Great question, “What is Peyronie’s Disease?”  However, an accurate and honest answer is not always easy to find.  If you are one of the hundreds of new people each day who surf the Internet for an answer to this question, you need to pay attention to the kind of answer you might run across.

In my experience it is common to receive an incorrect answer when it is provided by someone who only wants to sell you something, like a magic herb or a manual penis stretcher.  When a salesperson is the source of your information the answer will often minimize Peyronies by oversimplifying the real problem to the point the answer is not truthful.

The reason that someone will intentionally give you this false information is easy to understand.  If Peyronie’s disease can be made to sound like a simple problem, then a simple solution can be more easily presented to you in a believable way – and the more likely you will buy a product if the problem and solution sound uncomplicated and straightforward.

The usual short (and false) answer you will see to this question is, “Peyronie’s disease is a curved penis.”  This is almost like saying that Peyronie’s disease is no more complicated than a bent paperclip.  All you have to do is straighten out the paperclip – and we all know how easy that is to do – and you are as good as new.

What you must understand is that the bent penis of Peyronie’s disease is just a symptom of what is wrong.  The penile curvature is not the problem, it is just a sign of the real problem. What is causing the penis to curve is the actual problem that must be addressed.

If you have pneumonia, you will probably have a nasty cough. But, it is not correct – or helpful – to say, “Pneumonia is a cough.”   If the problem was presented to you like that, and you believed it, then someone could sell you a cough suppressant as a cure for pneumonia.  You would believe that stopping the cough is all you have to do.  The truth is that the cough is just an outward sign of a deeper problem. To address your pneumonia correctly you must do what is necessary to help your body reduce and remove the lung infection, the inflammatory response that occurs because of an invasion of foreign bacteria, and the cough – and the pneumonia – will no longer be an issue.  The cough is just a sign of the pneumonia, it is not pneumonia – just as a curved penis is a sign of Peyronie’s disease, but it is not the problem. The bent penis is just an outward sign of a Peyronie’s plaque or scar tissue within the tunica albuginea interfering with the normal filling of the corpora cavernosa, resulting in a bent or distorted erection. No mechanical penis stretcher or mystery herb from Afghanistan will eliminate the PD plaque.

So, what is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease is a problem with no known cause and no known medical cure in which the presence of a dense fibrous nodule or band in the tunica albuginea layer of the penis causes a variable degrees of pain, penile distortion during erection, reduced sexual function, and loss of physical size in length and girth.

If the explanation, “Peyronie’s disease is a bend in the penis” makes you think it is just like a wrinkle in your shirt that can be ironed out – then you are ready to accept the notion that pulling on the bent penis can magically remove that kink.  If it were only that simple and worked that well.

You will notice that none of the advertisements for the magical herbs or mechanical penis stretchers explain how they work.  The reason there is no explanation is because they do not affect the Peyronie’s plaque, which is at the heart of Peyronie’s disease.

For additional discussion to the question, “What is Peyronie’s disease?” please go to Peyronie’s disease discussion.

One of the common questions I am asked is if a lifelong curved penis could be Peyronie’s disease.  The fast answer is that not all penile curvature or bends are abnormal, or even a problem.  If you have had a bent penis all your life it is probably not PD.

To help readers make sense of the situation, a longer answer is that a curved penis might indicate Peyronie’s disease under these two basic situations:

1. Curved penis that occurs with other signs and symptoms:
   A.  Pain – the pain of Peyronie’s disease can be variable
   i.     Constant
   ii.    Only when erect
   iii.   Only when non-erect
   iv.   Occasional
   B.   Nodule or chord of fibrous tissue (Peyronie’s plaque) present somewhere under the surface of the shaft, usually located on the concave side of the curved penis C.   Penile curvature, bend or distortion not present earlier
   D.  Loss of sexual function
2. Sudden appearance of penile distortion or bend that was not present earlier in life

Causes of a normally curved penis

Everyone has some degree of difference or asymmetry between one side of the body and the other.  I can just about be 100% certain that if you looked into a mirror you would notice not one, but many, differences in the appearance of your face:

1. One eye shaped differently than the other.
2. Wrinkles around the mouth or eyes that are different on one side of the face than the other.
3. Nose and nostrils not even on the face.
4. Mouth crooked.
5. Center of chin not lined up with the tip of the nose or the space between the eyes.
6. Ears shaped differently.
7. Cheek bones not curved the same.

While all of this relates to the face, but can also be said of the hands, feet, legs, abdomen – or penis.  All parts of our body demonstrate slight irregularities and imperfections that make us human.  These are the small and unimportant things that make us unique individuals.

Inside the penis are three long tubular chambers that contain erectile tissue – one corpora spongeosa and two corpora cavernosa.  If there is any difference in the length, width or straightness of these three chambers it will result in an erection that is curved or imbalanced in some way.

When a small boy first notices his erections he accepts them for what they are.  Later he begins to question and wonder if he is as good as other people, and does not like being different from other people who he assumes are all perfect.  Don’t allow a curved penis to become more than what it is.

It would be a good idea to have your curved penis evaluated by a doctor who has experience in this area if you also have recently started to have pain, a nodule or mass of fibrous tissue, and/or reduced sexual ability.

