Hello, I'm here for support

[origin-panic]

Hello all,

I'm 49 years old male, living in Las Vegas NV in the US. I first learned my Peyronie's in about August 2022, when my partner noticed during sex. I was experiencing painful erections while masterbating, but I hadn't noticed the curve. I consider that the onset, because I would wake up with painful erections for several month after that. I don't achieve full erections during masturbation, but I do during infrequent sex with my partner.

I'm not aware of any injury, so the only clue to the cause is I was taking Trazadone at the time, and my psychiatrist suggested to stop immediately and report to the emergency room, and my general practitioner recommended the same. I wasn't experiencing priapism, so the ER sent me home.

I saw a urologist, he diagnosed Peyronie's with about a 45 degree upward bend, and he offered 3 options: 1. do nothing; 2. traction like RestoreX; 3. Xiaflex. At the time of the diagnosis, I was on Medicare Advantage, and to cover the cost of Xiaflex, I would be required to try other treatment options first, so I opted to do nothing.

I moved to Las Vegas and saw a new urologist, and received the same diagnosis. This time around, I was able to get private health insurance coverage, and I've been approved and qualified for several payment assistance programs so the first 3 series would be at no out-of-pocket. At the moment, I'm unsure I will proceed with the injections.

One complication is that I'm being treated for Bipolar Disorder, and it's currently not well-controlled. When I'm hypomanic, my libido greatly increases and I will masturbate very frequently. I don't expect my BD to be well-controlled by when my Xiaflex injections are scheduled to begin, and I don't think I'll be able to prevent myself from masturbating.

The effects are devastating to my self-esteem and body image. My partner hasn't attempted to initiate sex, and I've only convinced them once in about 15 months and it wasn't enjoyable for me, and I don't think it was for them. My penis is below average size, and I've lost about an inch of length when erect. My weight also fluctuates greatly, my BMI has been as high as 53 and as low as 26. I've gained about 50 pounds, so I've lost about 1.5 inches total. In my experience, I gained about half an inch for every 50 pounds I lost.

My goal here is learn about other people's experiences and contribute where I can.  

[Mikel7]

Welcome to the forum origin-panic. Thank you for filling out your signature line! You need to download and study our survival guide -->Survival Guide . This will give you a comprehensive understanding of peyronies and it's different treatments.

I am sorry to hear about what you have gone through but hopefully you are getting a plan of action and working it. This journey is a marathon and not a sprint. You need to adopt this into your thinking.

The first thing that you have going for you is that you are close to Dr Trost. I would not hesitate to get an appointment with him and have him perform the Xiaflex injections if warranted. He has developed his own protocol for administering Xiaflex and his success rate is very good. I personally would not let any other Dr do this procedure except him.

Traction therapy and VED therapy should also be investigated in your case. It does help prevent shortening and can improve conditions. Have you taken any preliminary measurements of your penis? Then you can compare if treatments are helping or not.

Bipolar disorder is famous for elevating an individuals sex drive. Since you do have peyronies it is very important that you remember that sexual activity can make things worse. If you must have sex and cannot resist just use caution with a lot of lube and be gentle. Rough masturbation is famous making things worse.

I am not sure if Trazadone can cause peyronies or not. If you say that your BMI has increased I would be more concerned to see if your estrogen levels have increased in your body. Fat cells in our bodies store the aromatase enzyme and this ultimately alters and lowers our testosterone levels. If your T levels are low this along with rough masturbation could have been a culprit in you developing peyronies. At this point though you may never know what has caused it. Just get a game plan and work it. There is a lot of great members here who understand your pain and can associate.

Try to keep a lid on your anxiety levels regarding this. It is our manhood that is affected and our psyche. We all seem to associate our manliness with our penises. We are more than that. Yes we are sexual human beings and our penises are actually a miraculous machine. Obsessing is not good and will lead to more worrying and anxiety. Read the forum and you will get a sense of belonging as other members chime in on their experiences. You are going to make it through this!

Mikel7

 

[origin-panic]

Thanks for your response and advice, Mikel7!

I'm very thankful that y'all are here.