Why are my night time erections more rigid than wide awake erections after prostate removal?

I am a fit 64 year old who had strong erections before prostate removal some 30 months ago. Before my operation I would have describe myself as a being a "grower" rather than a "shower" in that my penis used to expand from what I have always regarded as being relatively small to the average length of 150mm for an adult male and moderate width.

I have made a relatively good recovery from nerve sparing surgery to a level of what I would call "stuffable" without the use of Viagra etc. I would say that my recovery is about 60% to 70%. The maximum length of my erect penis is now 130mm due to the shortening process of surgery and I have the same width as before my surgery. I am now less sensitive to stimulation of my penis due to nerve damage and removal on one side and my penis is no longer straight when erect.

What I do not understand is why my night time erections are substantially more rigid than my wide awake erections. My night time erections are much smaller to the extent of being the same size as my uncontrolled erections that I had before becoming a teenager. If I self stimulate, I have a "stuffable" erection. If I am unexpectedly sexually aroused, then I initially have an embarrassingly small, but rigid erection. If I follow through with stimulation, then my penis expands to become only "stuffable". It seems that my brain is sending different signals etc. to my penis when I have uncontrolled erections.

Post Edited (MAC1949) : 4/14/2014 11:29:50 PM (GMT-6)

logoslidat, many thanks for your comments. Much appreciated.

I have been very fortunate with regards to continence and physical recovery. I think this has been largely due to my being fit and well before my operation (I have never smoked and I am not overweight) and also, of course, to the skills of my surgeon. My PSA levels have been at an undetectable level so far. Fingers crossed.

A friend gave me a Viagra tablet to try out a few weeks after my operation and the tablet had absolutely no effect on me at all. At the time I had totally unrealistic expectations and I didn't fully appreciate how futile taking Viagra was so early after my operation. It was a good six months and possibly 9 months or so before I became aware that I was starting to have night time erections. I couldn't afford to take Viagra as medication, but I did initially use a vacuum tube. It was initially fascinating watching the growth, but just like p**n it was not the real thing and I eventually lost interest when I was able to have a semi erection as a result of self stimulation. This was a number of months after I started having night time erections and I have continued to self stimulate on a regular basis because it is a case of use it or lose it. It is also enjoyable and a way of relieving stress.

What I can confirm, and what I have assured a number of people who have had their prostate removed, is that it is possible to climax without ejaculation. Older men with their prostate intact have less urgent and less powerful ejaculations. With advancing age I have more and more treasured and valued the brain climax that accompanies and follows on from ejaculation.

It was only last week that I got my first prescription of Avigra, and only because I am curious as to what additional effect it would have. If I should enter a new relationship, then I want to know how well I am able to perform. Today I started out with one quarter of a tablet (25 mg) of Avigra immediately after breakfast and I can confirm that the veins in my penis seemed to stand out more. Next time I will take 25 mg outside of meal hours to establish the difference. I will then try 50 mg and, if necessary, 100 mg. I am not so sure I would continue taking Avigra, even if it does the job as I am not terribly keen on putting too much undue emphasis on the ability of penetration as being the B all and end all of sexual satisfaction. At my age of 64, and with any partner close to my age, physical contact and cuddling is just as, if not more, important.

As an aside, in New Zealand one 100 mg tablet of Avigra costs NZ $10 or about US $8.50. This price is extortionate. Are there any natural products out there which can do the same? I suspect not, hence the high price.

An update on the effect of taking Avigra on an empty stomach.

A few days ago I tried a one quarter of a 100 mg tablet of Avigra on an empty stomach some five hours after a meal and I waited for one hour before testing. I can report 100% success with no side effects. For me, taking Avigra with a meal significantly delays the effects and possibly a higher dosage would be necessary to have the same desired effect as taking Avigra on an empty stomach.

I can almost halve the costs of 100 mg tablets of Avigra purchased from a chemist by ordering from a reputable local New Zealand pharmaceutical website with a prescription. I am not too keen on ordering from any website which does not require a prescription. What I find curious is that if I were to order 25 mg Avigra tablets, the cost would the same as for 100mg tablets. Why buy 25 mg tablets when one can quarter 100 mg tablets to get the 25 mg dosage that does the job?