Loss of sensation

Hi guys,

I tried to post this in the Injury section but the site wouldn’t let me post there, only giving me a few areas as options. If a moderator could move it for me I’d be grateful.

Here’s the basic info before I mention my issue:

Age: 50
Health: generally healthy and weight train 4 times a week
Weight: normal for someone who weight trains
I vape
No recreational drugs
I am on low weekly dose of testosterone and HCG
No other meds or supplements
I eat a generally healthy diet
I do sometimes suffer from anxiety, stress and fatigue
I’m typically an anxious person, tend to worry easily

I am not new to PE, having done it on and off over the years, usually jelqing only.

I recently started again, super basic and gentle jelqing routine with a few gentle manual stretches beforehand. The stretches were done flaccid, the jelqs at no more than 50/60% erection level. Have been doing this routine, again to be cautious, 3 to 4 times a week only. I started with 50 jelqs week 1, 60 week 2, 80 the past week, always stopping to check and see how I feel, and to ensure that erection level isn’t too high.

A couple of days ago, after 4 days of no PE, I tried a stretch and release type stretch I’ve never done before (as opposed to stretch and hold the stretch), again I was very cautious and gentle but at one point I felt a small flash of mild pain. There was no residual pain afterwards so I continued with the gentle jelqs, variety of overhand and ok grip, always careful not to go all the way to the glans.

That evening I masturbated and everything was fine (erection, ejaculation). When I woke up yesterday, I had morning wood as normal. However yesterday I wanted to masturbate and wasn’t getting much feeling from touching my penis, the manual stimulation wasn’t resulting in any physical pleasure. This of course made me panic so after that there was no hope of getting any erection so I gave up.

This morning I did wake up with morning wood and felt reassured. I devised my own sensitivity test, running the corner of a piece of paper along my penis and fortunately there is sensitivity around the glans and the frenulum, but along the shaft, while it isn’t totally numb, there are areas on the right of the shaft which feel a lot less sensitive. I tried to stimulate myself to erection but again, as I was in a slightly panicked state, it didn’t work so rather than freak out more, I stopped.

I’ve read various posts on here with other guys having the same issue at some point, and much of the feedback was saying to lay off the PE (which I have) and that with time sensitivity would come back. I was sure I was being so gentle but clearly something must have happened with a nerve.

Trying not to freak out but I have a tendency to panic, I’m just worried this won’t get better.

There is no pain, no bruising, appearance of penis is normal - as I said, even had morning wood this morning, twice. Hoping that’s a good sign? I haven’t tried to have sex yet as I’m already worried about that would go, my gut feeling is to not attempt it until there is some improvement in the sensation.

I have read this thread and it is reassuring: Nerve Damage, Numbness

Just wondering if anyone has any further thoughts.

Should I use vitamin E oil and take Ginkgo as I’ve read in some posts? Do you think this could be permanent?

Any feedback hugely appreciated.

Thank you.

I think the biggest issue here is panic. I’ve suffered with panic attacks years ago until I found the medication and then the right treatment and I’m now panic free. The medicine I take is at a dose considered not useful or prescription strength. But that’s after trial and error and unfortunately self medicating then eventually treatment that has worked. I’ve learned coping mechanisms and also meditation can be a huge help.

The other thing I will say is the obvious take time off and stop jerking off. There no need to keep going back to the well if it’s dry. Keep in mind besides rest panic can cause numbness especially in extremities.

Thanks kingscounty, I went to the doctor today and he said exactly the same thing, that even anxiety alters sensations in the body. I told him exactly what I had done and after examining me he said it is only a very low level strain and not to worry. Yes, stopping all that for sure.

What sort of treatment is it that worked for you?

One thing I’d submit as a consideration is…have you ever tested your sensitivity so closely before, as with the paper? There are areas of my shaft that feel “numb” by comparison to other parts. In fact most of my sensation is at the ridge. It may be that you’ve never really noticed that it’s like that and you’re just now realizing it under close inspection.

I’ve gone through therapy for two different things with two different therapists that deal in those two specific areas. That in combination with the right meds have made a world of difference. I also went to a hypnotist recently and she taught me some things unfortunately I wasn’t able to go into a full trance like state. But it did also help and added tools to my tool box.

