My Peyronie's Story
I got Peyronie's disease in 2007 when I was 42 years old.
I noticed some symptoms in my penis, I did my research, I spoke to my wife, I went to see my doctor, he sent me to see a Urologist, I did some more research and fortunately I found a treatment that worked for me.
This is my story
How I Found Out That I Had Peyronie's Disease
I first noticed that something was not right when I started to have some painful erections. In the beginning I thought not too much off it, expected the penis pain to disappear within few days or so.
The pain however did not go away. Actually, it soon got considerable worse. The penile pain was sharp and constant during erection, and I felt sensation of tightening of the penis. This pain in my penis was getting quite uncomfortable and it was starting to affect my sexual enjoyment.
Then I noticed that the penis was no longer straight but slightly bent to one side. Soon it also seemed to me like the penis had shortened. I noticed these changes in my penis over the period of approximately 2 months, gradually increasing in intensity.
Having intercourse was starting to become painful and cumbersome. I was starting to worry that something was wrong and that my penis problems would not simply disappear with time.
When examining the penis I felt a lump inside it. The lump was located on the left hand side of it. By now, I was starting to get quite worried.
At first, I said nothing to my wife about my concerns but she soon noticed something was bothering me. When she asked me, I explained my worries to her but must admit I tried to downplay them somewhat.
She was very understanding but she did not believe that “wait and see” was the solution to my penis problems. She insisted I should see our doctor (GP) and of course, I obeyed (as you do).
The Diagnoses - The Doctors Appointment
I got doctor's appointment within few days. Having problems with your penis is far down on the list of illnesses you want to discuss with your doctor (or anyone for that matter). So I had to bite the bullet, take the bull by the horns and all that.
My GP was very professional (as they usually are) and made me feel as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. I explained the symptoms I was experiencing and he examined my penis and confirmed the lump.
He also looked at my hands and noticed some lump in my palm. It was nothing new, something I had always had, or at least for as long as I remembered. I later learned that men with Dupuytren's contracture (connective tissue disorder in the hands) seem to be more likely to develop Peyronie's disease.
My doctor quickly concluded that I had Peyronie's disease. I had never heard about it (who has?) but it sure didn't sound nice.
He explained that Peyronie's is not something you catch, nor is it sexually transmitted disease. I had suffered some kind of penis injury. As I was not aware of any severe penis injury or trauma, it was most likely to have happened over time during normal sexual intercourse.
The lump was a scar tissue that had started to form inside the penis. The body forms scar tissues when there is damage to a tissue, like when you cut yourself or have a surgical operation. The scar is part of the body's healing process.
My first impression was relief, that penis injury sounded much better than some kind of penis disease. You can recover from injury, right? I though soon found out it was not that simple.
He said I would have to see a specialist, i.e. Urologist. He then told me not to be too worried. Peyronie's will not kill you, you will not pass this on to your partner and there are treatment options available that may improve the situation.
His relaxed approach made me feel better, but before I left, I asked him to write down the name on this new disease of mine so I could do some more research on it.
Learning About The Peyronie's Disease - My Research
Now the next phase of my story began. I knew what the problem was... or at least I had a yellow sticky note with the words Peyronie's disease written on it.
The internet is a great source of information and is especially convenient when you are researching “embarrassing” illnesses. So as soon as I got home I Googled the name of my new embarrassing disease.
I got list of websites that explained what Peyronie's disease was. Most of them were informative but I was struggling to find a solution to my problem.
I wanted to find cure for my disease. I wanted to find ways to get rid of the penis pain, to straighten my bent penis and to stop the penis shrinkage. I did not want to end up with severely deformed penis.
Soon enough a picture started to emerge in my head. I learned that there is currently no cure for Peyronie's disease.
I also found out that there is lot of uncertainty about the disease, e.g. what causes it and how best to treat it. I discovered that there are some treatment options available but not one universally agreed Peyronie's treatment.
I found some websites offering some form of treatments but I was struggling with which one I could trust. I found information about drugs to fight the disease but very mixed reviews about if they worked or not.
I also found some information about using penis enlargement device to help straighten the bent penis, but again, was struggling to find scientific evidence for their effectiveness.
Many of the websites I found were for Urology clinics, many promoting surgical operation as the only viable option. The risk involved made it sound extreme and something I would be reluctant to undertake except as the absolute last resource.
