Verapamil Gel for Peyronie's Disease

Peyronie's disease is a medical condition characterized by the formation of scar tissue on your penis that causes pain and curvature during an erection. As an alternative to surgery, doctors sometimes use the drug verapamil to treat Peyronie's disease.

Identification

• Verapamil is a generic medication that belongs to a class of drugs known as calcium blockers typically used to treat hypertension and arrhythmia.

Effects

• Verpamail functions by blocking the production of a substance known as collagen, which is used to form the scar tissue that causes Peyronie's disease, the Mayo Clinic reports.

Benefits

• Verapamil gel allows patients to apply the medication directly to areas of scar tissue, while leaving other areas of tissue unaffected. This is an important benefit of the gel form of the drug in comparison to the injectable form, which can cause inflammation and make Peyronie's disease worse over time, according to PD Labs.

Time Frame

• A 2007 study at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that treatment with verapamil gel was most beneficial when used daily for nine months.

Risks

• The most common side effects of verapamil gel for Peyronie's disease are mild itching or burning at the site of application during the first three to four days of use, according to PD Labs. Rarely, men experience severe inflammation or redness from using verapamil gel.

Considerations

• While oral and injectable verapamil have received FDA approval, verapamil gel is a newer product that as of November 2009 had not been approved.