Post prostatectomy, no erections, use pump: Discouraged, any tips?

They say it can take up to 2 years for things to settle down.
Do you know if nerves were spared?

Have you tried Trimix? They have injections you can put into your penis that give you an erection. It’s not painful and works well. Sometimes a person will have a problem with one of the drugs in that Trimix But removing it can you get your erections without a problem

Another option is the implant. People who get it are very pleased with it Ask around and find a doctor that specializes in it.

@peterj116 yes i had nerve sparing surgery, feels like it wants to work but doesnt.
does anyone get on testosterone after or is it taboo now?

@disatisfied Testosterone would affect your libido but not ease your ED.

@disatisfied We're fairly close in age (I'm 61) and surgery date (13 months ago, for me).
The pump is essential for getting blood to the area, but I'm with you - no difference noticed at all.

Were you prescribed Cialis?
I was on 5mg per day for a few months & nothing happened.
So I'm about to collect my new prescription - 20mg twice a week.
Hopefully that'll make some difference.

But as we all learn throughout this, the waiting is the most difficult part.
Do you do the Kelgel exercises?
They do help some guys - but not me.

Most prostatectomy patients today are advised to begin early and consistent penile rehabilitation therapy with a PDE5 inhibitors (e.g. Cialis, Viagra) and a vaccum pump in order to maintain tissue health and eventually regain nerve function, assuming nerve-sparing surgery. It takes time and a different amount of time for everyone.

A typical progression would be Cialis daily with increasing amount if no spontaneous erections and then Viagra for sexual activity, as guided by a doctor or experienced therapist (caution on total amount of PDE5 inhibitors). And then as others have advised, Trimix can be used for sexual activities. Some choose implants. The rehabilitation goal is to support penile health and then, perhaps with medical aids, sexual function. You can find a lot of good information on therapies online at PCRI / PCF, at the prostate cancer centers of excellence (e.g. Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins, UCSF,) and various related medical groups (e.g. JAMA). Many doctors and therapists specialize in this field.

@peterj116 I take cialis daily and occasionally take a 20mg, tried viagra 100 2 months back ,i felt it do its job but no erection,
i do kegels
i use a tens device for nerve stim, 1 pad at perineum and 1 pad on lower back.

@jsh327 ill say i regret the surgery.lol

@disatisfied Remember that “nerve-sparing” surgery can mean many things. Did they completely spare both nerve bundles? Or 100% of one but 0% of the other? Or 50% of one and 10% of the other? Or some other %s? Only your surgeon can answer that. Even touching and moving the nerve bundles can damage them.

This 2023 presentation out of Stanford University might provide you some ideas to discuss with your medical team —> “Penile Rehab: Optimizing Recovery of Erectile Function after Prostate Cancer Treatment” —> https://youtu.be/aRp1NXjPGLE

I think you got some excellent advice in the comments, especially from @jeffmarc and @jsh327. I'm not a medical professional nor an expert in this, but since you asked for advice I'll share my layman thoughts. Using the pump is good. I did that as well. I wasn't able to use it for sex, but it did allow me to get some blood into the penis regularly. You didn't mention if you're doctor has you on daily cialis and/or viagra when trying to get an erection. My doctor had me on both; daily 5mg cialis and 100 mg viagra when trying to have sex. I had also read on this board that someone's PT had them take L-Citrulline, so I took that as well. I also took vitamins and magnesium. I have no idea if the L-Citrulline, vitamins, or magnesium helped, but I'm pretty sure the cialis and viagra were important to my recovery. I did get back to normal at about 15 months, but it was so very very slow progress. My doctor had already told me the next step was Trimix (shots) and I had decided that if I didn't keep improving I'd move to them by 1 year. What I didn't realize at that time is Trimix shots can help in the penile rehab and can be part of the recovery process, so starting shots doesn't mean you have to stay on them forever. I didn't understand that back then. So that's my story. I have no idea what's best for you, but I do think having an ongoing conversation with your doctor is very important. If he isn't experienced in male sexual health, hopefully he can refer you to someone who is. Best wishes.