Penile Injection Therapy

Disclaimer The contents of this presentation, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this presentation. 4/22/2019

Before Your Appointment… Your provider has recommended penile injection therapy as a treatment option for erectile dysfunction. Please review this brief presentation before your scheduled injection teaching appointment. Please bring your reading glasses (if your wear them) to your appointment. Please do NOT take Viagra, Cialis, Levitra or Stendra 24 hours before your teaching appointment. Spouse / significant other encouraged to attend teaching session. 4/22/2019

What is Injection Therapy? Injection therapy is a treatment option for men who either cannot take or have failed Viagra, Cialis, Levitra or Stendra. Has been in use for many years with good safety record. Using a thin needle (similar to those used in diabetics) a medicine (vasodilator) is injected into the side of the penis. This helps to increase blood flow to the penis which causes an erection. The medicine works in ~10 minutes so it is best to give yourself an injection before foreplay. The erection may last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours. Unlike a natural erection (when your penis goes soft after climax) with injection therapy your penis will stay erect until the medicine wears off. 4/22/2019

Where Can I Get The Medicine? Most penile injection medications are manufactured and distributed by a compound pharmacy. You can not get this medicine from a non-compound pharmacy such as CVS, Walmart, Rite-Aid etc. There are many compound pharmacies to choose from and you will receive a list from your urology provider. Most compound injection medicines last from 1-3 months (need to check expiration date on your bottle). 4/22/2019

Will My Insurance Cover The Medicine? Most insurance companies do NOT cover prescription medication for erectile dysfunction. Some insurance companies cover prescription meds but will NOT cover compound medicines. You will need to check with your insurance company if they cover medicine. Depending on which compound pharmacy you use the medicine is ~ 150.00 dollars (for one bottle) which should last you 1-3 months (depending on which compound pharmacy you use). 4/22/2019

What Are The Names Of The Medicines? There are many different options and varieties of penile injection medicine. Most common are: - Alprostadil - Bimix (phentolamine and papaverine) - Trimix (phentolamine, papaverine and alprostadil) 4/22/2019

How Often Can I Use The Medicine? You can use the penile injection medicine no more than 3 times a week. If you are going to inject on back to back days (Friday and Saturday for example) you need to have 24 hours in between injections (If injecting at 8pm on Friday night you need to wait until 8pm on Saturday night). 4/22/2019

What Are The Risks Of Injection Medicine? Pain – Some men have pain with the injection. Most men are pleasantly surprised the therapy is not as awful as they thought! - Some of the ingredients used in the medicine to produce an erection can cause pain. If this happens notify your provider so they can adjust the formulation. Infection – You will use an alcohol wipe on the penis to prevent an infection. Bleeding – You will apply pressure to the injection site for 3 minutes to prevent bleeding or bruising. 4/22/2019

What Are The Risks Of Injection Medicine? Scar tissue – You need to rotate injection sites to prevent scar tissue. If scar tissue develops you may notice a curvature to your erect penis. Priapism – Painful, rigid penis over 4 hours. If this happens you need to go to the local Emergency Room for treatment. Your provider will review these and other potential risks during your office visit. 4/22/2019

How Much Time Is Involved In The Injection Teaching Appointment? Each patient has 60 minutes for the penile injection teaching appointment. This allows time to answer your questions and practice drawing up the medicine. We will observe your self injection technique and monitor the results. Remember this is a teaching appointment. Our goal is for you to understand the injection steps so you can safely follow the steps at home. 4/22/2019

What Are The Steps In Penile Injection? 1 3 2 4 4/22/2019

We hope this presentation helps you understand the purpose of penile injection therapy and we look forward to partnering with you in your urological care. 4/22/2019