Overview

Things you can try yourself to reduce a painful erection

• try to go for a pee
• have a warm bath or shower
• drink lots of water
• go for a gentle walk
• try exercises, such as squats or running on the spot
• take painkillers like paracetamol if you need to

Don't:

• do not apply ice packs or cold water to your penis - this can make things worse
• do not have sex or masturbate - it will not make your erection go away
• do not drink alcohol
• do not smoke

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• you have an erection that lasts more than 2 hours

An erection that lasts this long needs to be treated in hospital as soon as possible to help avoid permanent damage to the penis.

Find your nearest A&E

Hospital treatment for priapism

Treatments to help reduce your erection include:

• tablets or injections directly into your penis
• using a needle to drain blood from your penis, done while the area is numbed under local anaesthetic
• surgery to drain the blood through a tiny cut, done while you're asleep under general anaesthetic

Causes of priapism

Priapism most commonly affects people with sickle cell disease.

Less common causes include:

• blood-thinning medicines, like warfarin
• some antidepressants
• drugs like cannabis and cocaine
• some medicines for high blood pressure
• other blood disorders, like thalassaemia and leukaemia
• some treatments for erectile dysfunction