Levitra Outcome

Greetings Snuggleup.  Sorry the results weren't as positive as you would have liked.  It is still fairly soon after surgery so don't let it get you down.  That being said, I would consult with your doctor and ask him what he recommends.  While I wouldn't give up on Levitra after only one try, I would certainly be open to my doc's advise about other possible solutions.

One other thing I would add, and I trust you will take this comment with the spirit intended.  While Levitra works for me, it doesn't work without a lot of stimulation from my wife.  It's not like I take the pill and all of a sudden there it is.  I take the pill and after a few hours to let it take effect there is a lot of manual stimulation required in order to get the desired effect.  I know you are very involved in your husbands recovery as is my wife.  I am eternally grateful for all she has done to insure my progress.

Please keep us posted - it will come around one of these times.  It is a long road and you are still in early stages.  David

I do not want to sound negative about the ED drugs but studies have reported in the case of radical prostatectomies ED drugs are only successful for about 30% of the men. My surgeon told me the ED drugs were primarily for penile rehab and should be taken for several weeks to keep the blood flowing in the penis.  When I had become frustrated with no erection from the ED drugs(and I have tried all three) and asked for a prescription for the vacuum pump he told me at the time I would be back for a prescription for injections.  He was right and I have been using injections now for two years plus.  Now I am considering the next step of penile implants.  The point of all this is there are several methods of intervention while waiting for the return of natural erections or in my case moving on to the surgical answer of implants.  You do need to talk to your doctor but he will most likely counsel patience and discuss alternatives.  If your guy can get pass the fear of the injection then you really should consider them.  The injection is almost 100% successful and produces an erection very near normal.  In reflecting on my experience I kick myself for being too slow in moving to the injection.  Good sex is out there you just have to take the leap.

Tamu  

This "erectile issue" is very complex.   The Few, The Proud   -(maybe ex-jarheads?) who don't have ANY issue are indeed the Few and the Fortunate.  I've gotten almost all of my erectile ability back after 7 month post-op, but I worked hard at it.  I'm so tired of that stupid pump!  The O-ring seals have worn, but that's OK, a small amount of vacuum does the job now.

Looking back I realize that there was a lot of psychological baggage involved.  Desire to please my wife created performance anxiety.  The harder I tried, the softer the erection.  The ED meds and the pump get in the way of natural spontaneity.  Sex becomes planned,  like a trip to the dentist.  There was a certain amount of anger - I had never had a problem before.  Butthead Cancer!  All of this short circuits the brain's response to what should be a pretty focused effort  -and normally is!  Most guys think about sex when they are having sex, right?  (A lot of guys think about sex ALL the time).  Your significant other can think of anything she wants (the ironing?) and get away with it.  Not us.  We have to PERFORM.  Anything less suggests ...   well ... we all know what it suggests.

        The pump was the biggest help of all. 

It created a very useable erection right from the beginning, coupled with ED meds.  It eliminated the fear and anxiety.  With a dependable erection I could focus on the business at hand.    Anger became annoyance, a much less distracting emotion.  Initially, my reaction to the pump was "This is so GAY!"  It was an insult to my masculinity, another insult on top of  the insult of the PCa.  And, whether it contributed to my positive outcome, along with the meds, or the nerves just healed naturally, I will never know.   I used to try without it, still do and it's much better, but finally resigned myself to the inevitable. 

I would go the same route again, why take a chance with something so important?  At the very least, it must accelerate the healing process, and it does provide a temporary band-aid.

My urologist/surgeon pushed the use of ED meds immediately after surgery, and also recommended that I get a pump and begin using it at three weeks post-op.  3X a week.   I still do.  At our last meeting, he said:  "OK, now remove the ring and see if you can maintain a sustained erection once it's there".  Ouch.

  My wife has become addicted to the pump (it IS impressive what it accomplishes, limited only by the internal diameter of the pump cylinder),  and now I live for the day when she says:  "Honey, we don't need that thing anymore" .  That will be the acknowledgement that I have finally beat the cancer, and life has returned to normal.  Besides, who wants to carry that thing with them when they travel?  "Bag Check!"