Your curved penis may or may not be Peyronie’s disease, therefor this diagnosis is always best left to the experts.

Visit the Peyronie’s Disease Institute website for information about the Peyronie’s disease natural treatments.

While the primary interest of Peyronie’s disease treatment is the internal scar tissue or fibrous  plaque material that causes the distortion or curved penis to develop, it is not the primary interest of the man who has PD.  For him, the most important aspect of Peyronie’s disease is the curved penis that plagues him.  For this reason Peyronies is also known as the “bent nail disease.”

Peyronie’s disease causes a curved penis when the fibrous tissue of the Peyronie scar or plaque pulls unevenly or causes incomplete filling within the erect penis.  This can vary in degree or severity from man to man.  For this reason the curved penis does not indicate the severity of the Peyronies problem or success of Peyronies disease treatment.  The true success of Peyronies treatment is based on the change that occurs in the Peyronies plaque or scar.  Once the fibrous scar changes, eventual improvement in the curved penis can be expected in time.

The internal tissue of the healthy penis is flexible and expandable.  This normal tissue is able to allow for a normal erection to develop when blood is trapped inside the organ.

In Peyronie’s disease some of the tissue is not healthy or flexible and elastic.  Specifically, the deep tissue known as the tunica albuginea is not elastic because it replaced by dense and inelastic fibrous tissue that is called a scar or plaque.   As an erection develops the elastic tissue of the tunica albuginea must stretch and expand evenly on both sides, left and fright, and top and bottom, of the penis.  If this cannot happen because an area of the penis is no longer flexible and expandable, then a curved penis results.

Peyronie’s disease usually begins with a small nodule or bump that is found on the top or sides of the penis, just immediately below the surface.  A few weeks to several months to a year later, a small fibrous nodule can expand into a larger irregular scar of variable size, shape, density and surface quality.  These scars can be as long as the penis.  Some appear like a collar to go around the shaft.   Some are one large mass, while others appear to be like small isolated islands of fibrous tissue in many areas.   Scars can be so soft or small, with edges so tapered and vague that no scar can be found.  In a case of Peyronie’s disease when no scar or plaque can be found, it is still assumed to exist when a curved penis develops during erection. .

Normally curved penis

Most men have a straight erection, but some are born with a penis that curves or bends (usually upward).   Just as fingers on the hand or a nose can display a natural bend, or arms can be of different length on the same person, the penis can be bent without the presence of Peyronies.  Typically, the normally curved penis follows a more gradual and arched design, more like a banana.  In Peyronie’s disease the curved penis is more localized and abrupt, like an angulated bend.

When the two primary chambers (corpora cavernosa) of the penis are a different diameter or length, the penis will bend when erect.   The penis will appear straight when flaccid, and on erection it will bend.

This slight penile distortion will not be associated with pain, there will be no trauma in the history, and it will not appear suddenly as does the curved penis of Peyronie’s disease.

Curved penis affects sexual intercourse

It is estimated that 75-90% of Peyronie’s disease couples will sooner or later experience a sexual intercourse problem, in regard to either pain or difficult penetration – or both.   The curved penis of is the primary reason sexual penetration is compromised, and it is also the reason for the pain that can be experienced by either – or both – partner. This is especially so in those cases in which the distortion is so severe it is described as “cork screw” or “cane handle.”

Incomplete filling of the penis with blood during erection can also happen in Peyronies.  This results in an area of the penis, either small or large, that is soft and unable to sustain the rigors of intercourse.  A soft area within an otherwise firm erection presents a weakness and vulnerability of the normally turgid erection.  A weak area of erection can suddenly collapse or buckle during intercourse, causing additional injury to the penile tissue.  This can cause pain, inflammation and additional fibrous infiltration.

It is a rare Peyronies couple that does not deal with some level of sexual difficulty related to penile distortion and reduced firmness of the erection.  The many physical, emotional and social issues of Peyronie’s disease are complex.  For this reason the reader is referred to “Peyronie’s Disease and Sex” for more information about this complicated area of life with a curved penis.

Treatment of the curved penis

It is important to remember that any penile distortion that develops in Peyronie’s disease is not the primary problem of this condition.   A curved penis that appears one night is difficult to ignore, but is only a symptom of the real problem of Peyronie’s disease – the scar. Without the Peyronies scar there would be no curved penis.

This is the reason I advise men who are undergoing Peyronies treatment to focus on the size, shape, density and surface qualities of the scar or plaque to determine if their Alternative Medicine treatment is being effective.  The curvature can improve or worsen as the scar is reduced.

A small scar can cause a large bend, just as a large scar can cause no bend at all if it is balanced and symmetrical.   For this reason a curved penis can worsen as the scar is being reduced or eliminated.   Estimating progress or success of a PD therapy plan is difficult .  A man can have many more scars than he is aware of, and they can be larger than can be detected since they are often difficult to locate and often overlap.

