Say you’re out on a date. You’ve had one glass of wine too many over dinner before heading home. One thing has led to another, you’ve headed to the bedroom, and suddenly you find yourself unable to get an erection.
It’s a story that most men reading will be all too familiar with! It’s common, and it happens, with 1 in 5 men experiencing it at some point in their lives. But at what point does it become a cause for concern? While drinking in moderation isn’t associated with serious issues, drinking in excess can start to cause problems.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all the links between alcohol and erectile dysfunction, including why it happens and how you can manage it.
Three key takeaways
Alcohol stops erections by blocking brain signals, reducing blood flow, and lowering testosterone levels.
Erectile dysfunction is often just one of several bedroom problems caused by alcohol, including low sex drive, difficulty climaxing, reduced pleasure, and performance anxiety.
Alcohol-related erectile dysfunction and fertility problems usually improve within a few weeks or months of drinking less or stopping.
Why does alcohol cause erectile dysfunction?
A lot is going on in your body each time you have an erection: your brain sends specific signals to your penis, blood flow is directed to your penis, and your hormones need to be at the proper levels. Alcohol affects all three of these things.
Nerve signals
Your brain needs to be able to send clear nerve signals to the penis to let it know to be erect. But this cannot happen effectively when you’ve drunk alcohol.
This is because alcohol is a ‘depressant’, meaning your central nervous system is disrupted and slowed down.
Blood flow
During an erection, the arteries supplying blood to your penis need to dilate to allow more blood, while your veins need to tighten to keep it all in. This is what makes your penis erect.
The issue with alcohol, however, is that it leaves you dehydrated, reducing the total amount of blood flowing through your body. At the same time, it also makes it harder for the blood vessels in the penis to dilate.
Hormones
Not only do you need to have enough testosterone to trigger arousal, but it also plays a role in you getting and maintaining an erection.
Alcohol increases the liver’s conversion of testosterone to oestrogen while also messing with your body's hormone production. This leads to lower testosterone levels, making it tougher to get an erection.
Can alcohol cause long-term erectile dysfunction?
Alcohol abuse is the leading cause of impotence in men. And while most of the time the effects are only temporary and will go away once you’ve sobered up, frequent excessive drinking can cause more lasting effects.
For example, the risk of erectile dysfunction is significantly higher for those who consume more than three glasses of alcohol every day.
And roughly 70% of men with alcohol use disorder experience some form of sexual dysfunction, with the most common being erectile dysfunction.
However, it has been found that for alcoholic men who stop drinking for up to three months, the changes in the body that prevent an erection can be reversed. So, it’s not too late to change.
What other problems can alcohol cause in the bedroom?
Erectile dysfunction isn’t the only problem alcohol can cause in the bedroom.
Performance issues
Even if you’re able to get it up, problems with ejaculation are common if you’ve had a bit too much to drink. This is due to the alcohol numbing your senses, with some men struggling to reach ejaculation at all.
This unpredictability can lead to performance anxiety, which often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as you worry too much about messing up.
Fertility issues
When you’ve drunk quite a bit, your sperm count becomes considerably lower, your sperm move less effectively, and they have an irregular shape. All of these things mean that you’re less likely to be fertile.
“Many people don't realise that alcohol affects sex in ways that go far beyond erectile difficulties. Alcohol slows down the messages between your brain and body. This can make it take longer to climax or difficult to finish at all. It also reduces how much pleasure you feel during sex.
“If you're trying for a baby, alcohol makes this harder too. It reduces sperm count, affects how well sperm move, and can damage sperm quality. Women's fertility is also affected by alcohol, so if you're trying to start a family, both partners should consider cutting back.
“The good news is that most of these problems can improve. If you cut down on alcohol or have some alcohol-free days, you'll likely notice improvements within a few weeks. And sperm quality can improve within 2-3 months.”
Ian Budd, prescribing pharmacist at Chemist4U
Can you take erectile dysfunction pills alongside alcohol?
Regardless of which erectile dysfunction pill you take, the advice on alcohol consumption remains the same.
The NHS recommends that while you can drink on pills like sildenafil or Viagra Connect, heavy drinking can still significantly reduce the chances of getting and maintaining an erection.
Not just this, but drinking and taking erectile dysfunction pills at the same time may lower your blood pressure, meaning you’re more likely to feel dizzy or light-headed.
How long does erectile dysfunction last after drinking alcohol?
If you’ve drunk too much alcohol and are struggling to get an erection, this should only last as long as the alcohol is in your system. If you’re continuing to drink excessive amounts of alcohol, this can be more persistent.
Can alcohol withdrawal cause erectile dysfunction?
While studies show that reducing your intake of alcohol can actually improve erectile dysfunction, the increased anxiety and stress of being without alcohol can be a cause for erectile dysfunction.
Chemist 4 U uses cookies (and other techniques) to enhance your shopping experience.
Read more about our cookie policy, terms and conditions and privacy statement. By continuing on this site and accepting our cookies you agree to the collection of information on this basis by us and by third parties on the platform as well as direct email marketing. Please customise your cookie settings below.
Find out more about our data policies.
