Numb Penis

It can be concerning if you start to notice decreased sensation of your penis. Whether you have a fully numb penis or just a mild loss of sensation, this issue has many potential underlying causes.

Loss of penile sensation, or penis numbness, can impair your sexual function and contribute to other problems, such as erectile dysfunction or an inability to orgasm. It may also put a strain on your relationship and mental health.

Read on to learn more about the reasons why you may be experiencing a numb penis, treatment options, and preventative changes you can make.

Numb Penis Overview

The head of the penis is called the glans. It’s comprised on the inside of spongy erection tissue that surrounds the urethra, and also contains thousands of more superficial sensory nerve fibers that make it highly sensitive to tactile stimulation. The high sensitivity of glans is important for sexual function and sexual pleasure. These nerves, along with similar nerves located throughout the penis and pelvic region, collect sensory information and pass electrical impulses to nerves in your pelvis that ultimately communicate with your spinal cord and brain. 

Penis numbness can be caused by anything that disrupts the penis’ ability to collect sensory information, the pelvic nerves that connect the penis to the spinal cord, the nerves inside the spinal cord, or the brain areas that process sensory information.  

Sometimes, the underlying cause of penis numbness could be something as simply as using a constriction band during sex that compresses the nerves in your penis. Other times, penis numbness can be an important sign of a serious underlying medical problem. 

The main symptom of a numb penis is loss of sensation in the penis. Sensory loss can be global and involve the entire penis, or it can be focal involving just one area of the penis, or just the glans. Numbness may also be isolated to sexual activity, or may be constant.  

Penile numbness can vary from mild to complete loss of sensation. Many men notice numbness in the tip of their penis since it has the highest density of nerve endings.

In mild cases, you might notice that your penis is less sensitive than usual to sexual stimulation such as intercourse or masturbation. It’s normal for your penis to become less sensitive shortly after ejaculation, but a persistent loss of sensation can suggest an underlying problem.

In cases of nerve damage or nerve compression, you may notice other other neurological symptoms such as:

• Loss of sensation or complete lack of sensation in your penis

• Feeling like you have a cold penis

• Tingling or a “pins and needles” sensation

Severe penile numbness may affect your ability to get an erection and enjoy sex. You may experience other sexual problems like: 

• Delayed ejaculation

• Reduced sexual pleasure

• Erectile dysfunction

• Lack of orgasm (anorgasmia)

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Your penis may become numb if something disrupts collection, transmission or brain processing of sensory information. That means trauma or medical conditions that affect the penis itself, nerves in the penis, nerves in the pelvis, the spinal cord or brain can all cause decreased penile sensation or penis numbness.

Causes of Numb Penis | Why Does My Penis Feel Numb?

The cause of a numb penis can range from your habits to serious medical conditions. 

Overstimulation or Desensitization | Penis Feels Numb

The nerve endings in your penis may become overstimulated from frequent or prolonged sexual activity, like repeated bouts of intercourse or masturbation. Overstimulation may also be caused by damage to the nerve endings in the head of your penis.

Additionally, frequent stimulation of nerve endings can decrease your sensitivity threshold for a specific stimulus. This drop in sensitivity to a stimulus is known as habituation. Habituation is often used to describe pain but can also occur for other sensations. For example, a shirt may feel scratchy against your skin when you first put it on, but after a few minutes, you’ll likely stop noticing it.

Frequent or long periods of masturbation with a tight grip can lead to a condition colloquially called “death grip syndrome.” This is when the penis becomes accustomed to large amounts of pressure and needs increasing amounts of pressure to stimulate orgasm.

Injury to the Penis or Compression of Penile Nerves | Penile Tingling

The head of your penis has many nerve endings that respond to pressure and make sexual activity pleasurable. Electrical signals are sent from your penis to your brain through a series of nerves. Here’s how it works:

• Nerve endings and their branches in your penis join together to form the dorsal nerve.

• The dorsal nerve carries electrical information from your penis to a pudendal nerve in your pelvis.

• From there, the pudendal nerve carries signals to the sacral nerves in your pelvis and, eventually, your spinal cord.

• Finally, electrical activity is sent up your spinal cord to various parts of your brain for interpretation.

Nerve Injury

Dorsal penile nerve injury may occur due to traumatic injury to the penis, such as a penis fracture. A penis fracture commonly occurs during vigorous sexual intercourse. Unlike other types of fractures, it doesn’t involve breaking a bone. Instead, it involves damage to the blood vessels and tissue that allows you to maintain an erection.

