11 Home Remedies for Premature Ejaculation

There’s no shortage of alleged men’s health experts on the internet claiming to have the best way to last longer in bed home remedies — if you just take their advice, which usually includes buying an e-book called “How I Cured My Premature Ejaculation.” 

Unfortunately, there are only a few treatments for premature ejaculation (PE) that clinical studies have proven effective, like medications and topical treatments. However, so-called natural remedies for premature ejaculation — such as pelvic floor exercises, topical numbing agents or masturbating prior to sex  — could help some people.

Want to give home remedies a try? Below, we’ve listed the 11 home remedies that scientific evidence suggests could slow down ejaculation, improve your sexual function and help you have more satisfying, enjoyable sex with your partner.

If you’ve been exploring your search results for “how to last longer in bed home remedies” and “ways to last longer in bed home remedies,” you’ve probably seen some fairly unconventional and pseudo-scientific wellness recommendations. Luckily, you can ditch those options, as there are several evidence-based treatments for premature ejaculation available, including:

• Zinc supplements

• Magnesium supplements

• Pelvic floor exercises

• The “stop-start” strategy

• The “squeeze” technique

• Masturbating before sex

• Chinese herbal medications

• Extended pleasure condoms

• Topical numbing sprays, creams and gels

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

• Behavioral therapy

Let’s look at each of these and their scientific backing in more detail.

1. Zinc Supplements

One supplement that’s often recommended as a natural treatment for premature ejaculation is zinc. Zinc is associated with numerous health benefits in men, including stimulating production of testosterone in men with hypogonadism. 

In fact, in a study published in the journal Nutrition, researchers observed an increase in serum testosterone levels when men used a zinc supplement. 

However, despite zinc’s potential benefits, there isn’t yet any high-quality research to suggest that zinc supplementation delays ejaculation in men with PE. Still, zinc is one of the most effective and important minerals for men, and it has numerous potential benefits for the body.

2. Magnesium Supplements

Another mineral that’s been linked to premature ejaculation is magnesium. Some research has found that magnesium deficiency may affect your sexual health, possibly contributing to premature ejaculation.

In a 2001 study, researchers compared the magnesium content in the sperm of normal, healthy men with the sperm of men affected by premature ejaculation. They found that the men with premature ejaculation had lower levels of magnesium. This led researchers to theorize that low magnesium levels could cause vasoconstriction (the narrowing of the blood vessels, reducing blood flow) and decreasing nitric oxide levels in the penis, which may contribute to reduced sexual function.

Scientific research hasn’t definitively linked ejaculation problems with taking magnesium supplements or eating magnesium-rich foods (think green leafy vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds and some types of fish such as salmon). At any rate, magnesium-rich options are unlikely to be foods that cause PE. If you think you may have a deficiency though, it is worth going to a healthcare provider for medical advice.

3. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises, or kegel exercises, are simple exercises that you can do at home to strengthen the muscles located between your pubic bone and tailbone. These muscles support your ability to control urination and bowel movements, and they also appear to assist with control over ejaculation and healthy erections.

By strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, you may be able to improve your sexual health and reduce the severity of premature ejaculation. Even if they’re not exactly fun to do, they’re arguably an easier path towards solving PE than other treatment options like premature ejaculation surgery, for instance, 

In fact, one study published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Urology found that men with lifelong premature ejaculation achieved a longer intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT, or time to ejaculation) after six months of pelvic floor rehabilitation exercises.

Another study published in the journal BJU International found that 40 percent of men aged 20 and older with erectile dysfunction showed improvements in erectile function after three months of pelvic floor training.

You can train your pelvic floor muscles at home in just a few minutes a day to achieve better control. Our full guide to pelvic floor exercises for men goes into more detail about the benefits of pelvic floor training, as well as the techniques you can use to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. 

4. The “Stop-Start” Strategy

Another premature ejaculation exercise to try is the stop-start strategy. It involves stopping any movement when you feel orgasm approaching, and then starting to move again once you feel confident you aren’t about to ejaculate.

Performed right, the stop-start strategy can help you last longer in bed without using medication to delay orgasm. However, getting the timing right can be challenging.

But if you can manage to maintain control, there are benefits. Although research is limited in scope and quality, science tends to back up the effectiveness of the stop-start strategy as a method for treating PE, at least in the short term. 

In one article published in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Urology, researchers noted that 45 to 65 percent of men who use the stop-start strategy reported improvements in the short term, although only 25 percent of men still showed improvements after three years.

5. The “Squeeze” Technique

Another option for treating premature ejaculation by yourself is the squeeze technique. The squeeze technique is exactly what it sounds like — during sex, as you begin to feel orgasm and ejaculation approaching, gently squeeze at the head of the penis to reduce sensation and give yourself some time (roughly 30 seconds to a minute) to feel less aroused.

Like the stop-start technique, the squeeze technique can be used as many times as you’d like during sex, letting you delay ejaculation for a fairly long period of time by decreasing penis sensitivity. Like the stop-start strategy, there’s not a lot of long-term scientific data on the squeeze technique’s effectiveness.

However, it’s been a widely recommended technique since the 1950s and an anecdotal favorite for men affected by PE. It’s also an easy technique that you can use at home to last longer during sex.

6. Masturbating Before Sex

Another simple, do-it-yourself technique for preventing premature ejaculation and lasting longer in bed is to masturbate before you plan to have sex. Like foreplay, masturbation can become a healthy part of your sex life if used to moderate the quick finish associated with types of sexual dysfunction like performance anxiety.

