Tramadol For Premature Ejaculation: Can It Help?
Can a painkiller prescribed by a doctor relieve the pain caused by early ejaculation problems? Tramadol is an opioid painkiller often employed as a method of prescription pain relief, usually for moderate to extreme pain.
The medical profession is working hard and long to make you stronger; however, while erectile dysfunction offers a variety of options for its patients, premature ejaculation (also known as PE) is a particular area of sexual dysfunction in which reliable treatments aren’t readily available.
Premature ejaculation issues can be a huge problem for men who suffer from it. Control over ejaculation may be a sensitive issue, and difficulties with ejaculation could lead to intimate and anxiety issues regarding bed. These issues could have long-lasting consequences if they are not addressed.
A significant reason for this is that PE, also known as rapid ejaculation, is a myriad of causes that could be causing it. Scientists are still searching to find the root reason.
However, the science is moving forward as clinical studies investigate the possible role of medications such as tramadol in preventing orgasms and improving the quality of life for males suffering from premature ejaculation.
Tramadol is currently showing some potential for treating premature ejaculation. But, since it’s an opioid is also associated with severe risks and safety concerns which you must be aware of if thinking about it as a possible method or treatment to treat PE.
In this article, we’ve explained what tramadol is and how it’s prescribed. We’ve also spoken on how ejaculation that is prematurely performed can alter your sexual performance and also the potential risks associated with using an opioid drug like tramadol to treat it.
In the end, we’ve provided alternatives that you might be interested in should you be among the millions of males in the United States affected by premature ejaculation each year.
What is Tramadol?
Tramadol is a painkiller or painkiller that’s usually used for moderate to moderately severe pain. It is part of a class of medications known as opioids that work by binding receptors located in the central nervous system.
This affects how your body feels pain and can make certain kinds of pain considerably less painful in the long run and more likely to cause adverse effects on your daily life.
Tramadol can be used in various relief scenarios, usually for pain outside of a hospital. The healthcare professional could prescribe tramadol when you are suffering from pain after surgery or any other type of persistent pain caused by an injury.
How Tramadol is Prescribed
Tramadol is available in various forms, such as tablets and liquid solutions. It is also available in capsules with a long shelf-life and extended-release tablets.
The general rule is that tramadol can be described as an effective and flexible drug. Your doctor may prescribe tramadol as quick pain relief (for example, following an injury) or to decrease the intensity of pain caused by a persistent physical illness.
Tramadol is a medication that can be used without or with food in certain situations. But, it must be taken as your physician prescribes for your specific needs.
If you’re given tramadol, following your physician’s instructions and the exact dosage advised is essential. If you stop taking tramadol abruptly, it can trigger withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, panic, nausea, insomnia, and other serious issues.
Tramadol Side Effects
Before we dive into the specifics regarding the effectiveness of tramadol in preventing premature ejaculation, it’s essential to get one point clear tramadol may be able to cause side effects, especially during the initial several weeks following treatment.
Common adverse reactions of tramadol comprise:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Nervousness
- Sleepiness
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Muscle tightness
- Changes in mood
- Uncontrollable shaking
- Indigestion (heartburn)
- Dry mouth
Most of these reactions manifest in the initial stage of the treatment using tramadol, for instance, during the first few weeks following your initial treatment with tramadol. Some of the adverse effects that tramadol can cause could diminish in time.
Although uncommon, tramadol could create more severe adverse side effects, like those that could impact your health, well-being, and personal safety.
They can be characterized by hoarseness, hives and blisters, trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling that can affect your face, eyes or throat, tongue, the extremities or lips, hallucinations, agitation, lack of coordination, appetite loss weakening, dizziness, vomiting, or changes in your heartbeat.
It’s crucial to seek medical attention if you experience severe or persistent adverse reactions after beginning treatment with tramadol.
Alongside these negative consequences, there’s the risk of tramadol abuse and other opioid painkillers.
Similar to other opioids, tramadol abuse — especially in the context of long-term treatment is a serious issue within the United States and around the globe. Many who abuse substances like tramadol suffer from dependence that can cause a rise in drug addiction.
We’ve covered how safe tramadol is and its addiction risk in more detail further down this page.
What Studies Say About Tramadol and Premature Ejaculation
What does scientific research suggest about tramadol’s advantages as a premature treatment for ejaculation?
Unexpectedly for a pain-relieving medication, some studies suggest that tramadol may help lower the risk of premature ejaculation as well as increase the interval between ejaculatory and intravaginal latency (IELT ), which is a measure of ejaculation for men).
For example, a research study that used tramadol for treating premature ejaculation was presented in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine in 2013. The study compared the effects of tramadol with non-therapeutic placebos in males with PE ranging from 28 to 45.
The men who participated in the study were not taking any other medication, preventing other treatments from impacting the outcomes.
The study found that males who consumed 100mg of tramadol daily regularly over 12 weeks showed significant increases in Ejaculation latency even when tramadol was used only as needed before sexual activity.
At the beginning of the study, men were ejaculating at a rate of 59 seconds, which is less than one minute. After the study, the men achieved an average ejaculation duration of 202 – 238 seconds, just a little more than 3 minutes.
