Loading...Q. During sleep I am awakened five or six times a night by erections. I’m 53 years old and take Flomax, venlafaxine, fosinopril, trazodone and vitamin B12. Can any of these medications cause this problem?
A. Men frequently experience erections during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is normally when dreams occur. The erections have nothing to do with the content of the dreams but are a physiological reaction to this stage of sleep.
The antidepressant trazodone (Desyrel) has been linked to prolonged painful erections (priapism). This can occur during sleep or even during the daytime.
Flomax can also trigger this reaction. Both drugs together might make matters worse. A prolonged erection can be damaging and requires medical intervention.
Cindy
Wisconsin
Has anyone had any success with alternative treatments for this? My boyfriend is suffering so much with this condition. Currently taking low dose Cialis but not much help. Please help.
Theo
holland
It s a rare condition called sleep-related painful erections. Sometimes treated with Baclofen.
There is more info on http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2869.1996.00002.x/pdf
Vince
Ithaca NY
I have struggled with nighttime erections for 3 years also. They are getting worse.
Two things help a little.
1. Allergy medications like Benadryl prevent the erections, but it is not a treatment, just a short term solution, if you can’t sleep.
2. Avodart was prescribed by my urologist, but you have to take it long term, and gives me anxiety attacks I think.
Does anybody have better solutions?
Duncan
I was recently also put on Flow Max and have encountered the same problem. I have not been sexually active for the past 5 years due to a health problem (Hydrocephalus) so it was a welcomed surprise.
for my wife and I, however she is not in the “mood” at 3 in the morning 5 years abstinence or not.
JMM
I am 52 and have had the same problems. Waking up 3-4 times a night with these uncomfortable erections. I’m convinced I would have them for hours if I don’t get up and walk around, have a pee, etc, as this is the only way they go away. Unfortunately, even after it goes away, it seems in another hour or so, it comes back. Interestingly, I did take fluticasone for allergies a while back and for a short time tried flomax. I’ll be seeing the urologist next week, but I don’t expect much sleep until then. Hoping for an answer…
Andy
Hello there.
I have the same problem. I have been woken by painful erections for the last 10 years. Recently it got worse and wakes me up 5 to 8 times per night. I have seen urologists, doctors, sleep experts and no one has been able to help me.
Has anyone been able to find a solution to this?
It is ruining my sleep (and my life)
Thanks for any helps or advice you can give me.
BB
I am 60 years old and take lisinopril and flomax, alternating each day. I used to take each med before I went to bed. The nights I took the flomax – about 4-6 hours afterward – I would wake up to very persistent, full erections. This would disrupt my sleep, and although sometimes getting up to urinate would alleviate the problem, I would often soon reawaken to another erection. If I did not need to urinate, masturbation and ejaculating would make my erection subside, as normal. Of course, that could wake me up even more (and sometimes my wife as well), but usually I’d get back to sleep. But then an hour later – another very stiff erection.
Because of the lack of sleep I was experiencing from this, I began taking the flomax and lisinopril in the morning. Unfortunately, I don’t get the erections during the day, but I get fewer, less persistent erections at night – or at least the ones I get are easier to sleep through or go back to sleep with without urinating or ejaculating.
If you are taking flomax at night and are having problems with persistent, uncomfortable, annoying, sleep-disrupting, very stiff erections, try taking it in the mornings instead – if that is an option.
GW
I am 78 years old 10 months ago for me several times a night I KEEPING GETTING THESE ERECTIONS it the pits. Has any body had any relief from taking high blood pressure medicine I thinking about going to see my heart Dr to see what he thinks about this, I am sick and tired of this. I seen several urologist no help there. They’ve done all kinds of tests and can’t come up with any answer to help. DISGUSTED IN ALASKA.
gc
I’m 65 and suffer from ED. I have found Trazodone helpful. It doesn’t cause erections, but comes close (enlarged penis, but not erect). This increases my libido (also a problem). All my life, I have suffered from a tight scrotum which causes testicular discomfort, and in the last six years or so have had pain in one testicle due to pressure on a nerve in my lower back. Trazodone allows my scrotum to relax and hang “normally.” It’s been quite a relief. Taken in combination with one of the ED drugs, I can obtain an erection which is almost hard. It also seems to work well in combination with my Wellbutrin and helps with sleep but has no other noticeable side effects. I have taken as much as 100mg three times/day, but usually take 100mg twice/day.
Bo
I have had prolonged nighttime erections since I started taking Trazodone for sleep. Is it a good idea to stop taking it?
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THIS REACTION SHOULD DEFINITELY BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR DOCTOR. IT COULD BE DANGEROUS.
Joe B.
