Dry Orgasm and Penis Pain - Understanding Retrograde Ejaculation

Dry Orgasm and Penis Pain - Understanding Retrograde Ejaculation
By John Dugan

Penis pain is something a man wants to avoid; a powerful ejaculation in which semen pours forth from the penis is something most men desire. A man with the condition known as retrograde ejaculation is denied the burst of semen and may suffer from minor member pain. Finding out if a man has retrograde ejaculation is essential both for getting a clear picture of the state of his penis health and for making any future family planning decisions.

What is retrograde ejaculation?

Most men aren't familiar with the phrase retrograde ejaculation, but many have heard of a dry orgasm. Both are synonyms for the same condition in which a man has sex (solo or with a partner), has an orgasm and yet releases little or no semen.

Not every ejaculation in which there is little semen is actually a dry orgasm. For example, if a man ejaculates several times in a limited period of time, his final ejaculations may contain only a small amount of semen. However, if a man consistently produces little ejaculate when releasing, then he may have retrograde ejaculation.

Why does dry orgasm happen?

Understanding this requires a refresher course on the male reproductive system. Sperm are made in the testicles. They travel through the vas deferens tube to the prostate, where they are thrown in with other fluids to create semen. From there, the semen typically goes into the urethra and travels up and out of the penis as a man ejaculates.

Normally, when the semen leave the prostate, a muscle known as the bladder neck muscle tightens up so that the semen doesn't go into the bladder instead. If a man has retrograde ejaculation, this muscle malfunctions; it doesn't close properly, so some or all of the semen enters the bladder instead of the urethra. A man still experiences an orgasm when this occurs, but most or all of the semen has entered the bladder rather than exiting through the urethra. Later, when the man urinates, the semen (mixed in with urine) will exit the body. (This does not produce an orgasm.)

What causes dry orgasm?

There are several things that can cause dry orgasm, including:

1. Diabetes, multiple sclerosis or a spinal cord injury, all of which can bring about nerve damage that weakens the bladder neck muscle.

2. Surgery to the bladder neck muscle or to the prostate.

3. Some medications, especially some that treat high blood pressure, an enlarged prostate or mood disorders.

What are dry orgasm symptoms?

Fortunately, this is a pretty easy one to identify: consistent ejaculations in which there is little or no semen. In addition, a man may find that his urine is cloudy if he urinates soon after ejaculating.

Finally, if a man and his partner are having trouble conceiving, retrograde ejaculation may be to blame.

Although some men experience minor penis pain due to dry orgasm, most do not. The bigger problem is often the effect it has on a man's ability to impregnate a woman.

Solutions

Most men with dry orgasm take no action to correct it (unless it is abnormally painful or is effecting efforts at conception). Those who do wish to correct it generally either must stop taking drugs that may be contributing to the problem or begin taking drugs that can address the issues (such as nerve damage) that are causing it. If the cause of the condition is prior surgery, there may not be a treatment that can improve the situation.