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Possible Nerve Damage and ED through rubberband around penis
I am a 19 years old and about 3/4 year ago I had the great idea to put rubber bands around my penis because it annoyed me that my left testicle would go up all the time, it worked so I used a rubber band for quit a while to masturbate. I always kept it on for about 30-50 minutes and when I finished I had a slight pain on the glans, the day after it went away so it didn't bother me.
1-2 months later I started noticing that my glans doesn't fill up anymore with blood and around the base of the penis I had a strange numb feeling, so I stopped doing this. I went to a Urologist and he just said if the symptoms get worse I should come back. 3 months later my penis became suddenly numb mostly around the skin and it really made me panic so I went to the Urologist again and I told him everything including the rubber bands and he said that the rubber bands couldn't be the cause because I would have to wear it for multiple hours to cause any damage to the penis, he just suggested that I should wait it out and hope that it doesn't get worse that is where I am right now. I have almost lost all my libido it is hard to get a erection and it feels mostly numb, also it has started to make a very faint stabbing paint around the base about 3 weeks ago.
Of course the rubber bands don't have to be the reason but that is the only thing that I have in mind that could have caused it. It stresses me out that I don't know what to do and have become very depressed about this. On the internet many said that it would start to damage the nerves and cause ED only after 30 minutes but he said otherwise so I don't know what to believe in. I hope someone has an answer to this and hope there is a form of treatment to this. Thanks in advance.
1-2 months later I started noticing that my glans doesn't fill up anymore with blood and around the base of the penis I had a strange numb feeling, so I stopped doing this. I went to a Urologist and he just said if the symptoms get worse I should come back. 3 months later my penis became suddenly numb mostly around the skin and it really made me panic so I went to the Urologist again and I told him everything including the rubber bands and he said that the rubber bands couldn't be the cause because I would have to wear it for multiple hours to cause any damage to the penis, he just suggested that I should wait it out and hope that it doesn't get worse that is where I am right now. I have almost lost all my libido it is hard to get a erection and it feels mostly numb, also it has started to make a very faint stabbing paint around the base about 3 weeks ago.
Of course the rubber bands don't have to be the reason but that is the only thing that I have in mind that could have caused it. It stresses me out that I don't know what to do and have become very depressed about this. On the internet many said that it would start to damage the nerves and cause ED only after 30 minutes but he said otherwise so I don't know what to believe in. I hope someone has an answer to this and hope there is a form of treatment to this. Thanks in advance.
That your doctor thinks it is all in your head is to consider. Psychological reasons is one of he main reasons for ED. Do you have anxiety or depression? Are you stressed (like with your finals?). I'm telling you man, this can greatly affect the capability for erection. If that is not the direction you want to go, see a urologist. Your doctor can't tell you no to this if you want a second opinion.
When I had my appendix out, near the incision, my skin was numb after the operation. I asked the doctor about it, and he said, "Oh, I'm sure the incision just cut through a skin nerve. It's not a big deal, nothing to worry about..." And just as I was relaxing, he added, "...sensation will come back in about a year." And I was thinking, "a YEAR? and it's not a big deal?"
But he was right. First of all, I didn't know skin nerves regenerated, and second of all, sensation did come back within a year. It was really weird to have skin on my abdomen that felt warm to the touch and looked normal, but was numb. But it did heal. It just took several months.
If your rubber band managed to pinch off a skin nerve and damage it, I could imagine that the lack of sensation would mean that masturbation means little, and it might make you feel like you're describing. The good news is, if that's it, you might very well experience the same slow regeneration that I did. It certainly didn't take only a month, but my skin felt normal by the time even eight or nine months had gone by.
One way to check this is to see if you still get erections in the night. Those wouldn't be dependent on the skin for sensation (I don't think. Unless nighttime erections also require the tactile sensation of the penis touching something.)
I'd try to focus on your finals at the moment, but when they are all done, maybe an area of research is to check on the angle that the rubber band damaged a superficial nerve, and also, you might talk to a dermatologist instead of a urologist if you think that might be part of the puzzle.
Try not to worry, the body has many marvels and is able to find many pathways to functionality.
But he was right. First of all, I didn't know skin nerves regenerated, and second of all, sensation did come back within a year. It was really weird to have skin on my abdomen that felt warm to the touch and looked normal, but was numb. But it did heal. It just took several months.
If your rubber band managed to pinch off a skin nerve and damage it, I could imagine that the lack of sensation would mean that masturbation means little, and it might make you feel like you're describing. The good news is, if that's it, you might very well experience the same slow regeneration that I did. It certainly didn't take only a month, but my skin felt normal by the time even eight or nine months had gone by.
One way to check this is to see if you still get erections in the night. Those wouldn't be dependent on the skin for sensation (I don't think. Unless nighttime erections also require the tactile sensation of the penis touching something.)
I'd try to focus on your finals at the moment, but when they are all done, maybe an area of research is to check on the angle that the rubber band damaged a superficial nerve, and also, you might talk to a dermatologist instead of a urologist if you think that might be part of the puzzle.
