# My Curved Best Friend – knowledge platform on Peyronie's disease

> Free summary of the workbook “My Curved Best Friend” by Axel Westerwelle (272 pages, GFC Verlag, ISBN 978-3-911401-10-4; German original “Krummer bester Freund”). Axel developed Peyronie's disease (PD, induratio penis plastica) at the beginning of 2023. The site contains a guide, frequently asked questions, 31 tried-and-tested self-help measures, 13 chapters and 120 keywords. It is the personal experience of a man with PD and does not replace medical advice. The book is recommended by Prof. Dr. Frank Sommer, the first university professor of men's health.

Updated: 2026-11-06

## Pages
- [Knowledge platform (home)](https://guide.peyronie.online/): guide, FAQ, measures, chapters, index
- [German version of this site](https://wissen.peyronie.online/)
- [Author's website](https://www.peyronie.online/en): books, newsletter, contact
- [The book on Amazon (US)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/3911401108/)
- [The book on Amazon (UK)](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/3911401108/)
- [Podcast “My life with the curvature”](https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mycurvedbestfriend)

## Frequently asked questions
### My penis is curved. Am I ill?
Not necessarily. Many men have had a curved penis since birth. It has been the same since puberty, does not hurt and is usually no cause for concern. It is different if the penis bends suddenly or newly, you can feel a hard lump, or erections hurt. Then Peyronie's disease may be behind it, and you should have it checked by a urologist. More on this in the book on page 4.

### What is Peyronie's disease (PD)?
Peyronie's disease, also called induratio penis plastica (IPP), is a connective tissue disorder of the penis. A scar plate, the plaque, forms in the firm sheath around the erectile bodies. It does not stretch during an erection, so the penis bends. Pain, shortening or erection problems often come with it.

### Is Peyronie's disease dangerous or contagious?
No. Peyronie's disease is benign and not contagious. But it is more common than most people think: studies estimate that several percent of all men are affected. The biggest danger is often in the head. More than half of the men affected struggle with depressive phases.

### Will the curvature go away?
That is different for every man. In some, the curve improves on its own, in many it stays the same after the active phase, in some it increases. What you can influence: how you live with it, how your mind is doing and how healthy your body is. Axel has made peace with the curve and considers himself healthy today.

### How long does the acute phase last?
Typically six to 18 months. During this time the curve can still change, and erections often hurt. After that, the disease settles down in most men. Counting waiting times for appointments and treatments, the topic often occupies men for one to four years. Use this time for yourself.

### What can I do myself?
Much more than most people think. Axel tried 31 measures: from talking to his partner, nutrition and blood sugar, friction massage and pelvic floor training to forest bathing and humor. None of them is a miracle cure. Together they helped him avoid surgery, depression and erectile dysfunction.

### Can I still have sex?
Yes, if it doesn't hurt and the curve allows it. Caution matters: better avoid positions in which the penis can buckle. And it doesn't always have to be sex. Closeness, caressing and massages count just as much. Withdrawing, on the other hand, makes everything worse.

### Does diet help with Peyronie's disease?
Studies show a link between Peyronie's disease, diabetes and insulin resistance. There is no evidence that a diet dissolves the plaque. Still, for Axel the change in diet played the biggest part in his recovery: less sugar, the right order when eating, a walk after meals and a blood glucose sensor to check.

### What medicines are there?
It depends on where you live. In the US, injections with collagenase (Xiaflex) are approved for adults with a palpable plaque and a curve of at least 30 degrees. In the EU the manufacturer withdrew this medicine from the market in 2020. Tablets such as Potaba or pentoxifylline are also used, but their effect is limited, and the American Urological Association advises against several oral supplements such as vitamin E. All of these require a doctor. Axel was prescribed Potaba and tadalafil and sees them as one building block among many.

### Do I need surgery?
As a rule, there is no surgery during the acute phase. Surgery only becomes an option once the disease has settled and the curve makes sex impossible. Whether that applies to you is something you decide with your urologist. Many men cope well without surgery.

### How do I talk to my partner about it?
Openly, honestly and in a quiet place. Inform yourself beforehand, express your fears, listen and plan the next steps together. Don't be afraid of professional help. Axel first dealt with everything on his own and says today: a mistake.

