A doctor can generally teach a person to do the injections in one or two office visits. Patients will have to return for follow-up visits, particularly at the beginning of the treatment process, to see if the drugs used need to be changed or the dosages adjusted. The FDA has approved all of these drugs for other medical uses, but only prostaglandin has been approved specifically for treating impotence. Papaverine and phentolamine have not yet been approved for treating impotence, even though they were the first ones used for injection therapy. Nevertheless, urologists have gained considerable experience over the past decade with all three of these drugs, and all are now considered safe for injection therapy.
All medications have potential risks and side effects.
The drugs used in self-injection therapy are still technically considered experimental. And there is a small chance of infection and the possibility of bleeding or bruising during injection. Priapism only happens in a small percentage of patients but may require a visit to the doctor or emergency room to receive medication to counteract the self-injection medication and relieve the erection. Men need to be aware that any erection that lasts longer than 4 hours needs to be treated by a physician. Another complication is the possible development of permanent scarring within the penis.