Although there’s no high-quality research to support the benefits of masturbating prior to sex for increasing ejaculation time, many guys claim that it’s effective. 

The theory behind this technique is that masturbating causes you to enter your refractory period — a post-ejaculation period when you’ll find it more difficult (or, in some cases, impossible) to reach orgasm again until you’re able to recover.

Timing is important with this technique. While waiting an hour might make having sex easier, it’s important to give your body enough time to recover in order to avoid sexual performance issues, such as erectile dysfunction (ED). 

It’s also important to keep in mind that you may feel less interested in having sex for a few hours after you masturbate. 

7. Chinese Herbal Medicine

If you’ve googled, ‘how to last longer in bed naturally home remedies,’ you may have come across Chinese traditional remedies for premature ejaculation. In Chinese medicine, PE is thought to be related to spleen, kidney and blood issues. As such, many of the treatments aim to strengthen the kidneys and spleen, promote blood circulation and target other perceived root causes of premature ejaculation.

Although some ingredients used in Chinese traditional medicine might improve blood circulation throughout the body, there’s currently no high-quality scientific evidence to suggest that Chinese herbal medicine increases sexual stamina or treats PE.

8. Extended Pleasure Condoms

Extended pleasure condoms, or numbing condoms, contain topical anesthetics that numb your penis when worn. During sex, this means you’ll feel a slightly less intense sensation, helping you avoid accidentally orgasming too early.

While there’s no direct scientific proof that these condoms can treat premature ejaculation, there is evidence that benzocaine — the active ingredient in most extended pleasure condoms — helps men last longer before ejaculating.

In a 2017 study, men with an average intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of two minutes or less experienced an average increase of 231.5 seconds (almost four minutes) after using 4% topical benzocaine wipes for two months.

It’s also possible to delay ejaculation by using a thicker condom, which can lower sensation and help you avoid reaching orgasm too early. 

9. Lidocaine Sprays, Creams and Wipes

Condoms aren’t the only vehicle for a numbing agent. One of the most effective ways to treat premature ejaculation is to apply an over-the-counter anesthetic to your penis before sex. 

Lidocaine, which reduces sensitivity in your penis and gives you more control over orgasm and ejaculation, is available as a topical spray, such as in our over-the-counter Delay Spray for Men. Another option you may see is benzocaine, the active ingredient in our easy-to-use Clockstopper Climax Delay Wipes.

By applying lidocaine around 15 minutes before sex, you can reduce sensitivity in your penis without causing too much numbing. This will let you enjoy the pleasurable side of sex without any need to worry about ejaculating too early.

Our guide to lidocaine spray for premature ejaculation goes into more detail about how these anesthetic products work, as well as how you can use them for additional sexual stamina and extra control over ejaculation. You can also weigh whether a lidocaine cream vs. spray for PE is better for you. 

10. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are prescription medications that are typically used to treat depression and anxiety. Some SSRIs are also used off-label to treat other medical conditions, including premature ejaculation.

Currently, two SSRIs are often prescribed as premature ejaculation pills: sertraline (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil). These medications can help to delay orgasm, giving you more control over your sensation level and ejaculatory reflex in bed.

We offer sertraline and paroxetine online as off-label treatments for PE, following a consultation with a licensed healthcare professional who will determine if a prescription is appropriate.

Other medications are also sometimes prescribed off-label for PE as well, such as sildenafil, which is technically a blood pressure medication.

11. Behavioral Therapy

Surprised to see behavioral listed as an option for treatment for premature ejaculation home remedies? Well technically, meeting with a sex therapist or other mental health provider can be a home activity thanks to telehealth. 

Behavioral therapy can help to treat the psychological causes of early ejaculation, like poor self-image and performance anxiety. 

Another option you might explore is couples therapy, which can address mismatched sex drive between partners, alongside other issues that may affect sexual intercourse and the sexual experience between partners. You can also talk through how to deal with PE in your relationship.

Premature ejaculation can be frustrating and stressful, both for you and your sexual partner. It can affect everything from your sexual self-confidence to your relationship as a whole. Luckily, it’s a treatable condition, so life-long premature ejaculation doesn’t have to be the reality you resort to. 

While many home remedies offer mild benefits for premature ejaculation, the science is largely inconclusive when it comes to their actual effectiveness. With that in mind, here’s a recap on possible options if it’s how to last longer during sex home remedies you’re after:

• Natural treatments like healthy eating, dietary supplements and techniques that you can perform during sexual activity may help you to slow down orgasm and ejaculation, especially if you have mild or moderate PE.

• Exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, as well as simple techniques like the squeeze technique that you can perform during sex to reduce sensation and delay ejaculation, can help many men. 

• If you have premature ejaculation that’s more severe or persistent, you’ll likely benefit from using an over-the-counter or prescription treatment.

• Antidepressants such as paroxetine (the active ingredient in Paxil®) and sertraline (Zoloft®) actually make climax more difficult as a side effect. However, these options will take time and a prescription to help.

• Topicals like Hims’ lidocaine-based Delay Spray for Men work by reducing the sensitivity level of your penis and helping you avoid reaching orgasm too quickly.

We offer a range of premature ejaculation treatments online, including evidence-based products, such as sprays, wipes and prescription medications. 

You can also learn more about treating premature ejaculation and improving your sexual health in our full guide to stopping premature ejaculation for good.