I found some forums about the Peyronie's disease, which was good to read through, though sometimes it left me with more questions than answers. Reading the forums was however very helpful as it helped me to realize that I was not alone in the world with this horrible penis problem.
At the end of my initial research, I knew lot more about the Peyronie's disease but was still unsure about how to solve my penis problems. Doing the research however helped me to feel a little bit more in control (information is power) and ready to face the next step.
Meeting The Urologist
I had to wait approximately four weeks for my appointment with the Urologist. I used the time researching everything I could find about my condition.
The outlook didn't feel too good. I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about meeting the specialist.
All my Peyronie's symptoms were still there, though fortunately the penis curvature did not prevent sexual intercourse. It was manageable, especially since my wife was fully aware of the situation and we were able to adjust our love making accordingly.
However, the pain in penis was as bad as ever, reducing my sexual appetite and the penis shrinkage was starting to bother me.
My wife came with me to see the Urologist. Some might find it inhibiting but I felt more relaxed having her alongside me.
The mind does not always grasp what you are being told when you are nervous or anxious. Your partner can help you to remember what the doctor said and to ask questions you might have forgotten or not thought about if you are on your own.
The Urologist started by examining me and confirming the diagnosis. He explained that the lump is a scar tissue that my body was forming and my penis pain was a result of the scar tissue being stretched during erection.
The scar tissue is very soft in the early stage of formation but gradually becomes harder. It is during this period that you are likely to experience penis pain and painful erections. This period is called the acute or active phase and usually lasts up to 12 - 18 months.
He said the penis pain should go away on its own when I reached the next stage, i.e. the chronic or stable phase.
He explained that the penile curvature is because the scar tissue is pulling the top part of the penis towards the lower part. The penis shrinkage is related to this, i.e. caused by the scar tissue pulling the penis tissues together.
The penis curvature is unfortunately unlikely to get better on its own but can continue to get worse during the acute stage of the disease.
I already knew most of this, thanks to my on-line research, so I was more interested in what treatment he would recommend. He was quite vague and strictly speaking not very encouraging.
My Options According To The Urologist
The Urologist explained that there were surgical operations available that could restore bent and deformed penises. Surgery is though only recommended for the worst cases.
As long as the bending of the penis was not interfering too much with my sexual intercourse, he would not consider penis surgery for me.
Anyway, it normally takes up to 18 months for the disease to stabilize and surgery is never performed in the acute phase as the conditions are still developing. We would have to “wait and see” if I needed surgery when I had reached the chronic phase.
I must admit this threw me a little bit. Was the Urologist really recommending that I just “wait and see and hope” that my condition does not get too bad? Was there nothing I could do to prevent the situation from getting worse, or ideally improve it?
He said there were some drugs available but none that had been proved to reverse the Peyronie's process for sure (this was early 2008).
Many patients took Vitamin E as it was believed to reduce the growth of the scar tissue. However, this had not been scientifically proven (most specialists now do not recommend Vitamin E as it is believed to be useless for the Peyronie's condition).
His recommendation was therefore to use painkillers like Paracetamol or Ibuprofen to reduce the penis pain and Vitamin E to fight the scar tissue during the acute phase.
I must admit, that to me this felt like a lousy plan. I felt like I was leaving this important part of me up to fate.
So I asked him about all the other treatments I had read about on-line, including about penis enlargement devices. He had not even heard about it as a treatment option for Peyronie's.
This is one of the problems with this disease. Peyronie's is relatively rare condition so few Urologists can be considered as specialists in the condition. They might not be familiar with all the treatment options available or the latest developments.
Finding the right Urologist is therefore important, especially if you are likely to require penis plastic surgery.
I left the Urologist practice somewhat deflated, having seen a specialist and all he could recommend was to wait and hope for the best, munching painkillers and Vitamin E while doing so.
The Role Of The Partner
My wife was extremely supportive from the minute she found out about my concerns. Her support was vital for me.
The Peyronie's disease does not only affect your body, it does also affect your spirit. It has been estimated that around 50% of men with Peyronie's get depressed at some point and recent Study confirms this.
Having the support of my wife made all the difference to me. She reassured me about her love and support. Her concern was for me as a person, not for my penis. She told me, and believe me, I would not have thought of this on my own...
