Though many men don’t like to talk about it, discharge problems are very common. Some of the most common issues include premature, delayed, or retrograde discharge.
Retrograde discharge is a medical condition characterized by the backflow of semen into the bladder after discharging — instead of coming out the tip of the privates. It’s usually not harmful but could impact fertility if you’re trying to have children or are planning to in the future.
Retrograde discharge itself is unlikely to cause complications, but it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying medical condition that may require treatment, like diabetes. In other cases, it may develop simply due to a man’s individual anatomy.
Stay with us as we explain everything you need to know about retrograde discharge, including the potential causes, symptoms, and treatment options.
What Is Retrograde Discharge?
Retrograde discharge happens when semen travels into the bladder instead of out the tip of your privates. It can result in either a weak discharge during climax. Another name for when you don’t emit anything is a dry climax.
Normally during a male climax, fluids travels out of the body through the urethra with the help of contracting muscles in the pelvis and around the privates. The urethra is the tube that exits the tip of the privates. It also serves as a passage for urine.
As semen travels through the urethra, a muscle at the bottom of the bladder closes to prevent semen from traveling backwards into the bladder. In men with retrograde discharge, the bladder neck muscle doesn’t fully close off the bladder, which allows some or all of the fluids to flow into the opening of the bladder instead of out the tip of the privates.
How Common Is Retrograde Discharge?
It’s not exactly clear how common retrograde discharge is. But in studies looking at its frequency among males visiting fertility clinics, the condition affects up to two percent of men in this demographic.
Symptoms
What about retrograde discharge symptoms?
Retrograde discharge doesn’t typically cause any symptoms other than little or no semen released during climax — and possibly low fluids volume or weak discharge .
Symptoms of Retrograde Discharge
Retrograde discharge isn’t painful and usually doesn’t feel different from any other orgasm. It also doesn’t interfere with function.
Most men produce around one-quarter to one teaspoon of fluids when they climax. Those with retrograde discharge may see less climax coming out of their privates since some or all of it enters their bladder.
With semen in the bladder, retrograde discharge can cause cloudy urine the next time you pee after climax.
If your retrograde discharge is mild, you might not notice these signs. But some men may have stress or anxiety about noticing changes in their discharge.
Causes
Retrograde discharge happens when semen flows backward from the urethra to the bladder due to problems with the bladder neck muscle.
The bladder neck muscle is also sometimes called the bladder neck sphincter. A sphincter is a ring-shaped muscle in the body that opens and closes a passage.
What Causes Retrograde Discharge?
There are many possible retrograde discharge causes.
Any condition that can change the function of the bladder neck muscle can potentially lead to retrograde discharge. But most often, it happens because of:
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Medication side effects
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Surgical complications
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Medical conditions or anatomical abnormalities
Medications That Cause Retrograde Discharge
Some types of medication can potentially cause retrograde discharge, including those used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH or enlarged prostate) and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Some medications linked to retrograde discharge include:
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Alpha-blockers. Alpha-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Most medications in this class, such as tamsulosin, and silodosin (Rapaflo, Urorec), have been linked to an increased risk of retrograde discharge because they relax muscles around the bladder.
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Antidepressants. Research suggests some antidepressants may cause retrograde discharge in very rare instances.. For example, a 2023 study reported a case thought to be caused by the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine (Effexor).
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Antipsychotic medications. Some medications used to treat psychotic disorders might also rarely cause discharge problems, including retrograde discharge. This includes thioridazine (Mellaril or Melleril), iloperidone (Fanapt), clozapine (Clozaril), and risperidone (Risperdal).
Surgical Procedures That May Cause Retrograde Discharge
Some surgical procedures can damage the muscles and nerves around the bladder and lead to retrograde discharge.
Surgical procedures that may cause retrograde discharge include:
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Surgeries for enlarged prostate. Discharge complications are common among people who have prostate surgeries for an enlarged prostate, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). TURP is the gold standard treatment for BPH, but it can lead to retrograde discharge in up to 70 percent of cases. Retrograde discharge is also reported in up to 75 percent of those who get a procedure called holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). Newer prostate surgeries such as the Urolift procedure have a much lower risk of causing discharge problems, but may not be as effective long term for the management of an enlarged prostate.
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Bladder surgery. Some types of bladder surgery, like transurethral bladder neck incisions, may contribute to retrograde discharge if the bladder neck muscle is damaged.
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Cancer surgery. Some surgical procedures to stage or treat pelvic cancers involve removal of abdominal and pelvic lymph nodes that are very close to the nerves that control discharge. Surgical damage to these nerves may cause retrograde discharge.
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Other surgeries. Other surgeries that have been linked to retrograde discharge include those used to treat rectal or testicular cancer, lower spine injuries, and aortic aneurysms. These surgeries can also damage the nerves in the pelvis that control discharge.
