Premature Ejaculation Treatment

Premature ejaculation is medically diagnosed when a man ejaculates within 1 to 3 minutes of penetration during intercourse. Premature ejaculation can also occur during sexual activity before penetration. In some cases, the time frame that denotes ‘premature’ ejaculation may be shorter or longer than 1 to 3 minutes depending on how long the individual or their partner feels is sufficient to delay climax.

Premature ejaculation can be caused by psychological, physical and/or lifestyle-related factors.

Psychological factors that are known to cause premature ejaculation include:

• Stress - Stress raises the body’s levels of a hormone known as cortisol which can disturb the balance of neurotransmitters that regulate arousal, making it more difficult for the brain to control ejaculation.
• Depression - Depression causes an imbalance in the brain’s levels of a neurotransmitter known as dopamine, which helps regulate sexual desire and pleasure. This imbalance affects how quickly and intensely the affected individual is aroused, contributing to premature ejaculation. Moreover, depression can affect the brain’s levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that modulates sexual arousal and orgasm. This mechanism can further compromise the brain's control over ejaculation, increasing the probability of ejaculating prematurely.
• Performance anxiety - Performance anxiety occurs when an individual feels nervous about their perceived sexual performance and affects a set of nerves collectively referred to as the sympathetic nervous system. This can lead to an increased heart rate, heightened muscle tension and the release of hormones such as adrenaline, reducing control over the ejaculatory reflex. Performance anxiety also increases the probability of the individual excessively thinking about how soon they will ejaculate following sexual arousal, further reducing their control over the ejaculatory reflex and increasing the probability of premature ejaculation.

Physical conditions that can contribute to premature ejaculation include:

• Elevated blood sugar levels (Hyperglycemia) - Hyperglycemia, caused by conditions such as diabetes, can damage the nerves that control sexual function, disrupting the communication between the brain and the genital organs. This can affect the brain's ability to regulate the ejaculatory reflex, leading to premature ejaculation.
• Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) - Thyroid activity can affect metabolic rates and increase overall activity in the sympathetic nervous system, intensifying sexual arousal and reducing control over the ejaculatory reflex. This can subsequently result in premature ejaculation.

Lifestyle-related factors that can cause premature ejaculation include:

• Recreational drug usage - Recreational drugs such as cocaine or cannabis can alter the brain’s levels of neurotransmitters involved in regulating the ejaculatory reflex, such as serotonin and dopamine. Reduced levels of these neurotransmitters can affect the brain’s ability to control climax and arousal, leading to premature ejaculation.
• Excessive alcohol intake - Similar to recreational drugs, excessive alcohol consumption can disrupt dopamine and serotonin levels, affecting the ability to control ejaculation and resulting in early climax.

Premature ejaculation is not a permanent condition and can be managed by consulting a pharmacist or doctor about taking oral treatments such as Priligy and using numbing sprays such as STUD100.

Moreover, certain lifestyle adjustments can help reduce the probability of experiencing premature ejaculation, including reducing alcohol intake, doing Kegel exercises and managing stress levels.

For more information, please refer to our guide on How To Last Longer In Bed: Treatments & Techniques

Priligy and STUD100 are among the best treatments for premature ejaculation:

• Priligy is an oral premature ejaculation treatment that contains the active ingredient dapoxetine hydrochloride. Dapoxetine affects the brain’s levels of a neurotransmitter known as ‘serotonin’ which helps regulate ejaculatory control in men. The dapoxetine in Priligy tablets increases the availability of serotonin in the brain, delaying the ejaculation reflex signal and subsequently preventing premature ejaculation. For additional information, refer to our Video Guide to Priligy.
• STUD100 is a topical numbing spray that contains lidocaine, a local anaesthetic that helps to reduce sensitivity in the penis during sexual activity, delaying ejaculation.

Erectile dysfunction refers to the inability to achieve and sustain an erection, while premature ejaculation refers to climaxing within 1 to 3 minutes of engaging in sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can sometimes occur together, however, they are two distinct conditions that require different treatments.

For more detailed information on the similarities and differences of the conditions, please refer to our expert guide - How Erectile Dysfunction Differs To Premature Ejaculation.

Viagra is specifically formulated to help treat erectile dysfunction, not premature ejaculation. For those affected by premature ejaculation, oral tablets such as Priligy and desensitising sprays such as STUD100 are recommended.

Recommended reading: Premature Ejaculation vs Impotence