“You men sometimes see your penis as the beginning and end of all. Even though it may be hard for you to admit it, most women don't. Don't get me wrong though. Good sex life is important to most women but for most of us, it is more about the intimacy then the equipment used.”
We made sure we stayed intimate and we made sure we communicated through it all. She asked me how I felt and she listened to me. I also asked her how she felt, instead of assuming I knew her feelings.
We researched together, we meet the Urologist together and we discussed the available treatment options together.
Peyronie's can be isolating, as it is not something you can talk openly about with whomever. Having someone to share the load is priceless.
If you have a partner or wife, do not shy away discussing your condition and worries with them. They are likely to be as concerned as you are. They are much more likely to want to support you then leave you. However, they might not know how to support if you don't let them in.
If you are single, consider confiding in a good friend or family member. If that is not a feasible option, then an on-line Peyronie's forum could be a great source of support for you.
I know that my wife's support helped me during those difficult times. She not only provided me with emotional support, she also offered practical support.
Let's face it... I would not have seen a doctor this early on without her pushing me. I have since learned that time is your enemy if you have Peyronie's disease.
The sooner you start treatment, the better results you are likely to get.
My Peyronie's Treatment
So I left the Urologist practice somewhat deflated. Having seen a specialist and all he could recommend was taking painkillers and Vitamin E and then “wait and see” and hope for the best.
It did not appeal to me to suffer for another year with harsh pain in my penis and possibly less sexual ability. I was not willing to leave my condition up to chance. That felt like giving up on my dear friend.
I wanted to try some sort of treatment but the big question was which one. So I did some more research and discussed the various options back and forth with my wife.
In the end, I decided to try the Penis Traction Device. Why? Had the Urologist not ruled it out?
He only ruled it out because he had not heard of it, not because he knew it did not work. Nevertheless, when I applied my common sense to the problem, then penis stretching device made good sense to me.
The formation of the scar tissue was causing my penis pain. With time, the scar tissue would become harder and less elastic and cause more penis curvature and penis shrinkage.
Applying reversed stretching motion on the penis and stretching the scar tissue while it was still relatively elastic, might help reversing the process in my opinion. Hope this makes sense to more than me (and my wife).
So I conducted further internet research about the benefits of using penis enlargement device.
I found some medical studies that indicated some encouraging results of using penile traction devices for men with Peyronie's disease.
Including the then Recent Study after Wendy Hurn, Urology Specialist Practitioner at Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK.
The study concluded that for those who cannot or will not undergo the surgical option, then Andropenis is a real alternative.
Men that participated in the study there had been marked improvement of between 30 - 45% degrees of angulations of the penis, reduced discomfort and in most cases the men had been able to resume sexual intercourse.
This sounded quite promising to me. I knew I could not expect any miracles but I was willing to do almost anything to stop the situation from getting worse. At this point, I saw all improvements to my condition simple as bonus.
I also looked for information about any possible side effects of using the penis enlargement device for my condition. I could not find any claims about adverse side effects or that using penis traction device could make my situation worse.
I discussed this option with my wife and she agreed with me that the potential benefits seemed to outweigh any potential risk (which actually seemed none at this point). I finally started to feel a bit more optimistic about my penis problems.
Penis Traction Device
I had finally decided on my treatment plan, I was going to try penis enlargement device to fight my Peyronie's disease.
I found an on-line supplier that I felt was trustworthy, Andromedical. Their website is very informative, lot of practical advice and they attach number of medical studies that verify their claims.
It was important to me that their Andropeyronie is a medically prescribed device for penis curvature correction. When dealing with deformed penis you should use proper approved equipments, not any cheap “sex shop” versions.
I bought my Andropeyronie and few days later, it arrived in the post in plain discrete packaging. Starting a treatment made me feel so much better about my situation. I was at least trying something, not just leaving my destiny in the hands of fate.
The Andropeyronie comes with very good and clear instructions, as well as with a short video that shows exactly the best way to fit the enlarger on the penis. It is important to follow the instructions carefully.
It felt a little bit strange first to put the stretcher on my penis but like with everything else, practice makes perfect. It is recommended to use the penis stretcher for only short periods for the first few days.
