Painful Cycling & Sex After Implant Surgery (24cm + 2cm RTE) — When Does the Pain Stop?

[Newlyimplantedbro]

Hey everyone,

I had AMS 700 implant surgery in late April (24cm cylinders with a 2cm RTE on one side). I’ve been trying to stay consistent with cycling, doing a few pumps here and there, but I’m still dealing with sharp, aching, and burning pain during inflation. Full cycling hasn’t been possible yet, it just feels like my body still needs more time to heal. I’ve also attempted sex twice. My partner was supportive, but it was pretty painful for me both times and not enjoyable yet.

Has anyone here waited until the pain subsided before doing full cycling? How long did it take you to comfortably inflate all the way?
Did your urologist give any specific advice about pushing through the pain or waiting longer to cycle fully? And my big question: when does this pain stop altogether during both cycling and sex? Just looking for real experiences and honest advice. Appreciate any advice and support, this recovery process can feel very isolating at times.

[Gt1956]

In my opinion you're rushing it some. As I remember it. My first sex was real close to the 7 week point. It was bearable, not any pain of note, minimal pleasure. If you've had a slow recovery then your timeline will be even longer. Many times it's been said that its realistic to expect recovery to take a year. Some times a bit longer.

As for cycling. It is going to hurt for a while. I found the best method is to pump as much as you can. Then grit your teeth & bear it as long as you can, then release. I may of taken some ibuprofen an hour before pumping. Early cycling just hurts but after a month or so you can stay pumped for 20-30 minutes. If you wait for pain free cycling then you'll never cycle. I think its that simple.

[dan_bionic]

NewlyImplntedBro,

everyone is "healing" individually, 8-12 weeks is normal, sometimes it takes longer.

As for cycling. It is going to hurt for a while. I found the best method is to pump as much as you can. Then grit your teeth & bear it as long as you can, then release. I may of taken some ibuprofen an hour before pumping. Early cycling just hurts but after a month or so you can stay pumped for 20-30 minutes. If you wait for pain free cycling then you'll never cycle. I think its that simple.

This is a good advice by Gt1956, additionally you can do it in a hot shower or bath to ease the pain and the to soften the cylinders. And yes, even take some pain killers, like Ibuprofen, but continue and improve cycling AND sex to stretch the tissues. You'll see, with time the pain gets lesser and lesser and you'll enjoy both, cycling and sex.
All the best
Dan

[Nico_from_belgium]

Where do you feel the pain? 8 weeks should be less painful and as discussed in forum a hot tube should relief while cycling.

[Newlyimplantedbro]

Thanks for the responses, they really helped me reset my expectations. I’m currently about 9 weeks post-op and cycling is still a real challenge. The pain is sharp, aching, and sometimes burning mostly along the shaft near the glans when I go past 4–5 pumps. It’s less in the scrotum now but definitely still uncomfortable enough to make me hesitate. Reading your advice reminded me this is a long game. I’ll start trying the hot shower method before cycling and take ibuprofen an hour ahead, as a few of you suggested. I see now that waiting for pain-free cycling probably isn’t realistic, it’s more about pushing through, little by little, and gradually increasing tolerance and inflation time. Appreciate the advice and feedback for this journey.

[LGXDownunder]

Thanks for the responses, they really helped me reset my expectations. I’m currently about 9 weeks post-op and cycling is still a real challenge. The pain is sharp, aching, and sometimes burning mostly along the shaft near the glans when I go past 4–5 pumps. It’s less in the scrotum now but definitely still uncomfortable enough to make me hesitate. Reading your advice reminded me this is a long game. I’ll start trying the hot shower method before cycling and take ibuprofen an hour ahead, as a few of you suggested. I see now that waiting for pain-free cycling probably isn’t realistic, it’s more about pushing through, little by little, and gradually increasing tolerance and inflation time. Appreciate the advice and feedback for this journey.

Yes don't wait for "pain free", what you describe sounds normal. I'm just over 16 weeks post op and now mostly very comfortable, including during cycling and sex. I can still get discomfort if I overinflate during sex, or cycle for an hour or more at absolute maximum inflation. Typically the pain is like an ache and will be concentrated at the base of the implant and the tips in the glans, but I can also feel it along the shaft to some extent. At 9 weeks I was still very uncomfortable even partly inflated, and sex was not much fun at that stage. Now I can go indefinitely at full inflation (though unfortunately my wife has some back issues and can't match my new found stamina). My initial cycling experience was also a bit discouraging but I've stuck at it, gradually increasing the time and inflation pressure. It now feels great and I look forward to it. My thoughts are to do what you can comfortably tolerate, then very slowly increase the time and pressure incrementally. I also agree with the hot shower approach - I inflate to about 80% beforehand then use a hand held shower wand to warm up my bits before increasing the pressure further. I cycle in the shower twice a day for 10-15 minutes, and also aim for a long session of up to an hour on as many days as possible (not in the shower). It took many weeks to build up to that, and everyone's experience, pain tolerance etc will be different. As you said, it's a long game.

[Newlyimplantedbro]

Thanks for the responses, they really helped me reset my expectations. I’m currently about 9 weeks post-op and cycling is still a real challenge. The pain is sharp, aching, and sometimes burning mostly along the shaft near the glans when I go past 4–5 pumps. It’s less in the scrotum now but definitely still uncomfortable enough to make me hesitate. Reading your advice reminded me this is a long game. I’ll start trying the hot shower method before cycling and take ibuprofen an hour ahead, as a few of you suggested. I see now that waiting for pain-free cycling probably isn’t realistic, it’s more about pushing through, little by little, and gradually increasing tolerance and inflation time. Appreciate the advice and feedback for this journey.

Yes don't wait for "pain free", what you describe sounds normal. I'm just over 16 weeks post op and now mostly very comfortable, including during cycling and sex. I can still get discomfort if I overinflate during sex, or cycle for an hour or more at absolute maximum inflation. Typically the pain is like an ache and will be concentrated at the base of the implant and the tips in the glans, but I can also feel it along the shaft to some extent. At 9 weeks I was still very uncomfortable even partly inflated, and sex was not much fun at that stage. Now I can go indefinitely at full inflation (though unfortunately my wife has some back issues and can't match my new found stamina). My initial cycling experience was also a bit discouraging but I've stuck at it, gradually increasing the time and inflation pressure. It now feels great and I look forward to it. My thoughts are to do what you can comfortably tolerate, then very slowly increase the time and pressure incrementally. I also agree with the hot shower approach - I inflate to about 80% beforehand then use a hand held shower wand to warm up my bits before increasing the pressure further. I cycle in the shower twice a day for 10-15 minutes, and also aim for a long session of up to an hour on as many days as possible (not in the shower). It took many weeks to build up to that, and everyone's experience, pain tolerance etc will be different. As you said, it's a long game.

Thanks for sharing this! it’s encouraging to hear how far you've come in your journey. If I may ask, around what week did sex start to actually feel good or more enjoyable for you, not just tolerable? Appreciate any insight!