I've had a change of heart regarding PE!

I haven’t posted for a while now. I used to be very enthusiastic about PE but have had a change of heart.

I just posted in a urology forum, hoping for some advice. Thought I may as well post it here. If anyone wants to comment, please feel free.

BB

PS, I don’t intend to offend the pumpers here at Thunders, but I thought I might as well share my point of view.

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Penis pumping caused sensitivity loss - can it recover?

If I could reverse the clock I would certainly not have bought the pump, or started to read the penis enlargement forums which encourage the use of pumps! I now realize that what you risk losing is just not worth it!

So far I’ve been to my doctor and a urologist and both seem to suggest this is a psychological issue, in fact I’ve also been to a ‘phyco sexual clinic’ where the emphasis is also on psycho issues. I’ve had all the blood tests done and everything checks out as OK.

But I’m 99% sure my problem has been caused by the penis pump. I know what I did to myself, and it’s not easy explaining this to the doctor.

I’ve always had a high sex drive since since becoming sexually aware/active as a young teen. I’m now 39. About 2 years ago I started to do penis enlargement exercises, jelqing, stretching exercises etc. As well as this I bought a penis extender device. The info on how to apply these techniques I got from a free forum online.

Since birth I had a slight curvature in my erection which really bothered me, I initially was hoping to correct this.

Anyway for about a year, doing this on and off, I actually had quite positive results. I did lessen the curve, as well as increasing the size and quality of my erections. During this period my libido/sex drive and sensitivity all remained pretty high. But I guess I got hooked.

I then started to look at penis pumps, started reading the hype. Eventually I bought one online. I purchased a device with a pressure gage as I wanted to use it in a ‘safe’ manner. ie not pumping too high - I also wanted to keep the time when in the pump down so as not to cause any tissue damage due to oxygen deprivation.

So I started using the pump, for about say 3 or 4 times a week, at say 4 sets of 3-4 mins at less than 5hg pressure. I thought this was moderate and safe. So no catastrophic injuries. I must have used the pump for a period of say 6 months or so. On the odd occasion I would push my limits to a degree.

Then I started to notice a lessening of my penile sensitivity. I guess I didn’t realize the warning signs and continued to use the pump. Until I realized that there was a very significant problem, and I connected this with the pump. I stopped using it.

This was about 8 - 10 months ago. I also ceased all other ‘penile’ exercises.

So here’s my problem. I no longer find myself becoming sexually aroused spontaneously. Any stimulation which would normally initiate a response now has very little effect. Before I would feel the need to be sexually active maybe every 3 or 4 days, now nothing. In fact I feel I could abstain totally with no desire at all.

I no longer have the intense erogenous sensations I used to have. But I can still become erect, mostly with mental stimulus. I can also ejaculate, but the intensity is gone. I’ve also become prone to premature ejaculation. So basically the sensitivity which used to be there which was a major driving force for me has gone. I’m struggling to find any sexual satisfaction.

I have been very upset about this, feeling quite depressed. I’ve also been feeling that my future has a bleak outlook. I’m finding the memories of how great sex was are fading, and I feel I’m becoming resigned to the fact that I’ll never be the same man I was before this happened to me. And the crazy thing is it is all self inflicted. I hold on to the hope that I will regain my sensitivity in time.

So I hope whoever reads this takes this on board as a warning… stay away from penis pumps! It just not worth the potential loss. Or at least be aware of the risks.

So on to my question…

I’ve scoured the web looking for information on this kind of damage, and there’s many references to penis pumps causing nerve damage and penis desensitizing. But nowhere can I find any hope that this can recover in time. I’ve read that if a nerve is only bruised and not lacerated in time (possibly over a year) it can recover. But can damage to nerves due to vacuum/pressure damage recover? Does anyone actually know what can happen to nerves when pumping?

I need something to hope for.

However… in saying all the above, is it possible that it COULD be all in my head? If a man thinks he has damage with regards to penile sensitivity, could it cause a physical ‘shutting down’ of the normal penis - to - brain connection? I can still feel touch, but I can’t feel pleasure.

I hope someone can take the time to respond to my message, and I thank you in advance.

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For me PE actually worked! It straightened my unit, increased the length and the girth. But now I fear the price was just too high.