If only one scar is present the curvature problems are direct and easy to understand, although  this is unusual.   However, if multiple scars are present the internal pulling and twisting they cause can be very complicated.   Several scars can interact on many  planes of internal penile tissue.   Any reduction in one or more scar will alter the internal tension and pulling of the tissues, resulting in an altered curvature.  There is no guarantee the curvature will change for the better initially – sometimes it can look worse as the scars become smaller.  This is why I advise to focus all attention to the size, shape, density and surface qualities of the scar while treatment of the Peyronies problem continues.  Realize the curved penis is just a reflection of what is going on with the scar9s) below the surface.

Do not be discouraged by the curved penis of Peyronie’s disease.  Instead, stay focused on your plan for effective Peyronies treatment.  Learn more about Peyronie’s disease treatment.

Neprinol is a very well researched systemic enzyme therapy that is used for Peyronie’s disease treatment. Since the curved penis that is so common in Peyronies is such a common problem with no effective medical treatment, Neprinol is a much needed Alternative Medicine tool against this problem. Neprinol works to break down and eliminate the offending Peyronie’s disease fibrous plaque material that causes the bent penis for which Peyronies is so well known. Neprinol contains a high concentration of nattokinase, serrapeptase, bromelain and Coenzyme Q, and related co-enzyme factors. Confusion exists about Neprinol because it is actually a high potency combination of several different systemic enzymes, rather than just a single enzyme like so many other products.

These are the basic highlights about Neprinol as it relates to Peyronie’s disease treatment:

1. The nattokinase and serrapeptase in Neprinol are in much higher concentration than in the separate pills containing just nattokinase and serrapeptase. Therefore, a lower dose of Neprinol is needed to reach a higher level of these two enzymes, as when lower concentration enzymes are used separately.

2. Taking Neprinol makes taking separate doses of nattokinase and serrapeptase unnecessary, although some men still take Neprinol plus additional nattokinase and serrapeptase products to diversify the sources and varieties of these enzymes. PDI sells a separate nattokinase product call Nattokinase 1500 and a separate serrapeptase product called Fibrozym. Both of these great products can be used successfully in Peyronies treatment. But, Neprinol has more of these same enzymes in it than these separate enzyme products.

3. Dosage of Neprinol – like most other Peyronies treatment products – is based on ability of that product to make a positive change in the condition of the Peyronies plaque or scar. While the bottle of Neprinol might say to take six capsules daily, the effective dose for each man will be different. After working with PD treatment since 2002 I know that some men respond with a dose of four capsules of Neprinol daily, while others might take 20 for the same results. There is no magic dose of Neprinol. It is something than must be determined by continual trial until a favorable change is noted in the condition of the Peyronies scar material. Safety is always an issue, so it is necessary when anyone is taking more than six Neprinol daily to take a period rest from this therapy, by simply stopping usage for several days every few weeks.

4. A single bottle of Neprinol is comparatively expensive for a few reasons: the bottle is three times larger than the average enzyme product, (Neprinol comes in a bottle of 300 pills, while the separate Nattokinase and separate Fibrozym enzyme products often are sold in bottles of 100) and each Neprinol pill contains a more concentrated dose of nattokinase, serrapeptase, bromelain and coenzyme Q than are found in any other enzyme product. Besides, PDI sells Neprinol through our sister-site, Natural Complementary Medicine Products, for $135 a bottle of 300, the best price on the Internet. Neprinol represents a better value in the long run since you would need to take fewer or them, and the bottle is simply larger so you buy fewer of them. For more information about Neprinol go to http://www.natural-complementary-medicine.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD& ProdID13

5. For a $10 discount we offer for Neprinol, just type in the discount code word “Neprinol” in the appropriate discount offer area, bringing your cost down to $135 for the Neprinol 300 size.

To read more about the use of Neprinol and other systemic enzymes in Peyronie’s disease treatment, go to the Peyronie’s Disease Institute discussion about systemic enzymes at http://peyronies-disease-help.com/treatmentenzymes.html

Neprinol and Peyronie’s treatment

Because Neprinol is heavily promoted for Peyronie’s treatment, some men develop the mistaken idea to only use Neprinol in their Peyronies treatment plan. I advise against this. Not because Neprinol is not an effective way to reduce foreign fibrin from the Peyronies plaque and scar material, but because Peyronies disease is such a stubborn problem to treat successfully. PD almost always requires large and complex treatment for a considerable length of time. I rarely hear of cases in which Neprinol does more than reduce penis pain associated with Peyronie’s disease. But when it is combined with other effective forms of Peyronies treatment, the results can be dramatic.

Effectively treating Peyronies is all about doing all that you can to create synergy with multiple therapies designed to increase your ability to heal and repair the Peyronies plaque or scar. It is never as easy as popping a few pills – even as great as Neprinol – and getting the kind of results we all want.

Please send your questions about Neprinol and Peyronie’s disease to “Ask Dr. Herazy…”

There are several totally different and new Peyronies treatment concepts recently developed by the Peyronie’s Disease Institute. These Peyronie’s disease treatment concepts are improvements over existing ideas and information known within the medical community.