### I feel down. Is that normal?
Yes. More than half of all men with Peyronie's disease suffer from depressive moods. That is not a sign of weakness but part of the disease. Talk to someone, and get help if it gets too dark. In the US and Canada you can call or text 988, in the UK and Ireland the Samaritans are available on 116 123, day and night and free of charge. For other countries: findahelpline.com.

### When should I see a doctor?
As soon as you feel a hard lump, the penis bends in a new way or erections hurt. The earlier the phase is determined, the better you can plan. A loud crack during sex with sudden loss of erection and swelling belongs in the emergency room immediately: it may be a penile fracture.

### Can I prevent Peyronie's disease or a relapse?
There is no guaranteed protection, and Peyronie's disease can come back even after it has settled. But you can lower the risks: caution during sex and sports, condoms, healthy food, sleep and exercise, no smoking, little alcohol, well-controlled blood sugar. Chapter 13 sums up twelve areas.

### Who is behind this site?
Axel Westerwelle developed Peyronie's disease at the beginning of 2023. His notes became the 272-page workbook “My Curved Best Friend”, recommended by Prof. Dr. Frank Sommer, the first university professor of men's health. This site summarizes the measures and chapters of the book free of charge. It does not replace medical advice.

## The 31 measures
1. **Learned to love my penis again** (chapter 01: Don't blame your penis): He gave it a name, drew it and hung the sentence “Your penis is not to blame” on the wall. First step: Write the sentence “My penis is not to blame” by hand.
2. **Brought laughter back into my life** (chapter 09: Improve your situation with humor and the power of writing): Comedy, books, films, cartoons. Laughter releases endorphins and raises the pain threshold. First step: Plan something today that is sure to make you laugh.
3. **Became aware of the psychological side of the disease** (chapter 02: No room for depression): More than half of all men with Peyronie's disease suffer from depression. Axel did not push this away but accepted it as part of the disease. First step: Write down how you really feel today. And get help if it gets too dark.
4. **Learned to talk about PD with my partner** (chapter 03: As a man, how should I talk about “it” with my partner?): At first he dealt with almost everything on his own. A mistake, he says today. The 7-step guide helped. First step: Find a quiet place and a time when the two of you will not be disturbed.
5. **Reaping the benefits of talking about PD with friends** (chapter 04: Who else should I tell?): His best friend was the second person to find out. He cried while telling him, and it felt damn good. First step: Write down one name of someone you can imagine having this talk with.
6. **Activated self-healing powers and developed regular routines** (chapter 05: Activate your self-healing powers): One or two minutes every evening: hands on, ask the brain for help, stroke three times. For more than a year. First step: Try the evening ritual for one week.
7. **Avoided Peyronie's disease photos** (chapter 06: Protect yourself from too much information and take happy pictures): Online you only see extreme cases. They have nothing to do with your own course, but you cannot get them out of your head. First step: Make a rule: forums yes, pictures no.
8. **Photographed beautiful moments** (chapter 06: Protect yourself from too much information and take happy pictures): Capturing everything that makes him happy with an instant camera and gluing the photos into the book. First step: Take a photo of something beautiful today.
9. **Engaged in forest bathing** (chapter 07: Get into contact with plants): Regularly into the forest, alone and without a phone. Phytoncides have been shown to lower the stress hormone cortisol. First step: Plan five visits to nature and put them in your calendar.
10. **Kept a nature journal** (chapter 07: Get into contact with plants): Places, dates, experiences. What happens on the first day, what on the days after? First step: After your next visit, write three sentences about what you felt.
11. **Measured my blood sugar levels and changed my diet accordingly** (chapter 08: PD and the power of the plate): With a sensor on his arm he saw minute by minute how his body reacts to food, exercise, sleep and stress. First step: Eat one meal today in this order: vegetables, protein, carbohydrates.
12. **Used Traditional Chinese Medicine** (chapter 08: PD and the power of the plate): One hour of consultation at a TCM center, then herbal tea made from eleven herbs every day for three months. First step: Look for a reputable TCM practice. Discuss herbs with your doctor, they can interact with medication.
13. **Eliminated negative and tried positive foods** (chapter 08: PD and the power of the plate): Fewer “fillers” like bread, rice and pasta, no juice, more nuts and cottage cheese. 21 recommendations, each with a fixed start date. First step: Pick one of the 21 recommendations and set a start date.
14. **Laughter, humor and creating own jokes** (chapter 09: Improve your situation with humor and the power of writing): Laughing about the disease gives body, soul and brain time to breathe. First step: Write a joke about Peyronie's. The worse, the better.
