Delayed discharge is a medical condition that makes it difficult or impossible to climax and come. Or, in certain cases, reaching climx may require an extended period of stimulation.
Besides taking longer to climax and come, many men with disorders might find the process of climax and come challenging. Others may only be able to reach climax and come only through alternative intimate experiences or acts, such as “solo time” or when using a adult toys. (Learn more about 6 Ways to Increase Discharge & Volume.)
What Is Delayed Discharge?
Delayed discharge is a rare condition, affecting an estimated one to four percent of the male population. It’s referred to by a range of terms, including inhibited discharge, inadequate discharge, and discharge insufficiency.
Longer-lasting intimacy may sound like a good thing at first. But the reality is, delayed discharge — like ED and other intimate dysfunction disorders — can cause stress, frustration, and discomfort, both for men affected by the condition and for their partners.
Symptoms of Delayed Discharge
It may seem like there’s one sign of delayed discharge, but this type of intimacy dysfunction can vary in severity and cause several symptoms.
You may be affected by delayed discharge if you:
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Need 25-30 minutes or more of stimulation to discharge. You might find it hard to climax and discharge within a reasonable amount of time during discharge with your partner or while solo-time.
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Find it difficult or impossible to discharge at all. Typically referred to as anejaculation, you might not be able to discharge following stimulation. Anejaculation can happen with or without climax.
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Can only discharge during solo-time. Some men with delayed discharge can climax and discharge normally from solo-time but not intercourse or other partnered activity.
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Need to stop or take a break from intimacy. You may get too tired during intimacy to continue. You (and potentially your partner) might feel physically irritated, or you may lose your arousal during intimacy.
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Feel distress or frustration. You and/or your partner may be distressed, frustrated, or unhappy about your inability to climax and discharge. This could even cause relationship problems or tension in your intimate life. (Learn more about What Viagra Do to Your Intimate Experiences.)
Lifelong vs. Acquired Delayed Discharge
The exact symptoms of delayed discharge can vary. To diagnose and treat cases, most men’s health experts categorize delayed discharge into two types:
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Lifelong delayed discharge. This form of delayed discharge is there from the start of intimacy maturity. Men with lifelong delayed discharge may have always had a hard time reaching climax.
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Acquired delayed discharge. This form of delayed discharge happens after a period of normal intimate function.
Generalized vs. Situational Delayed Discharge
Besides being either lifelong or acquired, delayed discharge is often categorized as generalized or situational:
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Generalized delayed discharge. Men with generalized delayed discharge experience symptoms with all partners and all types of stimulation.
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Situational delayed discharge. Guys with situational discharge may only find it difficult to climax and discharge in certain situations, like with a specific partner or with a particular type of stimulation.
What Causes Delayed Discharge?
Numerous factors can play a role in delayed discharge causes, from psychological issues to health problems or even the use of certain medications. Sometimes, there are multiple causes.
Psychological Causes of Delayed Discharge
In many instances, delayed discharge is caused by a psychological factor, like depression or performance anxiety.
Potential psychological causes of delayed discharge include:
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Fear of intimacy or pregnancy. Fear of intimacy or concerns about impregnating a partner could affect your ability to discharge and contribute to delayed discharge. You may also worry about contracting an STI.
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Mental health conditions. Various mental health conditions are linked to delayed discharge, including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as decreased desire. Some research shows that psychological stress may elevate a man’s prolactin levels, which can then lead to delayed discharge. (Prolactin is a hormone that can influence arousal and other hormones affecting intimate function.)
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Performance anxiety. Even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, it’s common to feel anxious before intimacy. This is called performance anxiety, and it may cause symptoms such as ED or difficulty discharging.
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Conditioning due to solo-time. If you participate in solo-time too frequently or in a way that is difficult to reproduce with a partner, it could contribute to intimate dysfunction, including delayed or impaired discharge. Some limited research suggests a connection between porn use and delayed discharge, but more clinical data is needed to prove a causal relationship.
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Relationship issues or lack of attraction. You might not maintain an intimate response long enough to discharge if you lack intimate attraction to your partner — or if you currently feel unhappy with your partner due to a relationship conflict.
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Feelings of guilt due to religious or cultural conviction. If you have a religious or cultural background that makes you view intimacy as sinful or inappropriate, it could affect your ability to climax and discharge.
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Traumatic events. Traumatic events, especially those related to intimacy or solo-time, might make it harder to climax and discharge.
Physical Causes of Delayed Discharge
Sometimes, delayed discharge is linked to a physical factor, like nerve damage or taking a certain type of medication.
Potential physical causes of delayed discharge include:
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Insufficient intimate stimulation. One study found that men with delayed discharge had decreased sensitivity in the shaft. To achieve pleasure, they adopted “idiosyncratic” solo-time techniques but found it difficult to duplicate the same responses during partnered intimacy.
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Use of certain medications. Some medications may affect your ability to climax and discharge. Prescription drugs associated with delayed discharge include antidepressants like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), diuretics, high blood pressure (hypertension) medications, anti-seizure meds, and antipsychotics.
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Alcohol consumption. Alcohol can affect a man intimately in numerous ways. Drinking excessively could make it harder to get or maintain an arousal, or it could cause delayed discharge.
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Nerve damage. Damage to the pelvic nerves (those responsible for controlling the ability to climax and discharge) can cause delayed discharge. It can also make it harder to get an arousal (referred to as neurogenic or neurological ED). Nervous system conditions and neurological issues that can cause nerve damage include stroke, multiple sclerosis, and diabetic neuropathy. A spinal cord injury or pinched nerve may also lead to delayed discharge.
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Retrograde discharge. This condition causes semen to release into the bladder instead of outward from the privates. With retrograde discharge, you might be able to reach climax but discharge a very small volume of fluid — or no fluid at all.
