Bad first pumping experience--looking for insight from a veteran

I am quite experienced with using an all-day stretching device, and was pleased with my progress over the past 6 months.

As of 4 days prior to this posting, I used a bathmate featuring the hand pump to enhance my PE gains. Given my inexperience, I decided to do no more than ~5 minutes of pumping for my first time. I was able to get a good seal without use of the hand pump to start and kept the device on for about 2 minutes. After a short time resting just letting the shower water run, I wanted to try the pump again. This time I was unable to get a good seal, and decided to use the hand pump attachment to help improve the seal from a higher pressure. Using the hand pump, the pressure was definitely more, but I didn’t really feel any painful sensation. This time my penis was under pressure for no more than a minute and a half, but clearly the pressure was too much. Either that or maybe I released the pressure too quickly.

In any extent, after the second shorter pumping duration I was immediately concerned after removing the pump. This time instead of my penis looking reddish and slightly swollen, it now looked considerably different than its normal size and also felt squishy and puffy. This swollen appearance lasted all the way until I awoke the next morning, which if I am correct was the “donut effect” that resulted from lymphatic fluid. I also had the smaller purple dots on top of my penis shaft, which I believe were smaller hematomas. When I woke the next morning, the swelling/donut appearance was essentially gone, and within 24 hours of pumping any squishy feeling was gone as well. However, my glans, which had had the swollen “donut” appearance the night before had what appeared to be a purplish bruise, and then I had a purplish bruise on the right side of my shaft, while there also seemed to be some general discoloration. Additionally, I’ve had some light to moderate tenderness/soreness seemingly associated with the right side.

After the first morning, where I didn’t have any morning erection, I have experienced one every morning since then, although I would say the erection strength has been less than normal. The night I tried pumping I masturbated twice, and was able to successfully masturbate each the following two days with seemingly weaker erections. Given my concern I wanted to masturbate to test/ verify my penis was still working, although I realize masturbation is counter productive to healing, and will now refrain from masturbating until everything feels healed.

I am writing with some concern of what I am hoping is just a minor injury. Now 4 days later from the evening I tried pumping, the purplish bruising on the right side of my shaft and glans is noticeably reduced, which is encouraging. The purplish dots on the penis head are mostly faded as well. There is still some general tenderness occasionally as well. Can any experienced pumpers give me some feedback? How would you characterize my injury? Do you have any healing recommendations? Should I be concerned about any long time harm? How long would you suggest I rest? When would you suggest I might be able to get back to start using my stretching device again?

Apologies for my long post, I just wanted to make sure to be thorough.

Any feedback is appreciated and have a wonderful day!

That’s the problem with the Bathmate and no gauge. Even without the pump assist it can easily and rapidly take you right to 15”hg and that will quickly cause the injuries you describe. With the pump assist it might even reach 20”hg and that is outright dangerous.

It’s going to take awhile longer for those ruptured blood vessels and capillaries to heal.

If you want to continue with pumping I would highly recommend getting a pump with a gauge.

Hi gprent,

Thanks so much for you response! No, one bad experience with pumping is more than enough for me.

I completely understand that my only priority right now is healing. So when you say a while longer, can you give any basic timeline? Should I be thinking weeks, or more so months?

From your experience, should I be concerned about long-term damage? I am currently considering whether I should consult a medical specialist. Maybe doing so would only be out of an abundance of caution, but I am certainly in search of more information to try and get a clearer picture.

You’re going to be fine. You just went too hard, too soon. The company that makes those pumps has probably sold several million of them at this point. The risk of injury is there, but the risk of serious, or permanent injury is minimal. You are hardly the first or last guy to go overboard with one of those. If Bathmates caused serious injuries, there would be a lot of lawsuits against them. The liability for damage or injury incurred by using one of their products is what governs the amount of vacuum the bellows will produce. You just gotta exercise a bit of caution. Like when they get some kind of new-fangled pulley and cable contraption at the gym. You don’t pin it at max weight and try to learn to use it.

Bathmate strikes again!!! I’m sorry to the OP who got injuries from using one, but at this point, I don’t know why anyone would risk fate and use a Bathmate pump. Excess pressure paired with warm water, to me, is risky. I imagine the warm water can make your penis feel like its in a form of stasis or “protection” because it probably feels very inert and natural with warm water masking the true sensations of pressure on a penis.

The thing about Bathmate that drives me crazy is that from minimal, almost barely any use at all, men get injuries from using one. I don’t get it, why is their pump so powerful? Is it the water? Is it the bellows-style of pumping versus a mechanism held by hand? I know pressure gauge is the key, I have one and only do air pumping, but Bathmate should be sold with a warning, like “if you use this a little too much you can get injuries!” I hope the OP gets healed up fast and everything goes back to normal very soon!! So sorry you had a Bathmate injury.

First off thanks so much for the insight/words of encouragement.

As of this post it is now approximately 108 hours or 4.5 days after using the bathmate. From visual inspection I would say that the bruising/discoloration is reduced by 75%. Similarly, I still feel the discomfort/soreness, but it is quite light, and I notice it more for the fact that it is still there and not really due to it being uncomfortable.

I intend to give ample time for everything to heal. Does a month of recovery time sound reasonable given how much the irritation/injury has improved in the past 4.5 days? And from what I’ve described, when everything is fully healed should I be concerned with any lasting effect to my EQ?

For those of you who find success with pumping I wish all the best. It is not for me, and that’s just fine. However, I do fully intend to return to using my all-day stretcher, albeit it in a very controlled, gentle resistance. Would waiting the full month be reasonable for me to then return to the all-day stretcher?

I get it. I felt the same way about pumping for years until I tried it again—gradually. Also I lost my aversion to discoloring. I accepted that some discoloring will happen.

Glad to hear you’re doing better.