Numbing Sprays: How Effectively do they Treat Premature Ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is a tremendously frustrating issue. That moment when you’re unable to last as long in bed as you were hoping, that feeling of frustration and annoyance of ejaculating earlier than you’d like or the sense that you left your partner unsatisfied, that sense that you have no control over the timing of when you ejaculate… yes, those are all symptoms of premature ejaculation.
If you’re interested in reading our full summary on what defines premature ejaculation, be sure to check out our guide here. But in summary, premature ejaculation involves:
- Ejaculating before or shortly after (typically in one minute or less) post vaginal penetration
- The inability to delay ejaculation (or control the timing of when you ejaculate)
- Feeling stressed or frustrated by your sexual experiences, potentially leading you to avoid those intimate situations altogether
Premature ejaculation affects nearly 40% of men, yet only 10% of men seek out a solution for premature ejaculation. Given the tremendous amount of frustration involved with the issue, men who do seek out a solution often turn to ones that seem to be able to solve the solution right away. One such group of solutions are topical local anesthetics, such as lidocaine spray or benzocaine wipes. These solutions are often presented as an effective means of treating premature ejaculation. However, what is not discussed as often are the shortcomings associated with these solutions.
Benzocaine Wipes for the Management of Premature Ejaculation
In a 2017 study, the effectiveness of benzocaine wipes on the treatment of premature ejaculation was studied. According to the study, benzocaine wipes improved both objective and subjective symptoms of PE compared to a placebo. While these wipes may have been effective in delaying an individual’s orgasm, the solution did have various shortcomings and downsides.
On Your Mark, Get Set, Wait
When you and your partner are in the mood for sex, the last thing you want to do is wait to get it on. When the heat in the bedroom is rising, and foreplay is getting steamy, and you’re ready to take it to the next level, the last thing you want to do is wait. Unfortunately, benzocaine wipes make you do just that. They must be applied 5 - 10 minutes before sex (and in particular, vaginal penetration), to be effective. Can you imagine being in the heat of the moment and then having to wait? That’s not what we would want from our premature ejaculation “solution.” While these benzocaine wipes can help delay orgasms, they also delay the sex from happening in the first place.
Lack of Discreetness
Again, imagine being in the heat of the moment, ready for some hot, steamy sex, and telling your partner that you have to step aside to take care of something. Unless you’re comfortable swabbing your penis with a numbing wipe in front of your partner, you may find yourself leaving the bed just as it’s getting good in order to go numb your penis in private. Foreplay is something to be enjoyed, each moment of it bringing its own wild adventure. Leaving the bed to go applying a numbing wipe to your penis? Probably not the type of adventure you’d like to include as part of your foreplay
Limitations on Ability to Engage in Oral Sex
Women can often be hesitant to engage in oral sex if they know that something has been applied to the shaft of the penis. Women are often able to tell that something has been applied to the penis given the small that the numbing spray causes to the penis. Additionally, if a woman has certain allergies, this can make the experience less than pleasant, to say the least. Why limit the fun that you can have in the bedroom?
Numbing Spreading to Your Female Partner
According to Men’s Health, “benzocaine can make sex less pleasant for her—using benzocaine on your penis and then having sex without a condom can numb your partner’s vagina, making sex feel uncomfortable for her.” While dealing with premature ejaculation was intended to solve one’s relationship problems, numbing your partner during your sexual encounter may only make those relationships even more strained.
Numbing of your Penis
The biggest issue with this solution is also the intended result: the numbing of your penis. While premature ejaculation is a tremendously frustrating issue, we don’t think that solving it should come at the expense of your sexual satisfaction. Why deal with sexual satisfaction problems by causing more dissatisfaction? Many have likened the sensation of the numbness to the penis similar to that of wearing two condoms while having sex. All in all, it detracts quite significantly from the overall pleasure of the experience.
Lidocaine Spray for the Management of Premature Ejaculation
Similar to benzocaine wipes, lidocaine spray is another topical numbing solution often used for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Lidocaine spray affects the sensitivity of your penis, helping delay ejaculation. Yet like benzocaine, lidocaine comes with similar downsides that ultimately may result in a more negative sexual experience.
Hold Your Horses
Whilst in the heat of the moment, the need to apply lidocaine to your penis forces you to leave your partner and foreplay. Even worse, it’s suggested that you take a shower after applying the spray to your penis in order to ensure there’s no spray left on your skin. After that, you’ll have to wait five to fifteen minutes for the lidocaine to start working. It’s not your regrets that are supposed to be lasting longer.
Difficulty Maintaining an Erection
Another negative side effect of lidocaine is that the numbing and decreased sensitivity may make it harder for you to be able to maintain your erection. What’s the point of trying to deal with premature ejaculation if it makes it impossible to engage in sex in the first place? In dealing with premature ejaculation, it’s probably best to avoid adding another issue in the process.
Skin Irritation / Burning Sensation?
Skin irritation on the penis...um, that’s something we’ll pass on. Given that lidocaine, like benzocaine, is a topical numbing solution, it comes with a risk of causing discomfort to the skin. And if there’s any part of the body that you’d probably want to avoid discomfort, especially going into sex, it’s probably the penis.
Should Not Be Used if your Partner is Pregnant
If your partner is pregnant while you’re engaging in sex, it’s not recommended that you use lidocaine spray. Lidocaine is an FDA category B medication. Therefore, it has not been proven safe for use during pregnancy. Unfortunately, premature ejaculation doesn’t go on pause while your partner is pregnant. Neither should your solution to treat premature ejaculation.
Consider a More Natural Alternative for the Treatment of Premature Ejaculation
While numbing solutions like benzocaine wipes and lidocaine spray are often the primary solution used when trying to treat premature ejaculation, the wide variety of negative side effects that come with them may not necessarily make them the best solution upon second glance.
mate endurance is a natural dietary supplement intended to help treat premature ejaculation. Using only natural ingredients such as vitamins, amino acids, and plants, mate endurance doesn’t make you put up with the side effects that some other solutions think you should just have to put up with.
The main ingredient in mate endurance is 5-HTP, an amino acid that the body converts into serotonin. The increased serotonin production reinforces inhibitory pathways in your brain, thereby helping to delay your ejaculatory time by slowing down how quickly you get excited. This allows you to delay your orgasm in a more natural manner by stimulating natural processes in your body as opposed to applying topical numbing solutions.
Paired with the 5-HTP, mate endurance also contains L-Citrulline, which the body converts to L-arginine, an amino acid. L-arginine improves blood flow by increasing nitric oxide production. This improved blood flow is a critical element in helping you achieve and maintain strong erections. As such, while topical numbing solutions may actually result in the ability to maintain an erection due to lack of sensation, a more natural alternative to premature ejaculation such as mate endurance actually has the ability to improve erectile function.
Lastly, mate endurance also contains ingredients such as tribulus, which has been found to boost libido and testosterone, thereby increasing one’s sexual desire. Drug based solutions to premature ejaculation, such as SSRIs, have actually been found to have the opposite impact and decrease overall sexual desire.
Make an Informed Decision
Premature ejaculation is a tremendously frustrating, tough-to-talk-about issue. That being said, it’s important to make an informed decision prior to settling on a solution to solve the issue. While topical numbing sprays, creams and wipes often seem like suitable solutions from the surface, digging a bit deeper reveals a whole host of side effects. A natural solution to premature ejaculation like
mate endurance may take a bit longer to show signs of impact, but you’ll be treating your body with premium, natural ingredients.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.