SODIUM-BICARBONATE ALLEVIATES PENILE PAIN INDUCED BY INTRACAVERNOUS INJECTIONS FOR ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

In an attempt to determine whether penile pain associated with intraco rporeal injections could be due to the acidity of the medication, we p erformed a randomized study comparing the incidence of penile pain fol lowing intracorporeal injections with or without the addition of sodiu m bicarbonate to the intracorporeal medications. A total of 38 consecu tive patients who presented to our clinic with impotence received 0.2 ml. of a combination of 3 drugs: 6 mg. papaverine, 100 mug. phentolami ne and 10 mug. prostaglandin El with (pH 7.05) or without (pH 4.17) th e addition of sodium bicarbonate (0.03 mEq.). Of the 19 patients witho ut sodium bicarbonate added to the medication 11 (58%) complained of p enile pain due to the medication, while only 1 of the 19 men (5%) who received sodium bicarbonate complained of penile pain. From these data we conclude that the penile pain following intracorporeal injections is most likely due to the acidity of the medication, which can be over come by elevating the pH to a neutral level.