OP: Viagra after Spinal Cord Injury

Update:

I have seen a urologist and received samples of Viagra and Cialis. Yes, I screened out of other possible health issues, with the exception of my spinal cord injury related problems...

Last night I tried the Viagra without telling my wife (in an attempts to make this a neutral experiment). I initially took the standard 50mg, but when I felt nothing after an hour, I took another dose (100mg total for the evening). Another hour went by and I had no target or side effects. Regardless, my wife and I began a little sexual touching as foreplay. I achieved an erection, but it was nothing different from what I had encountered on my own (barely hard enough for intercourse). I have heard from friends and read on this forum that the erections Viagra helped to provide were "very rigid". Well, that was not me last night. To add to the frustration and just like the Cialis commercials, we were interrupted with a family issue and were never able to return to our sexual play. I didn't get hard again the rest of the night, although I had a strong desire to have sex.

So, am I one of the few that do not respond to Viagra? Once again, I hardly have trouble getting an erection. My problem is remaining hard enough to start intercourse sometimes and complete intercourse most of the time. Obviously, my first use of Viagra was not a complete trial because there was no penetration involved. I plan to try another 100mg dose soon, as well as the Cialis even later. Any comment in the meantime?

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it...

Z-Man.

Posted: 23 Sep 06:35

Just follow what the doc said try the meds; try the other if needed (not together though). If no results call the office & explain then f/u as the urologist suggests.

sera300

Posted: 23 Sep 06:35

In addition to what you and Sera stated, Viagra does not work for everybody. Cialis and Lavitra use different chemicals and may give you a better result.

dancingdoc2

Posted: 23 Sep 06:35

Well, in fact, they all three have the same active ingredient - sildenafil citrate. The big difference is in how they are released into the body. And, yes, sometimes one works when another has not.l Not too often, however.

Please, please work with your urologist on this. I am certain there are some success stories in similar aituations to yours and some where no drug helps. Also, get your urologist in touch with the treating neurologist is at all possible. AND NO MORE DOUBLING UP. Take as your urologist has directed. He may be groping aorund trying to find a solution and your home cooking may mess that up.

Brandye

Posted: 23 Sep 06:36

Brandye (and everyone else),

Thanks for your concern about "doubling up" on the Viagra, but 25-100mg is indeed the therepudic range for erectile dysfunction. The staggered way that I took the two 50mg tablets was indicated via the instructions on the sample packet. Believe me, I don't plan to take any overdose chances with my liver or penis.

As for the Lavitra, my urologist is reluctant to offer a sample of it. His opinion is that it will not be any different than the Viagra. I see that this seems to be a debate with some physicians out there in doing a quick Internet search. If the Viagra doesn't work the second time (nor the Cialis another time) and with a more controlled environment, then I will push a little harder (ha, no pun intended) to try the Lavitra.

Live, Love, and Laugh!

Z-Man.

Posted: 23 Sep 06:36

I am back. Time out to set a broken arm in the middle of the night.

I am quite aware of the therapeutic range. I am also aware that most doctors will "sneak up on it" with these meds.

Now, to complete my response. One of the seldinafil drugs may help with your erection. They will not likely help much with the ejaculation unless the increased sensitivity works well. Seldinafil citrate is a circulatory drug and is used, in other meds, not for ED for for other circulatory issues. If the source of your problem is truly sirculatory, by all means try them all. It is important to note that the apparent desenstisation may not be circulatory at all but a neuropathy. Therefore, I recommend you get your neurologist involved.

Because the three drugs are so similar, do not get overly high expectations. A flacid penis is completely capable of ejaculating and your inability to do so may be causing your doctor to hesitate in continuing this line of treatment.

Men do not typically come to me for ED problems - but their wives drag them in and in this small community they are almost as hesitant to approach my two (male) colleagues. I have as yet to find anyone who responded to one of these drugs after another one completely failed. If there is a glimmer of response, one of the others may get to you better. If there is no response, I have not found the others to work.

Brandye

Posted: 23 Sep 06:36

Damned you are fortunate! I would discuss on of the drugs with a urologist. I cannot see why they should have an issue w/you trying it, there are others ED drugs which last longer allowing you to be ready when the time arises...

Given your situation I would ask. I do know with prostate surgery (nerve sparing technique) the patient is supposed to use ED drugs to re-stimulate/awaken the nerves. However this is used for a limited time post op. I would think similarly, it would help you out. Ask your urologist!

sera300

Posted: 23 Sep 06:36

My boyfriend, 37, was in a very bad car wreck 2 years ago and broke 5 vertebra. He suffers ED, and also has the trouble you describe in urinating. The nerve damage makes it harder to get an erection, harder to cum, and harder to sustain an erection. He also finds that the overall pain in his body (he also has traumatic arthritis in both knees and ankles, which were shattered in the accident and rebuilt) will often make him go soft. I would also say that we run the 1 out of 10 ratio of him achieving orgasm. (And, like you, he is a wonderful, caring lover who satisfies me greatly, even with these difficulties.)

Our experience with ED drugs has been that they work quite well in allowing him to maintain an erection, but do nothing to allow/enable him to orgasm. He likes to use it for the intimacy of him being in side of me, but I don't think that he has actually had an orgasm with ED drugs in his system.

Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you is that we recently tried using a small vibrator at the base of his penis while I am stimulating him manually or orally (as you mentioned, it takes more stimulation than is received vaginally for him to orgasm). What he has experienced is that the vibrator itself doesn't do much for him directly, but it somehow wakes up the nerves and allows him to feel what I am doing. He had an amazing orgasm the first time we tried this, just a few weeks ago, and we have been experimenting with it since then. Some days it works better than others, and you have to play around with the placement of the vibrator, but it has really helped with his sensation levels. After trying this, we also tried a vibrating cock ring, but that didn't seem to work for him.

Good luck!

gigi

Posted: 23 Sep 06:36