Q. I told my physician that my penis bends as an erection occurs. He laughed and suggested that this was not uncommon at my age (71) and that only extensive surgery could possibly correct it.
Now I’ve heard that there are medications that might help. My wife says that it’s a bit uncomfortable, but tolerable.
A. Your description fits Peyronie’s disease. Experts estimate that it affects approximately 8 percent of men over 50. Peyronie’s is caused by scarring on one side of the erectile body of the penis.
Urologist Culley Carson, MD, tells us that medications can sometimes be helpful. They include pentoxifylline (a drug that makes platelets flexible and improves blood circulation) and colchicine (a drug used primarily for gout). The calcium channel blocker verapamil is sometimes injected directly into the scar tissue. Such treatments must be supervised by a specialist.
