Sigh

[markkram]

Hi,

I've been visiting and revisiting this site for the last 6 months or so, hoping to better understand what might be going on with my body. I'm pretty terrified right now, trying to remain calm but I've reached a point where I'm almost certain I have Peyronies.

I share my story below, though I do have one question:

Is there a resource or gallery of photos of Peyronies? It would help me better understand how close or far my visible symptoms might be to Peyronies.

How I got here:

• I'm in my early 30s and masturbated a whole lot for years, typically to porn. My sex life was generally good until about 3 years ago, at which point my masturbation increased and was perhaps catalyzed by the medication I was taking.
• I'm uncircumcised and have had a few topical skin infections over the course of my life. A few vigorous masturbation sessions over the last year left my penis rather swollen and inflamed, and I just assumed it might be a skin infection. My masturbation habits were unhealthy in retrospect – edging, death grip, lack of rest – all that.
• Then, I noticed the hourglass shape after a lot of masturbating. It gradually went away, but something didn't feel quite right. Then, that subsided.
• Now, having quit the medication 7 months ago, I struggle to achieve and maintain an erection and it is not strong. My penis feels 'flimsy' and it seems that there is a waste just below the glans. Dreadful.
• I saw a urologist a few months back and he said it was likely in my head, and from an examination with his hand he said things seemed okay. I scheduled an appointment with a specialist next Monday.
• I'm really scared.

[NeoV]

Unfortunately Peyronie's is a disease where in most cases if you think you have it, you do. This is my opinion at least, after my own urologists falsely said I didn't have it 10 years ago. Do NOT wait for an excuse to not help yourself. You will be lucky to get a urologist to diagnose you definitively especially early on when symptoms are just forming. The process takes years. I may finally have palpable plaque after 12 years of symptoms. Consider now the chance to take action and focus on your health and penile health, diagnosis or not.

[AlecT]

Urologists in many experience don't seem to be helpful. Many are not trained in this type of field specifically, and most probably only have footnotes in its condition. It might even be a plan to go to a GP or call up urologists offices individually asking if the urologist in question has any specialization or ability to deal with the specific injury. You don't have to go into details with the receptionists because that would be fairly embarrassing for many. However it might save a lot of pain from an examination or as many have complained about on these forums, a lack of any such examination and the claim its in your head.

It might be worth trying to get away from masturbation if your still being rough. I think there is some evidence out there that suggests over masturbating does not help. I think doctors are thinking of natural stress reduction when they say no amount of sex, masturbation is harmful; i think there are plenty of cases where that just simply isnt the case - when its addictive, when its taking up other parts of your life, when you are doing it man times a day and are feeling lethargic or sore, when you are masturbating with dangerous techniques. Masturbating requires time to replenish vitamins and the like and if you are immuno compromised such as when we are depressed i think this process takes longer. So circumstantially im not sure its the best thing at the moment. However that said, having erections regularly is a good thing. You want the tissue around the area to receive blood full of nutrients and oxygen.

Know that you are not alone and that not all cases are worst case scenario. From the small amount of reading on this site there are many that do have recovery in some form and many that recover quite substantially and some totally. Its probably injury and genetically dependent, but the best thing you can do is push forward right away. The best defensive is offensive. Hope is important and action is doubly so. At the moment, because it took me so long to actually start doing something i am trying to make a time each day where i come on and read about this and look at my situation so that it doesn't overwhelm me and take up all of my time, but so i am still doing something each day. It will be a long process and things seem to change over time slowly, unlike the injury that tends to appear more rapidly and changes your life more so.

Hope this helps and feel free to PM me, im fairly new (only a few days but would be happy to try and lend support)

[melting]

Read up into all directions and try to make educated guesses on what might help your situation.
Look positive forward towards solutions and to better your situation.

It very well could be "in your head" and in your penis. Beeing stressed wont help so find ways to relax.
Avoid any further injury or bad masturbation habits. Research reverse kegels cause a tight pelvic floor might be a part of your problem.
Also be healthy and create a healthy millieu in your body/blood(food, air, relaxation, fitness)