Medical Conditions That Cause Retrograde Discharge
Certain medical conditions can lead to dysfunction in the muscles or nerves around the bladder and cause retrograde discharge. These conditions include:
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Diabetes complications
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Multiple sclerosis
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Nerve damage
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Lower spinal cord injury
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Stroke
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Congenital abnormalities (birth defects)
If you have any of these conditions and are also experiencing retrograde discharge, let your healthcare provider know.
Risk Factors
Although it’s not entirely clear how common retrograde discharge is, some groups may be at a higher risk than others. These people include males with diabetes and males who’ve had bladder or prostate surgery.
Risk Factors for Retrograde Discharge
In recent years, the number of retrograde discharge cases caused by diabetes seems to be increasing.
Diabetes can cause chronically elevated blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can damage nerves throughout your body. This nerve damage is called diabetic neuropathy.
Retrograde discharge can develop if the nerves controlling discharge are damaged.
Men who undergo prostate surgery or have surgery in their pelvic area are at a very high risk of developing discharge complications.
As many as 70 to 90 percent of men who get TURP surgery develop retrograde discharge.
Diagnosing
To diagnose retrograde discharge, your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your symptoms and likely perform a physical examination.
They’ll also review your personal and family medical history to rule out other possible causes and may perform specialized tests..
Diagnosing Retrograde Discharge
To diagnose retrograde discharge, your healthcare provider or a urology specialist will collect a urine sample after you have a climax.. This test is called post-discharge urinalysis. They’ll look to see if sperm is in the urine sample.
A retrograde discharge diagnosis can be made if there are five sperm per high-power field in your urine sample. A high-power field is the area seen under a microscope at maximum magnification, typically 400 times magnification.
Treatment
The best treatment for retrograde discharge depends on the underlying cause. It often doesn’t require surgery unless it’s affecting fertility.
Retrograde Discharge Treatment
Your healthcare provider may recommend changing medications, taking a new medication, lifestyle adjustments, or fertility treatment.
Changing Medications
If your symptoms are linked to a medication you currently use, such as an alpha-blocker or antidepressant, your healthcare provider may recommend adjusting your dosage or switching to a different prescription.
You might get back to normal discharge after the medication is stopped.
Medications to Treat Retrograde Discharge
There are no specific medications that are FDA-approved for retrograde discharge treatment. But some prescription drugs might help reduce symptoms depending on the cause.
Medications you might be prescribed:
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Imipramine
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Pseudoephedrine
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Antihistamines
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Chlorpheniramine
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Phenylephrine
All medications can cause side effects. Your healthcare provider can go over these with you and tell you about the potential risks.
Other Treatments That Might Help With Retrograde Discharge
If retrograde discharge is caused by a medical condition like diabetes, a healthcare provider might recommend medications or lifestyle changes to lower blood sugar levels.
Folks with diabetes sometimes need to take insulin to keep their blood sugar levels at a healthy range. Medical providers also sometimes suggest medications like metformin or semaglutide (Ozempic and Rybelsus).
If you’re okay with not discharging when you climax, your healthcare provider may not suggest any specific treatment. You might be wondering if there are benefits to not discharging.
The practice of fluid retention has become trendy — whether through abstaining from “solo time” or intimacy with a partner. But there isn’t much evidence to support a benefit from refraining from climaxing.
In rare cases, surgery to bulk up or improve the function of the bladder neck muscle and sphincter may be performed. The effectiveness and safety of these procedures, though, is not well established.
Fertility Treatments
If you have retrograde discharge and would like to have children in the future, it’s best to talk to a fertility specialist.
Several fertility procedures may be available, including:
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Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in-vitro fertilization (IVF) using discharged sperm
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Intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in-vitro fertilization (IVF) using sperm collected from urine
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In-vitro fertilization (IVF) using sperm surgically retrieved from the privates
Consult a fertility specialist or reproductive urologist if you’re interested in exploring these options.
Prevention
You may or may not be able to prevent retrograde discharge, depending on the underlying cause.
Retrograde Discharge Prevention Tips
If retrograde discharge is caused by type 2 diabetes, you might be able to prevent it by:
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Maintaining a healthy weight
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Staying or becoming physically active
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Minimizing your intake of foods with added sugar
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Eating mostly whole foods instead of ultra-processed foods
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Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
Researchers are continuing to develop new surgical techniques to treat prostate disorders. Discharge-sparing techniques come with better outcomes than traditional surgery when preserving intimate function is a priority.
In a 2021 study, researchers found that discharge-sparing TURP surgery provided better results than discharge-sparing HoLEP in 119 men with BPH.
Your provider can let you know if you’re a candidate for a less invasive surgical technique that comes with a lower risk of retrograde discharge.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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