15. **Wrote my own PD poems and short stories** (chapter 09: Improve your situation with humor and the power of writing): In the middle of the acute phase he wrote a poem and a short story. They became the starting point of the book. First step: Write four lines about your journey. Rhyming is allowed, not required.
16. **Friction massage applied permanently** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Gently pull and massage 33 times, always when peeing and in the shower. Only when flaccid. First step: Ask your urologist about the right technique and start with a few minutes a day.
17. **Intelligently expanded my exercise** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Strength training with two rest days in between. He got stronger, lost fat and liked his reflection in the mirror again. First step: Set three fixed training dates for next week.
18. **Strengthened my potency muscles** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): That is what Prof. Frank Sommer calls the pelvic floor. It anchors the muscles that support an erection. First step: Stand up more often, sit up straight, lift with your legs.
19. **Engaged in pelvic floor exercise** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Three exercises: standing pelvic tilt, pelvic lift, inclined plane. Note the date and how often. First step: Do the first of the three exercises today and write it down.
20. **Engaged in caresses, massage, etc. – it doesn't always have to be about sex** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Caressing, bathing together, sauna, massages. Taking away the pressure that an erection has to work. First step: Suggest an evening without a goal to your partner, just closeness.
21. **Engaged in self-love – I observed myself during lovemaking** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Looking at his own chest, arms and legs instead of only at his penis. And telling himself: “Hey, not bad.” First step: Look at yourself in the mirror today and find three things you like.
22. **Accepted my curvature** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): The trick: you have so many other parts of your body that deserve attention. That way the penis loses its dominance. First step: Write down what you like about your body, apart from him.
23. **Took Potaba medication** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Prescribed by Prof. Sommer together with tadalafil. Axel sees it as one of many building blocks of his recovery. First step: Talk to your urologist about medical options. Prescription only.
24. **Various sex fantasies analyzed** (chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild): Fantasies keep sexual interest alive and shift the focus away from penetration alone. First step: Talk to each other about one fantasy. Just talk about it.
25. **Deliberately not seeking solitude** (chapter 11: More porn than ever): Withdrawing makes everything worse. Both for you and for your partner. First step: Write down the sentence: “I will not withdraw into solitude.”
26. **Watched erotic movies** (chapter 11: More porn than ever): First alone, then together. Curved ones are everywhere there. Sex is a lot of brain. First step: Write down what appeals to you right now and come back to it later.
27. **Visited saunas and clubs** (chapter 12: Now it is getting hot): In a protected space he saw many curved penises and learned to show himself. First step: Look up a sauna or a clothing-optional club.
28. **Memorized prophylaxis tips to the point of stupor** (chapter 13: Prophylaxis so that “it” never comes back): Twelve areas, from caution during sex and condoms to stress control. Each one a piece of the puzzle. First step: Read the twelve areas and mark three you will start with right away.
29. **Used a glucose meter to determine the level of glucose in my blood** (chapter 13: Prophylaxis so that “it” never comes back): A coin-sized sensor on the arm, an app, a reading every minute. For Axel a must for everyone with PD. First step: Ask your pharmacist or family doctor about a sensor you can try.
30. **Took psychological prophylaxis** (chapter 13: Prophylaxis so that “it” never comes back): Gaining knowledge, talking openly, knowing in advance where to find help if things get serious. First step: Save the contact of one place where you can get psychological help.
31. **Researched and wrote a Peyronie's workbook and diary** (chapter 09: Improve your situation with humor and the power of writing): Handwriting anchors thoughts more firmly in the brain than typing. It turned into a 272-page workbook and a diary. First step: Buy a notebook or a pen you enjoy using.

## The 13 chapters
### Chapter 01: Don't blame your penis (book pages 28–37)
It's not his fault. Learn to love him (again). Plaques like those in Peyronie's disease can also form in the hand. It could have hit any part of the body. Your penis was simply unlucky, and now it needs protection, not punishment.
- Many men avoid it after the diagnosis: hardly any masturbation, no showering in front of others, not even touching it properly when peeing. That is normal, but it does not help.
- Axel gave it a name and drew it, freehand or as an outline on paper. No talent needed, but it works.
- “Ordering from above” does not work. Accepting it again was a journey of weeks and months, supported by sayings on the wall.
- Think of the thousand times it gave you and your partner pleasure. Should all of that be over because of a curve?
- In the acute phase, drawing, cartoons and funny AI images helped him to laugh again.

