Where did my morning wood go?

November 17, 2008 12:41 PM

I never get morning erections anymore. Why?

Here are some relevant items in my not-too-distant past. 1) I tried Propecia (for hair loss) about 3 years ago which made erections IMPOSSIBLE. 2) I had a damaging relationship with a woman who really fixated on my natural performance anxiety and made it the core issue of why she suddenly broke up with me 3) I have been drinking and smoking more cannabis of late and 4) I have tried what my friend calls "generic cialis" and while that gives me a little better (but not great) "traction" during the day, it doesn't seem to have an affect on the lack of morning stiffies.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (12 comments total)

The morning wood is often caused by a full bladder at night. That erection is keeping you from pissing yourself. . . But if you're not getting it, it could be because of dehydration. Try drinking more water, especially at night after drinking (and while drinking). Good hydration is needed for proper sexual function anyway.
posted by BrandonAbell at 1:04 PM on November 17, 2008

Wait... you WANT the uncomfortable morning erection? I've always found it to be annoying rather than useful. But then again, morning sex is icky. :)

As Brandon said, drink more water at night.
posted by rokusan at 1:05 PM on November 17, 2008

Could be disturbances in your sleep cycle. My understanding is that erections typically are associated with particular phases of sleep; so, if you're depressed/medicated/hungover/stoned and sleeping badly, maybe you are actually still getting them but you're waking after they're gone/before they've arrived.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:17 PM on November 17, 2008

doesn't seem clear whether it's hormonal or not
posted by zentrification at 1:23 PM on November 17, 2008

maybe you are actually still getting them but you're waking after they're gone/before they've arrived.

There are easy ways to check if this is the case on your own, by the way.
posted by jessamyn at 1:54 PM on November 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

I have been drinking more of late

You got Whiskey Dick. Quit drinking and see what happens.
posted by Restless Day at 2:17 PM on November 17, 2008

You should see a doctor because that can sometimes be a sign of general issues with blood vessels/ cardiovascular system. If you smoke tobacco in with the weed, that could be a problem: there's no evidence that marijuana by itself clogs arteries, but if you are smoking multiple joints a day daily, it could be an issue because of all those particles going into lungs.

Aging itself can do this, but I don't think it's usual for it to be sudden. If you are over 45 or so, it's probably a good idea to have blood pressure, cholesterol all that stuff checked anyway.
posted by Maias at 2:17 PM on November 17, 2008

Drinking more water or a nonalcohol sub is a habit that works with me. I am over 50 and still get the wood!
posted by Upon Further Review at 2:45 PM on November 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Everything on your list is affecting your sexual performance in some way. If you have a number of variables in an equation, you're going to have a different response.

You sound mentally and physically unhealthy at the moment and it might be time to see a doctor about fixing that. The really wonderful thing about your penis is that it responds to you taking care of the rest of your body and your mind.

So yeah, take care of yourself, man, and your wood will come back.
posted by scabrous at 3:11 PM on November 17, 2008

Why? You're growing old. It happens less and less often when you get older.
posted by Class Goat at 4:20 PM on November 17, 2008

Low testosterone levels, perhaps? I've noticed I get a.m. erections every morning following a workout.
posted by HotPatatta at 6:40 PM on November 17, 2008

See your doctor. Get some basic testing (testosterone and B12 levels, blood sugar, thyroid, etc.)

Maintain normal blood pressure. Healthy erections depend on good blood flow. Hypertension and tobacco will annihilate hard-ons for eternity after a certain point. Consider donating the pot to your local PTA.

Good chance your fixation on wood is assuring your failure. The sympathetic/fight-or-flight system is a guaranteed erection killer. The surest way to ensure failure is to worry about success.

If everything check out with the doc, consider some real Cialis and not whatever bathtub shit you're wasting money for online. Cialis and its ilk work well. A couple good erections will start to reassure you that nothing's physically wrong. Morning erections aren't an indication of anything useful or in place of a decent exam.



I had a damaging relationship with a woman who really fixated on my natural performance anxiety and made it the core issue of why she suddenly broke up with me

Consider yourself lucky that she is currently making someone else impotent.
posted by docpops at 7:02 PM on November 17, 2008 [1 favorite]