The first new Peyronies treatment is the most exciting, and this has to do with the professionally produced CD video that presents the Peyronie’s Disease Institute Manual Penis Stretching Method©. After talking to so many men who were injured by those ineffective and dangerous mechanical penis stretching devices, I decided to investigate the subject. The basic idea of stretching the Peyronie’s scar to reduce the tight and contracted tissue is interesting. So much so, that after a two year research project, PDI developed a safe, sensible, effective and affordable method that actually works and is safe. With this new Peyronies treatment it is possible to manually stretch the scar material because it goes about it in a way that is different from the mechanical penis stretchers.

The CD for this new Peyronies treatment clearly demonstrates how to gently stretch the thickened fibrous tissue inside the shaft of the bent penis – something totally new in the world of Peyronie’s disease – to improve the six basic types of PD deformities:
1. Twist
2. Curve
3. Bend
4. Dent (also called a ding, depression, or hinge)
5. Hourglass
6. Bottleneck
Further, additional information is included that explains how to successfully stretch a combination of distortions, since very often two or more penis distortions appear together.

Synergy as a new Peyronie’s treatment

Another new Peyronies treatment concept first presented by PDI is the concept of using a combination of several Alternative Medicine therapies together at the same time to increase the effectiveness of each one. This is a concept called synergy. This new treatment approach to Peyronie’s treatment is the foundation of the Peyronie’s Disease Institute therapy approach. To read more about this concept, go to synergy.

Diet as a new Peyronie’s treatment

Next in the way of a new Peyronies treatment is the idea of using diet in the management of PD, that developed from the ongoing research project conducted for almost eight years by Peyronie’s Disease Institute. The dietary treatment approach for Peyronies treatment centers on the idea of closely reducing wide swings of the acid and alkaline balance of the blood. This diet is explained in some detail in the book written by Dr. Theodore Herazy, “Peyronie’s Disease Handbook.”

Actually, most of the information presented on the website of the Peyronie’s Disease Institute falls into the category of a new Peyronies treatment because in the past, before PDI came into being, only drugs and surgery were considered a serious Peyronie’s disease treatment. Now, many areas of Alternative Medicine are being successfully applied. PDI has opened wide horizons for new Peyronies treatment.

Technically, Peyronie’s syndrome is not the correct way to refer to Peyronie’s disease.  Actually, calling it Peyronie’s disease is not correct, either, but more on that later.

First, the term Peyronies syndrome.   A syndrome refers to a group of several essential and clearly recognizable clinical signs, symptoms and characteristics of a health problem that often occur in association or together.  In the situation in which a syndrome occurs, the presence of one feature, sign or symptom would alert a doctor to the possibility a particular syndrome was present, so he/she would automatically look for other features, signs and symptoms that normally occur with it.  If those additional findings are detected, then  a diagnosis of that syndrome could be made.

Peyronie’s syndrome is not a valid term because the characteristics, signs and symptoms of Peyronies are actually too few, and they do not usually form a tightly bound set of features that suggest this particular health problem. The few symptoms and signs associated with PD are actually vague by usual medical standards. Since there are typically only three such standard features or clues associated with Peyronie’s disease  (penis pain, penis curvature, presence of the common Peyronie’s plaque or scar), this set of presenting characteristics is not large enough or strongly suggestive of the condition, hence syndrome is not a good term to use.

Peyronie’s syndrome is not a disease, either

Then we come to the term Peyronie’s disease, which is not all that accurate either.  A disease refers to any condition that causes extreme pain, significant organ or system dysfunction, social problems, and even death, and is usually acquired through direct or indirect transmission or communication from one person to another.  Of course, there are many definitions and ways of looking at what constitutes a disease, but that is generally acceptable in most cases.

Since Peyronie’s disease seldom causes extreme pain, and sometimes no pain at all, it does not fulfill that requirement.   Since the genitourinary system of which the penis is only a part continues to function, and the penis continues to carry urine and oftentimes is still capable to function sexually, it does not fulfill the requirement of loss of function.  While having a bent penis plays havoc with the man who has it, and the woman or women he is sexually active, it does not affect society as a whole, the way actual diseases like the flu or measles, syphilis, tuberculosis or alcoholism do.  Peyronie’s disease is not fatal, except to some couple’s sex life, so it also does not fulfill that part of the requirement.  And lastly, this problem is not communicated or transmitted from one person to the next; you cannot catch Peyronies.

When referring to Peyronie’s disease it is more accurate and fair to use other terms like “condition,” or the more descriptive terms that follow in this list.  These are more clinically accurate names that have been collected and were taken from the PDI website:

1. Indurato penis plastica
2. Chronic cavernositis
3. Fibrous sclerosis of the penis
4. Fibrous cavernositis
5. Fibrous plaques of the penis
6. Penile fibrosis
7. Penile fibromatosis
8. Penile induration

This list of descriptive terms was taken from the PDI website at  http://peyronies-disease-help.com/peyroniesoverview.html where the basics of Peyronie’s disease are discussed at length.  If you wish to learn more about this condition, called Peyronie’s disease, please review this additional information.  But whatever you do, do not call it Peyronie’s syndrome, OK?

If having Peyronie’s disease was not stressful enough on a relationship, it has been reported by The New York Times that more men and women than ever are cheating on each other.

