update on jeff & becky's journey, and need for caverject advice

Hey everyone -

I haven't been posting much, but keeping an eye on everyone. I've learned so much from you all, and read with interest the updates on how everyone was doing with injection therapy. After trying all of the pills with the only effect being migraines, and muse which didn't do too much but cause pain, Jeff's just been plugging along using the pump for therapy. We had sex using it once, but he had to use 2 rings and was in a lot of pain. Subsequently he had horrible pain during orgasm, so we cut out the pump entirely, and gradually the pain subsided. He started up again with the pump, for about a month now, no rings. But some pain has been returning so I'm not sure what that means.

So we've decided to go witht he injections. Part of our frustration is that although we have a yound dr., he's very minimalist in his approach to ed. When prescribing viagra and muse he'd give VERY low doses, saying that with how Jeff's surgery, healing and prior health were he wouldn't need more than that to get results. Then nothing would happen and we'd be so frustrated. He didn't really have a set plan for us to get things foing after surgery, and we've been the ones to request the muse, pump and injections - for the most part based on what I've learned from you all.

Then 2 weeks ago we found out that he is moving out of the area. I talked to my dr., and Jeff talked to his GP (in the same office) and they encouraged us to try a dr. they like who is very approachable, and proactive. We met with him today and we liked him a lot. He's only a few years younger than we are. When we asked him what kind of a program he sets up for his patience in relation to ed he said that 2 weeks after catheter removal he starts them on ed and the pump, and has good results. Boy were we bummed! He really likes the pump, but we just haven't had good luck with that, and explained to him what had been going on. He asked us if our previous dr. had had a rep come out and fit Jeff for the pump, and train him - we were like, huh? Apparently Osbon and another company have reps that will meet you at the dr.s office for free and go over everything with you, making usre you're doing everything effectively and properly, fitting it properly, etc. So maybe that's why his patience have good re****s in achieving erection on their own through using this therapy. We already have the osbon pump, so Jeff is meeting with them in a couple of weeks.

Then the dr. said the only thing left to try is injections, which we said we were ready to do. I told him what I had read about caverject causing pain in some of the men on this site, and he said that bi-mix and tri-mix have the same active ingredient, just different mixes and it can be mixed by a pharmacy but will be little more expensive than the predosed caverject. He had some samples, and is starting us at 5 mcg.s, I think? It's the lowest dose on this syringe. He also gave us a prescription to get it by the vile becasue it will end up being cheaper. I guess if it causes pain I will look up Tamu's post about what his dr. switched him to and show that to the dr.

The thing that threw me is that everything I've read here on the site the dr. administered the first dose. Our dr. gave us the samples, showed us how to use the syringe, and for Jeff to inject the side of his penis. I kept asking him specifically how far down, and he kind of pointed to the area. He didn't say anything about positioning or anything, and I remember from the posts here - I think TAmu's, that there's a certain way to do this, and that some docs even have you come back in to do it in their office. Of course Jeff needed to get back to work and we hadn't planned on doing this today, and he couldn't very well meet with his plumbing contrator with an erection, so he was more than happy to try it tonight on our own.

I went to the caverject site and got more info on the proper way to inject this, stretching the penis out, putting pressure on the site etc., but I'm very nervous about this. I'm afraid we'll try one more thing and have it go wrong and Jeff feel like crap again. Do any of you have any suggestions? Has anyone else's doc just sent them home with the stuff to do on their own for the first time? Maybe I'm paranoid, but sticking a needle in a penis doesn't look to be the easiest thing to do, and we don't want to screw it up.

thanks for your help,

bec

bec,

I am surprised by the new doc not wanting to show you how to do the injection.  I also am surprised that he said that Bimix has the same medication as Caverjet because that is absolutely not the case.  Trimix does have some of the same medication as Caverjet.  Despite all of that what you got off of the Caverjet web site as to how to do the injection is about what you would have gotten from your doc.  My experience is that as long as you inject on the side of the penis about halfway between the base and the head avoiding any visible veins that you will be okay.  Do not stab the needle just slowly insert it all the way in.  Once it is in then slowly push the plunger and then remove.  When I do it I feel the initial poke that is like a pin prick but I do not feel it as I continue to insert it.  I assume that you were given a 1 cc syringe with a 30 gauge needle.  After getting over that first self injection the others come easy.  You will want to try different doses to see what response you get.  I was told to only change doses in .05 cc increments.  I have probably now injected myself 12 to 15 times and only had one flub when I injected myself too close to the base.

While I had a problem with the Caverjet most men do not have any issues with it.  My urologist's PA said that their first recommendation is to use Caverjet because it tends to have a better response and less complications for priapism(an erection lasting more then four hours) and Peyronies( curvature of the penis).  The Bimax that I get cost $50 for a 5 ml vial which gives me about 18 to 20 injections and they throw in the syringes for that price. 

Getting rid of the pump was a blessing and I hope that you find it that way also.

Tamu

hi everyone, I'm so interested in what is happening with all of you. unless things drastically change in the next few months, I'm going to strongly encourage Jeff to go with injections. I will even print out all of your posts so he can see for himself what your experiences have been. thank you all for discussing this. good luck Bec and Jeff!! kat

Bec - Jeff sounds so much like my Bob . . . I'm the researcher like you and the ED was the biggest devastation to him.

Remember, the first try may not be the one that's the correct doseage and you guys will have to experiement in increasing increments until you find the correct dose.  Bob's needle only holds 1 CC and he goes up in .05 increments.  We are currently at .25 which works just fine.

So, if the first isn't enough keep on trying. . . . .Here's a funny for you . . .for years Bob has threatened me with a "bean jar" to keep track of our encounters . . which never materialized.  NOW he's the proud owner of a plastic needle disposal which can double as a "bean" ummmmm needle jar.

Good luck you guys . . .keep us posted.

;o) Linda

Hi bec,
Good to hear from you - this is pretty unhelpful but this situation did happen to us too. It was probably the very reason my husband was put off injections completely. Despite the reading here, when he did enquire (at 3 & 1/2 months post op) he was given (without any discussion) a sample (pre-loaded syringe! - he did not even get past seeing how much of it was to be injected - it was huge) in a sterile bag, written instructions (which were very poorly set out), and a video! He never even watched the video. The doctor who he had consulted (supposely a specialist in post-prostate surgery ED assistance) completely put him off and never even showed him how to hold the needle. My husband wanted to do it himself if he did decide to go that path, and eventually his recovery happened anyway, but at the time, this sort of attitude put him off completely - we were very lucky that it did not in the end affect us, but thete was a lot of unnecessary anxiety at the time. Good luck with seeking out all the info you need now. cheers, Lana