Comparatively, the males in the placebo group improved from an ejaculation rate of 58.7 seconds before receiving treatment to 94.8, which was 96.6 seconds when they received the placebo.
The men who were treated with tramadol had longer sexual endurance and a higher amount of ejaculation control. They also reported greater satisfaction with their sexual partners.
The most exciting thing, however, is that the study didn’t conclusively find a significant difference was noticed between the treatment with tramadol (meaning that tramadol treatment is carried out regularly daily) as well as sporadic treatments, or as-needed treatment, using tramadol.
This research suggests that the tramadol used to treat premature ejaculation may be used when needed or daily, which could provide patients with various treatment options that they can utilize based on their individual preferences.
This study also revealed it was evident that selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs) are a category of drugs commonly used off-label to treat premature ejaculation. Although they were effective, the risk of adverse effects and psychiatric problems was a concern.
It’s perhaps ironic, considering that tramadol could be viewed as a drug that can cause a habit of pain relief with extended usage.
We’ve discussed SSRIs and alternative non-opioid solutions for treating premature ejaculation in greater detail on the page.
An additional comprehensive review and a meta-analysis released in BMC Urology also looked at the possible benefits of tramadol as a treatment for premature ejaculation.
This review analyzed the results of eight randomized controlled trials that evaluated tramadol to other treatments pharmacologically for PE.
The study found that tramadol may be more effective than placebo in causing delays in the ejaculation process. They also observed that certain studies suggest that tramadol has more efficacy in treating PE over medications like sildenafil or paroxetine (Viagra(r)).
But, the same study found that tramadol was more likely to trigger adverse effects when it was used to boost the time of ejaculation intravaginally, which could cause it to be a less suitable option for those suffering from PE.
The study also revealed that they didn’t consider the possibility of addiction to tramadol. This significant issue may prevent it from becoming a suitable treatment for PE.
In simple terms, research into the effectiveness of tramadol in demand or long-term use as a treatment for PE is undoubtedly encouraging. However, it also indicates that tramadol isn’t ideal.
It’s essential to be aware that the amount of research-based evidence regarding tramadol and PE isn’t utterly exhaustive at present, meaning there’s probably still plenty that’s not known about the way that tramadol functions in treating the condition (or is it the most effective treatment option for PE).
Opioid Addiction and the Downsides of Using Tramadol
We are confident that the tramadol drug is an opioid, as are other opioids within this category; it has the potential to become addicting.
This is an issue that we must deal with; it’s the most significant single problem associated with the security of tramadol in premature ejaculation.
You’re probably just a casual worldwide and national news viewer. You know that opioids create significant social problems with overdose and addiction every year in the United States and the world.
While other opioids might get the most media attention, however, a less-known drug like tramadol could create addiction problems when used in a way that isn’t properly. This is not counting other adverse side effects mentioned in the previous paragraph.
This is a real risk. However, it’s not as severe as other opioids. Based on the FDA, the rate of dependence on tramadol was one out of 100,000 during the last 18 months of monitoring.
So, tramadol has been widely believed to have a relatively low risk of abuse compared to most opioids. However, it could still be considered an addictive, dangerous medication when it is misused.
Put, “low risk” compared to other opioid drugs does not mean that tramadol is safe or that it is safe to use without regard to your health and safety.
Due to the possibility of addiction and abuse, certain healthcare professionals might be hesitant to consider tramadol as an alternative solution for prematurely ejaculating, mainly when other treatments are available to improve the ejaculatory latency of the vaginal area and increase sexual endurance.
This means it’s uncommon for tramadol to be prescribed, at minimum, as a primary form of treatment when you suffer from PE.
Suppose you’re prescribed this medication to treat PE. In that case, your doctor typically will only make this choice if other medicines aren’t working or if they trigger excessive adverse effects to be appropriate for you.
In this situation, it is crucial to remain alert for symptoms of addiction, like an urge to take tramadol to be “normal” or “yourself.”
Your doctor may suggest changes to your routine and lifestyle to ensure you can take tramadol safely, like reducing alcohol consumption and staying clear of all illicit or recreational substances.
This is because drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs using tramadol could increase your risk of ill adverse effects or a life-threatening overdose.
Be sure to follow your physician’s directions and, if necessary, contact them as quickly as you can if you’re experiencing concerns about dependence on tramadol.
Should You Use Tramadol for Premature Ejaculation?
The question is whether tramadol to treat PE is a good idea. This depends on your medical situation, what you’ve already tried to treat your PE, the other medications you’re taking, as well as other factors. It should be an agreement with your healthcare provider.
At present, research into the efficacy of the regular dose of tramadol in treating premature ejaculation seems promising but only a tiny amount of evidence. There are a handful of previous studies that indicate it has advantages. However, the complete evidence isn’t as solid as it should be before recommending the treatment.
Simply put, we aren’t aware enough of the information needed to currently conduct a complete evaluation of tramadol’s effectiveness for PE. Therefore, the function of tramadol as a treatment for PE and improving your sexual life is still not fully understood.
Therefore, we do not believe that tramadol is an excellent choice to be the first treatment option for premature ejaculation at this time or at all in light of the evidence base.
At the moment, it is more sensible to stick with current treatments that have been proven to work and await further studies before deciding whether or not to employ tramadol for treatment for PE.