This blog article does not intend to plant the seeds of anxiety, doubt, or suspicion about an unfaithful mate, because these thoughts have likely occurred within the first hour for any every man who learns he has Peyronies disease.  This blog post is offered to address that common fear and anxiety, and offer advice for what you can do to increase your ability to keep your relationship solid and strong.  So read on, since this is additional reason for men with a bent penis to be interested in improving their romantic talents and sexual skills.    In a recent newspaper article, The New York Times commented that University of Washington researchers discovered more men and women are cheating today than in the past.  What is termed the lifetime rate of infidelity is greater for both sexes; for men over 60 infidelity is now at 28 percent, up from 21 percent. The frequency of infidelity has tripled for women, with infidelity now at 15 percent.

Apparently it is the temptation offered by the modern age, in the form of cell phones, e-mail communication and instant text messaging that allow people, including women who work at home, to create intimate relationships with those who are not their traditional partners.   Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., author of Prime: Adventures and Advice on Sex, Love and the Sensual Years, believes women are more inclined to wander and experiment with others is because of growing independence and ease of maintaining private communication with different people.  Dr. Schwartz notes that if a person was sexually active while single or unattached, that person is more likely to be dissatisfied and roam if their current relationship develops problems.

“If things aren’t great, they are more open to reliving some of the sexual passion and high points of their single days,” Schwartz says.

At what point in a relationship do things become not great?  “[People] get bored or feel like, ‘Is this all there is?’ ” Schwartz says. “[The reasons] for men and women are the same: They need reassurance and they’re feeling unappreciated.”   So, notice here that Dr. Schwartz is not replying that a woman becomes unfaithful because she is not receiving adequate sexual activity, or that she is unhappy with the number of orgasms or the size of his penis.  This is an extremely important point.  It has been my observation that men with Peyronie’s disease develop relationship problems more because of how they behave on the emotional relationship or social level, than on the sexual physical level.

Dissatisfaction in a romantic relationship usually revolves around something any man with Peyronie’s disease can always provide, in spite of a bent penis – he can always offer her respect, reassurance and appreciation.  Keep in mind that the real dissatisfaction in a romantic relationship is often more about emotional issues than physical issues.  Even when the woman expresses sexual dissatisfaction with her mate, they come to the surface only because of deeper and larger problems that are emotional in nature.  Men tend to think of a relationship more so from the purely physical aspect, while women tend to think of a relationship more so from the purely emotional aspect.  This is the wonderful, and problematic, difference between the sexes.

A man with the bent penis of Peyronie’s disease thinks he has a problem in his relationship because of the physical problems with sex.  This is often not true.  A man would think this way, while a woman doe not.  For a woman the real issues of highest importance are the critical personal human issues of respect, reassurance, appreciation, and an emotional bond that is strong and frequently satisfied.  I have seen that if a woman is emotionally satisfied, she is far, far more likely to willingly accept her mates reduced physical limitations.

I spend a great amount of time discussing all phases and aspects of this exact issue that arises in Peyronie’s disease between a man and a woman in my book, “Peyronie’s Disease & Sex,” at http://peyronies-disease-help.com/PD-and-sex.html This book has saved many marriages and relationships over the years.  I urge you to read it if you are having relationship problems because of your Peyronies.

Peyronie’s disease and romance

On a daily basis, with so many interferences and stresses that separate a couple, romance is difficult to maintain.  However, there many easy and fun things any man with Peyronie’s disease can do, no matter how badly his penis curvature interferes with usual sexual activity.   These are five positive and pleasant steps you can take, even if you cannot engage in intercourse, that will assist you greatly to keep her interested and close to you:

1. Spend more time together. A good relationship requires time together and alone with that special person.  Give her the attention she craves.  Go out with her to do things that you previously avoided.  Go grocery shopping together.  Tag along when she does a few errands, or to her work functions you usually avoid. Help her with some chores that you can share together.  Be a friend to her in ways that you did not see before.  Dr. Schwartz advises, “You can’t do it all, but even if you’re there sometimes, it will remind her that she’s part of a great couple instead of an individual out there on her own.

2. Keep your relationship fresh and fun. See where you have fallen into a level of dullness in your lives, and make some changes.  While you might simply see a schedule, she might see a rut.  Eating at the same restaurant, doing the same things each evening after work, being far too predictable, or not adding variety to your lives together can take the edge off a relationship.  Even sex can become part of that predictable quality that becomes less fun and boring.  Suggest a “nooner,” then meet her back at the apartment for lunch in bed. “Rent an erotic movie, go shopping for a sex toy, buy her a sexy teddy,” Schwartz suggests. “Make her believe no one could be as romantic or as much fun as you are.”    Go to http://www.natural-complementary-medicine.com/ index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=7 Here you will find a few things to spice up your sex life.   With Peyronie’s disease putting limits on your sexual activity, it is important that you compensate by improving those elements of your personal and romantic relationship that can be improved, no matter how far your penis is curved.

