Priapism results in a persistent erection. Priapism is usually divided into three categories.

1. Ischemic priapism is the most common category of priapism. Blood is not able to leave the penis causing the erection. This painful event is considered an emergency if it lasts for more than 4 hours.
2. Non-ischemic (high flow) priapism is the second category of priapism, and much less common. In this form, too much blood flows into the penis. The erection tends to be painless and less rigid than the ischemic form.
3. Stuttering priapism is the third category of priapism. In stuttering priapism, the erection occurs repeatedly but is transient in nature.

The diagnosis of priapism is based on history and the physical exam of the genitalia. Once a health care professional has finished this part of the exam a few other tests might be ordered.

• Measurement of blood gas: By inserting a small needle and removing blood from the penis the doctor will be able to establish the oxygen content and therefore the type of priapism the patient has.
• I – Dr Qaisar Ahmed recommends CBP or CBC: Complete blood picture or complete blood count – Measuring white and red blood cells, thrombocytes also known as platelets, cholesterol and Hematocrit etc.

Unfortunately, in allopathy there is not any proper treatment for priapism. The treatment of ischemic priapism includes several modalities and will depend on how long the priapism has been present, and the results of the blood tests. These interventions are performed in a step wise fashion with surgery being the last resort. Unfortunately, with allopathic medication some of the treatments of priapism can lead to erectile dysfunction in the future.

Treatments for priapism are as follows:

• Aspiration: Blood is drained from the penis using a 16- or 18-gauge needle and syringe.
• Medication: A medication that constricts blood vessels that carry blood into the penis is injected into the penis using a small (29 gauge) needle into the corpora cavernosa area of the penis.
• Surgery: A surgical procedure that reroutes blood can be performed.

Allopathic doctors advisees ice to the area around the genitals is sometime utilized. In severe cases surgical procedures are recommended.

Non-ischemic priapism is usually not an emergency and will frequently resolve without interventions.

Homeopathic treatment for priapism

Argentum Nitricum

This medicine is well indicated when there occur painful erections along with difficulty in passing urine. These erections may occur without any sexual stimulation. Cutting type of pain in the urethra, with painful erections. Reduced desire for coition. Painful erection in gonorrhea.

Apis Mellifica

Abscess. Highly inflamed circumference. Pains and testes swelling. Prostate. Dropsy of the scrotum and prepuce. Hydrocele. Sensation of coldness in penis and scrotum. Puffy swelling, sensitiveness to touch and pressure. Skin usually white, almost transparent.

Arnica Montana

Bluish red swelling of the penis and of the scrotum. Inflammatory swelling of the testes. Purple-red swelling of the penis and testicles. Mechanical injuries. Hydrocele. Painful swelling of the spermatic cord, with shooting in the testes, extending to the abdomen. Sexual desire increased, with erections, priapism, pollutions, and seminal emission on the slightest amorous excitement. Impotence from excess or abuse.

Secale Cornutum

Numerous erections, even after coition. After lightness in occiput, strong dragging in spermatic cord, so that testes seemed drawn up to inguinal ring. After sexual excess palpitation of heart. Weak memory after exhausting coition; impotence. Chronic spasmodic stricture of urethra.

Naja Tripudians

Increased sexual desire. Nocturnal emissions. Peculiar distress, great desire, but no physical power, with depression of mind. Stinging, somewhat burning pain in penis, immediately under skin. Instinct and power excited. Desire on going to bed, with little physical power, with frequent waking, vivid imaginations, painful state of mind, involuntary emissions, then prostration and distress.

Belladona

Sharp and drawing pain in the spermatic cords, chiefly while making water. Retraction of the prepuce. Priapism. Soft and painless nodes in the glans. Shootings and inflammation of the testicles, great hardness in the drawn-up testicles. Night emissions, with flaccidity of the penis. Nocturnal sweat of the genital parts. Flow of prostatic fluid. Sexual desire diminished, with perfect indifference to all voluptuous excitement.

Vipera communis

Valuable medicine for priapism, varicose vein and for acute phlebitis. Swollen in penis bordered by an area of inflammation, sensitive to touch, but particularly with the sensation, on standing or letting the leg hang down, as if it would burst from the fulness of the veins. Persistent oedema with tendency to ulcers.

Aesculus Hippocostanum

Aesculus Hippo is a best choice for all/any cylindrical shaped organs. Aneurism. vericose. DVT. Priapism. Penile pain, burning pain, cyanotic.

Hamamelis Virginica 

Pain in spermatic cord, running into testes, neurological pain. Varicocele. Priapism. Orchitis. Testicles enlarged, hot, and painful. Epididymitis. Profuse cold sweat on scrotum; capillary stasis. Orchitis, intense soreness and swelling.

Aurum Metallicum

Sexual desire greatly increased. The whole genital system is strongly affected. Nocturnal erections and pollutions. Flow of prostatic fluid, with flaccidity of the penis. Swelling of the (lower part) of the testicle with aching pain on touching and rubbing. Induration of the testes. Testes mere pendant shreds. Hydrocele. Bubo. Chancre.

Lachesis

Strong sexual desire without physical power, and with flaccidity of the penis. Erections without sexual desire. Pollutions night and day, sometimes with debility and sweat. Flow of prostatic fluid when urinating, or after having urinated. Semen of a pungent smell. During coition the emission is tardy or does not occur at all. Abundant secretion behind the glans. Spots and red pimples on the glans and on the corona. Priapism. Attenuation of scrotum and hardness of testes. Thickening of prepuce.

