Papaverine is an alkaloid with interesting vasodilatory and spasmolytic properties; it is extracted from opium but does not produce narcotic effects. In practice, papaverine has the ability to dilate veins and arteries, making them more capacious and facilitating the flow of blood inside them; this action can help to increase the "blood supply to organs such as the heart and brain.
Papaverine, especially before the advent of viagra, was widely used as a powerful remedy against erectile dysfunction; for this purpose it is administered inside the corpora cavernosa, producing vigorous erections within 5-20 minutes. All thanks to the its vasodilatory effect, which increases the flow of blood to the penis, producing and sustaining an "erection for about an hour. This practice, however, is not free from risks and unwanted reactions; leaving aside the certainly not marginal problem of practicing an injection in such an area. pudenda, and its psychological repercussions, the injection of papaverine into the corpora cavernosa of the penis can produce local (cavernositis, priapism, hematoma, fibrosis, penile deviations) and systemic (orthostatic hypotension, increased liver enzymes and headache) complications. Papaverine injections should not be used as a sexual aid in men who do not have erectile dysfunction problems; improper use can in fact cause permanent damage to the penis with loss of erectivity. Papaverine is sold in ampoules of 40 mg in 2 ml of solution; we normally start with a dose of 10 mg and evaluate the result in terms of rigidity and penetrative capacity with the doctor; obviously, before performing the papaverine injections independently, a learning training and a preventive andrological examination is necessary.
To stimulate penile erection, papaverine is sometimes combined with two other substances with similar action, which enhance its effect: phentolamine and alprostadil.