3. Deal with all that sudden anger. Men with Peyronie’s disease are notorious for their anger.  I will write a blog post about this problem soon, but for now let’s just agree that your temper lately has gotten out of control far too often and far too extreme.  Do not use anger as a way to avoid the problems of Peyronie’s disease.  Take the issues and problems you now face, and discuss them directly with her because she needs to know what is going on with you – your fears, your embarrassment, your feelings about your masculinity, your insecurity about your relationship with her, all of it.  Many men cannot talk about these things, so they explode.  ”Anger is like a termite—you don’t see it, but it’s eating the walls and the structure of the house you’re living in,” Dr. Schwartz says. “The house is the relationship, and if you don’t handle it, the termites will ultimately destroy that bond which keeps someone loyal.”   You did not ask to have Peyronie’s disease, but it is your decision and your ultimate fault if you allow your anger to erode your relationship.

4. Learn how to use time. Dr. Schwartz advises that time can be used to diffuse and calm a tense situation.  “What you don’t want to do is have a fight when you’re mad. Say, ‘Look, you’re upset, I’m upset, let’s meet tomorrow at breakfast and talk about this. I’m not in the best shape to deal with it right now.’ ” Talk about your problems, sure, but only do so when you are levelheaded and in control of yourself.  If you are not, the chance is good that you will only make things worse.  Use time to work in your favor to solve your relationship problems.

5.  Create, or take advantage of, romantic moments. Even though it can be extremely corny and uncomfortable for a man, let’s just assume that all women really enjoy those Hallmark moments:  sitting by the fireplace, reading a book together, washing her hair or doing her nails, sending her an email that tells her in simple language how much you love her, or just holding hands while you walk.  Women think of these small things as great foreplay, and that is why they appreciate it when a man holds open a door, or takes care of her in small but important ways.  Dr. Schwartz says, “The less [of these moments] you have, the more she’s thinking how it used to be, or how nice it would be to have a man offering to fly her to a cabin in the woods.”  Make sure you are the one she is fantasizing about, by creating foreplay with simple acts of consideration, reassurance that you value her, and appreciation for who she is and what she does.   “You don’t have to do it all the time, but if you can’t remember the last time you did any of this, it’s way too long,” Schwartz says.

Even if you do not have Peyronie’s disease, these things will improve and deepen your relationship.  But if you have Peyronie’s disease these things become all the more important.  You must do all that you can to support and strengthen your relationship with her, now that one element of your physical ability to satisfy her is diminished.

Peyronie’s disease does not destroy a relationship; it is allowed to die when the man who has PD does not understand what motivates his woman.  Wise up.

Every now and then I am asked about the use of a vacuum pump or Vacuum Erection Device (VED) to treat the bent penis of Peyronie’s disease.  Many men are encouraged about a VED because their medical doctor has suggested it, or they have read something written on the Internet saying that it is a good Peyronie’s disease treatment.  Some of the more outlandish ads even say a VED is a Peyronie’s disease cure.

A Vacuum Erection Device is a clear plastic cylinder chamber that is open at one end, and is placed over the penis and held tightly against the skin of the lower abdomen.  At the other end of the VED is a simple air pump that removes the air inside the cylinder once the penis is inside it. The air is removed from the chamber so that the bent penis is affected by the negative atmospheric pressure inside.  As a result, the negative pressure causes more blood than normal to enter the penis and an unusually large erection develops. This grater than average enlargement is said to be able to stretch the deeper tissue of the penis and reduce the penis curvature. The effect is temporary, but impressive.  A VED will give you an erection larger than you have ever had before, although it will not last more than a few hours outside the chamber, and any tissue changes that the stretching produces are equally temporary.

The effects of reduced atmospheric pressure on tissue can be demonstrated by the “love kiss” or “hickey” that is created by placing the mouth over an area of skin (classically the neck), and forcefully sucking the tissue for just a short while.  Within seconds the blood vessels of the area are so dilated –  and often ruptured –  that a bruised mark is left in the area that will last for several days.  The Vacuum Erection Device does something similar to the entire penis.  It dilates all the tissue, allows more blood to enter the penis for as long as it is held in place, and it can also result in ruptured blood vessels and injury to the delicate tunica albuginea.  This kind of tissue reaction can be a catastrophe for someone who already has Peyronies.

VED can cause Peyronie’s disease

In my time communicating with men who have Peyronie’s disease, I have found a surprisingly large percent of them who state their initial injury that resulted in their Peyronies can be traced back to use of a VED.  These are the men who started out simply wanting to increase their penile dimensions, and injured themselves to the point that Peyronie’s disease developed.  While there are a few men who say a VED helps them, there are many more who say it does not.

The danger with a penile vacuum pump is in the overuse or abuse of such a device.  The theory behind the therapeutic use of the VED is to slowly and gently stretch the scar tissue and soften it.  That does not appear to happen, because the normal tissue does indeed stretch, but the Peyronie’s disease plaque tissue does not.  As a result a man finds that he has a temporarily larger penis that is less able to reach a normal full erection – and it still has the same Peyronie’s disease plaque or scar, and/or curve, he had before.

When a man uses a VED he will either overuse the device, taking the very real risk of injuring the penile tissue even more, or he will temporarily enlarge the penis but injure the vascular mechanism so that his erection is not as rigid as before.  What he winds up with is a large soft penis that is rather ineffective in intercourse.  You definitely can create an artificial erection with a pump, but there are often damaging consequences to a VED that causes men to quickly stop using it once they see all the drawbacks.