Well if the doc says all is fine there is clearlly not any serious damage. There could be a slight mild damage as you have noticed a difference in feeling but it doesnt sound too bad. Whether it’s in your head or not, it doesnt sound too bad, as time goes on it will either go or you will get used to it I’m sure so don’t worry too much.

All of the symptoms you describe are also symptoms of low testosterone. At your age, this is very likely.

Find a doctor who specializes in male hormone replacement therapy and have your testosterone, free testosterone, and estrogen checked. Most guys like being on the high end of normal.

If you can’t find a doctor in your area, check out Dr. John Crisler at https://www.allthingsmale.com . He’s a DO instead of an MD (which means he got his MD but then went on for a few hundred hours more education), and really knows his stuff. I’ve been a patient of his for years. He’s an online guy - he’ll order labwork from your local lab, then will have "virtual office visits" over the phone where he’ll evaluate your labs and take it from there. His office is in Lansing Michigan - I went out of my way to visit his office once when I was in the region. Great guy.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Beware the post hoc fallacy: “After this, therefore because of this…”

If you used the pump sensibly and in the way you describe, it’s very unlikely that pumping caused your problem - unless pushing your limits, as you say you did do, caused some kind of damage. You did use an extender device; they can get some guys into trouble.

You are 39. In our late thirties we don’t usually have the sex drive we did in our early twenties. That is just a fact of life. However, we don’t just dry up unless there is a cause, or causes. When libido falls off, doctors usually think toward testosterone levels (as in jimbeaux’s suggestion above to get yours checked), depression and anxiety about whatever, sleep patterns, etc.. You have some depression about your condition and of course that just makes things worse and can result in lower sensitivity levels during sex, too. Take a good look at life in general and see if there are any connections there: Lose money in the stock market bust? Has your job security changed; have relationships soured?

You don’t say much about the sexual/psychological clinic or whatever that you attended and what was their read on the situation.

You still get erections and aside from cumming faster you do have successful ejaculations though you say they don’t feel as good as before. Your plumbing is working.

My suggestion would be to have a hormonal panel done and see what those results are. Go from there. There is no firm evidence that you have nerve damage, at least your urologist seems not to believe there is.

A curved penis is a true blessing my friend.

Bigbox, if you are looking for (maybe) a physical answer, look at head squeezes or de-keratization. (I may have spelt that wrong). The manual head squeezes helped me with my de-sensitized glans. The other may help with getting rid of the old layer on the glans and give you more sensation.

If all else fails, see a psychologist/psychotherapist/hypnotist. It can seem like balony but if its all in your head (and that is possible) these people can really help, just a last resort. The suggestions above sound like primary options.

Best of luck, friend :)

Sorry to hear that. I have not started yet, but I am thinking about water pumping and jelqing. But when I was 17 or 18, I injured my penis while bending it to the right, trying to fix a curve. I was actually more or less folding it. It was stupid, and very painful when it happened. To this day, I have feeling, but no sexual feeling in the entire right side of my penis. I believe I killed the right dorsal nerve. But, the left side still feels good, so it is not a problem. I wish I could get the other side back though. I am still a little nervous about starting to pump, but I’m hoping it would be ok to pump with a low pressure (3mm-hg?). I’ve heard good things about the bathmate, but it has no gauge, and I just read about someone that hurt themselves with it.

Just a brief update…

My spontaneous erections are still gone. There used to be life down there which was disconnected from my own control. Arousal happening often with just a thought, a smell, or just thinking about something sexy! Or even for no reason at all. But now, still, this is all gone.

I’ve noticed a pattern… Any physical stimulation just doesn’t seem to work. And as said above there’s no spontaneous arousal.

But if I make a conscious decision to say, look at some porn, and it’s hot, I can get erect, and start to feel horny. But as soon as I ‘disconnect’ mentally from the porn I lose my erection ?

But when erect the high levels or erogenous sensations I used to get during sex are gone! I can stimulate myself to orgasm, but the whole ‘journey’ is just so… bland. The orgasm can sometimes be intense now, but I mostly feel really numb between getting the erection, and the climax. So it often means rough sex to get me there.

I feel so sexually frustrated! I long for the awesome feelings I used to get during the pre-climax sexual activity.