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Pelvis surgery. Some prostate surgeries, like prostate removal or transurethral resection of the prostate, may cause discharge-related disorders.
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Hormone conditions. Conditions like low testosterone or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) could affect performance and the ability to reach climax and discharge.
Risk Factors for Delayed Discharge
Some men have a higher risk of experiencing delayed discharge due to factors like age, health conditions, or lifestyle habits.
Risk factors for delayed discharge include:
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Age. Delayed discharge can happen to men of all ages, but studies show it’s more common in older men. Some researchers attribute this problem to a loss of receptors and sensory axons (nerves that respond to stimuli) that occurs with age, leading to decreased sensitivity.
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Chronic health conditions. From spinal cord injuries to health conditions affecting the nervous system, various medical conditions can increase your risk of experiencing delayed discharge.
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Mental health conditions. You may struggle with delayed discharge if you suffer from depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition.
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Religious or cultural background. You might find it difficult to reach discharge or climax (or even maintain an discharge) if you have a strict religious or cultural background that makes you feel guilty about intimacy.
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Medications. You could have a higher risk if you take one of the medications associated with delayed discharge, such as antidepressants. One study found that SSRI users have a seven-fold risk of delayed discharge and anejaculation. People who took SSRIs also reported less enjoyment during solo-time and decreased partner desire.
Diagnosing Delayed Discharge
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a diagnosis of delayed discharge requires one of two symptoms:
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A marked delay, infrequency, or absence of discharge on 75 to 100 percent of occasions for at least six months of partnered intimacy
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Delayed discharge that causes significant distress to the individual
If you’re taking 25 to 30 minutes to discharge and it’s causing distress for you or your partner, you should see a healthcare provider, such as someone specializing in urology or intimate medicine.
To diagnose delayed discharge, your provider might perform a physical exam and ask about your medical history, symptoms, and intimate habits.
They may also run blood or urine tests to rule out other health conditions that could be affecting your discharge, like hormonal imbalances.
How to Fix Delayed Discharge
Treatment for delayed discharge is available, and you’ve got several options.
For some guys, delayed discharge treatment can involve medication. Others may benefit from therapy, such as intimacy therapy or relationship-focused therapy.
Medications
Unfortunately, there aren’t currently any medications specifically approved bv the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) specifically to treat delayed discharge.
However, This means a urologist or another healthcare provider may recommend using a medication off-label to treat delayed discharge symptoms. (Off-label is when a drug is prescribed to treat something other than what it’s FDA-approved for.)
If you also have ED, there is evidence that tadalafil or other ED medications can effectively treat delayed discharge and ED at the same time..
Other medications used off-label to treat delayed discharge may include:
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Testosterone
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Cyproheptadine
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Cabergoline
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Bupropion
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Amantadine
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Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate
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Oxytocin
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Yohimbine
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Pseudoephedrine
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Bethanechol
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Buspirone
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Ephedrine
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Midodrine
While the list of medications associated with delayed discharge treatment is extensive, not all have proven effective in testing.
Like any medication, these off-label treatments for delayed discharge may cause side effects like insomnia, dizziness, nausea, and dry mouth.
On the other hand, if delayed discharge is caused by an existing medication, a healthcare provider might recommend switching medications or reducing the dosage.
Therapy
Several forms of therapy may help treat discharge discharge, including psychotherapy for underlying conditions or intimacy therapy.
If a relationship issue is causing delayed discharge, seeing an intimacy therapist might involve working on your relationship and intimacy with your partner.
You can see a therapist in person or try online therapy with professional counselors.
Lifestyle Changes
If your delayed discharge is caused by a lifestyle factor, like drinking too much or a lack of intimacy with your partner, making changes to your lifestyle might help.
Here’s what you can try:
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Communicate with your partner. Delayed discharge can be a result of performance anxiety. If you have intimate-related worries, try talking openly with your partner to ease anxiety and make intimacy more relaxing and enjoyable.
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Seek treatment for alcohol or substance use disorder. Alcohol and drug use might contribute to delayed discharge and other intimate dysfunction issues. If you have an alcohol or drug use disorder, consider seeking treatment.
Explore different intimate techniques. If you think you have low sensitivity in the privates, you may benefit from new intimate techniques or a vibrating toy. According to research, vibratory stimulation might effectively treat up to 72 percent of patients with delayed discharge and anorgasmia.
Delayed Discharge Prevention Tips
Since delayed discharge can be caused by uncontrolled diabetes, being sure to carefully monitor your blood sugar and staying on top of your diabetes management can prevent the development of delayed discharge. In other cases, though, delayed discharge results from other health conditions outside your control, such as nerve damage or aging. In these cases, there’s not much you can do to prevent it.
However, there are ways to prevent delayed discharge if the root cause is psychological or triggered by certain lifestyle habits.
To lower your risk of delayed discharge, try to:
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Practice mindfulness to be more present during intimacy
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Communicate intimate desires openly with your partner
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Challenge limiting beliefs about intimate (e.g., that intimacy is shameful or bad)
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Take the pressure off by not forcing yourself to have an intimate response
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Avoid excessive drinking and drug use
Though it’s an uncommon intimate dysfunction, delayed discharge does happen. If left untreated, this intimate health problem can lead to numerous complications like low self-esteem, relationship conflicts, infertility, and low intimate satisfaction.
But there are ways to treat delayed discharge, especially if you’re willing to identify the underlying cause with your healthcare provider’s support.
Delayed discharge is just one form of intimate dysfunction. If you’re struggling with ED or PE — two of the most common intimate problems affecting men — seek advice from a medical professional.
A healthcare provider can recommend ED or PE treatment options.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Featured Image Credit: Dima Berlin / iStock.