Have you gained size after cycling stopped hurting ?

[Kodixx]

This thread is about the relationship between pain from cycling and gains in size.

1) If cycling no longer hurts, or pain is very low and fades quickly, how long have you been pain free or almost pain free ?
2) Have you gained size since then ?

Background : For the first 9 or so months post-op, cycling hurt a lot especially when I over-did the pumping. To compensate, I'd pump up to the threshold of pain, wait for it to fade, then add some mini-pumps. Repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat. I believe increases in length and girth happened because the implant pressed the tissue to expand.

But after 9 months or so, the pain is nearly gone. I interpret this as the CX, a "Tunica-Independent Implant", reaching its maximum inflated length and girth. Forum member sambalamba offered a good description of related tunica dependence/independence in his thread below.

So, if increases in size were the result of pain/expansion during cycling, should I expect that gains in size are over now that there appears to be no pain/expansion when cycling ? Or, is there some other dynamic that will add gains in size ?

Titan vs. AMS CX: Tunica Dependence vs. Tunica Independence & Natural Erections
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=26075&hilit=expanding

- Chuck

[Headair123]

I was extremely lucky that I did not lose any length or girth after the surgery. But, today is only my second day of cycling. I just finished 40 minutes of self torture - I'll add another 30 to 30 tonight).

I am really keen to hear from everyone when they stopped hurting during cycling. Is it 6 months, 9 months, 12 months?
And, I'd like to repeat your questions as well; were there any gains after the pain stopped?

[LetoMan]

Chuck, I’m not a believer that gains are pain-dependent. I didn’t have much pain after first few months, but had most of my gains later.

There is no real way to measure whether the pain is what is driving gains or if something gentler does the trick too. It could be guys without pain shortchanged themselves. Or it could be y’all are hurting yourselves for no particular reason. I just inflated until the pump stopped pumping, and left it at that.

I’d say the better measure is what I have noted before. Are you the size your implant size would indicate? And roughly the size the size you were pre implant (using a VED or other intervention, and accurately measured)? Then you are probably done gaining.

But I wouldn’t stop “cycling”, which is basically inflating and disinflating once every day or so. I also call that “using your dick”. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get a bit more.

As for the dependent/independent distinction, keep in mind that is only for girth. Both the titan and the CX are “dependent” when it comes to length. Neither expands lengthwise.

[LetoMan]

I was extremely lucky that I did not lose any length or girth after the surgery. But, today is only my second day of cycling. I just finished 40 minutes of self torture - I'll add another 30 to 30 tonight).

I am really keen to hear from everyone when they stopped hurting during cycling. Is it 6 months, 9 months, 12 months?
And, I'd like to repeat your questions as well; were there any gains after the pain stopped?

Brother, I wouldn’t hurt yourself. If you have the size you had before, and from what I have read of your signature details you are right at the limit of what to expect from a 24 cm implant. It may be your tunica was nice and pliable already, and you won’t actually gain.

Absolutely cycle. But unless your doc is telling you to cause yourself pain (I don’t know of any doc that suggests that, but always follow your doc’s orders), I’d inflate until full and don’t try to make it explode!

[Headair123]

I was extremely lucky that I did not lose any length or girth after the surgery. But, today is only my second day of cycling. I just finished 40 minutes of self torture - I'll add another 30 to 30 tonight).

I am really keen to hear from everyone when they stopped hurting during cycling. Is it 6 months, 9 months, 12 months?
And, I'd like to repeat your questions as well; were there any gains after the pain stopped?

Brother, I wouldn’t hurt yourself. If you have the size you had before, and from what I have read of your signature details you are right at the limit of what to expect from a 24 cm implant. It may be your tunica was nice and pliable already, and you won’t actually gain.

Absolutely cycle. But unless your doc is telling you to cause yourself pain (I don’t know of any doc that suggests that, but always follow your doc’s orders), I’d inflate until full and don’t try to make it explode!

Hey LetoMan,

Wiser words were never spoken!

Those who know me will tell that I love risk. I really shouldn’t as I have a ton of metal at various locations in my body. Honestly, I have no idea how my wife puts up with me.

[edjohn]

Both the titan and the CX are “dependent” when it comes to length. Neither expands lengthwise.

