rare cases, a prolonged erection can occur. Some men develop a nodule in the penis, but by taking a break from the injections this problem will go away. Permanent nodules may occur in a small percentage of men after long-term usage. This can sometimes be avoided by alternating the injection site on the penis.
Are There Any Side Effects for My Partner?
No side effects have ever been reported by a partner. Alprostadil is normally broken down quite quickly in the penis making it unlikely to be passed to a partner.
What Might Prevent You from Using Injection Therapy?
Injection therapy should not be used in the following conditions: hypersensitivity (allergy) to Alprostadil, an abnormally formed penis, Peyronie’s Disease (kinks or plaques in the penis), Cavernosal Fibrosis, men with penile implants, patients suffering from diseases that might result in a prolonged erection (sickle cell anaemia or trait, leukaemia, multiple myeloma), and men who have been advised not to have sex.
How Can I Get Injection Therapy?
Caverject is available only with a prescription from your doctor. You should discuss this treatment with your doctor. Depending on your consultation, your doctor may prescribe these injections of send you to a Sexual Health Therapist or Urologist.
