Medicated treatments to help you last longer
There are medical treatments available to help you last longer in bed. The most appropriate treatment will depend on whether premature ejaculation or ED prevents you from lasting as long as you would like.
Treatments for premature ejaculation
You can treat premature ejaculation with either tablets or cream.
Tablets
Tablets such as Priligy work by increasing the serotonin levels in your blood, which can lead to an increase in the length of time it takes you to ejaculate. The active ingredient in Priligy, dapoxetine, is an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor). SSRIs are usually used to treat depression but one of their side effects is that they can delay ejaculation, if taken 1 to 3 hours before sex.
Creams
You can also try a cream such as Emla Cream, which contains two local anaesthetics (lidocaine and prilocaine). Applying an anaesthetic to the skin of the penis reduces how sensitive it is and can slow down how quickly you ejaculate. A small amount of Emla cream should be applied to the head of the penis 15 to 20 minutes before sex. Remember to wash off any excess cream just before you have sex so it does not make your partner numb.
Treatments for ED
Treatments for ED include tablets, creams, and penis pumps. They only work when you are sexually aroused but can help you get and keep an erection that is hard enough to have sex.
Tablets
There are many different tablets for ED, all of which belong to the same group of medicines called PDE-5 inhibitors. These work by relaxing the blood vessels in your body and increasing blood flow to the penis so you can get and keep an erection.
ED tablets include:
- generic sildenafil and its well known branded version Viagra. Both start working about 30 minutes after you take it, and last between 4 and 6 hours. It has the best results if taken on an empty stomach.
- generic tadalafil and its branded version Cialis. Both start working in 30 minutes. The effects can last up to 36 hours, which is why it’s referred to as ‘the weekend pill’.
- generic vardenafil and its branded version Levitra. Both work similarly to sildenafil.
- generic avanafil and its branded version Spedra. Both work in 15 minutes and last about 6 hours.
Creams
Erectile dysfunction creams, such as Vitaros, relax the blood vessels in your body to allow more blood to flow into your penis. The active ingredient (Alprostadil) belongs to a group of medicines called prostaglandins. These relax your blood vessels in the same way as PDE-5 inhibitors in ED tablets do.
Vitaros cream should be applied to the opening of the urethra using the applicator provided. Vitaros cream usually works within 5 minutes and lasts 1 to 2 hours.
Penis Pumps
Like the other ED treatments, penis pumps also increase blood flow to the penis. They can help you get and keep an erection. Pumps do not make your penis larger.
Penis pumps are less discreet to use than tablets or cream since you need to fit the pump over your penis and complete the pumping action for it to work. They may be suitable for some men who cannot use ED medication.