I am 46 and have also had the same problem for a couple of years now. Waking up 4-5 times a night. As soon as I stand up it goes away. But I’m usually sound asleep when it happens and the pain wakes me up. I have been slouching on my exercise and am only very slightly overweight. I am going to try and get back to a more rigorous workout schedule to see if this will help.
Looking for more feedback from others with this condition.
John B.
I am 53 and have had the same problems for years and its progressively getting worst. I am not on medication and my doctor was of the opinion that I should think myself lucky to be able to obtain a erection. My heart feels like its racing when I initially wake in this way and I find it very difficult to go back to sleep. Interestingly the first time I wake is nearly always after 4 hours. Its a while since I consulted him, but he suggested it was linked to either the autonomic or sympathetic nervous system, though I cant remember which. Other than that advice I was not offered any treatment and left with having to research excellent websites such as this. Will appreciate any feedback offered.
raj
I’m 44 year old and have exactly the same symptoms for 10+ years. I have seen a dozen urologists who have all said that it is due to non bacterial prostatitis.
I have tried numerous antibiotics, but to no avail. It is getting progressively worse every year. Now I wake up 4 times at night.
I’m trying inclined bed to see if that helps avoid these. My guess is that it has to do with some sort blood flow system, but none of the urologists have agreed on this. May be that they don’t want to do ‘research’ on this.
Marc
I am 55 years old and have been having the same problem. These are rock hard, prolonged erections that last most of the night and get to be both annoying and painful. It seems that I have to be in some form of sleep to have this happen, unfortunantly it doesn’t happen when I am FULLY awake. I do take fluticasone nighly for allergies. I was reading the comments above where Flomax seems to create this problem and am wonderign if the two drugs are related. I have been checked by a uroligist and get a clean bill of health. I am going to get off of the fluticasone and see if that helps.
Your comments – I have been looking for help.
todd
ian my name is todd. I am 45 years old and have your same symptoms. You scare me saying eventually this leads to impotency. I was thinking I could just manage with it.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: PRIAPISM (PROLONGED ERECTIONS FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS) CAN COMPROMISE POTENCY. BUT MULTIPLE ERECTIONS THAT LAST SEVERAL MINUTES EACH SHOULD NOT BE CAUSE FOR ALARM. WE URGE MEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS SYMPTOM TO DISCUSS IT WITH THEIR PHYSICIANS.
I.P.
Hi I’m 38 years young and have been woken every singl night for the last two years at least once or mainly twice but sometimes four or five times by a painful erection and you are right there is nothing lucky about it!
I’ve had a cystocopy and urodynamics testing aswell as ultrasound scans because origionaly we thought it was connected to an infection but its not. The research ive done on the internet tells me that “night time recurrent priapsm” is rare and a lot of blokes are too embarrassed to see a doctor so there isn’t too much research into it. Anyway I’m waiting to see an erection specialist at the urology clinic at the hospital so ill keep you posted.
One thing I’ve heard tells me that as a cyclist I could have damaged my superficial dorsal vien (between the scrotum and rectum) and it can be fixed with a stent but it carries a risk of impotency but I’m told that over time these painful erections will lead to impotency anyway because the extra hardness is damaging the blood vessels. A bit of a catch 22.
It would be interesting to hear from some more fellas out there who are going through this or indeed who have been through it and have been sorted out.
cheers and best regards from Ian in Leeds.
Elaine
My partner and I are pretty tired of the comments… “Consider yourselves lucky”. These erections are not enjoyable, and in fact my partner descibes them as very “uncomfortable”.
Abdul
Chicago
Started having night time erections at 36. Very uncomfortable at first, doctors comments
“have more sex”. Eventually I got used to it. Was not pain full then but erection was there every time I woke up. I am 72 now and have been very active sexually. Two years ago I would wake up with excessive pain and a very partial erection. Went to urologist, he suspected prostate infection and put me on 20 day antibiotic course. Tests came out negative but I completed the course, no change. However eventually it went away and 6 months later it started coming back. Strangely there was no pain if the erection was full, but very painful with soft partial erection. Don’t know if pain was causing partial erection or other way around. Another trip to urologist. I discussed priaprism, he did not
think it was that, another course of antibiotics without any help. I have been on and off
antibiotics that has not helped at all. Much more severe now. I wake up with excessive
pain, partial erection, back pain, burning feeling in penis which lingers all day. I do not take any drugs except metformin for borderline type two.
Medscape has done extensive study on one patient with similar problem and have written a paper but have found the reason or cure. According to them only medication
that provides some relief is clozapine. This is like taking poison. So I continue to suffer
and loose desire.
ZANE NEILSEN
I read the above article, concerning waking up 4 or 5 x’s a night with erections, with keen interest. I am 67 yrs old, and I can’t remember when I experienced even having a
erection–it’s been so long!
Good luck to the chap, for he does not realize how lucky
he–as well his wife–is, to experience such a problem.