ORAL TREATMENTS - GENERAL - Vitamins, Prescriptions , Herbs, Supplements

[Old Man]

George:

Sorry I did not clarify my comments about the aloe vera for Peyronies Disease. I did not mean that it should be taken orally. It is to be applied directly to the penis in the affected area.

I know that the bought stuff has all the other things in it, but sometimes, one does not need the risk of side effects, etc.

Old Man  

[George999]

Old Man, I take it you meant to say "I did not mean that it should be taken orally."  I would agree that home grown aloe is fine for topical use.  But when it comes to internal use, one should choose a formulation designed for that purpose.  And different oral formulations have different effects depending on which components of the plant are included, which are filtered out, and what sort of base is used.  The traditional forms have been bulk gel, bulk liquid, capsules and soft gels.  Now we have other forms, including freeze dried in capsules and tablets.  Some of these are targeted toward digestive tract inflammation, others toward relief of constipation and still others toward addressing general health issues.  I have taken aloe for some time now and have experienced a number of benefits.  However, I can't say that I have seen any positive effect in terms of the Peyronies.  I THINK it might be helpful for Peyronies, but their is no basis in research for that, it is just my speculation.  And I have to say very honestly for the benefit of folks like bodoo2u, if I was ONLY concerned about Peyronies, I probably would not be taking aloe vera.  There are just so many other things that are proven to be helpful or potentially helpful for Peyronies and I would be concentrating on those things.  The one thing it is extremely important to know about aloe formulated for internal use is that some of these products are extremely abrasive laxatives that are NOT designed to be taken for any extended period.  In fact the FDA has expressed major concern that some of these products can be quite dangerous.  So it is very important that if you are taking an aloe product and you get a major laxative effect with heavy cramping, stop it immediately and get rid of it.  It is NOT the type of aloe that you want.  

[George999]

Just pondering a very interesting factoid about TGF-beta-1.  One of TGF-beta-1's upstream precursors is Angiotensin II.  Angiotensin II is what makes blood pressure rise.  That means that people with elevated blood pressure due to low level Renin-Angiotensin activation, EVEN if it is not at a level considered hypertensive, are also going to have elevated levels of TGF-beta-1 on a systemic level.  Interesting?

[Tim468]

George, I agree with you that the connections are interesting. PAF (platelet activating factor) is also one of the mediators that is of interest to me.

Tim

[Old Man]

George:

Yep, I did mean NOT taken orally, have corrected my post accordingly.

Your post is well taken about taking aloe vera internally. One of the men in my family had taken the liquid form for several years before he realized that it did not work for his problem. He was taking it for a stomach disorder as prescribed by his internalist. After years of taking it, he finally had an operation for a constriction/entanglement of his small intestines.

Anyway, very good post. You have a very vast knowledge of the alternative solutions as stated in your posts. Keep up the good work.

Old Man

[bodoo2u]

George,

Can you tell me what those other things are that are helpful or potentially helpful to Peyronies, and please don't direct me to other posts if you can help it. Maybe you could give me a list of those things.  

[George999]

First tier:

1) Full spectrum vitamin E (key anti-oxidant)
2) Horny Goat Weed with Icariin (PDE-5 inhibitor)
3) SAN VasoFlow with L-Arginine (NOS precursor)/L-Norvaline (Arginase inhibitor)/Osthole (cAMP upregulator)
4) Forskolin (cAMP/cGMP upregulator) - Use caution with this one, it is potent
5) Major lifestyle adjustments - key books: DASH Diet http://www.dashdiet.org and YOU: ON a Diet! http://www.realage.com (these cover issues so expansive it would take a book to explain them all).
6) Pentox
7) VED

Second tier:

1) Ginkgo Biloba
2) OPC/Pygnogenol/Resveratrol
3) Time Release Vitamin C
4) Vitamin K2
5) Nattokinase

Please don't attach any significance to the ordering within the tiers, I am not attempting to rank stuff according to my perception of its effectiveness.  But I do consider the stuff on the top list to be more effective than the stuff on the bottom list at this point.

- George

[Jourdelune]

Hello all,

I had post a while ago (on the first page actually).

I just start my new Cure (ACL, Grape Seed Extract, Quercetin, Vit E, Nattokinaze -btw i don't got ED so, my protocols could be different than others), so I can't comment on it now.

