A Process of Elimination

[defiant]

Guys, just to warn you, this post may get a bit gross at points, I'm sorry! But who said the human body was an always-beautiful thing?!

So I love Star Trek. And one of my favourite characters is Spock, who's Vulcan. They suppress emotion (something I could do with now) and base everything on logic. One of their notions is that in trying to find the truth....

'Once you have eliminated all possibilities, whatever remains, however unlikely, must be the truth'

So that is what I am trying to do, to think logically and work out what the F*** is wrong with me and my rebellious penis. Therefore I have begun a list of all the areas which can affect erections. It's long but you can simplify it.

- Penile Anatomy / Veins: 2 specialist ultrasounds saying good function, no VL, no Veno Occlusive disorder. Negative EDV in one and <5cm/s EDV in the latest one. 1 ultrasounds run by a generic urologist identified mild venous leak but this was a poorly run test.
- Body / Physical state: Good BMI, healthy, toned, athletic.
- Testosterone: tested 3 years ago and in normal ranges. Don't know the figure. Had a battery of bloods taken 10 days ago including testosterone. Assuming they are in normal ranges.
- Bloods / Hormones: again, these have been tested many many times over the years due to my battle with Lymphoma. They have been normal aside from low Vit D. Again, I don't know the results of the ones taken 10 days ago.
- Pelvic Floor: Undetermined. Now this is where it gets a bit gross, forgive me!!! When I pee, it will take a long time to shake it all out. Even a long shake and sometimes I will notice that my pants are wet because it's still leaking out. This is similar to ejaculation. When I cum, I wipe, it's gone, great. Or is it?! No! Fluid will still seep out for minutes after ejaculating. And with number 2s! When I go, I wipe and make sure it's all clean but if I wipe again some hours later, some more has come out and if I wipe again, the paper will be dirty. Could this be a weak pelvic floor problem?

This leaves Mind:

Because of years of this, I have developed a complex. I'm also clinically OCD now because of it.
My mind is a wasteland of anxiety, depression, fear, stress, guilt and horror. This is my main area for attack.

They're all telling me it's all in my head but I just don't think anxiety can have had such dramatic effects on my penis such as no morning wood or long stretches without.

My pelvic floor seems to be another area for investigation. Maybe the key.

[charlesr]

The urine and feces seems like it could be a pelvic floor deal. The semen is just the viscosity. When I - in the good ol' days before my radical prostatectomy - would ejaculate, the semen would stick around for a good half hour.

[Lost Sheep]

Your symptoms mirror mine very well except for the anal leakage. I recommend you try as best you can to change your attitude towards what you feel is a failure on your part to seeing it as a physical condition. It may not help cure the symptoms of the physical problems, but it will help with your stress levels.

I can no more maintain a 20 minute erection than I can run a 4-minute mile, but I accept both as equally me, and do not fault myself for either "shortcoming". I accept them as facts of life for my body. I have accepted my E.D. and am now taking positive steps to remedy it.

I have had some challenges in my life and sometimes felt helpless and very badly about myself. But whenever I took the "bull by the horns" I felt better. (And often succeeded in getting better.) I opine you would, too, if you felt you were taking control of your situation(s), which you now seem to be. Good luck. MY prayers are with you.

Sherlock Holmes, explaining his deduction process in "The Sign of the Four" chapter 6 published in 1890. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come?"

I understand Star Trek and Mr. Spock borrowed heavily from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Lost Sheep

[oowright]

The quotation by defiant is found also in "TENEBRAE". Maybe also "stealing" from Sir Arthur Conon Doyle?

The description about feaces is for me many, many years ago and before my ED. I always clean with water and soap, since slippery, I use my fingers to clean inside the sphincter of the rectum. At my age I believe I simply "ooze" out sperm at orgasm - a girlfriend called my attention that 30" after, I was still oozing! Quite thick also. However, whenever I've been drinking a lot of fluids, and I get a really intense orgasm, it spurts out - all of it!

Try some lifestyle changes maybe? NOWHARD's potion could be helpful but you need to be patient to allow things you try to work out. I see that you don't have enough of the patience that's imperative in your situation.

Good luck ...

[Andy425]

I don't know your history (did you have PC? How old are you?) so some of this may be irrelevant.

If you still have your prostate gland, then you still have the sphincter muscle that is attached to your prostate, so the pelvic floor muscles shouldn't have anything to do with urine leakage. When the gland and that sphincter come out, then the PFMs do matter.

Anal leakage: There is also a sphincter muscle that controls this, but some people who get butcher jobs when getting treated for PC can have the nerves that control this sphincter disturbed, resulting in life-long bowel leakage.

[djsmith650]

What happens when you take PDE5 Inhibitors(Viagra/Cialis/etc?) I had very similar tests and they determined the problem was that my body produces too much adrenaline, which prevents smooth muscle relaxation in my penis. I'm now on AlphaBlockers and my life is normal after battling this my whole life.

[defiant]

DJsmith - Cialis works well for me. A few years ago I would have said it makes me a rock star but increased anxiety blah blah, you know the story. It works though.

May I ask how you had your adrenaline tested? What blood test is that a part of? An endocrine profile?

[Miro30]

What happens when you take PDE5 Inhibitors(Viagra/Cialis/etc?) I had very similar tests and they determined the problem was that my body produces too much adrenaline, which prevents smooth muscle relaxation in my penis. I'm now on AlphaBlockers and my life is normal after battling this my whole life.

Hold on, are you saying that after starting with alpha-blockers you can have normal erections without any use of viagra? Or are you using the combination of those two?

[defiant]

Yes! DJsmith.....

Are you reporting a very positive impact of Alpha Blockers?

It has been said and reported in peer reviewed articles that they can help men with psychogenic ED and boost the effects of PDE5i.

Which ones do you take? Do let us know please!

I really think alpha blockers could be a revelation but I'm scared to become dependent on yet another drug.

[defiant]

As an update: I'm well on my way through this process of elimination.

I saw a specialist physio yesterday and had an examination of the pelvic floor including a rectal exam and ultrasound. Indeed, my pelvic floor is weak, a 3/5 as she put it.

I have been set an exercise regimen for 6 months (Kegelling).

I'm sure this wasn't the cause of all my problems but certainly a contributor.

I would suggest to anyone suffering from ED to seek a similar assessment.