### Chapter 02: No room for depression (book pages 38–44)
Exorcise the demon in your head. Several urological studies show that more than half of all men with Peyronie's disease suffer from depression. The disease does not only deform the penis, it also deforms the mind.
- The time between diagnosis, doctor's appointments, medication and devices often lasts 12 to 48 months. You can use this time for yourself.
- In forums, men write openly about suicidal thoughts. But the community's replies also show that people with PD stick together when it matters.
- One man draws strength from what he has already achieved. That is exactly how it works: remember your successes.
- The whole book is basically an answer to this chapter. Every measure is meant to pull you a little further out of the hole.

### Chapter 03: As a man, how should I talk about “it” with my partner? (book pages 45–67)
A guide in 7 steps. Your partner will notice: the pain, the curve, the tears. Crying is important. And the “my life is over” phase does become less bad at some point. Medicine calls this the acceptance phase.
- If there are other problems in the relationship besides PD, they have to be put on the table too. Otherwise PD remains just one construction site among many.
- First live together again, then love each other again. That is how one man with PD put it in a forum.
- Couples therapy helps with communication, sexual adjustment, stress and anxiety. Many men doubt it, and the book looks at why.
- As an unusual exercise, the book contains a short play in eight scenes about withdrawal, fear and closeness.

### Chapter 04: Who else should I tell? (book pages 68–79)
Friends, relatives, colleagues …? At first Axel wanted to write the book under a pseudonym. Then he realized: why, really? If his elbow were curved, nobody would make a secret of it.
- Pity only helps so much. What helps is compassion and understanding.
- The more people talk about it, the sooner media, doctors and industry will react. In many countries there are hardly any approved medicines for PD.
- If up to one man in ten is affected, there is another one like you in every football team. You just don't talk about it.
- Pure self-interest is a reason too: hearing yourself talk about PD brings clarity, takes off pressure and helps you accept yourself.
- When his best friend asked him how his year had been, Axel said: “The shittiest year of my life.” He cried. And it was the right thing to do.

### Chapter 05: Activate your self-healing powers (book pages 80–91)
The power of thoughts. Your body heals all the time, every cut proves it. Why not consciously direct this power towards your penis?
- For more than a year, Axel performed a ritual in bed every evening: eyes closed, hands on his penis, asking his brain in his thoughts to help him.
- One or two minutes, like a small trance. At the end, three strokes as a sign: we're done for today, tomorrow we continue.
- It is a form of visualization: imagining the penis healthy and strong. Some people also use Reiki or Qi Gong for this.
- Axel laughed at singing bowl massage for a long time, then tried it with a professional. It relaxes tissue and mind.
- His conviction: without this belief, his disease would have taken a worse course.

### Chapter 06: Protect yourself from too much information and take happy pictures (book pages 92–98)
Images are not always helpful. Have you already googled pictures of Peyronie's penises? Then stop now. If not: don't even start.
- Online you see almost only the most severe cases. You cannot get these images out of your head, and they have nothing to do with your own course.
- Every deformity is different. Many are slight, some regress, many cause neither pain nor erection problems.
- Instead, photograph what makes you happy yourself. Ideally with an instant camera, so the pictures don't disappear in your phone.
- We put too much energy into the 10 percent that doesn't work and enjoy too little of the 90 percent that makes life worth living.

### Chapter 07: Get into contact with plants (book pages 99–109)
Forest bathing for your penis. Yes, go ahead and laugh. Forest bathing, Shinrin-Yoku in Japanese, is more than a walk. It is a conscious connection with nature.
- Trees release essential oils called phytoncides. Studies show that in the forest the stress hormone cortisol drops and pulse and blood pressure calm down.
- Forest air stimulates the production of the immune system's natural killer cells.
- Stress and inflammation make your condition worse. The forest can ease both.
- Take it slowly: first smell, look, touch with your fingers and cheek. At some point the moment comes to give him this connection too.
- Axel mostly went alone and without a phone.