But the Emu Oil is wonderfull.  That oil is better than vit E cream 28000 unit I got when I used my unit too much.

So, i am really satisfied by the Emu Oil to help on recovering skin problems.

The scars (tissues stretching... something like bumpy...  hmm  i don't know the terms) are less visible, less fragile (they seems to open less frequently ) and the annoying feeling they bring me in sexual intercourse has fade to 20% of what it was before...  

I think I will use it when need (I give some break time to it, but when I want to enjoy a lot of...  I will help curing it with that).

iherbs.com have some with nice price.

Jourdelune

[meanmrmustard]

anyone ever tried this? it's available in combination with salmon-oil (omega 3), for example in this product http://www.newstarget.com/008334.html

I'm more and more convinced that what I'm suffering is a cronic inflammation inside my penis. omega 3 capsules, that I've only just started taking two days ago, seem to help a lot  

[Hawk]

meanmrmustard,

I wish you well, but in all due respect fish oil capsules are only a food, a nutrient.  It is the equivalent of eating a piece of salmon.  I will never believe these could impact any condition in two days.

There is no doubt whatsoever that you have inflammation if you have Peyronies Disease.  An anti inflammatory diet over a long term may have some positive impact on this but it will not impact you on the day you take it., or even the week.  I was eating 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, taking vitamin E, NAC, flax seed, Alpha lipoic Acid, CoQ10, and eating wild caught Alaska Salmon 2 times per week when I developed Peyronies Disease.  I was also doing many other nutritionally sound things for my body during this period.

[George999]

I have to agree with Hawk on this one.  Anti-inflammatory strategies are extremely important, but anything you take orally is going to take a long time to have an obvious impact.  Pentox itself, with a very powerful anti-inflammatory effect, takes a long time to turn Peyronies around.  But then there might be better ways to deliver anti-inflammatory elements to those stubborn plaques.  That would be extremely cool.  - George

[Liam]

When we discuss inflamation of the penis, are we talking red, swelling, painful inflamation?  Or is it a nebulous kind of inflamation.  The latter seems best to describe my own symptoms.  I'm never quite sure.
Is it me or is it inflamation?

Liam

[meanmrmustard]

There is no doubt whatsoever that you have inflammation if you have Peyronies Disease.,,,,,,fish oil capsules are only a food, a nutrient.  It is the equivalent of eating a piece of salmon.  I will never believe these could impact any condition in two days.

I understand your doubts, but as I don't have Peyronies Disease, I'm experiencing different reactions. what I (think I) have is some kind of weird, indiagnosable inflammation, causing severe ED. that means that as soon as the inflammation stops, my dick and my erections should go back to normal (*). I immediately noticed effects taking pentox (I stopped cause it messed my stomach up), as I did with L-Arginine. and above all, if I don't take Vit E, my dick will be smaller and less sensitive the following day.

* I actually had an experience that backs this theory a few months ago: for some other reason, I had to take antibiotics. the first night after I took them, I woke up with an almost 'perfect' erection, something I haven't had in years. However, even though I kept taking the antibiotics for 5 days, the improved erection didn't ocurr again. can anyone offer a plausible explanation?

[Tim468]

MeanMrMustard,

Antibiotics do not cause one to have firm erections - not to my knowledge.

Since you are capable of having a normal erection at all, then it is more likely than not that your problem is psychological and not due to inflammatory changes in your penis or tunica albuginea.

I recommend that you try a larger than average dose of viagra (ie 100 mg) and see if you do not get a good looking erection. If you do, then you are on your way to recovery. If you get a very hard erection, but it maintains an abnormal shape, then there is no way that an antibiotic made it normal for one day. In either event, it suggests to me that you might benefit from going to a sex therapist to explore how you are feeling and if you have any underlying issues that are complicating your sexual health right now.

Tim

[meanmrmustard]

Thanks for your advice Tim. however, I apparently gave false impressions - once again let me point out that English is not my mother tounge. first, I know that antibiotics don't cause erections. what I was trying to say is that the antibiotic obviously blocked something out that usually prevents me from getting good erections. second, the physic nature of my dysfunction is out of question. I mean there's probably anxiety and preocupation adding to it. but all the problems started after bending my erected penis sharply inside my pants. erections became weaker and weaker, in flaccid stat I had the hourglass, loss of sensibility and so on.

as to the inflammation, there's times when I think I can even feel it - strange hot/cold feelings in my penis that reach down to the thigh of my left leg.