Try not to worry, the body has many marvels and is able to find many pathways to functionality.
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(by 'check on the angle' that such and such happened, I meant, 'look into the theory' that such and such happened. I wasn't talking about a physical angle of the penis or anything.)
And, finally, you might look up the kind of numbness sometimes experienced by people who race bicycles or ride bikes a lot. It has to do with compression of the blood vessels in the area, I think. Anything I've seen that mentions numbness of the penis from injury (versus disease) says it goes away in time.
Thank you very much for your long and elaborated information. At the moment I focus for the finals but it just comes as a intrusive thought into my mind countless times per day so it isn't very easy to concentrade, but it is better than befor. Your explenation helped me to calm my nerves a little and gave me hope that it all can get better. I will try to take your suggestion by heart and start to research it after I have finished my finals.
Just one little question, what did you mean by "nighttime" erections? You mean just occuring randomly without any warning, like a "morning erection", or by intendet stimulation?
Thanks again for the big help!
Just one little question, what did you mean by "nighttime" erections? You mean just occuring randomly without any warning, like a "morning erection", or by intendet stimulation?
Thanks again for the big help!
And is there anything I should/shouldn't do to aid the regeneration, f.e. stop masturbation etc.?
By nighttime erections, I mean that in a certain phase of sleep, guys often get an erection. If you sometimes wake up in the night with an erection even with your present problem, that tells you it probably isn't E.D. (which I think is defined as someone no longer having the physical ability to get erections). It's certainly true that anxiety and worry can be a downer on physical excitement, so the suggestion from the other poster above that if you think you're getting E.D., it might all be from being so anxious, sounded right to me.
As far as aiding the regeneration, the problem is, you don't really know for sure what this is from or what is exactly wrong. After finals, you might see if you can get a more definitive diagnosis from a urologist or maybe a dermatologist. In the meantime, you've got finals. And this doesn't sound like an issue that will get any worse with time, so be patient. Time might be all it needs.
As far as aiding the regeneration, the problem is, you don't really know for sure what this is from or what is exactly wrong. After finals, you might see if you can get a more definitive diagnosis from a urologist or maybe a dermatologist. In the meantime, you've got finals. And this doesn't sound like an issue that will get any worse with time, so be patient. Time might be all it needs.
I have finished my finals now and have succesfully passed them. I will devote my time now fully to fix this problem. Thank you for your help and uplifting words!
Sadly I don't have these "night time erections", it only gets up with physical stimulation.
I'm not going to tell you anything different than the doctor. They sell a C ring (you fill in the C) that does the same thing for guys so it's not that other guys don't do this and I'm sure they wouldn't if it caused significant problems with nerves. Of course, don't do the rubber band thing anymore. Your doctor advised waiting it out. Give it another month. I know you are missing being sexual but it's a drop in the bucket of time. You should get back to normal if you just leave it alone for a while.
If you don't trust your doctor, get a second opinion. And remember, psychological state can affect libido. You are worried, anxious and feeling low. That's all going to impact things and compound matters. If you find you continue to be depressed and anxious, that's also something to speak to your doctor about.
If you don't trust your doctor, get a second opinion. And remember, psychological state can affect libido. You are worried, anxious and feeling low. That's all going to impact things and compound matters. If you find you continue to be depressed and anxious, that's also something to speak to your doctor about.
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Ok I will follow your advice and wait for a month, if it doesn't change or gets worse after that I will get a second opinion. Thank you very much for your advice, it really gave me a spark of hope. :)
I'm glad. Come back and update me, okay?
So a month has almost passed now and sadly nothing has changed for the better. In the meantime I have talked to my family doctor about this, but he can't help me because he never heard of such problems and he doesn't want to send me to another Doctor, because he believes it is all in my head, which I know it isn't. Of course all the stress has some impact on it aswell but all that stress only comes from my ED and numbness. I came to the point where I talked to my parents about this but they don't seem to care because "one can live a life and have a relationship without sex" they told me. I have no one to talk to about my problem, in two weeks are my final exames and I am at the end of my energy and will to do anything. I don't know what to do anymore.
I am grateful for any advice, thanks in advance.
I am grateful for any advice, thanks in advance.
I have my exams in three months. And I'm gonna lose my both testicles. Erectile dysfunction and numbness is a almost hunrend percent curable thing. But losing testicles is not reversible. Be happy. Stay strong.
I am just going to say that you can't predict exactly will happen. You aren't a doctor and this is NOT what your doctors are saying. I'm wondering if you don't have a bit of anxiety. Your fear is huge and probably out of proportion for what is really going on. That would certainly be a traumatic situation to lose both testicles and we'll talk about that if it happens, but you've not given any information suggesting that there is any certainty that it will. Try to stay calm. Re visit with your doctor to explain the current status and let us know what they say. numbness is often nerve related. Sincerely, this could be something entirely than what you think.
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