The pudendal nerve in your pelvis can be damaged due to causes such as:

• Pelvic surgery

• Direct trauma to your back or buttocks

• Prolonged sitting

• Prolonged cycling

• Viral infections such as herpes zoster or HIV

• Underlying medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis

• Pelvic radiation therapy

• Diabetes complications

• Pelvic cancers or benign tumors and their treatment

• Prostate cancer and its treatment

Peyronie’s Disease

Peyronie’s disease is a condition characterized by deposition of scar tissue in the penis that causes curvature or other deformities of the erect penis. It can cause the build-up of scar tissue in your penis, which can sometimes involve areas near the dorsal penile nerves. In some cases, either the plaque itself of the medical or surgical treatments that target it may compress or injure the dorsal penile nerves and lead to reduced sensitivity.

Some people with Peyronie’s disease also have pain during sexual intercourse or with erections.

Cycling

Cycling is one of the most common causes of genital numbness in males. Prolonged pressure caused by typical bike saddles can cause numbness by compressing blood vessels to the penis and the pudendal nerves.

In a 2019 study, researchers surveyed 2,774 male cyclists about their sexual wellness. The researchers found that more than half the participants experienced some genital numbness, primarily in the penis:

• 44 percent reported numbness in their penis

• 31 percent reported perineum numbness (the area between their penis and anus)

• 19 percent reported numbness in their scrotum

• Six percent reported numbness in their buttocks

People who have been cycling for longer, cycle more frequently or for long distances, and those who don’t use padded shorts as often were found to have a higher risk of numbness.

Diseases Causing Nerve Damage | Diseases That Cause Penis Tingling

Penile numbness can potentially develop as a complication of medical conditions that affect your nerves, such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes. Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy, which is a broad term that refers to nerve damage outside your brain and spinal cord.

Other conditions that can potentially damage or compress your nerves and cause penile numbness include: 

• Spinal cord injury

• Chronically high alcohol consumption

• Some nutritional deficiencies (e.g., B1, B6, B12, and vitamin E)

• Low thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)

• Autoimmune diseases like Sjögren syndrome or lupus

• Some infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus or hepatitis C

• Guillain-Barre syndrome

• Heavy metal poisoning

• Some inherited neurological diseases, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or familial amyloidosis

It’s important to seek medical attention if you believe you may have a neurological condition. Some of these conditions may be reversible or somewhat reversible, but the outlook is usually better if you get treatment as early as possible.

Medication Side Effects | Medications Causing Tingling in Penis

Some medications can impact how your body collects and processes penile sensory information, and can cause reduced penile sensitivity. Here is a list of certain medications and medication classes that can cause penile numbness:

• SSRIs and SNRIs (Antidepressants): These drugs work by altering brain neurotransmitter levels and can sometimes cause a sense of reduced sexual pleasure and sensation.  

• Topical Anesthetics: Topical numbing creams, wipes or sprays that are sometimes used to treat premature ejaculation can sometimes work too well and cause an overly numb penis. 

• Neuropathic Pain Medications: Medications like gabapentin that are used to treat nerve-related pain can calm overactive nerves but may also lower penile sensation.

• Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs): These medicines can disrupt nerve signaling throughout the body, sometimes leading to decreased genital feeling.

• Chemotherapy and other cancer drugs. Some types of cancer chemotherapies commonly cause nerve problems as a side effect. In some cases, this results in  genital numbness and neurological symptoms in other parts of your body, like hands or feet.

It’s best to talk to a healthcare professional if you think medication side effects are causing your penile numbness. Immediately stopping some medications can cause serious side effects, so it’s important to do so only if your doctor says it’s okay.

Can Low Testosterone Cause Penile Numbness?

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone and plays a vital role in maintaining your sexual health. Low testosterone is unlikely to cause numbness but is often associated with other forms of sexual dysfunction like ED and low libido. It’s also associated with a loss of testicle volume.

Low testosterone often causes signs and symptoms such as:

• Fatigue

• Loss of muscle mass

• Irritability

• Hair loss

• Increased body fat

It’s important to get your testosterone levels measured if you suspect yours may be low. Your doctor may recommend testosterone replacement therapy to help keep your testosterone levels in a healthy range.

