Fourtytwo00 wrote:Hi mates, among the various things I'm suffering a rx drug resistant insomnia. Perhaps I became a little bit depressed because of ED and this is just a symptom. Insomnia reduces my already weak nocturnal erections. So I'm thinking about VED mostly as a kind of exercise for my penis. I'm not particularly interested in length or girth gains, just not losing. I'm totally new of this field and I want to avoid damages or leakages, so any advice about models, prices, instructions, etc. is welcomed.
Thanks guys
Welcome to the forum and thanks for asking our advice.
VEDs are useful to prevent degradation of your penis size and health. They can also (to a limited extent) restore recently lost size (this is controversial and may not work for every penis, but it does not hurt to try).
Regular erections (most men get erections during sleep, even if they don't have a sexual partner) keep the elasticity of the penile tissues and also flush healthy blood through the corpus cavernosum tissues.
Regular use of a Vacuum Erection Device (VED) can emulate those nocturnal erections and have been shown to prevent size loss and even restore some (recently) lost size.
I used two protocols of a 30 minute sessions twice a day. One is to use the vacuum to inflate the penis to a full erection, hold that level of vacuum for 30 to 60 seconds and release the vacuum, allowing the penis to become completely flaccid. Then repeat the cycle for 30 minutes. Do not apply vacuum past a level of slight discomfort because too much vacuum can cause damage to the penis. Another protocol is to apply vacuum, keep the vacuum and increase by small increments as comfort level allows. 30 minutes twice a day. For therapeutic use (not for sex, but just for penis health) constriction rings are not used at all.
Too much vacuum can cause edema (which usually resolves in a few days if you quit vacuuming). More than that can cause permanent damage. So use your comfort level as a guide. I found that inside the vacuum chamber, my penis got about 2cm or 3/4 inch longer than what I could achieve by my best efforts at erection. Going beyond that, I got edema, which alarmed me until I found out what it was and temporary. A vacuum gauge would be nice, but if one is careful and observant, not necessary.
Medical grade VEDs are more expensive and probably more reliable and may have a pressure relief valve to avoid too much vacuum. Novelty store VEDs should work just as well at substantially less cost. After all, a vacuum is a vacuum and your penis does not care how it is achieved. Differences, such as smoothness of the mouth of the chamber, inserts to adjust the size of the mouth of the chamber and convenience make up the rest of the differences for therapeutic use. If you want to use a vacuum-induced erection for sex, there are a whole bunch of other differences. How the constriction ring(s) is/are applied is a big one.
If you go back and read old threads you will find links to the medical journal articles that describe these in detail and discuss results.