ALCOHOL AND SEX: Unpacking the Whiskey Penis

Whiskey penis refers to the inability of the penis to erect or sustain an erection after too much alcohol intake. Whiskey penis happens to a lot of men who, unfortunately, perceive it to be a result of an underlying sexual dysfunction. Here is what you need to know about this common problem with heavy drinkers.

The only thing that is worse than having a penis that won’t rise to the occasion is not having a penis at all, at least that is what most men think.

Frustrating as it is, turns out sometimes not getting a hard-on is not as a result of an underlying sexual problem but it is actually caused by having too much alcohol in your system at the time you attempt to have sex. This phenomenon is referred to as whiskey penis.

Alcohol is the perfect catalyst of social situations. It makes you drop your guard and rids you of all inhibitions. It puts you in a happy mood. If you are never one to approach ladies, alcohol will embolden you and give you just the right amount of confidence to hit on the girls or make moves.

The problem only begins when the moves have been made and both you and your partner want to get down to serious business. This is the moment the alcohol bails on you and takes your erection with it, leaving you with a punctured ego and a stunned partner.

While alcohol can definitely put you in the mood to get down and dirty, it is not an aphrodisiac. It is, after all, a depressant. It inhibits a lot of your bodily functions and since the penis is part of the body, it takes the hit too, if not the hardest hit. Alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate, therefore, not enough blood reaches the penis to cause a significant erection.

At the same time, alcohol affects coordination. That is why drunken people stagger, have slurred speech and have no control over some of their functions. The sex function is especially rendered useless after a good night of endless drinking. There is a reason why people are told not to drink and drive and this is not just limited to automobiles.

It’s hard to tell how much alcohol causes whiskey penis as the alcohol thresholds of men vary. Two drinks may be enough to get you wasted, while another guy can have seven and still stand on his feet. The same way; a drink can cause your penis to tap out, while another man might have five and still be able to show a lady a good time in bed.

Most partners, unfortunately, do not quite understand whiskey penis phenomenon. They might mistake your failure to get it up for not just having enough interest in them. They might also feel inadequate for this reason. The next time you are going out drinking and planning a romp for later, for your partner’s sake, find it in your heart (and in your penis) to keep your alcohol intake in check.

Is it just whiskey specifically that causes whiskey penis?

Just because it is referred to as ‘whiskey penis’ does not mean that whiskey is the only drink that causes it. So long as the drink has alcohol in it, it has the potential of knocking the big man down there flat. So vodka, rum, wine, champagne and beer are just as criminal, the quantity matters too, of course. Even alcoholic cocktails, if you have enough of them, can do the job just as efficiently; so do not even think of finding solace in them.

Whiskey penis is not something to worry about if you experience it every once in a long while. It is normal after a night of heavy drinking. What isn’t normal is the frequent occurrence of whiskey penis. This could point to alcoholism, which has more permanent effects on sexual drive and performance. You may want to see your doctor if it occurs frequently.

The effect of alcohol is the same in women as in men, only that men need blood flow into the penis to sustain an erection. Women on the other hand get wet when aroused. The lubrication might substantially reduce after heavy drinking thus making for relatively uncomfortable sex.

What to do if you have whiskey penis

So you and your partner have successfully torn the last piece of clothing off one another’s body and they lie in careless piles but the guy down there would rather die than just get up. What do you then?

Apologise profusely: Many men do it already.  The lines ‘I don’t know what happened today’, ‘This doesn’t always happen’ might sound all too familiar.  Just say sorry and hopefully your partner’s judgement won’t be too clouded by being horny and she will understand.

Don’t force it up: Truth be told, there isn’t much that can be done to right this situation.  Do not resort to trying to get hard immediately.  So long as the alcohol is still in your system, that penis is going nowhere.  No amount of cajoling can cause the alcohol to disappear from your system. As a matter of fact, trying so hard to force it will only make you both even more frustrated and frustration and getting hard do not go hand in hand.

All is not lost: It is just one man down; you have an entire army and a whole arsenal with which to please her. If your lady is not getting laid, at least let her leave satisfied. That is where the mouth and the fingers come in. Get down on your lady and show her a good time. Make good use of clitoral stimulation. Research has found that most women cannot achieve orgasm from penile penetrative sex alone anyway. So, if your intention is to make your lady come, you have all it takes. And who knows, maybe as you pleasure her, the whiskey penis might decide to remember its manners along the way and get hard, and you will just pick from where you left.

Laugh it off: Don’t take it too seriously. Laugh it off with your partner, it never really is that serious and it will fade away once the effects of the alcohol fade. If you can make a joke out of a tricky situation, then you have won. Hopefully your partner has a good sense of humour.

So, how can one prevent whiskey penis?

By separating the whiskey from the penis, of course.  A large quantity of alcohol is the reason whiskey penis comes about. If you want to put an end to such occurrences, you might want to check your alcohol intake. Remember, long-term binge drinking will not just give you whiskey penis, but will ultimately interfere with your libido permanently, and who wants that? Not your wife, certainly. You can also:

Know your limit: As already stated, the thresholds vary from person to person. Just try to establish the amount of alcohol that causes Mr. D to bow out. From there always try not to drink above your limit, not just for the sake of your drive, but for your overall health as well. You might also want to avoid drinking altogether if you have something planned for the night.

Drink wine instead: Alcohol gives you that buzz, makes you feel sexier and drops your inhibitions – but only if taken in reasonable quantities. So if you want that buzz but still want to keep your performance up, go for wine. That way you can have your cake and eat it. Drinks with higher alcoholic limit can be a bane to your performance – just a small amount can knock both your penis and yourself out in no time.

Drink water: This is Alcohol 101. Alcohol dehydrates the body because it is a diuretic. It causes you to pass water more often and as you do so, you lose a substantial amount of body fluids and essential salts. The content of alcohol in the blood thus increases. Water hydrates the body and this not only keeps the hangover in check, but greatly reduces the chances of a whiskey penis too. Drink water before taking alcohol, as you take alcohol and after you are done drinking and want to take care of business, take water too. Also mix your whiskey with water in order to water down the chances of a whiskey penis.