I suffer from VL as well, described in a thread in this section. Couple of days ago I had my second doppler (after an ineffective shockwave therapy), and the results were pretty similar to the first doppler.
Well as I did read on here, I believe a doppler test can prove that blood is not holding- which is a staple of venous leak, but what if there are other underlying causes?
I also suffer from long term anxiety due to my work but mostly my character, however I found it odd that both times I got the doppler, the injection caused nothing but slight pain and discomfort. Cialis 5mg daily works fine for the moment, but as I understand the injections should work even better? If so, why didn't they work for me at all when I was in the doctor's office?
Well I was the same as you. When I received the injection in the office I got hardly semi limp, when I left the office (where there were 3 people watching) I ended up with a rock hard erection for two hours.
Anxiety makes sense, did you get hard after the injection?
Also, with Cialis, did you try the 2.5 yet?
Indeed it feels almost futile trying to find a possible cure for something we don't know the cause of. And I have all sorts of thoughts as to what could be the cause.
Are you actively seeing a specialist?
A specialist like the one I'm seeing can anaylze everything to determine if there is an explanation.
If it's just a venous leak? Well, that's very vague. There should be a root cause.
Perhaps if left in such a blunder you should seek a sex specialist, which luckily I've gotten to in Canada.
Is it anxiety? In my situation I get heart pains from time to time, got myself checked and ECG came normal (with some arrhythmia), chest x-ray fine as well. Doctor told me I need to stop worrying so much, and that pain is likely caused by stress. I can also exercise vigorously for a long time, and that does not cause the pain. It just hits at random times. Has long term anxiety somehow weaken (and therefore damaged) the valves responsive for my erections? And IF that is the case, is it reversible, treatable or what...
This valve thing is something I know nothing (or heard nothing until on PEGYM) but the theory makes sense. Chronically high blood pressure from anxiety could probably take a toll on your body, just as it would in an older man. Anxiety can due many things, accompanied by stress, it can deteriorate your body. It even lowers your immune system. It's not just a word or a fast heart beat, as a sufferer in the past of long term anxiety as a younger person, it's a terrible condition that can cause other conditions by a breakdown in your body.
Could it be the way my penis has developed? It has a slight curvature to the left, and moving the shaft to my left thigh is much easier than to my right (the way to moves from the base). I read that slight curvature is normal, but I can't help but thinking that if my left (let's say) valve is weak, perhaps that's what I should focus on. Thinking I should even try vacuum device exercises, I mean what do I have to lose. My doctor quickly dismissed those devices, of course. He thinks they wouldn't help any more than ED drugs would.
The curved penis can sometimes be natural or Peyronie's disease- a condition which causes a curved penis which is a staple for causing "scar tissue," which is a rare cause of ED. One of the first things the doctor who performed my ultrasound was looking for was scar tissue. He said it was good there was none, but if you had the doppler test and never found any, then you should be good in that regard.
I dont' know about vaccums or anything like that, I'm not quite in that boat now. ED drugs still work. These are a last resort tool, when all else has failed.