I am aware that the conclusions I draw are amateurish and maybe improbable, but as the doctor's toolsets failed in finding the cause for the ED it is now up to myself to find the solution.

[mark501]

Meanmrmustard, What is the name of the antibiotic that you took? How many MG?  

[bodoo2u]

Is full-spectrum Vitamin E also referred to as Gamma Vitamin E?

[George999]

The key with Vitamin E is to look at the ingredients.

Absolutely essential:

400 IU NATURAL alpha-tocopherol
295mg NATURAL gamma-tocopherol

Even better:

The above plus the other two tocopherols and the eight tocotrienols

[dahc]

I started Pentox yesterday and I've been a little jittery, didn't sleep well last night. I'm hoping these are transitory side effects. Has anyone had a similar experience?
Chad

[Liam]

Other people have mentioned side effects.  I noticed absolutely nothing.

[PainIsGrowth]

Hey Chad, I did not experience the jitteryness side effect, or have any trouble sleeping.  During the first weeks, I had some strange sensations of more bloodflow (more tingly) in my legs, especially after running or exercise.  This went away after a few weeks, and now I can't tell feel any side effects from taking it.  Goodluck with the pentox, and keep everyone updated on your progress.  Definitely fight through any side effects for the first couple weeks!

[dahc]

It's been about a week on 400mg of Pentox 3 times a day. I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones that has trouble tolerating this stuff.  I'm going to try taking it twice a day. Hopefully along with the l-arginine, acytel-l-carnitine & vitamin E it will have some effect.

Chad

[Liam]

Or What the L You Doin' to My Digestive System?

I have a hard time, borborythmically (its kinda musical), with l-arginine.  Also, different combinations of supplements produce, sticking with my melodic metaphors, different chords of upset.  Try varying dosage, time taken, amount and type of food ingested with (if any), and other supplements.

These are some things I have tried.  I'm sure you have some ideas on this yourself.  I just had to find an excuse to use borborythm (or a form thereof).

Liam

[PJ]

I had a lot of digestive trouble with pentox at first. Now no problem. I seem to have gotten used to it, so my experience is that one learns to tolerate it. Initially I found that yoghurt helped control the digestive issues if I took the pills with yoghut.
---PJ

[dahc]

Cutting back on the Pentox to twice a day has really helped. I will probably try going back to 3 times a day in a few weeks.

Chad

[George999]

Things like yogurt and aloe vera do magical things for the digestive tract!  

[lars]

hi all!
 i wondered what the experience on here was with pyrotab. i just ordered some for my boyfriend. thanks.

[Liam]

Reports on Pyrotab run about the same as vitamin e, colchcine, PABA, Epsom Salt and hydrogen oxide.  Order him a VED instead.  Try Pentox, L-arginine, and Viagra.  These are some of the most promising treatments.  Traction is the newest with some reported success.

GOOD LUCK

[lars]

thanks liam. what is ved? are the other things you mention supplements?

laurie

[Christine]

Lars,

I would recommend you take a minute and read the thread regarding the VED, or even better, read the thread from the Highlights page where there are several threads that really highlight valuable information regarding this device.

This will give you a good overall explaination of several areas regarding this condition.

Blessings to you and your partner.

Christine

[Liam]

VED = Vacuum Erection Device  

Pentoxifylline (brand name Trental) is a prescription drug for improving blood flow in the extremities (hands and feet).  Lately it has been used for Peyronies Disease (in another extremity)

L-arginine is a supplement and a precursor to nitric oxide (needed for erections)

Viagra is the blue party pill   .

As you can deduce, the goal of these is to improve blood flow to the penis.  The VED and traction (in different ways) work to reshape the plaque causing the curve.  Oh yeah, traction is like a midevil torture device some sadist designed to increase the length of the penis.  It is worn all day.  Who knows if that works or if its worth it?  It may, however, help Peyronies Disease.

