Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Treatment of Priapism
If you see a doctor within four to six hours, treatment will usually be with decongestant medications such as pseudoephedrine or terbutaline. In most cases, the erection will go down.
If treatment is given later than 4-6 hours, the doctor can relieve the erection by releasing blood from the penis with a needle and syringe.
If the erection is not going down, a substance called metaraminol blue may be injected into the penis. This increases the force of the heart's pumping action.
Occasionally, surgery is necessary to avoid permanent damage to the penis.
If priapism has occurred as a side effect of medication then a different medication can usually be prescribed. If it is because of an underlying medical condition then this should be treated.
If priapism is related to injection of drugs used to treat impotence, a different treatment should be used in future. This is quite rare because impotence drugs can now be taken orally instead of being injected.
If the priapism is linked to sickle cell disease, your treatment will probably include painkillers, hydration (being given extra fluids) and a blood transfusion.