Many people ask for my advice about a “penis pump.”   Here is the basic problem with the VED:   You and I have both definitely proven that we have penile tissue that is susceptible to injury and when injured (and even when not injured), we can develop an excess scar reaction.  If you injure the penis by over-stretching, as is easy to do since there is no way to know at what point is the point of over-stretching, you will create more Peyronies plaque material.   Most men will probably over use the VED just because they get excited when they see the results the device can produce temporarily.  If you are prone to Peyronie’s disease anyway, this kind of tissue stretching can be a disaster.  The only way you can safely use a VED is to not over use it; the problem is there is no way to know what is over use and abuse until it is too late.

From my experience with countless men, my opinion is that it is simply better to avoid the temptation and pass on the Vacuum Erection Device.  It can cause a lot more problems than the small and temporary change in Peyronie’s disease is worth.

Send along your questions concerning Peyronie’s disease treatment under the “Ask Dr. Herazy…” heading, or reply to this particular article in the space below.

This post is about an interesting question I am asked from time to time about Peyronie’s disease treatment.  I thought it might be of interest to you.  The question is asked something like this, “When people finally get some positive changes in their Peyronie’s disease, how does it usually show up?  What usually happens first?  I want to know what I can expect, although I know we are all different.”

Well, usually – not always – as a man continues with a sufficiently large and aggressively applied Peyronie’s disease treatment plan from PDI, he will notice at first some small and TEMPORARY changes in the size and density of his scar.  The temporary nature of the change does not last long.  As treatment continues the changes and improvement become permanent.  Usually the scar itself will change before there is a noticeable change in the penis curvature or his ability to develop an erection.  This scar change will take place maybe during months 2-6 of the treatment cycle, although I have worked with men who see changes in the scar after just a few weeks of a PDI plan.  This fast response is the exception and not the rule, so do not plan on that kind of response although it does happen.

The initial and temporary improvement in the Peyronies plaque or scar will not last very long, maybe just a few days or so, and then it will often go back to how it was before – maybe even worse.  I wish I could say why this happens – it just does. Soon a pattern will develop in which there is improvement, regression, improvement, regression, back and forth, etc.  What happens over time is that you will notice that the amount of improvement will be greater than the regression, and the improvement will last longer than the regression.  You will likely see the pattern shifting slowly in favor of improvement – it will last longer and it will be greater than the regression.  Just like the stock market – it goes up and it goes down – but the general trend and pattern is that it slowly comes gets better.  This is how I have seen most every case of Peyronie’s disease improve.

Just as the Peyronie’s plaque changes, a little while later it is common to see a change in the curvature. The initial change in the penis curvature is not always improvement, however.  My curve worsened just after my scar showed some real strong progress for the first time.  I kept in mind that the Peyronies plaque was getting better, so I did not let the change in the curve upset me.  I kept working to reduce the scars I had and in time the curve I had also eventually improved.

Peyronie’s plaque and pick-up-sticks

Ever play “pick-up-sticks” as a kid?   With the complex interplay of sticks lying across each other, removing one stick makes three or four other sticks shift a bit.  I think the same happens in Peyronie’s disease.

How many plaques or scars do you have?  If more than one, then the dynamics are made even more complicated.  If you have only one scar (kind of unusual) then you have one scar that could be influencing 2-3-4 different planes of connective tissue within the corpora cavernosa of the penis that it is attached to.  It is not difficult to understand that if a part of a scar is changing it could cause alteration of the tensions and angles of pull – as the scar is INCREASING or DECREASING in size – that could cause a change in the curve – to make it INITIALLY better or worse.  So in this sense, an increase in your curve is only seen as a bad thing if you know FOR A FACT that your scar(s) are increasing in size, shape or density. Over time, as the plaque continues to soften and reduce in size, and as the internal pull and tension created by these plaque begins to normalize, the curve should begin to straighten.  Continue monitoring yourself as you work aggressively, and you should see this positive pattern of recovery play out for you.

A worsening of the curve is acceptable if the plaque is improving.  As far as treating your condition and monitoring progress, the condition of the Peyronie’s plaque is far more important to monitor than the curve; plaque changes size, shape and density characteristics, and even seem to move, and so the plaque or scar tissue exerts control over the curve; the curved penis is just a reflection of plaque activity – good or bad.  A smaller plaque can create a larger curve if it is in the wrong place or is pulling or pushing in some strange way. It might make you feel sick to see your curve get worse, but ignore the curve and keep checking the condition of the Peyronie’s disease  plaque.  How do you check your plaque?  Go to review information about  my book, “Peyronie’s Disease Handbook” on the PDI website, at Peyronie’s Disease Handbook

Whenever someone sends me an email reporting that he is seeing improvement in his plaque or bent penis, I warn him that it will not initially last very long and that his problem will surely return for a short while.  I can almost guarantee this pattern.  Come to expect it; count on it.  It is just the way it goes, so do not be discouraged or disappointed when it happens.  In a short time, you will see the pattern develop that will tell you that good things are finally happening.  Just stay with it.

