Alprostadil Injection

What is this medication for?

Alprostadil (Caverject®) is used to treat erectile dysfunction, a condition where you are unable to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It works by relaxing the muscles and blood vessels in your penis, allowing blood to flow into your penis. 

This medication may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How should I take or use this medication?

• It is used as needed before sexual activity.
• Do not inject more than once within a 24 hour period and not more than 3 times a week or exceed the dose prescribed.
• At the right dose, an erection should occur within 5-20 minutes after the injection and should not last longer than 60 minutes.
• It comes in a powder to be mixed with the provided liquid and injected into the penis. You must be first trained by a healthcare professional (usually a doctor or nurse) before injecting on your own.

What precautions should I take when taking or using this medication?

Inform your healthcare professional if: 

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• Abnormal penis, including curved penis and birth defects of the penis
• You have heart condition or history of priapism (erection lasting longer than 4 hours)
• You have blood related disorder such as sickle cell anemia or blood related cancer such as leukemia or multiple myeloma
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.

What are some common side effects of this medication? ​

• Pain and/or arching at and/or near the injection site 
• Bleeding or bruising at injection site
  • Put pressure on the spot until the bleeding stops. If it doesn't stop within 5 minutes, check with your doctor. 
• Dizziness

What are some rare but serious side-effects that I need to seek medical advice immediately? 

• The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following: 
• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body
• Some of the rare side effects include:
• Priapism (erection lasting more than 4 hours or if it becomes painful). If the erection is not reversed, the blood supply to the penis may be cut off and permanent damage may occur.
• Hard areas on penis
• Increased bleeding for patients on medications to prevent blood clot such as warfarin
• If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

What food or medication should I avoid when I take or use this medication?

Do not take other phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (such as sildenafil, vardenafil, avanafil, tadalafil) when using this medication as it may worsen the side effects 

How should I store this medication?

Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children. When stored in the original container, the prepared solution is physically, chemically and microbiologically stable (medication is able to resist microbial growth and safe to use) for a period of 24 hours at room temperature. Do not freeze the prepared  solution. This instruction is specific to Caverject  brand. For other brands, please obtain more information from your healthcare professionals. 

How do I throw away this medication safely? ​

Throw the sharps into a hard container such as an empty laundry detergent or hard tin and seal it tightly before throwing it into the rubbish chute or bin.