Christian Seipp MD PhD
Consultant Urological Surgeon
In some cases where tablets do not work or cause unacceptable side effects, it may be necessary to use medication that you inject yourself in order to achieve an erection.
This medication works with a wide range of medical conditions and is relatively easy to learn. You will receive instructions on how to carry out the treatment in private.
When trying to get an erection, you will inject the medication directly into the side of the penis. This will create an erection by dilating blood vessels and relaxing the spongy tissue. It takes about 5-10 minutes for the erection to occur and it should last about 30min to an hour, or until orgasm.
The injection treatment is effective for people with severe erectile dysfunction, including those who may have had nerve damage following extensive pelvic surgery (e.g. prostatectomy).
The first injection is usually administered by a doctor or nurse, which is used both for diagnosis and to decide on the most appropriate dose for subsequent injections at home.
Some men are not happy to use injections and may prefer an alternative delivery method of the same type of medication: it is possible to administer the drug through a pellet that needs to be inserted into the urethra (water passage) with a specific applicator.