Secal Cornutum

Numerous erections, even after coition. After lightness in occiput, strong dragging in spermatic cord, so that testes seemed drawn up to inguinal ring. After sexual excess palpitation of heart (aneurism). Weak memory after exhausting coition; impotence. Chronic spasmodic stricture of urethra.

Capsicum

Impotence and coldness of the genital parts. Purulent discharge from the urethra. Dwindling of the testes. Violent erections in the morning. Trembling of the whole body, during amorous caresses. Cream-like discharge from the urethra, sometimes bloody. Pain while urinating, burning pain. Urethra painful to touch.

Caladium

Painful erections without sexual desire. Organs swollen (puffy), relaxed, and sweating. Swelling of margin of prepuce with smarting during micturition. After waking prepuce remains retracted; painful and swollen. After coition the prepuce remains behind the glans; it is painful and swollen. Glans red, dry; dotted with still redder points. Priapism, painful erections without sexual desire, alternating with sexual desire with relaxed penis. Impotence with mental depression. Frequent nocturnal emissions. Imperfect erections and premature ejaculation of the semen. Impotence: the penis remains relaxed, even when excited. Feeling of coldness, and cold perspiration of the sexual organs.

Croton Tiglum

Penis painful, with redness of the glans, and lancinations in the urethra. Pullings in the l. spermatic cord, hindering walking. Left testicle retracted, the right pendant, and flaccid. Tetter-like eruption on the scrotum. Priapism. Erections.

Acid Nitricum

Affections of male genital organs in general; glans penis; erections, priapism. Violent itching in genital organs. Falling off of hair from parts. Excoriation between scrotum and thighs. Red spots covered with scabs on prepuce. Secretion behind glans, as in gonorrhea Balani. Swelling, inflammation of prepuce, and phimosis. Paraphimosis. Deep, fistulous, irregular, ragged ulcers on the glans, with elevated, lead-colored, extremely sensitive edges. Syphilis; secondary syphilis. Excrescences, like sycosis, on prepuce and glans, with smarting pain and bleeding when touched, with oozing of a fetid and sweetish pus. Relaxation of testes. Inflammatory swelling of testes, with painful drawing of the spermatic cord. Absence of sexual desire and of erections. sever lasciviousness, with copious discharge of prostatic fluid. Painful, and almost spasmodic, nocturnal erections. Frequent pollutions.

Phosphorus

Very strong sexual desire, with constant wish for coition. Impotence after excessive excitement and onanism. Priapism. Erections which are too energetic in evening or morning. Frequent involuntary pollutions. Feeble erections or none at all. Feeble and too speedy emission during coition. Pains in testes and swelling of spermatic cord. Hydrocele.

Cantharis

Cantharis is a very effective medicine to manage cases of painful erections, priapism. Dragging in the spermatic cord while urinating. Inflammation and gangrene of the genital parts. Painful swelling of the testes. Sexual desire greatly increased, with painful, frequent erections (with gonorrhea), of long continuance, as in priapism. Ready emission, during amorous caresses. Spermatorrhea. After coition, burning pain in the urethra.

Tellurium

Erections all night. Increased desire, followed by long-lasting indifference. A drop of viscid fluid glues meatus. Secondary gonorrhea. Herpes on scrotum and perineum. Balanitis.

Cannabis Indica

Sexual desire excessively increased. Satyriasis; priapism. Erections not caused by amorous thoughts. Violent painful erections. Penis relaxed and shrunken. Itching in the glans penis. Sharp pricking, like needles, in urethra, so severe as to send a thrill to cheeks and hands.

Cannabis Sativa

Genital parts cold. Itching and inflammatory swelling of the prepuce, glans, and penis, with deep redness, and phimosis. The penis feels sore and burnt when walking; walks with legs apart. Aching in the testes, and tension in the spermatic cord, when standing upright. Swelling of the prostate gland. Priapism. Erections with tensive pains. Repugnance to coition, or strong excitement of sexual desire.

Graphite

Eruption of pimples on the prepuce, and on the penis. Dropsical swelling of the prepuce and the scrotum. Dropsical swelling of the testes. Voluptuous excitation in the genital parts. Indifference, or extreme excitement of sexual desire. Violent erections. Uncontrollable sexual excitement. Priapism. Absence of erections in the morning. Emission of semen, almost involuntary, without erection. During an embrace painful cramp in the calves. After an embrace coldness of the legs, exhaustion, heat of the body, and perspiration. Absence of emission of semen during coition. Feeble enjoyment during coition. Flatulent colic during the excitement in the genital parts.

Merc Sole/Mercurius

Increase of sexual desire, and great lasciviousness, with frequent erections and pollutions. [Erections: man/boy may have this, lasting all night, causing emaciation; patient often pull and tear at the prepuce all the time, which may cause great emaciation, and result in death; adults often have this pulling, a kind of itching being the cause, and a feeling as if he “must do so”; collection of smegma behind glans.

Voluptuous itching, tingling, tearing, and shooting in glans and prepuce. Puffing, or inflammatory swelling of prepuce, sometimes with burning pain, fissures, rhagades, and eruptions. Balanitis. Burning in urethra during coitus. Purulent secretion between prepuce and glans. Vesicles and phagedenic ulcers (chancres) with lard-like, or cheesy, bases, and raised margin, on glans and prepuce. Profuse perspiration of genital parts.