The search for a medical treatment to combat premature ejaculation often leads to unexpected places. And so, it comes as no surprise that another drug, Tramadol, has been making appearances in medical journals in recent years as a potential solution. Much like Dapoxetine, Tramadol wasn’t initially designed for this purpose; it’s actually a synthetic opioid analgesic used to provide relief from moderate to severe pain. However, individual guys and researchers have discovered that it can also have a positive impact on premature ejaculation. I’ll discuss and refer to some of these research studies later. But first, I want to share my own experience with Tramadol, as I’ve witnessed both the good and the bad aspects.
The Pain, Pleasure, and Dependency
Several years ago, I underwent major surgery and was given a generous supply of Tramadol to take home from the hospital to manage the post-operative pain. What I didn’t realize at the time was that my own doctor had also prescribed a significant amount. As a result, I ended up with over 200 50mg pills.
About a month after the surgery, I was able to have sexual intercourse again. One day, when I felt some pain returning, I decided to take a 50mg Tramadol pill (I had been off it for about a week). To my delight, I discovered that I was able to last roughly three to four times longer than before.
So, I decided to test whether it was the Tramadol that was having this effect by using it again a couple of times, and then also without it. It was indeed the Tramadol that was helping. Sounds great, right?
The problem was that I experienced issues with dependency on the drug twice. Firstly, after the surgery, I craved a top-up of the pain relief every six hours when taking Tramadol. It took a conscious effort to reduce and stop. Secondly, I was enjoying the fact that my sex life had improved significantly due to my accidental discovery. I remember thinking to myself that this was wonderful and that I should get more so that I could take it every time I had sex. But in the end, it wasn’t all that great.
Fortunately for me, I was strong-minded enough to reduce my intake after the surgery. And I also knew that taking it long-term for sexual enhancement wasn’t yet proven to be safe. I was also experiencing some side effects such as dizziness and just feeling strange (for lack of a better description) when taking it. Of course, this was just my personal experience, but it does highlight three key points that researchers have made: Tramadol can help with premature ejaculation, it can cause side effects, and it can lead to problems with dependency.
What Researchers Have Found
In 2012, British researchers published a review of five studies that had looked at Tramadol for treating premature ejaculation. Interestingly, they also attempted to explain how it actually works. They say that although it’s not entirely clear, there are two possible actions. It acts as a weak μ-opioid receptor agonist, but the more likely explanation is that it inhibits the neuronal reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine.
Effects of Tramadol on Lasting Time
In their review of the five studies published between 2006 and 2012, here is a brief summary of what they found:
Study 1: After eight weeks of taking 50mg Tramadol, the average lasting time of the guys increased from just 19 seconds to 243 seconds. That’s a 13-fold increase.
Study 2: After eight weeks on 25mg Tramadol, the average time increased from 70.2 seconds to 442.2 seconds. So, this was a 6.3-fold increase.
Study 3: This study compared Tramadol with paroxetine. They found that the paroxetine group had longer lasting times, and the Tramadol group had less rigid erections.
Study 4: They tested both a dose of 62mg and 89mg and found a respective increase of 2.4 and 2.5 times.
Study 5: They found that with a dose of 25mg, there was a four-fold increase in lasting time from 38.83 seconds to 154.67 seconds.
Other notable findings were that in all the studies, the guys reported a significant increase in their sexual satisfaction, and their partners also said they were more satisfied. You would expect that, but it does show that the guys were happy with that kind of increase in time.
Side Effects
Across these five studies, they say that Tramadol was well-tolerated and the side effects experienced were only mild. Although in my opinion, when one study reports that 28.1% of participants experienced nausea, I wonder what the true meaning of “well-tolerated” is! The main side effects reported by the guys were: nausea, somnolence, erectile dysfunction, vertigo, dyspepsia, headache, and vomiting.
Potential Problems with Using Tramadol
It’s a common practice in research journals to include a disclaimer at the end to discuss all the potential issues with the study. Even though they conclude that Tramadol appears to be an effective treatment, they also describe these potential problems: the long-term effectiveness and safety of using Tramadol are still unknown; they don’t really know how it compares to other drugs like SSRI antidepressants, except for the paroxetine study which suggests paroxetine is better; and there are serious concerns about the potential for Tramadol abuse and dependence.
Tramadol Dependency
Now that we know that Tramadol can help many guys with premature ejaculation, the major concern seems to be not the side effects but the potential for dependency. This article also mentions this as a concern. So, just how bad is the risk of guys abusing or becoming addicted to Tramadol? Well, it’s not as bad as you might think, according to a 2012 research study in Egypt. They quote another research from 1999 as saying that in the United States, the rate of addiction is 1 in 100,000. Something the review article also mentions, although they also say that’s a significant number. It appears from looking at other sources as well that the risk is mainly for people with a history of drug abuse. Maybe that explains why although I personally experienced a craving for Tramadol, I was able to stop taking it without much trouble once I decided to.
Conclusion
It seems that Tramadol could be an effective way to help guys deal with premature ejaculation. But like all other medical treatments, it’s only a temporary solution and can cause other problems. You do run the risk of experiencing side effects, as it is an opioid and a powerful drug. There is still a lot of research needed to determine its long-term effectiveness and whether it’s better than other treatments. There is also the risk of addiction, dependency, abuse, or whatever you want to call it. And although researchers say the risk is minimal, it could still happen to you. And if you have a history of drug use or addiction, I would suggest trying something else instead.
Your Views
Have you tried Tramadol to help you last longer? Did it work, and did you have any side effects? Let me know in the comments below.
