When conservative doses of medication are used and men follow instructions carefully, the risk of prolonged erection is quite small. Men are often uncomfortable at first with the thought of injecting their penis. Many men are able to come to terms with the idea after having a diagnostic test injection as part of their evaluation, however. Others feel comfortable with the injection from the outset. They see this treatment as giving them the closest response to a natural erection.
Some men have their partners learn to do the injection.
A few men never achieve good erections with injection therapy, but most are successful after some adjustment of dose or type of medication. The medication container is labeled with an expiration date. After that date, we recommend that men not use the medication because it may have lost some effectiveness. Our pharmacy works with us in dispensing an amount of medication that a man is likely to use before it expires. Insurance companies vary quite a bit in whether they cover these prescriptions.