How long it takes for the improvement to become permanent is also variable (just like everything about Peyronie’s disease).  Once you get your plan fine-tuned and working well for you, most of the time it takes 6-12 months or more for the progress to level off and become as good as it is going to be.  That does not mean that in 6-12 months or so you will be cured or completely well.  It just means you will be as good as you are going to be, in spite of your best effort.

This post is about an interesting question I am asked from time to time about Peyronie’s disease treatment.  I thought it might be of interest to you.  The question is asked something like this, “When people finally get some positive changes in their Peyronie’s disease, how does it usually show up?  What usually happens first?  I want to know what I can expect, although I know we are all different.”

Well, usually – not always – as a man continues in a sufficiently large and aggressively applied Peyronie’s disease treatment plan from PDI, he will notice at first some small and TEMPORARY changes in the size and density of his scar.  The temporary nature of the change does not last long.  As treatment continues the changes and improvement become permanent.  Usually the scar itself will change before there is a noticeable change in the penis curvature or his ability to develop an erection.  This scar change will take place maybe during months 2-6 of the treatment cycle, although I have worked with men who see changes in the scar after just a few weeks of a PDI plan.  This fast response is the exception and not the rule, so do not plan on that kind of response although it does happen.

The initial and temporary improvement in the Peyronies plaque or scar will not last very long, maybe just a few days or so, and then it will often go back to how it was before – maybe even worse.  I wish I could say why this happens – it just does. Soon a pattern will develop in which there is improvement, regression, improvement, regression, back and forth, etc.  What happens over time is that you will notice that the amount of improvement will be greater than the regression, and the improvement will last longer than the regression.  You will likely see the pattern shifting slowly in favor of improvement – it will last longer and it will be greater than the regression.  Just like the stock market – it goes up and it goes down – but the general trend and pattern is that it slowly comes gets better.  This is how I have seen most every case of Peyronie’s disease improve.

Just as the Peyronie’s plaque changes, a little while later it is common to see a change in the curvature. The initial change in the penis curvature is not always improvement, however.  My curve worsened just after my scar showed some real strong progress for the first time.  I kept in mind that the Peyronies plaque was getting better, so I did not let the change in the curve upset me.  I kept working to reduce the scars I had and in time the curve I had also eventually improved.

Peyronie’s plaque and pick-up-sticks

Ever play “pick-up-sticks” as a kid?   With the complex interplay of sticks lying across each other, removing one stick makes three or four other sticks shift a bit.  I think the same happens in Peyronie’s disease.

How many plaques or scars do you have?  If more than one, then the dynamics are made even more complicated.  If you have only one scar (kind of unusual) then you have one scar that could be influencing 2-3-4 different planes of connective tissue within the corpora cavernosa of the penis that it is attached to.  It is not difficult to understand that if a part of a scar is changing it could cause alteration of the tensions and angles of pull – as the scar is INCREASING or DECREASING in size – that could cause a change in the curve – to make it INITIALLY better or worse.  So in this sense, an increase in your curve is only seen as a bad thing if you know FOR A FACT that your scar(s) are increasing in size, shape or density. Over time, as the plaque continues to soften and reduce in size, and as the internal pull and tension created by these plaque begins to normalize, the curve should begin to straighten.  Continue monitoring yourself as you work aggressively, and you should see this positive pattern of recovery play out for you.

A worsening of the curve is acceptable if the plaque is improving.  As far as treating your condition and monitoring progress, the condition of the Peyronie’s plaque is far more important to monitor than the curve; plaque changes size, shape and density characteristics, and even seem to move, and so the plaque or scar tissue exerts control over the curve; the curved penis is just a reflection of plaque activity – good or bad.  A smaller plaque can create a larger curve if it is in the wrong place or is pulling or pushing in some strange way. It might make you feel sick to see your curve get worse, but ignore the curve and keep checking the condition of the Peyronie’s disease  plaque.  How do you check your plaque?  Go to my book, “Peyronie’s Disease Handbook” on the PDI website,  to review information about the Peyronie’s Disease Handbook.

Whenever someone sends me an email reporting that he is seeing improvement in his plaque or bent penis, I warn him that it will not initially last very long and that his problem will surely return for a short while.  I can almost guarantee this pattern.  Come to expect it; count on it.  It is just the way it goes, so do not be discouraged or disappointed when it happens.  In a short time, you will see the pattern develop that will tell you that good things are finally happening.  Just stay with it.

How long it takes for the improvement to become permanent is also variable (just like everything about Peyronie’s disease).  Once you get your plan fine-tuned and working well for you, most of the time it takes 6-12 months or more for the progress to level off and become as good as it is going to be.  That does not mean that in 6-12 months or so you will be cured or completely well.  It just means you will be as good as you are going to be, in spite of your best effort.   For some men it is complete recovery and full return to normal, and for other men it is a variable percent of improvement.

No one can accurately anticipate or tell what level of improvement will happen even after an intense effort of Peyronie’s disease treatment.  Some of the worse cases make the most recovery, and some of the mildest problems improve the least.  You just have to do your best and do all that you can to regain your life in the best way you can.

If you want to know more about what you might be experiencing right now with your condition, let me know.  Ask a question on the blog, and I will be happy to explain what I can to you.   TRH