As Chistine said, read the "HIGHLIGHTS'" page. Select HOME then scroll down under General Category, Child Board -Newly Diagnosed Highlights

Good Luck

Liam

[mark501]

Has anyone on the forum started using GPLC (GLYCINE PROPIONYL-L-CARNITINE) ?  What effect if any are you having? And at what dosage. Thanks.  

[dahc]

If anyone is using DMSO they may want to check this out.

http://health.yahoo.com/asthma-allergies-2007/asthma/1010/alternative-therapy-for-allergies-risks-vs-benefits

[meanmrmustard]

I actually had an experience that backs this theory a few months ago: for some other reason, I had to take antibiotics. the first night after I took them, I woke up with an almost 'perfect' erection, something I haven't had in years. However, even though I kept taking the antibiotics for 5 days, the improved erection didn't ocurr again. can anyone offer a plausible explanation?

most of you will remember my post, cited above, and the reactions it provoced. anyway, I never stopped thinking about that incident and possible reasons why it only happened one night and not in the subsecuent nights, until it struck me: in order to suffer less digestive-problems while taking the antibiotics, I stopped taking the other supplements after the first day of the antibiotics treatment. that realized, I took two pills of the antibiotic zithromax after a few days, and I took my usual dose of L-arginie, which is 3x 500 mg. the result was what I had been hoping for: a strong and naturally feeling erection, increased sex drive etc. - the result was better than what i had been achieving with cialis.
I couldn't continue with the antiobiotics cause it messed up stomach and intestines so bad that my digestive system stopped working. however, I'm still amazed by what happened and feel my suspicion, that theres some kind of inflammation or infect that prevents me from getting normal erections, confirmed.

will soon continue taking zithromax, as soon as I have figured out a way to protect my digestive system meanwhile.

[Liam]

the result was what I had been hoping for: a strong and naturally feeling erection, increased sex drive etc. - the result was better than what i had been achieving with cialis

Glad it works for you.  Don't know how it could.  Remember R I C E

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation  

If anibiotics work, why not?  


JUST KIDDING!

[Tim468]

I participated in a long term study of azithromycin (zithromax) and erections was not a side effect listed - maybe we asked the wrong questions.

Azithromycin has strong anti-inflammatory qualities, but I doubt it could affect an erection quickly.

Previously, we have posited that you do not have Peyronies Disease or that the change in erectile quality proves the psychogenic nature of your problem. Have you done anything to check that out more?

Tim

[wasa]

Anybody has a few decent websites from where they order their supplements for Peyronie's Disease? Especially for Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Arginine and Vitamin E. Preferably from a European seller, but not necessary.

Thanks.

[Hawk]

Anybody has a few decent websites from where they order their supplements for Peyronie's Disease? Especially for Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Arginine and Vitamin E. Preferably from a European seller, but not necessary.

I know of no European sources but no one touches these prices in the United States plus Puritan tests out with good potency and purity.  I have no connection with this outfit other than as a long time customer.

www.puritan.com

[George999]

I agree with Hawk that Puritan's Pride is tops on both price and quality.  But I would also recommend iherb.com.  They are base in Los Angeles, but do ship to Europe.  But Puritan's Pride would be your first choice since they have locations in both Switzerland and Austria.

http://www.iherb.com

[George999]

I had my latest checkup recently with my Urologist (Dr. Culley Carson, UNC Chapel Hill) and was able to report some improvement, so I thought I'd share the same info with my friends here too.

I've been on Pentox almost 9 months now, maybe it takes that long for it to kick in or something. (?)

Background:
At 2-3 months of Pentox, my condition (upward curve) continued to worsen slightly, and had developed a slight left-sideward deviation as well.
At 4.5 months of Pentox, my condition had stablilized but not improved.

Now at 8.5 months, I can definitively say that all sideward deviation is gone.  My unit's perfectly centered when erect.  The plaque on the side (where it used to curve left) cannot be felt anymore.  Also, the upward curve is, in my subjective opinion, not as bad.  Visually it does not seem as sharp an angle as I remember it was a few months ago.  Intercourse has been easier lately and my unit does not seem to be as easily bendable, at the point of the curve, while erect.

All of this improvment has just occurred in the past 2-3 months.  It may be just due to the Pentox, but I had also made a few changes in my Oral Supplements at that point in time.  I replaced Arginine with Sann Vasoflow and tried a month on a PPC (Polyenylphosphatidylcholine)/SAMe regimen.  

