The P-Shot®: “Is this going to hurt?”

I was interested in the P-Shot to gain size. I didn’t think that I had a performance issue. I was surprised because I noticed a big improvement in my performance the same night as the procedure! I did also increase in girth, but that took another 3 weeks to show. The process was simple and painless. I used the numbing cream that Rachel gave me, and within about 10 minutes, I could not feel a thing. And the blood draw was simple. Overall, it took me about 30 minutes, start to finish. I have now had the treatment twice, and think I will keep coming back for more. It is a lot better than the medications I was using before. I recommend the P-Shot way more than a surgery. This was completely safe. And I am not the only one that is happy about it. My wife keeps asking when I can get my next shot! – Patient AH

“Hey, doc… Is this going to hurt?” We have received that question hundreds of times since we started offering the Priapus Shot® (P-Shot®). The short answer is: No.

Most men will feel something when we move the penis to provide the best position for the injection, and some patients feel some pressure as the platelet rich plasma and growth factors are injected into the penis. But we have never needed to cancel a penis injection because a patient was uncomfortable or could not tolerate the treatment.

You can compare this to Big D Wave®, GAINSWave®, and other forms of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, which also help to increase blood flow to the penis. Many patients need us to “give them a break” for a minute or two during shockwave treatment because of the intensity of the stimulation. The P-Shot, on the other hand, is a piece of cake.

How Does the Numbing Process Work?

There are four ways to achieve optimal comfort for the P-Shot or any injection into the penis.

1. Stimulation-Induced Analgesia

The first method has a complicated name, but it’s a simple application. The underlying theory is that if you can stimulate large nerve fibers that conduct non-painful stimuli, such as vibration, then these fibers will prevent the small nerve fibers that conduct painful stimuli (like the sharp prick of a needle) from reaching the central nervous system. The result is that the non-painful stimulus smothers the painful stimulus. The fancy name for this is the Gate Control Theory of Pain. It was first reported in 1965 by two researchers.

We used to tap on a patient’s shoulder or give them a pinch to engage this method of pain relief during injections. Now we have a much more “sophisticated” approach: We use a handheld vibrator at the site of the injection! This prevents the sensation of feeling a needle stick.

Does this work? Yes! There have been many scientific articles showing that devices with vibratory function reduce the pain associated with dental and cosmetic procedures. They have also been used in small children to help with blood draws and in patients with diabetes.

It is an excellent technique, but it has its drawbacks. While it is arguably the simplest way of diverting the sensation of pain, it doesn’t work for everyone. And, in general, it will decrease the sensation of a needle stick but will not completely eliminate it. It also requires two hands: one hand to do the injection and one to hold the vibrator. For these reasons, we love the vibrator for facial injections of BOTOX® and filler, but it is not our first choice for penis injections.

2. Topical Creams

For the majority of patients, we can use a combination of medical-grade creams for the best possible numbing for the P-Shot procedure. These are:

• Benzocaine
• Lidocaine
• Tetracaine

They’re known as “BLT” for short.

When you show up for your procedure, one of the first things we will do is give you a big dollop of numbing cream. You will apply this over your entire penis and scrotum. Then we will let you “marinade” for about 15 minutes before we do anything. It may seem odd, but you will thank us for it! These medications are only available by prescription and have high concentrations of numbing medicines in them, which are completely safe in small doses.

Do they work? Yes! The usual response when a patient is done with the procedure is, “Wow! I didn’t feel a thing! But…the whole area is numb! How am I supposed to use this tonight?” We will typically have you wipe down before you leave, but when you get home after your shot, take a shower to make sure all of the numbing cream is washed off. It will typically only last for an hour or two after application.

3. Injections

For some patients, the only thing that prevents the pain of a needle is….another needle! We will usually use the topical cream described above to numb sites where we then inject a tiny amount of numbing medicine (lidocaine) to establish a nerve block. Typically, two small injections are performed at the base of the penis—at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions. Usually, a man will feel just a little pressure as the nerve block is performed, but sometimes the medicine can sting a little bit.

With a nerve block, a penis is numbed enough to very easily perform the P-Shot injection. The numbness from an injection can last significantly longer than topical creams. For this reason, we use the nerve block much less frequently than creams, although the technique is available to anyone who asks for it.

4. Mind Over Matter

We occasionally get a patient who does not want or need any numbing medicine at all. While it may sound crazy, it is totally reasonable. The needles we use for the P-Shot injections are tiny. They’re so small that while they are not completely painless, only a small prick is felt. (No pun intended.)

It is our guarantee to you that we will get you through the P-Shot injection with minimum discomfort, if you have any at all. In over 10 years of experience and more than 1,000 treatments, we have never had to cancel a Priapus Shot because of pain or discomfort. You will not be the first!

When you are done with the injection, we will give you your new friend to be used twice a day for the next month: a penis pump. It’s a hollow, rigid plastic or glass tube with a pump attached to it. While it may sound silly, it has a legitimate scientific purpose. You will use it twice a day—for 5 to 10 minutes at a time—to stretch your penis skin and fill your penis with blood. The goal is to help the growth factors we have just injected to stimulate the penis to generate new blood vessels and repair old and damaged tissues. While you can expect improvements in performance with the P-Shot alone, the pump helps to achieve and maintain the gains in penis length and girth that many men also want.

When everything is done, you’ll have a new-and-improved member that you and your partner can enjoy for months to come. While medicines and surgeries are excellent options for advanced problems, less invasive techniques that use your own body’s ability to heal itself and improve your sexual performance are better for most men. We have been using these techniques for years. See what these tools can do for you!