My Uncertainty

[Wally1982]

Hello everybody! I am a 38-year-old man, and may have had this for a couple of decades now.

I am not sure if I belong here, because I am not sure if I have true Peyronnies or not. Sometimes I notice a slight hourglass-like appearance when i am flaccid. This tends to mostly be apparent in my flaccid state when I am cold or have just finished exercising. However, most of the time, there will be no noticeable hourglass appearance when I am flaccid and my penis will look normal.

This slight hourglass may temporarily become more obvious when I am transitioning from a flaccid state to an erect state, as the mid-part seems to fill with blood slower than the rest. However, when I am fully erect there is no hourglass. While erect, my penis is just as thick from top to bottom, and has no apparent curvature.

Is this peyronnies? Or is it within normal bounds for a penis to temporarily look thinner in the middle as it fills up?

[LWillisjr]

Wally1982,
You had a similar post in "Questions for Dr. Trost". We require members have 5 posts minimum on the forum before posting to the doctors.

That being said, we have several members who can also respond to your question. What you are describing has come up before. Some feel this is something similar to Peyronies as some guys will have this hourglass appearance even once fully erect. If yours "fills in" once fully erect, then I would just monitor it at this point. As long as you can still get full functioning erection then you are good.

Some ask, "is this early Peyronies?". And that I cannot answer. I don't play the what if games (what if this what if that).  The best thing to do is to take care of your penis and monitor it for any changes.

[Wally1982]

Thanks for your response. I hear that scar tissue can be felt under the skin, but I can't feel anything different about the mid-section. I'm not sure if I'd know what to look for though. I can get fully erect, and there is no pain, so I suppose I'll just monitor it.

Cheers.

[Jimmy123]

Had what for a couple of decades? Uncertainly seems to be a feature of this condition but it is also probably the case that many of the "worried well" frequent forums. I imply no criticism because I may well be one myself. The problem is that I'm uncertain...

"Sometimes I notice a slight hourglass-like appearance when i am flaccid " gives the impression of close scrutiny but not a lot to see. Of course, I can't be sure and I'm not a clinician. Please read Dr Trost's posts here. I believe that he has observed that many people on forums have hard flaccid syndrome (my take on this is that the term is being used to capture a variety of conditions that are not true Peyronies Disease). He also I believe says that changes to the flaccid state are not normal features of Peyronies Disease. However, I would not wish to misquote so please look at his posts.

[Wally1982]

"gives the impression of close scrutiny but not a lot to see."

Well, yes, as far as the hourglass goes there's not a lot to see when it is flaccid. I only note that the mid-section of my penis is slightly "thinner" than the rest after exercising or going out into cold weather. I know it is a normal response for the body to pull blood from the penis and redirect it to internal organs under those conditions, so maybe that has something to do with it. When I am warm and relaxed my flaccid penis looks completely normal.

However, sometimes when I begin to get erect, that hourglass becomes much more obvious as it transitions from flaccid to erect. In the seconds that it is filling with blood, there very much is "something to see there", and that's what worries me. This "transitional hourglass" is a temporary thing because when I get erect the hourglass does not exist and it looks normal. I just do not know what to make of this.

"had what for decades?"

I have noted this weird hourglass thing in relation to cold and exercise for decades. It's been with me for a very long time. It hasn't really gotten worse.

[Jimmy123]

Okay, thanks.
So it's been like that for decades and no sign of getting any worse. So it might not be much of a problem at all.
Anyway, I wish you all the very best.  

[FrankPD]

Hello Wally1982,

I would def just keep an eye out.  I had hourglassing since 2008, I know this year because that's when I first bought my house and I remember it clearly.  There were never any issues but I'd only see it as you described, mid erection and then it would fill up normally.  I had no idea what it was.  I've always had congenital curve so I have done homework on Peyronies before just not that much to know that was a sign.  My diagnosis came in 2022.  Maybe it was there all along.

I'm not saying it will happen to you, just be careful.

Hope this helps.  

Be well guys.

[Wally1982]

Hi Frank. So, did yours eventually progress to hourglassing during erection, or is it still only present in the transitional phase for you? Assuming mine would eventually progress as yours did, is there anything you would recommend for me now? I notice you are massaging with vitamin E cream, has that been successful for you?

[FrankPD]

Hey Wally1982,

It was always just present during transition, sometimes I wouldn't even notice.  After diagnosis, I can see the hourglassing while flaccid, not too much, though it did get worse transitioning.  Erect I can't see it at all.

My primary urologist told me to use the cream and I admit I was a little mad at him because when I went googling, there's no proof that it penetrates the skin to help.  In January, the plaque was a lot tougher and was causing much more discomfort especially with an erection.  My PCP and my second opinion urologist told me if anything the massaging is what's keeping the plaque soft.  I was going to try other things but I felt since I'm not curving, it's best to keep using the cream.  Many men in the forum are far worse.  I wish them well.

If you're really concerned about it, go get it checked.  With sex be careful.  I would recommend if you're gonna masturbate, use lube and reapply if needed from now on.  I believe mine was brought on by that the last two years did it to me.  When you live by yourself, you have a lot of time.  I had a restaurant but that's another story of a stressful time and depression when COVID hit.  I'm in a much better place now.

This disease hits everyone different.  What works for one, may not work for the other.  

Hope this helps.  Everyone is welcome to weigh in.

Be safe.

[Wally1982]

Yeah, I know there are far worse cases. I feel fortunate to have found these forums now, in what is probably an earlier stage of progression.

You said "sometimes you would not even notice." I can definitely relate to that. There are times when there's very little to no hourglassing, even during the transition from flaccid to erect. For me, it seems most noticeable right after exercise or right after coming in from being out in cold weather. I feel like I may have mild case that becomes evident during natural vasoconstriction, if I attempt to get aroused in such a state.

As your case does seem to be so very similar to mine, I would ask if you also notice something similar in relation to cold weather and exercise?

[FrankPD]

I haven't noticed last winter, I will pay attention this year.  When I got out of the pool this summer it was thinner from the base towards the middle, not real hourglass looking.  I imagine in winter it would be similar.

Any more questions, just ask.

Best of luck.

[Wally1982]

Thank you very much for all your responses, everybody. I used the search function, and I think what I have is "hard flaccid", not true Peyronie's.

MFPC Trost said:
"Peyronie's will never have fluctuating deformities / curvatures on a fast time scale.  Any changes with Peyronies Disease are often very long-lasting and consistent.  But it is a characteristic finding of men with hard flaccid."

Mine fluctuates very much. It's not consistent, and sometimes I will not observe any problems at all.

[Jimmy123]

This is what I was suggesting.

[Wally1982]

This is what I was suggesting.

Yeah, thanks for that. Your post is the reason why I searched "hard flaccid".

[LWillisjr]

This thread has reached is limit as an introductory post. Feel free to post questions in other areas of the forum.