INSTRUCTIONS FOR PENILE SELF-INJECTIONS
STEP 1: GATHER SUPPLIES
Wash your hands with soap and water and assemble the following items:
- 1 medication vial
- 2 alcohol prep pads
- 1 syringe
- sharps container (TIP: you can also use an empty detergent or bleach container)
STEP 2: PREPARE THE SYRINGE
Pull the tab on the center of the vial cap to expose the top of the rubber stopper. Use an alcohol pad to wipe the top of the vial. This will kill any bacteria on the vial.
Take the syringe out of its package. Remove the cap from the needle. Be very careful not to let anything touch the needle. If anything touches the needle, throw away the entire syringe away in the sharps container and use a new one.
Turn the vial and syringe upside down. Slowly pull the plunger down past your prescribed dose. This will help remove any air bubbles. Slowly push the plunger back up to your prescribed dose. Check the amount of medication in the syringe to make sure it's the correct dose.
Carefully remove the needle from the vial.
STEP 3: PREPARE THE INJECTION SITE
You must inject the medication into a specific area of the penis. This is so you do not inject into a nerve or blood vessel.
The injection will go into the middle of the penis at the 10 o'clock (left side) or the 2 o'clock (right side) position. Do not inject straight down on the top of bottom of the penis. Avoid visible veins.
Locate the area to be injected and wipe with an alcohol wipe.
STEP 4: INJECT THE MEDICATION
Hold the syringe between your thumb, index, and middle fingers like a pen or a dart.
Grasp the head of your penis and pull straight out. Keep pulling on your penis from the time the needle goes into your penis until it comes out. Don't twist the penis, as this could lead to injecting the wrong area.
Touch the needle to your skin and quickly slide it into the shaft of the penis. Be sure to insert the full length of the needle. Quickly push down on the plunger to inject the medication into the shaft of the penis.
Once you have injected the medication, quickly pull the needle straight out of the penis.
STEP 5: APPLY PRESSURE TO INJECTION SITE
Apply pressure at the injection site for 2 to 3 minutes with your thumb on the injection site and your index finger on the opposite side of the penis. This will help decrease any bleeding or bruising.
STEP 5: DISPOSE OF THE NEEDLE
Place the syringe in the sharps container for safe disposal.
ADDITIONAL TIPS AND PRECAUTIONS
- Don't take more medication than the dose prescribed.
- Don't change the dose without speaking to your prescriber.
- Wait at least 48 hours between injections.
- Don't take any other medications for erectile dysfunction without speaking to your prescriber.
- If you experience an erection that lasts more than 2 hours, take pseudoephedrine HCI.
- If you experience an erection that lasts more than 4 hours, this is a medical emergency. You should seek immediate medical assistance. Erections lasting longer than 4 hours can cause permanent damage to your erection tissue.