The weird thing is if I do get myself mentally charged up my erections are rock solid. (I found that the PE did develop in me a hard erection… Sometimes a bit scary!)

And without the mental stimulation rarely any amount of touching or physical stimulation will get me erect now!

Before I started PE - from say age 11 or so to 38 I had a crazy, highly charged libido and erection quality. During the first say, year or so of PE - using only the Penimaster, and jelqing, manual stretching etc I gained size, in both length and girth. I also gained in erection quality, and my Libido was very high!

But then after using the pump (and seeing some unbelievable expansion in my penis during these sessions) - after a period of say, 4 to 6 months, I noticed the change in my sensitivity and libido. And eventually, now to this day I feel a totally changed man.

It just doesn’t work the same!

I’ve felt quite depressed about it.

But have started to come to the realization I may well just have to accept it now. I’ve often read that the penis can heal from an injury, and that it can take a year plus, but I’m beginning to think this is permanent.

I do sometimes though still wonder… is this psychological? But I can’t see how it can be… it’s manifested in the loss of a physical function I used to have, but now is gone.

OK, so I guess I just wanted to complain to the world again and make myself feel better. If anyone can suggest anything then it might give me some food for thought, and a little bit of hope.

Since my last post I have seen another urologist, who specializes in Andropause. Did quite a thorough check up, even to the point of sticking pins in my dick! Ouch! He noticed a definite lessening of sensation on my shaft, however when he jabbed my glans, oh my gosh! Was that sore or what! So I find this really weird - the feeling is there in the glans, but erogenous sensations when erect, and flaccid are very low.

I’m currently waiting on an appointment to get fitted with a device which will monitor my nocturnal erections. The urologist wants to determine if these are normal … to try and identify if this is physiological or not. If there are negative results then he was going to look more into my Endocrinology (hormonal side of things).

However I already know my am erections are virtually gone!

avocet8 did make a comment that it may simply be age related, and I’m beginning to wonder… is that what this is all about? And it’s coming about at the same time as when I was practicing the PE, was just coincidental?

Who knows!

Any comments would be much appreciated.

BB

Are you cut or uncut?

I’m uncut.

I know what it feels like to have a fully functioning, sensitive foreskin. I sometimes feel it’s actually the foreskin that’s lost its sensitivity as my glans still is sensitive. But I don’t get the same erogenous sensations from my foreskin (or glans) as I used to.

Look I started doing PE AFTER experiencing the loss of libido etc that you describe (which in my case occurred at a younger age due to excess heavy partying).

Your possible fallacy is arbitrarily establishng a cause-effect relation between PE and your current situation.

On the other hand, you might be correct in your deductions, who knows.

My opinion based on age and experience is in any case this: PE should be approached only if there is a good reason for it.

You have a microdick? Then do PE.
You have ED? Then do PE.
You have perfect sexual functions? Then, why risk losing them, stay away from what you don’t need!

Right now, I must thank the penis pump if I am still able to have sex.
If I don’t use the pump or manual jelqing, my dick goes to sleep and I totally forget about erections.
Or, they just happen once a month, the low quality ones.

So it’s all relative.

“IF IT AINT BROKEN, DON’t FIX IT, GODDAMIT!”

Plus, sex is not everything in life.
The Lord Jesus is more important anyway.
Take it easy,
Mentula

So, you’re suggesting this whole issue regarding my ‘loss of sensitivity’ etc is basically a result of my own imagined fear that I’ve damaged my unit using the pump? And this fear has actually caused the symptoms?

No I am just saying that you don’t have, or at least you don’t provide, enough evidence to say that.

It is inevitable that as a man approaches older age, the sex impulse weakens. It would have happened anyway PE or not PE.
But then again, of course if you had peak performance before using the pump, a peak can only turn into something less right?

My point is really two points:

1) PE should be used only when actually needed.
2) PE will be needed by all older men, sooner or later.

So if PE damaged you that means you probably didn’t need it in the first place.

But if you didn’t need it, that only means you didn’t need it yet.
Every man is going to need it sooner or later if he wants to keep sexually fit in later age.

But I didn’t mean to disrespect you in any way, sorry if I offended you.

Just trust the healing ability of the body and don’t blame everything on a single factor, because there might be a series of co-factors responsible for any given outcome.

God Bless,

Mentula