Using penis enlargement devices to treat Peyronie's disease?

It's not as silly as you might think! I read an abstract by the National Institutes of Health about several clinical studies of Penile Traction Therapy and Vacuum Erectile Devices, which concluded that they do work, to some degree. There was measurable increase in penis length for men who wore PTT devices 8 hours every day for 6 months, although in most cases the gains were quite modest, like 1 to 3 cm, although men who suffered from small penis syndrome realized more dramatic gains.  The improvement for Peyronie's disease sufferers looked really promising, with curvature improvements that ranged from 15 to 27% (the corrective surgeries available, as well as the new Xiaflex injection, offer only a little more improvement at 33%).

Supposedly, it is believed that the best results are achieved in the acute phase of Peyronie's, before the scar tissue is calcified, although some study participants had the disease for 11 months.  VEDs were less effective in both areas, although they do make it feel good to have the ole' willie filled up and (in my case) almost hard. Most of the studies used stretched penis length (SPL) as the measurement of success, although one Peyronie's study used photographs taken after medically inducing an erection, to measure curvature success.

Having read that, I ordered the "Deluxe" PTT device from X4labs.com for $89.95 with free shipping.  They have a special Peyronie's model for like $149.95, but I couldn't see much difference in that product to merit the much higher price, other than a free bottle of Vitamin E, which you can get from the drugstore for much less.  I've been wearing the thing for about a week or so, and it takes some getting used to, but isn't really painful or anything like that.  It has a tension adjustment that you can use to tighten or loosen up things once you put it on, but early on you have the urge to make it tighter in order to feel the stretch.  By the end of the day, however, you REALLY begin to feel it painfully, so I've been starting out with an easier setting, lately.  We'll see how he does.  The Little Woman said she actually can see a difference in my flaccid length, which wouldn't be important to me except for the fact that if I eventually need penile implants, they make them so that your erect length is about the same as your SPL, so HEY!  The longer the better!  BTW, TLW and I made love on New Year's Eve, and it may be my imagination, but it seemed the curvature had already improved a little bit.  Fingers crossed...!

UPDATE- 04/02/2015:  After 3 months of using the PTT device, my wife and I have noticed a definite improvement in the curvature of my Little Man. Where previously it curved all the way back over to my abdomen, it now curves but points straight up, so something definitely seems to be happening. Sex is still rather awkward, but somewhat improved.  Keeping my fingers crossed that there's more improvement to come!

UPDATE: 12/07/2015:  After about 7 months of PTT, the bend in the lower part of my shaft has straightened out considerably, while the small bend up near the head is, unfortunately, not much affected.  I was using VED's at the same time, so it's hard to tell whether they or the PTT worked better, although my gut instinct is that the PTT was most effective.  As a result, the doc has taken a wait and see attitude toward getting penile implants.  When I asked him about the ED1000 ultrasonic shockwave treatment which is not yet available in the US, he said it looks promising both for ED and Peyronie's, but all the studies aren't in, yet.

Penile Implants: A Brief Preliminary Comparison of Types

Since I don't have them yet, there isn't much I could tell you that you can't Google for yourself, but here's my take on them, anyway:  There are two basic types of implants: semi-rigid and inflatable. The rigid ones are malleable rods that keep your penis pretty much extended all the time-- you bend it up or down depending on whether you're ready to party or want the little guy to remain out of sight.  I don't find this very appealing, but one specialist pointed out that the rods generally last longer than the inflatables without having to be replaced.  For younger guys this might be important because since they are likely to be more sexually active, the repeated use of an inflatable might make them not last the 10 year average life they advertise, since the average implant patient tends to be older and less active.  

The inflatables have a more natural feel and appearance, I'm told, especially in the flaccid state, and they give the patient a great degree of control over the rigidity of one's member.  The bothersome thing about implants generally are that the length of the erect penis with implants is like 7 to 10% shorter than it used to be.  The dick doc said it would probably be about the length that you could stretch your flaccid penis with your hand. What the actual HELL?!  Even with the shortening caused by my Peyronie's I'm bigger'n that when in full bloom, so that prospect is very concerning.  If you look for implant videos on Youtube, you'll find one where the guy's johnson is freakin' HUGE, so he must have been an absolute HORSE before the surgery.  Geez, if only I could have what I once had....  Sigh.