When fitting the stretcher on your penis you will feel tension in it. It is important not to stretch it too much, but the instructions tell you exactly how much tension you should apply to it. Holding it in place to put the straps on takes few practice runs, but soon you will be able to fit the penis perfectly in the stretcher.
I did not feel any discomfort associated with the stretching. I certainly did not feel the pain I experienced during erection. I though felt some discomfort around the neck of my penis after wearing the penis stretcher for few hours. This is perfectly normal, the penis is basically telling you it is time to give him a rest for a while.
As I do office work, I could wear the penis stretcher while working, just had to wear loose trousers. I usually used it for 2-3 hours at the time and then rested it for couple of hours before taking another session. I used it for at least 6 - 7 hours a day, sometimes longer.
After starting using the penis enlargement device, I quickly noticed some improvements in my Peyronie's symptoms. Within few weeks, I stopped feeling the penis pain during erection.
Soon after that, I noticed that my penile curvature had reversed slightly. To me these were very positive signs and gave me hope that this treatment might even improve my condition. I started to get my confidence back and could enjoy my love making with my wife again.
I used the Andropeyronie for approximately 6 months. Today, my penis is still slightly bent but much less than it was when I started my treatment. I did not measure it before or after, but the improvement is very clearly noticeable to my wife and me.
I was very satisfied with this result as I never expected it to become 100% straight again, i.e. due to the presence of the scar tissue inside my penis.
My ultimate Peyronie's treatment goal was to stop the penis curvature from getting worse, to avoid ending up with severely deformed penis. I saw any improvement to my bent penis as a bonus.
I felt that I had hit the jackpot, as I got much better than I had expected. My penis is almost straight now (slightly bent upwards left) and it did gain back its former length and some more. It has also become slightly thicker than before.
If you get Peyronie's your penis is likely to stay somewhat bent without surgery. However, the less curved the better. The penis stretcher can help to minimize the penis curvature.
I now know I'm not the only one that has seen great improvements with using penile traction devices for fighting the Peyronie's symptoms.
I guess I cannot say I am Peyronie's free as there is currently no cure available. Just like when you break your arm. The arm may have healed but it is not the same as when you were born.
Having had Peyronie's disease is likely to make me more vulnerable for getting it again. No one seems to know why, but men that have had problems with Peyronie's before are more like to have it again (flaring up or new plaque forming?). I'm aware of this risk and keep a good eye on my friend.
My Peyronie's condition improved so much that the Peyronie's disease does not affect my sex life today.
I will never know for sure if my improvement is solely because of my treatment or not. However, as only 5 - 15% of Peyronie's cases resolve without any treatment I'm very glad I did not risk it.
Peyronie's disease is not a life threatening disease but it can influence your sex life badly and very likely affect most aspects of your life, including your relationship with your spouse.
It is therefore important to address it as soon as possible, to avoid threatening the health of your penis and your future sex life.
The good news is that the Peyronie's disease does not rule my life anymore. It does not limit my sex life or affect my life in any other way.
I guess you can easily imagine how good that makes me feel.
Ps. since I had my Peyronie's treatment in 2008 new products aimed to treat Peyronie's disease have become available. Andromedical introduced the Andropeyronie few years ago, a penis traction device that allows you to control the direction of the traction. While the Peyronies Device came available in 2013.
Both devices offer directional traction, making them ideal for correcting penis curvature. I have personally inspected both devices and tried them on and I'm comfortable in recommending both for men with Peyronie's disease. See my reviews:
I have also tried the Phallosan Forte and I find it another interesting option for men with Peyronie's. Phallosan does not offer directional traction but it is comfortable to wear and you can wear it while you sleep. Being able to wear the device for more hours each day may outweigh the potential benefits of using directional traction.
I strongly feel all three are good options for those men with Peyronie's that may benefit from traction therapy. Mainly men with mild or moderate penis curvature though Bob's Story shows that even men with severe curvature can benefit from using traction device.
If you on the other hand suffer from erectile dysfunction as well as Peyronie's, then you should consider vacuum pump, like the Androvacuum.
Where to buy Andropeyronie?
You can buy the Andropeyronie directly from this website. If you do that, you support my effort in maintaining this free website to support other Peyronie's sufferers. The price is the same as if you buy directly from the manufacturer.
