Injection therapy for impotence treatment
It is important to discuss with your doctor or specialist which treatment is right for you.
Treatments need to be acceptable to both yourself and your partner/s.

Living with impotence is much easier when you have a supportive partner who knows about your difficulties and impotence treatment.

Injection Therapy
Injection therapy for impotence or Erectile Dysfunction (ED for short) have been used for over ten years to successfully help men achieve an erection suitable for intercourse.
This fact sheet contains basic information on injection therapies, for more detailed information you should consult your doctor.

Why an injection?
To have this effect in a very controlled way the drug should be delivered directly into the erectile body.

One of the most effective way of doing this is by injection. In Australia the injections available from your GP on script is named Caverject.

What is injection therapy? (Caverject in the freezer?)
Intracavernosal injection treatments were first discovered in the 1980s when it was found that certain drugs could be injected into the penis to stimulate an erection.
This discovery not only led to a greater understanding of how an erection happens but also offered an effective treatment for men with ED. Various different injection systems are available to help you to prepare and inject your treatment.

Injection therapy is usually dispensed as a mixed up solution, however, dry sterile powder (Caverject Powder), which is mixed before use is now available (Not on PBS).
It is important that you take time to learn how to administer your injection. Most patients find that doing the injection is easy and not painful. Auto injectors, the same device that many diabetics use are also available for caverject. Caverject is now available in a one use disposable chamber.

How does it work?
Injection therapy uses drugs that will relax the blood vessels feeding blood into the penis allowing the blood flow to increase.
At the same time a relaxation of the muscle layers surrounding the erectile bodies allows them to expand preventing the flow of blood out of the penis, helping to maintain an erection.

What medication is used in injection therapy?
Caverject main ingredient is alprostadil ( prostaglandin E 1;PGE1) and is supplied in Australia by Pharmacia & Upjohn Pty. Limited.
Alprostadil is identical to a substance called prostaglandin-E1 that occurs naturally in the penis and is involved in the natural erection process.
Alprostadil relaxes the blood vessels and muscles in the erectile tissue of the penis allowing increase blood flow, the basis of a normal erection.

How soon after using an injection will an erection occur?
An erection will usually develop in 10 to 15 minutes and should be hard enough for penetrative sex.

How long will the erection last?
An erection that lasts for approximately 60 minutes will normally occur if this form of treatment is effective.

Getting the dose right
The initial dose is selected by your doctor. It is important to use the correct dose and this should only be adjusted on agreement with your doctor or specialist.
An overdose might lead to a prolonged erection. A prolonged erection or priapism (a painful erection lasting for over four hours) may occur in a small percentage of treated men. This condition may be treated in the first instance by exercise- running up and down stairs or riding a bicycle. Should an erection last more than four hours you should seek medical advice without delay. Failure to seek medical advice may lead to permanent impotence.

What side effects might be associated with injections?
Some men experience penile pain after injecting. In rare cases a prolonged erection might occur. Some men develop a nodule in the penis, however this may disappear with a short break from injections. Permanent nodules may occur in a small percentage of men with long-term usage. This can sometimes be avoided by alternating the injection site.

Are there any side effects for my partner?
No side effects have been reported in the partner. (Alprostadil is normally broken down quickly in the penis).

What conditions prevent a man using injection therapy?
Injection therapy should not be used in the following conditions: hypersensitivity (allergy) to alprostadil; an abnormally formed penis; Peyronie's Disease (bend or plaques in the penis); cavernosal fibrosis; men with penile implant; in diseases that might result in a prolonged erection (sickle cell anaemia or trait, leukaemia, multiple myeloma), and men who have been advised not to have sex.

How can I get injection therapy?
Caverject is available on prescription from your doctor. You should discuss this treatment with your doctor who may prescribe it or refer you to a Sexual Health Specialist or Urologist.