There are two types of inflatables, too:  2 piece and 3 piece, which is kind of misleading.  The 3 piece has a fluid reservoir which is placed behind the abdominal wall, a pump in the scrotum, and the two cavernosal bladders, whereas the 2 piece has a combination pump and reservoir plus the bladders.  I couldn't find much information about pros and cons of either, though the docs seem to recommend the 3 piece.  The diagrams of the 2 piece make it seem like the ole' sac might be a little crowded with that combo.  ANYWAY, I'll let you know if I find out anything....

Success After a Dry Spell: Damn the Peyronie's, (Almost) Full Speed Ahead!

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Peyronie's Hope & Despair: Penis Implants Now, or Hope for Something Better Down the Road?

I'm in a quandary.  I can't seem to commit to the idea of getting penis implants.  I got over the fear of the surgery (although it is done under general anesthesia, which has its own problems), since all the work is done through a small incision in the bottom of the scrotum.  The idea of being able to have an erection whenever I want one is alluring, too, and once the surgery is paid for there might not be the constant expense of ED drugs.  But once made, it's a permanent decision to always have implants, which, since the current inflatable models last only ten to fifteen years, might mean additional surgeries to replace them (although the manufacturer supposedly warrants them for life, so replacements wouldn't cost anything).

On the other hand, I read a .pdf download from Medispec.com, the manufacturer of the ED1000 (see post).  It was a digest of all the testing & research regarding Low Intensity Shock Wave Therapy (which is what the ED1000 is) and it also included some research regarding High Intensity Therapy for Peyronie's using a lithotripsy device to try to break up the scar tissue that causes it, the results of which have been mixed but look rather promising.  If I get implants now,  the ED1000 won't be available to me when it finally gets approved for use in the USA, so it seems to make sense to wait, for a while, at least.

It's frustrating, though, because my wife and I have only had actual intercourse twice in the last two months I've had Peyronie's, and it has been extremely awkward, although we did have some success with a doggie-style arrangement where she kneeled on the bed while I stood up on the floor, but it certainly isn't like it used to be.  Sigh.....  (Years later I have tried shock-wave therapy and finally had the implant surgery.  See later posts.)

Peyronie's Disease: WTF Else is Gonna Happen???

About 8 to 10 weeks ago (see previous post).  I woke with one of my usual only moderately hard morning erections, and the damn thing was curved all the way up to touch my belly.  I finally got an appointment with my urologist in mid-February, and he detected a definite plaque (scar tissue) inside the ol' weenie that is causing it to curve.  He referred me to a urologist specializing in Peyronie's Disease. That doc said he did not believe the Edex had caused it, that I probably injured my member during sex at some point (and I do remember being bent bent double a time or two when I slipped out unexpectedly.  The injury supposedly happens usually when you are doing it in a woman-on-top position).

Anyway, this doc deals with Xiaflex, a new collagenase drug that is injected into the plaque to cause a break in it so the penis can be stretched to separate the parts of the plaque so it no longer "tethers" the penis.  He said, however, that at best it generally improves the curvature by only 33%, and that would not be much help to me, and people who already have ED are not good candidates for Xiaflex because it can make the ED worse.  Then, too, Xiaflex currently costs a whoppin' $3300.00 per vial, with as many as 8 vials sometimes necessary to complete the treatment!  Not sure if insurance would cover any of that, since the drug is sort of experimental.

His bottom line recommendation, if I cannot live with the curvature, is to get penile implants.  (It's a little too much for me to think about right now, so you'll just have to Google penile implants.) My Peyronie's is not stable yet, so he has me taking a couple of prescription drugs to mitigate it as much as possible until it does go from acute to chronic.  Supposedly, 10 to 12% of patients improve on their own, about 40% get worse, and the remaining bunch see no change at all.

Oh, joy....

Penile Curvature- WTH?