Now, FWIW, my current oral intake list looks like this:

On empty stomach:
Sann Vasoflow (2 pills per day)
ALC (500 mg 2x/day)

After meal:
Pentox (2 per day)
Now Foods Gamma-E Complex (2 per day)
Jarrow PolyPC (1000mg 2x/day)
RxOmega-3 Factors (1x/day)

Myrddin, Thank you so much for posting this!  This is really encouraging.  It has been really frustrating to me to see so many people get on Pentox only to quit it after a few weeks with "no improvement".  I just have to wonder how many Pentox 'failures' are simply a result of people giving up far too soon.  I am really convinced that Peyronies happens as a result of issues at the cellular level and that expecting Pentox or any other drug or supplement to bring about meaningful progress in a few weeks or even a few months is highly unrealistic.  And by the way, thank you so much for detailing your supplement regimen.  So thank you for sticking it out and making it to the light at the end of the tunnel.  Please continue to keep us informed.  We pray that this progress will continue to the point that things are completely normal.  - George

[ThisSux]

FYI,

For those who are avoiding all supplements that could lead to increased collagen production (such as Lysine), I want to bring your attention to the fact that Whey protein powder (which many people use for muscle building) contains about 2grams of lysine per 25-30 grams of protein powder (about one scoop). This is quite a lot of lysine (I believe) and I think I will have to drop it from my supplements and look for a protein with an amino acid profile not so heavy on the Lysine.

Also Hawk and I have been discussing Lysine a bit via private message.  It seems that for reasons not completely understood.  Lysine + Arginine has a different effect on the body than either one taken separately.  The major point being that taking Lysine at the same point in time as Arginine blunts the effect of the Arginine and results in a different unwanted effect being potentiated.  Hawk initially brought this concern up in a generalized way, referencing a very good link (see below), after I suggested that Lysine should be taken along with Arginine in order to suppress Arginase.  Additional information seems to suggest that it also suppresses the desired NOS stimulant effect of Arginine as well.  So now I'm not so sure about taking these two together, in fact I am suspending it at this point and am taking them separately instead.  Hawk is apparently looking into this further.  It will be interesting to see what he finds.

- George

[George999]

You know, I think the key here is to not take them both at the same time together.  Almost all body builders successfully combine Whey and Arginine without losing Arginines NO boosting effect.  Arginine should always be taken on  an empty stomach and be allowed to be assimilated before taking Whey or anything else as I understand the process.  And, by the way, the absolute best form of Arginine I have found is SAN VasoFlow, which contains co-factors that significantly boost its NO effect by stopping Arginase dead in its tracks and perhaps even suppressing TGF-beta-1.  For months I tried one Arginine supplement after another only to be disappointed (they actually made my blood pressure higher).  Then I finally found the VasoFlow product, the effect of which I could immediately confirm with my lowered blood pressure readings.  Recently, I tried to switch back to the conventional Arginine products (I had six nearly full bottles of different brands).  Immediately my blood pressure went up.  They are now all in the trash and I am reordering the VasoFlow product.  I highly recommend it, but I would think twice about dropping the whey on the basis of the Lysine issue.

[meanmrmustard]

first I have to correct the name of the antibiotics. it's Ciprofloxacin NOT Zithromax. names are a little different here in spain, where I'm currently residing as an exchange student.

second, i have to say that everyone's sceptisism here was quite appropriate. I have taken the cipro/l-arginine combo again for 2 days, with reduced effect on the first day, and on the second day the only thing left was a fuller hang. so what happened is what always happens to me when taking supplements or drugs: good result at the beginning, with the effects wearing of within short time. BTW not even cialis is working for me anymore. it's like i was developing resistance for everything within amazingly short time.

no, i haven't had a possible psychological side to this checked out. I will, though i'm so sure it's physical. i mean i've had injections which were said to produce erections 99%. then i've had pain after sex for years, occasional pain also when doing nothing. hourglass, strange feeling testicles. in fact, the only time in recent years that I felt my package to be normal was the first 2 times after taking the antibiotic. my scrotum took a different shape, even when penis was flaccid, making that strange feeling go away, reminding me again how it used to be and is supposed to be. another strange observation: i applied an ice pack to my balls a few days ago, just to see what would happen - the penis filled with blood. will try that again soon.
have also been suffering swollen lymph nodes for years, particularly the ones in the groins, as well as cronic fatigue, which made me go for the infect/inflammation theory

i don't know what the next step could be, i'm growing desperate here. nothing left to check out

[Tim468]

I am currently a co-investigator of Ciprofloaxacin in treating lung disease. It too has no known effect on erectile quality or erection. Never been reported.

