Priapism Painful Erections

Priapism is a long-lasting painful erection. It can cause permanent damage to your penis if not treated quickly.

Things you can try yourself to reduce a painful erection

There are things you can try to reduce your erection.

Do

try to go for a pee
have a warm bath or shower
drink lots of water
go for a gentle walk
try exercises, such as squats or running on the spot
take painkillers like paracetamol if you need to

Don't

do not apply ice packs or cold water to your penis - this can make things worse, particularly if you have sickle cell disease
do not have sex or masturbate - it will not make your erection go away
do not drink alcohol
do not smoke

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

you have an erection that lasts more than 3 to 4 hours
you have sickle cell disease and a painful erection that lasts for more than 1 hour

An erection that lasts this long needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage to the penis.

Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Hospital treatment for priapism

Treatments to help reduce your erection include:

using a needle to drain blood from your penis, which is done while the area is numbed under local anaesthetic
tablets or injections directly into your penis
surgery to drain the blood through a tiny cut, done while you're asleep under general anaesthetic

Causes of priapism

Priapism often affects people with sickle cell disease.

Other causes include:

blood-thinning medicines, like warfarin
some antidepressants
drugs, like cannabis and cocaine
some medicines for high blood pressure
other blood disorders, like thalassaemia and leukaemia
some treatments for erectile dysfunction

Sexual Health Advice

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