This is an AMS fanboy myth. The Titans expand in all directions, hypothetically indefinitely. The surgeons say the limit is how much fluid is available, which is why they will fill the reservoir and add extra for 24cm and up.

[LetoMan]

This is an AMS fanboy myth. The Titans expand in all directions, hypothetically indefinitely. The surgeons say the limit is how much fluid is available, which is why they will fill the reservoir and add extra for 24cm and up.

lol. I’m not sure what suggests I am a fanboy. But if you have a link to Coloplast or a doc claiming that a Titan expands in length, I’m sure we would all be interested to see it.

[edjohn]

I didn’t say that. The myth just comes from AMS marketing and keeps getting perpetuated here.

I don’t have a link to what Clavell explained in person, but you can find a few different discussions here about how the Titan bioflex material is not self limiting (like the AMS mesh is) and continues to expand.

[LGXDownunder]

Chuck, I'm not sure if I can provide helpful answers but I'll try.

1) If cycling no longer hurts, or pain is very low and fades quickly, how long have you been pain free or almost pain free ?

I'm also now over 9 months post op. I would say that I'm generally pain free and have been that way for around 2 to 3 months, possibly longer. I don't diligently keep track of progress, so my answer is a bit anecdotal. I do still eventually get discomfort to the point that I really want to stop if I cycle for more than an hour at a very high inflation level (which I only do about twice a week on average). It typically takes about 75 minutes before that happens, and I can generally just push through it now, but its still a relief to deflate. But I can inflate to that same level during sex with my wife, for the same length of time or longer, and I don't have any discomfort at all. Maybe being still vs active has some effect, or arousal helps. I don't know. I can be a bit sore post orgasm but that fades immediately after deflation.

2) Have you gained size since then ?

I can't say that I have had any further growth since becoming mostly pain free.
So I think I've possibly reached the limit of what I might get, but I will continue daily cycling regardless. Similar to having spontaneous natural/nocturnal erections to maintain normal penile size/health/function in someone without ED, I'm treating cycling as substitute for that, as I know I have nothing happening whatsoever without my implant. Albeit I do sometimes get spontaneous engorgement post implant that didn't happen before I had one.
Also I keep reading of those who achieved gains after more than a year. I believe I'm back to pre ED size but I am keen to get any further gains if they exist. I can't remember whether I was larger when younger, so hoping that my tunica still has some capacity to stretch further, and my LGX hasn't reached its limit.

[Headair123]

Regarding the Titan lengthening, I did a quick ChatGPT search and this is what came back:

What “the medical establishment” says (Titan-only):
• Coloplast’s own Titan materials talk about strength and girth expansion, not length expansion. They explicitly market maximum girth expansion (up to 21 mm per cylinder) and the ability of the Bioflex cylinders to withstand high pressures (for things like manual modeling), but they don’t claim the device is designed to elongate under pressure. 
• Bench / ex-vivo commentary cited in the literature suggests “essentially no measurable cylinder lengthening” at max inflation. One review notes that at maximum inflation an 18 cm Titan remained 18 cm, i.e., no meaningful axial elongation of the cylinder itself even when filled to the top. 

Where the “it got longer” story does show up is in a different sense:
• Clinicians and papers describe Titan as capable of increasing perceived or measured penile length over time via tissue accommodation, not cylinder stretch. A surgical reference text notes that Henry et al. showed Titan can increase patient perception of length, and that getting that outcome is tied to aggressive sizing and a months-long rehab/cycling routine (intermittent inflation/deflation for up to 12 months). 
• A review on IPPs as “tissue expanders” summarizes Titan-specific findings from that same rehab approach: after 1 year, ~74% perceived increased length, and most saw ~1 cm increase in stretched penile length with aggressive cycling. 
• Even more bluntly, a Journal of Urology editorial comment is quoted as saying that a device that does not expand in length, such as the Titan, can in fact lengthen the penis, with the discussion framed around about ~1 cm and the observation that reimplant cases often upsize. 

So the clean takeaway:

Titan isn’t “length-expanding” in the mechanical sense (the cylinder doesn’t meaningfully elongate under high pressure), but max inflation over time can still translate into small real-world length gains because the body adapts (and because “length” is partly geometry and measurement technique, not just cylinder dimensions).