Penis numbness can happen to anybody, but certain people might be at a higher risk.

Risk Factors for Numb Penis

People who might be at an increased risk of developing a numb penis include those who:

• Are undergoing pelvic surgery

• Use a very tight grip when masturbating

• Are cyclists

• Sit for prolonged periods

• Take certain types of medications, such as SSRIs or SNRIs

• Are getting cancer treatment

• Have diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or other conditions that can damage nerves

• Have Peyronie’s disease

• Have a spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders

Your doctor may recommend many different types of medical tests, depending on the cause of your penis numbness.

Diagnosing Numb Penis | Diagnosing Loss of Sensitivity in Penis

Receiving a diagnosis for problems with your penis often starts by seeing your primary healthcare provider. They will likely start the diagnostic process by:

• Asking you about your symptoms

• Reviewing your personal medication history

• Reviewing your family medical history

• Performing a physical exam where they might check your penis for abnormalities

If your doctor suspects that your symptoms might be behavioral in nature, they may recommend simple and obvious behavioral changes such as loosening your grip during masturbation. If they think that you might have an underlying condition contributing to your symptoms, on the other hand, they may refer you to a neurologist or a urologist.

Additional tests you might receive include:

• Blood tests

• Imaging such as X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• Urine tests

• Nerve conduction tests

• Psychiatric testing

Treatment for a numb penis depends on the underlying cause of your symptoms. Treatment is typically directed at the underlying condition.

Numb Penis Treatment | Penis Numb Treatment

There are many potential treatments for a numb penis. Which one works for you will depend on what’s causing your loss of sensation. Here are some of the potential treatment options.

Behavioral Changes

Reducing friction during sex and masturbation may help you regain sensation in your penis. Additionally, taking a break from these activities may give your penis time to heal. Ways to reduce friction on your penis include:

• Loosening your grip when masturbating

• Using a lubricant during masturbation or sexual intercourse

• Wearing loose-fitting fabrics that don’t rub against your genitals

Reducing or Switching Medications | Switching Meds

If you’re taking a medication associated with a loss of penile sensitivity, you may benefit from reducing your dose or switching medications. It’s important to seek medical advice before abruptly stopping medications since doing so might cause potentially serious complications.

A healthcare provider can adjust your dosage or make other changes to help with the side effects.

Avoiding Activities That Compress Your Nerves

Reducing activities — like prolonged sitting, frequent cycling, and horseback riding — that compress the nerves around your penis and pelvis can help you regain sensation in your penis if nerve compression is the underlying cause. 

Making some changes when cycling can potentially help take pressure off your nerves. You can try:

• Wearing padded shorts

• Using a broad and padded bicycle seat

• Raising your handlebars

• Reducing your cycling mileage

• Buying a specialized saddle to reduce perineal compression

Treating Underlying Medical Conditions

Treating medical conditions might help you improve your nerve health and reduce your symptoms. Treatments might include:

• Drugs to reduce immune system activity if you have multiple sclerosis or another autoimmune neuropathy

• Dietary changes and medications such as semaglutide if you have diabetes

• Reducing alcohol consumption if you have alcohol use disorder

• Supplements or dietary changes for nutritional deficiencies

• Thyroid replacement for hypothyroidism

Using Erectile Dysfunction Medications for Associated Symptoms

ED medications like Viagra Connect® (sildenafil) and Cialis Together® (tadalafil) don’t correct any underlying cause of penile numbness, but they may help relieve symptoms. Improvements in erection rigidity facilitated by erectile dysfunction medications can make it easier to activate penile sensory nerves during intercourse by pushing them closer to the skin surface. ED medications also improve penile blood flow, which can reduce numbness that is related to poor blood flow.

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The best way to manage loss of penile sensation is to avoid getting it in the first place by taking care of your general health. Careful avoidance and aggressive management of prediabetes and diabetes are especially important. Numb Penis Prevention Tips

Some ways you can potentially reduce your chances of developing a numb penis include:

• Relaxing your grip during masturbation

• Using lubricates during sexual activity

• Taking breaks from sexual activity if your penis is sore or feels raw

• Eating a balanced diet to help prevent diabetes

• Exercising regularly to support your cardiovascular health and improve blood flow

• Taking precautions to reduce nerve pressure when cycling, such as wearing padded shorts or purchasing a bike saddle that reduces perineal compression