### Chapter 08: PD and the power of the plate (book pages 110–150)
It's (almost) all about your blood sugar. There is no single food against PD. But Axel is sure: his diet played the biggest part in his recovery. At its center is blood sugar.
- Studies show a link between Peyronie's disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Persistently high blood sugar promotes inflammation and disturbs collagen metabolism.
- Eat in the right order: first salad and vegetables, then protein and fat, carbohydrates last.
- A ten-minute walk after eating lowered Axel's sugar spike by up to 20 percent compared with the sofa.
- A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice pushed his level from 95 to 155. The whole orange from the tree only from 97 to 119.
- A teaspoon of sugar in the sauerkraut made his level jump to 170. Hidden sugar is everywhere.
- Nuts replace the snack. And better to stop snacking altogether, so the pancreas gets a break.
- Six grams of apple pectin in his oatmeal every morning: Axel's LDL cholesterol fell from 132 to 119 in 12 weeks. If you prefer it natural, choose old apple varieties.
- Three months of herbal therapy based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Axel does not know whether it helped. For him it was one building block among many.

### Chapter 09: Improve your situation with humor and the power of writing (book pages 151–163)
Laughing and writing in the fight against the curvature. Humor is underrated. Laughter releases endorphins, lowers stress and raises the pain threshold. “Every laugh helps” was and is Axel's motto.
- Peyronie's support groups show it too: jokes and funny stories break the ice and ease depression.
- Write your own Peyronie's jokes. For example: he took it with humor, because the best roads in life are sometimes the curvy ones.
- In the acute phase Axel wrote a poem and a short story about his journey. That is where the idea for the workbook came from.
- If you like, Axel will write you a personal PD joke, poem or short story. Just email axel@peyronie.online.

### Chapter 10: Do sport, find yourself awesome and let your imagination run wild (book pages 164–199)
From self-healing to self-love. Sports, sports, sports. It distracts you, strengthens your heart and immune system and changes how you see yourself. At 58, Axel managed 36 clean push-ups for the first time.
- Friction massage: a few minutes a day with oil, small circular movements directly on and around the plaque. Firm, but never painful.
- Axel's trick: 33 movements, always when peeing and in the shower. That is how it became a routine.
- Prof. Frank Sommer prescribed Potaba and tadalafil and insisted on friction massage and pelvic floor training, the “potency muscles”.
- A trained pelvic floor improves erections. Sitting for long periods, poor posture and lifting the wrong way harm it.
- It doesn't always have to be sex. Caressing, bathing, massages. And looking at your own body instead of only at your penis.
- Accept the curve by noticing the rest of yourself again. In your head, every fantasy is allowed.

### Chapter 11: More porn than ever (book pages 200–210)
Sex is a lot of brain. The longer you reject sex, tenderness and eroticism, the worse it gets. PD must not become an excuse for years of abstinence.
- Many men with PD stop watching erotic films because the constant erections there hurt. Understandable, but not helpful.
- Axel deliberately watched erotic films, first alone, then with his partner. Her comment: curved ones are everywhere there.
- The goal is not comparison but the feeling: “I can do that too. Someday.”
- 90 to 95 percent of all fantasies are never acted out. That is not the point either. It is about the playground in your head.

### Chapter 12: Now it is getting hot (book pages 211–218)
Visit saunas and clubs. Look at curved dicks. Special times call for special measures. Axel knew a sauna that also admits women and heterosexual men on one day a week.
- There he saw that in reality there are many curved penises, some more curved than his. Nobody minded.
- He dared to talk to men and had good conversations about their suffering and their self-confidence.
- Dropping the towel in a protected, dimly lit room is a kind of exposure therapy. Very close to full acceptance.
- If you are afraid of running into people you know, choose a sauna or club in another city.

### Chapter 13: Prophylaxis so that “it” never comes back (book pages 219–252)
Or does not arise in the first place. The honest answer first: there is no guaranteed protection, not even against a relapse. But many small pieces of the puzzle can together become a mighty sword.
- Caution during sex comes first. A typical accident: he slips out and hits the pubic bone when re-entering.
- Condoms reduce friction and infections, which are injuries too. Penis rings made of rubber, not steel, can prevent crushing during a half erection.
- In combat, ball and contact sports, cycling and weightlifting: use protective gear and pay attention to technique.
- Dupuytren's contracture and Ledderhose disease are linked to PD. If you have them, have them treated consistently.
- In a poll Axel ran in a Facebook group, 40 percent already had (pre-)diabetes or ate too much sugar. A glucose sensor shows in real time what your body does with food.
- Plus: healthy food, sleep, exercise, no smoking, little alcohol, stress and weight control and psychological preparation.