Injectable Medications for Sexual Enhancement

Injectable medications to create erections had been in use for some time before they were finally approved by the government as treatments for ED. In the early 1980s, for instance, papaverine, a smooth muscle relaxant, was injected to produce erections.

But the most famous demonstration of a drug's ability to create an instant erection came in 1983 when, at a Las Vegas medical conference, British physician and researcher Giles Brindley, presenting a lecture on the pharmacology of erectile dysfunction, suddenly and dramatically dropped his pants. Brindley demonstrated to the startled audience that, as a result of injecting his penis with the medication phenoxybenzarnine a short time before, he had a very impressive erection. The audience was convinced.

Not long after, New York urologist Adrian Zorgniotti began his own research, eventually developing a mix of papaverine and phentolamine that appeared to work quite well when injected into the penis. Urologists soon added a third ingredient, prostaglandin El. Eventually, they found that different combinations worked on different patients and they began to design custom formulas for each man, discovering through trial and error which combination worked best to give him an erection that was hard enough and lasted long enough to satisfy him and his partner.

In 1995, when the FDA approved medication that could be injected directly into the penis to create an erection, many men, and their partners, cringed. The vivid image of stabbing a needle into this highly sensitive organ was rather frightening and unappealing to say the least.

But resistance was soon overcome when it became apparent that this form of treatment was very effective for many men. The first approved medication was Caverject, made by the pharmaceutical company, Upjohn. The active ingredient, alprostadil, is a form of prostaglandin El, which had been used in penile injections for many years, even though it was not FDAapproved as an impotence treatment.

Caverject is designed for a man to use at home. After instruction in his doctor's office, he can use it by himself (or with his partner's assistance) prior to intercourse. The needle used with Caverject is very small and thin, and most men say they experience only a quick, painless sting as they inject it.

Caverject acts in about ten minutes, giving most men a firm, natural erection that can last for up to an hour or more. Studies have indicated an 85 percent rate of effectiveness for this treatment.

The drug is injected after the user mixes a container of powdered alprostadil with a saline solution already in the syringe that comes in the box. The exact dosage must be worked out under medical supervision.

Edex, manufactured by Schwarz Pharma, is another FDA approved Injectable alprostadi product, which became available in 1997. The formula is somewhat different from that of Caverject (although the active ingredient is the same), less costly, and patients have the option of using a smaller needle (the kit contains two). An optimal dose for each patient Is determined in the doctor's office and should result in an erection within five to twenty minutes after use. At optimal dose, a man's erection will last from twenty to sixty minutes.

Injectable drugs like these do have potential side effects. In addition to pain, some men have bleeding at the site of the injection. Another danger is a prolonged erection (priapism) that lasts more than four hours. If this happens, A man must seek immediate medical assistance to bring down his erection (which is done through the injection of another medication); otherwise, the result can be permanent damage to his penis and irreversible ED.

Furthermore, the Injections can't be used every day, so men and their partners who like to have sex more frequently may not be completely satisfied. This form of therapy is also fairly expensive, costing up to $25 per shot.

Another downside is the artificial aspect of a man injecting himself to get an erection. Some women say they feel left out because he can get an erection without them. An important part of sex for most people is the feeling that your partner is aroused and experiences pleasure because of you, not because he has given himself an injection. Nonetheless, injection therapy was prescribed to about 183,000 patients in the first year after it was introduced.

Because of the interruption of lovemaking, the discomfort and possible pain, and the fact that many men don't want to be bothered mixing up a drug compound and injecting themselves, it is likely that many of those using injectable drugs will switch to Viagra, at least until they see if the pill works for them.