So I dunno if it was the bargain basement penis pump or the Edex, but my member has recently developed an upward curve to it.  She had trouble getting it inserted at first, but once in, we didn't have any problems.  I haven't been able to test it again because She fell and was injured a while back and has not completely healed yet, thus She doesn't have much interest in doin' the do, although she has cheerfully given me fellatio a couple times in the last two weeks-- I think she's still staving off the beast because a full Ironman session takes so much time and effort.  Anyway, I always had a little sideways curve due to unequal filling when the Little Man got excited (the 2nd wife used to call me "J-Man" because it would look like the letter J until it began to become fully erect) but this is definitely different.  I googled Peyronie's Disease, but I can't feel any sort of fibrous tissue in there when I palpate it myself.... I dunno, I've stopped using the pump for now.  Just wish I could use the Edex again to see what's going to happen.

Penis Pumps- Hmmmm....

My urologist had mentioned that I might want to try to use one of those things, but I was a little leery.  It seemed a little creepy and artificial (as opposed to injecting yourself with penis-expanding drugs?), but my Edex injections are getting so danged expensive (they went up $15 on a four-dose supply, to $230) that I reconsidered the ole' pumps, especially since they are reusable and might be covered by my insurance.  I checked on the Pos-T-Vac, widely advertised on TV, which is a medical grade device.  A basic system costs about $150, although I saw a different brand medical-grade device advertised on the CVS website for $119.  Not sure I wanted to make that investment, I ordered the Pumpworx Beginners kit, which is $18 plus shipping from CVS, and is classified as a "novelty device".

I've experimented with it 3 times, with less than stellar results, although I can see where the medical-grade pumps probably work better.  The first time, I couldn't get the danged thing to seal very well at the bottom, so when I started to build up any suction it started to "whee" like when you slowly let the air out of a balloon.  The second and third times I used it in the shower after applying hair conditioner to Little Man's shaft, and either the wetness or the conditioner sealed it well.  I could only get a certain amount of suction, however, before the squeeze bulb would stay squeezed and could not be re-inflated to be pumped again (a safety feature?  I dunno).  I did get some impressive size going, but even after releasing the vacuum it was then difficult to get the dang thing off me!  (It sounded like a champagne cork popping when it finally came out.)  Before I could get the cock ring on to keep it engorged, the erection had already started going away.  I know the Pos T Vac has a way to roll the cock ring onto the bottom of the pump cylinder so you can just roll it off the pump onto your shaft, so that might be another advantage to the medical-grade pumps.  So far, though, I have yet to be able to achieve a sufficient erection for penetration, although it worked well as a masturbatory aid (I know, I know, EWWW!  Hey, everybody poops and just about everyone masturbates, so get over it!)  The results have been intriguing, though, so I may try to get the Doc to prescribe one of the "good" ones.

UPDATE, 08/04/2014:  I went ahead and ordered a Pos-T-Vac from Walgreen's....  It definitely works better than the novelty pump, but I still haven't quite gotten the little fella all the way hard, yet, what with different size penis rings and pressure levels to try.  I did try using the new pump with a 100mg Stendra tablet, and that looks promising. We'll see....

UPDATE, 10/30/2014:  I had trouble getting the Pos T Vac to seal because I'm kinda hairy down there (the Little Woman jokes I should braid it) so I used clippers and some scissors and cut it very short but not shaved.  The thing did work better, but I still can't can't seem to generate enough suction to get it hard enough for penetration (although it makes hand and blow jobs more interesting).  It's funny how the cheap novelty pump seems to pull the little guy out to full length, whereas the Pos T Vac plumps him up more.  I had him big around enough that when I pulled off the pump to check him I couldn't get him back in the cylinder afterwards, but he still DIDN'T get hard.  Sheesh....

UPDATE, 01/20/2015:  I've given up on the Pos-T-Vac because I just can't keep shaving down there, and the results were only a little better than the cheapo pump.  NOTE:  If you buy a Pos-T-Vac, get one with either the squeeze handle or the electric pump.  The push-down pump requires you to push so hard that it actually made my abdoment hurt, after a while.  I've been using the cheapo in the shower almost every day in the hopes that it might help my Peyronie's disease (see later post, "Using Penis-Enlargement Devices to Treat Peyronie's?"), and it kind of feels good to have the little man enlarged even if he ain't hard.  Sigh....