For reasons like this, I urge everyone on these forums to do a base-line sensitivity test before starting PE and then record the results. I had a similar problem to the one mentioned by the OP. After injuring (?) myself, I tested with a toothpick. But I was going crazy, because I didn’t have a base-line to start with. Did I have glans sensitivity before the supposed injury? All over? Or just in some places? I would have helped me immensely if I knew what I was comparing to.

If you can get an erection and all that you’re fine. This is probably in your head

Sorry but I disagree. He said there was a,”quick flash of pain” and that feeling of a sharp or stabbing pain is almost certainly an injury or some type, in this case probably to the skin or skin nerves.

I’ve had skin damage pains many times, from overstretch injury of the skin. And the after effect can be a loss of sensation in that skin area. Generally it will resolve itself in time, but of course it is always a good idea to see a doctor if you have had a sharp pain caused by applying force to the penis.

Thanks for that Lilhelp, no I never have so perhaps it’s not as useful as I’ve been thinking. The sensation for me is still there around the ridge and on the frenulum which is what matters most. I think my concern at the moment is that if I touch myself I get no pleasure response/erection, but I do accept it’s also because I’m doing it out of concern and not out of pleasure so it’s proving to be self defeating. I have continued to get morning erections every day this week though so I think once I get past this in my head, it will be fine. It’s just gotten into my head and I acknowledge the fear is as big a component of this as the mild strain. I know others on here have recovered from far worse than this but as this has never happened to me before, it has scared me. In any case, laying off PE for a while and no masturbation for at least a couple of weeks.

Thanks RomeoPlus. Would you share how long it took you to recover and the extent of your injuries? I did see the doctor and explained it all in full detail, he also tested sensation and said that it’s at worst a low strain and that it would resolve in time.

Good advice Don, thank you. Would you share about your injuries and recovery time?

Very good advice being given by everyone here!
There are some very common things that people convince themselves result from an injury, but which are totally normal and have just never registered before for most people.

One is that the glans (head) of the penis only gets firm at very high erection levels, often only when close to orgasm. A soft/not full glans at any other time is normal.

Sensitivity is another. Most guys think their penis, especially the shaft, is vastly more sensitive than it really is. It’s a good job it isn’t as sensitive as people try to convince themselves it was ‘before their injury’ or we’d all be walking around with erections all day and cumming in our pants from friction against our clothes 😳

Anxiety is probably the biggest one of all - I often hear “I’m terrified I’ve done permanent damage; I can’t get an erection”. Getting an erection when you are anxious is just not going to happen. No one gets random boners during a physics exam or a driving test. Many guys get ‘performance anxiety’ and can’t get it up because they’re nervous with a hot new woman - that’s how powerful an erection killer anxiety is!

Really everyone should take an ‘inventory’ of their penis before ever starting PE but still realise it’s not set in stone: sensitivity, erectility etc. will vary and hard PE sessions will or can affect them for hours or days afterward.

Thank you firegoat everything you say totally makes sense! I think my anxiety is a big culprit at the moment, and clearly if I’m only going to touch it ‘to see if it’s working’ that’s under the influence of anxiety. I’m working on relaxing and calming down about it, I’m less freaked than a couple of days ago. The anxiety has hung around so until I move out of that, I’m also going to stop obsessing about things like ‘damage’ and other dramatic words like that.

I’ve read dozens of posts over the past few days of guys with very serious hanging and clamping injuries and nearly every one of them recovered. Sorry if it seems I should have done that before posting this, however those same stories freaked me out a couple of days ago, I couldn’t read them to the end to see how they turned out. Have only been able to do that after posting my own issue.

Really appreciate all the feedback.

Bman7 take a deep breath this too shall pass. Take some time and get your panic issues under control or the panic will control you. Your not going to get very hard if at all while in panic mode. Breath and tell yourself, your come and in control.

Thank you kingscounty you’re right. I am trying my best to keep calm. The reassurance I have are the morning erections I’ve had every day since this happened so at least I know there’s no loss of function.