Arginine may increase blood flow to the penis.

Placing ice on the testicles is not my preferred way to induce blood flow to the penis. I highly recommend having a woman place her hand there instead - not that works for me (usually).

The absolutely over-the-top oddity of what you report here makes it beyond absurd. My advice is to haul your ass into a therapist and get started finding out what it is that has you making strange observations and non-physiologic connections between events and your penis health. What next? That you stood on a street corner and a diesel bus drove by, and your penis got hard? And yet, strangely, that has bever happened with a gasoline powered vehicle!?

If you keep on trying out new things in your desire to get an erection without addressing the bizarre and irrational connections that you are making here, you are likely to do harm to yourself.

Tim

[Tim468]

The supplement PolyPC is ddescribed as follows:

"PolyPC™ (Polyenylphosphatidylcholine), a specialized phospholipid, exerts powerful antioxidant activity on liver cells and protects against glutathione loss. Specifically, PolyPC™ contains polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines which are more unsaturated than endogenous phosphatidylcholines. PolyPC™ is highly absorbed via the lymph and circulation and concentrates in hepatocyte (liver cell) membranes. High concentrations of unsaturated phospholipids, such as PolyPC™, have been shown to increase the activity of enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, i.e. lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase.*
For optimum liver support, use in conjunction with Jarrow Formulas® Liver PF™, Alpha Lipoic Sustain™, or nutrients such as SAM-e (S-adenosylmethionine).
Take 1–3 softgels per day, preferably one with each meal."

Did you take this supplement to increase glutathione activity (Which I think of as a useful anti-oxidant)?

We have not discussed this supp much here - how did you come to chose to take it, if I may ask?

Tim

[ThisSux]

You know, I think the key here is to not take them both at the same time together.  Almost all body builders successfully combine Whey and Arginine without losing Arginines NO boosting effect.  Arginine should always be taken on  an empty stomach and be allowed to be assimilated before taking Whey or anything else as I understand the process.  And, by the way, the absolute best form of Arginine I have found is SAN VasoFlow, which contains co-factors that significantly boost its NO effect by stopping Arginase dead in its tracks and perhaps even suppressing TGF-beta-1.  For months I tried one Arginine supplement after another only to be disappointed (they actually made my blood pressure higher).  Then I finally found the VasoFlow product, the effect of which I could immediately confirm with my lowered blood pressure readings.  Recently, I tried to switch back to the conventional Arginine products (I had six nearly full bottles of different brands).  Immediately my blood pressure went up.  They are now all in the trash and I am reordering the VasoFlow product.  I highly recommend it, but I would think twice about dropping the whey on the basis of the Lysine issue.

Hi George,

My concern was not really with rendering Arginine ineffective (although thank you for bringing that to my attention), it was more with the potential for boosting collagen production. I know there is some debate about this, but I can't see any way that having extra collagen co-factors could possibly help peyronie's whereas it most certainly could hurt.

Arginine works pretty well for me, but I have found that I have needed to increase my daily dosage from 3 grams to 4.5
I will check out VasoFlow.

[George999]

I completely understand your concerns regarding collagen.  I was actually taking Lysine for a while and stopped for this very reason.  However, it is important to realize that the major factor with Peyronies is NOT how much collagen is being produced, rather, it is how that collagen production is being managed by the body.  So while I think you have a valid point, I also think that we can get carried away with reducing the intake of things that *might* be supporting the Peyronies.  I wouldn't be really so concerned about Lysine, since I would suspect that a whole range of foods you are probably consuming on a daily basis have significant Lysine content since it is a rather common nutrient.  I would have to see a study indicating that Lysine is in fact a bad thing for people with Peyronies before I would be very worried about it.  I still have the Lysine around and actually still take it on occasion.  At first I was worried about it, but I have learned no to be too religious about it now.  So if you stop taking the whey and after six months your Peyronies hasn't gotten noticeably improved, you can probably not worried about any negative effect from it.  - George

