Did you know that prescription medications, drug-abuse and addiction can cause everything from temporary penis failure to long-term impotence?  Some drugs create the illusion of enhanced sexuality because they seem to take the edge off, calm you down, lower inhibitions, and produce a heightened sensitivity—but that’s all it is, an illusion.

To paraphrase one of Shakespeare’s wisest observations: Drugs might add to desire, but they just as equally take away from performance.

Alcohol, Sex and Erections


“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” We all know the routine. You have a few drinks, and everything from your tongue to your toes loosens up.  Wallflowers start to dance, the tongue-tied become candid and verbose, and the sexually repressed become Lotharios.

If the object of your attention has also been drinking, suddenly anything and everything becomes possible. For those reasons, alcohol has become as much a part of lovemaking for some people as soft lights. There is nothing dangerous about moderate, judicious drinking. If the moderate consumption of alcohol reduces anxiety, slows you down, and delays ejaculation a bit, then alcohol can be a boon to Penis Power.

Unfortunately, alcohol can also be the greatest enemy of your penis. If you overdo it, your penis will poop out when it ought to pop out.

More significant to our discussion are the effects of alcohol abuse. Overdoing it with alcohol or illicit substances makes it more difficult to become aroused. Overindulgence delays ejaculation, reduces the pleasure and intensity of orgasms, and greatly diminishes penis rigidity (firmness of erection).

In my practice, nearly 50 percent of the chronic alcoholics I have counseled experience either total or partial impotence. The short-term effects appear to be based on alcohol’s sedative action on the central nervous system. The long-term or chronic effects include severe nerve damage of the kind that can diminish penis sensitivity and permanently impair the ability to get an erection.

Marijuana: Can it Enhance Male Potency?


Many patients have told me that marijuana enhances their Penis Power™. Some studies have indicated that marijuana can, in fact, slow the ejaculatory process. In other words, an erection can be maintained for a longer period of time before orgasm.  For a younger man who might be quick on the trigger, this can be perceived as “enhanced” potency because marijuana might lower inhibitory mechanisms, reduce anxiety, and heighten erotic sensations.

I must recommend extreme caution about jumping to the conclusion that marijuana is an aphrodisiac or an aid to Penis Power™. Since marijuana is a mind-altering substance, its effect on sexuality is most likely illusory.

Research shows that the negative effects of marijuana are similar to those of alcohol. Therefore I suspect that, like alcohol, it would be hostile to Penis Power in the long run. There is good evidence that long-term marijuana smoking weakens overall fitness and reduces energy and motivation. Such effects would not bode well for a superpotent man.

Cocaine Can Lead to Long-Term Erection Failure


In addition to alcohol and marijuana, cocaine can be detrimental to Penis Power™. When Cole Porter wrote “I get no kick from cocaine,” he might not have been thinking about sex.  But the message applies: where the penis is concerned, cocaine is certainly no kick. In the short term, cocaine has an excitatory effect on the nervous system. It can stimulate arousal and make every sensory experience seem more intense. In the long run, though, cocaine will turn a superpotent man into a super-wimp.

Pharmacologically, cocaine decreases the reuptake of the neurotransmitter catecholamine. This chemical is essential for the adequate completion of the erection process. Failure to get and maintain erections is a common complaint from cocaine abusers. No man who aspires to Penis Power should go anywhere near this drug.

Amphetamines, Pain Killers, Cigarettes and Other Drugs


As for other illicit drugs such as amphetamines or ecstasy, no superpotent man should ever use them.

Regarding amphetamines, let me remind you of the 1960’s poster: “Speed kills!”  It certainly kills libido, ejaculatory function, and erections. Its long-term sexual impact is devastating.

This is also true for drugs in the narcotic family such as heroin, codeine, Demerol, and pain killers (i.e., Vicodin, Valium, Oxycotin, etc.). Users of these drugs experience a drastic reduction in libido, as well as chronic difficulty with erections. Unquestionably, these recreational drugs produce the antithesis of Penis Power—penis failure.

One more drug must be mentioned, especially since it has long been associated with mating rituals—nicotine. As if there were not enough reasons to stop smoking, or never start, consider this: smoking has been linked to penis weakness.

Several studies have demonstrated that cigarette smoking is more prevalent among impotent men. In another study, animals exposed to tobacco smoke or intravenous nicotine were unable to produce or maintain erections.

There is a simple scientific reason for this. Nicotine constricts blood vessels. When you smoke, the supply of arterial blood to the penis is reduced, making it more difficult to get a firm erection. Simply put, smoking is as bad for your penis as it is for your lungs. If you want to be a man of Penis Power, just say no to drugs and nicotine.

Dudley S. Danoff, MD, FACS is the attending urologic surgeon and founder/president of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of Penis Power: The Ultimate Guide To Male Sexual Health (Del Monaco Press, 2011) and Superpotency (Warner Books).

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