Will my ED disappear if I quit drinking? You’re not the only man who has this question.
Many of us drink alcohol to celebrate, have fun, unwind, or even to set the mood in the bedroom.
However, excessive alcohol use can hinder your sexual performance and make bedroom activities more challenging, even though a few cocktails might temporarily increase your confidence and sexual desire. If you’re experiencing persistent issues, you may want to consult an ED doctor online for professional guidance and treatment options.
The phrase “whiskey dick,” or alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction (ED), may be familiar to you. Alcohol use causes this transient type of ED. You’re not alone if you’ve ever had whiskey dick or struggled with ED even after a night of drinking very little.
However, this may make you question whether alcoholism and ED are related, or you may be wondering if your ED will go away if you quit drinking.
We’ll look at how to deal with alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction and whether ED can persist after stopping alcohol.
Can Alcoholism Lead to Erectile Dysfunction?
To cut to the chase, excessive alcohol consumption can indeed contribute to erectile dysfunction. Your alcohol consumption may be the cause of a romantic night out with your significant other that ends in a major annoyance.
Alcohol has a negative impact on a man’s sexual performance, even though studies have shown that drinking is associated with riskier sexual behavior and that people who drink are more likely to have sex. Understanding how erections function is helpful in comprehending the relationship between alcoholism and ED.
Usually, erections start with mental or physical stimulation that sets off a series of internal events involving your cardiovascular and neurological systems.
Your penis’s internal nerves release naturally occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters when you feel sexually stimulated, which relaxes blood vessels. The erectile tissue inside your penis receives more blood when the blood vessels enlarge.
Alcohol interferes with this process in a few ways, though, which is how it impacts your sexual life. It slows down your central nervous system and has depressant effects, which may make it harder to achieve and sustain an erection.
You typically need to urinate more frequently when you consume large amounts of alcohol because it also acts as a diuretic, accelerating the process of eliminating fluids through your renal system. Drinking can lower your total blood volume and cause dehydration by making you urinate more frequently.
This can make getting and keeping an erection even more difficult, as erections are all about healthy blood flow.
Lastly, the body releases the hormone angiotensin when it becomes dehydrated, which raises blood pressure and aids in water retention. Additionally, angiotensin narrows blood vessels, which limits blood flow and may make erections more challenging.
In summary, excessive alcohol consumption may raise your risk of developing transient erectile dysfunction, and alcohol misuse can have long-term negative effects on your health and sexual life. Whiskey dick, however, is more frequently not an indication of chronic erectile dysfunction.
If you’ve been suffering from erectile dysfunction after a night of excessive drinking, you may be wondering if your ED will go away if you quit drinking.
How long does ED disappear once you stop drinking? For more information, continue reading.
How Soon Can ED Improve After Quitting Alcohol?
You’ve made the decision to give up alcohol in the hopes that your erectile dysfunction will also go away.
Some studies have found encouraging results on ED after quitting alcohol, even though everyone’s body is different and will experience different alcohol withdrawal symptoms (which we’ll discuss below).
After three months, more than 88% of the 100 participants in a small study who were quitting alcohol reported having better erectile function, while 61% reported having no erectile dysfunction at all.
However, the results of this study might have been impacted by the fact that it was restricted to a rehabilitation clinic and not the general public, in addition to having a comparatively small number of participants.
According to the American Addiction Centers, alcohol detoxification can take up to a week. However, the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal may last longer for some people.
What to Do If ED Persists After Quitting Alcohol?
Of course, there are other causes of erectile dysfunction besides alcohol, and you might still have ED after quitting.
Erectile dysfunction can be caused by a number of factors, such as lifestyle choices, drug or substance use, physical or mental health issues, and more.
Heart disease, high cholesterol, long-term illnesses like diabetes and obesity, and unhealthy habits like smoking are examples of physical causes.
The primary cause of ED is frequently psychological. Common mental health conditions like depression, stress, and anxiety, including anxiety related to sexual performance, can have a detrimental impact on your erections, sexual desire, and general sexual health.
We’ve discussed how alcohol can lead to erectile dysfunction, but some drugs may also have an impact on erections. ED can be brought on by a number of medications, including antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, antihistamines, and antiandrogens (drugs that lower levels of male sex hormone production).
Talking with a healthcare professional about your symptoms, when and how frequently you experience erectile dysfunction, any medical conditions you may have, and any medications you are currently taking is the best way to determine what is causing your erectile dysfunction.
Does Alcohol Withdrawal Contribute to Erectile Dysfunction?
Although giving up alcohol is one strategy to potentially lessen or even eliminate erectile dysfunction, ED may develop during the first few months after stopping excessive drinking.
Sexual dysfunction may result from alcohol withdrawal symptoms if you drink excessively or have an alcohol addiction or use disorder. This comprises:
- Tremors
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Craving alcohol
High blood pressure is another symptom of alcohol withdrawal that may make it more difficult to achieve an erection.
Therefore, stopping alcohol abuse will probably improve your sexual health in the long run, even though it may cause short-term symptoms that exacerbate ED.