[George999]

MMM,  1) Taking Cipro like you are taking it, for ANY reason, is VERY unwise.  Cipro is a very powerful front line anti-biotic and taking it recklessly can result in it not be effective for you in the future when you might really need it.  EVEN if it IS helping you with your problem, it IS NOT a long term solution because continuing to use it will cause you problems that will be far worse than your stomach upset.  So, for your own well being, STOP the Cipro.  2) Arginine is fine and VERY safe as long as it is not taken with certain other drugs prescribed for heart issues.  SAN VasoFlow if you can get it is absolutely the best Arginine formulation hands down.  Arginine may well help you with your perceived problem.  3) The way that men 'feel' about their erections tends to change as we get older.  Thus, if we compare the way we feel now with the way we felt twenty years ago, it can seem mighty strange, but these changes are normal.  4) If your nighttime erections are normal, you likely do not have ED and really need to seek help on the psychological side of things as Tim has suggested.  If your nighttime erections are NOT normal, you need to get that checked/rechecked by a urologist.  5) If you really do have swollen lymph nodes, you need to get that issue specifically checked by a doctor as well, BUT evaluating lymph nodes is very subjective and while they might seem swollen by your perception, they may actually be quite normal.  6)  All of your anxiety over the shape of your scrotum and your flacid penis is really a huge waste of time on your part.  These are just not the kind of things that typically indicate a disease state, unless they have a tire print on them or something like that.  Pain is also not the best indicator of disease.  As we grow older we all experience weird pains and, yes, these pains can sometimes occur in the penis or scrotum.  As long as it is just a passing thing it usually means nothing.  But your fixation on these things is what is disturbing and is an indication that you may need to look at the psychological side of the equation.  There is a really strong / mind body connection and our mental state can easily suppress an erection with amazing success.

[meanmrmustard]

MMM,    ...4) If your nighttime erections are normal, you likely do not have ED and really need to seek help on the psychological side of things as Tim has suggested.  If your nighttime erections are NOT normal, you need to get that checked/rechecked by a urologist.  

I don´t have nighttime erections. have had only a handful of nighttime erections in the past years, one of them after taking antibiotic and l-arginine. but i see that posting symptoms in this forum isn´t the best way to get a diagnosis. will keep consulting professionals.

as to the connections that I draw, i know their hypothetical. but I don´t see the awkwardness of a possible connection between fatigue and ed - both came on about the same time, plus blood tests show how affected my immune system is with reduced white blood cells and a few other indications to a auto-immune reaction. general doctors haven't found the possible source of this immune reaction, at the same time my dick refuses to work, instead it does strange things, gives me pain and obtains strange looks and forms plus the swelling of the lymph nodes is present in various places, but far more extreme in the groins. whatever, will keep consulting professionals.

[George999]

MMM - I would certainly hope that you have had an HIV test.  I don't think HIV is likely, but if you haven't had it ruled out, you should.  Your problem really doesn't sound like classic ED.  Rather it sounds more like ED as a result of a deeper underlying condition.  At this point, I wouldn't worry so much about the ED or dealing with the ED.  You really need, instead, to do whatever is in your power to get the underlying systemic condition treated appropriately and once it is solved the ED will probably resolve on its own.  Cipro is not the answer either.  If your immune system is depressed, that could explain why the Cipro might help things.  But you just can't take it long term except under STRICT medical supervision, and even then it would not be desirable.  If you have actually got a measurable abnormality in your white cell count, you need the cause of that diagnosed and diagnosed as quickly as possible, so FORGET about the ED and deal with the obvious identifiable quantifiable problem.  Having said that, there ARE nutritional things that CAN depress the immune system and white cell count.  Zinc is one of them.  Too much Zinc in your diet, more than 30mg per day on a sustained basis can wreak havoc on your immune system.  There are probably other potential culprits out there.  On the other hand there are nutritional items that can SUPPORT your immune system.  One of them is Vitamin D, AT LEAST 1000mg per day.  Also, simple things like Vitamin C, Garlic (sustained low level antibiotic effect).  But in any case, you need to see an immunologist if necessary to deal with the cause of the white cell problem.  That is the red herring that really needs to be investigated, along with the lymph gland thing.  - George