Several options can help you last longer in bed, ranging from simple behavioral techniques you can try tonight to prescription medications that roughly triple the time before ejaculation. The right approach depends on where you’re starting. A multinational study measuring duration across five countries found the median was 5.4 minutes, with a range from under a minute to over 44 minutes. Men with lifelong premature ejaculation typically finish in under a minute, and 80% within 30 seconds. If you’re consistently finishing faster than you’d like, there are evidence-backed ways to change that.
Behavioral Techniques You Can Start Now
Two classic techniques have decades of clinical data behind them: the stop-start method and the squeeze method. Both work by training you to recognize the sensation just before the “point of no return” and pulling back from it. With the stop-start method, you or your partner stimulate until you feel close, then pause all stimulation until the urgency drops, then resume. The squeeze method adds a firm press on the head of the penis during that pause, which reduces arousal more quickly.
These aren’t just folk wisdom. A clinical study combining these techniques with education on breathing, body movement, and muscular tension found an eightfold increase in duration compared to a control group. Separate research by Masters and Johnson reported failure rates of only 2.2% immediately after therapy and 2.7% at a five-year follow-up, meaning the vast majority of men who learned these techniques kept the benefit long-term. The catch is that they require practice and patience, often over several weeks, and they work best when a partner is involved and on board.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Kegel exercises aren’t just for women. The same muscles that stop your urine midstream also play a role in ejaculatory control, and strengthening them gives you more ability to delay the reflex. The Mayo Clinic recommends squeezing these muscles for three seconds, relaxing for three seconds, and repeating. Aim for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions per day. You can do them sitting at your desk, driving, or lying in bed. Results aren’t instant; most men need several weeks of consistent practice before noticing a difference.
Numbing Sprays and Topical Products
Over-the-counter sprays and creams containing local anesthetics reduce sensitivity on the penis, which directly delays ejaculation. These are some of the most accessible options since they don’t require a prescription in most countries.
A pilot study of an anesthetic spray applied 15 minutes before sex found that average duration jumped from 1 minute 24 seconds to 11 minutes 21 seconds, an eightfold increase. A larger placebo-controlled trial using a combination anesthetic spray showed duration increasing from 1 minute to nearly 5 minutes. You apply the spray 5 to 15 minutes before sex and, depending on the product, may want to wipe it off or use a condom to avoid transferring numbness to your partner. The main downsides are reduced pleasure for you and the need to plan ahead slightly.
Prescription Medications
If behavioral methods and sprays aren’t enough, several prescription drugs can significantly extend duration. These fall into two main categories.
SSRIs
Delayed ejaculation is a well-known side effect of antidepressants that boost serotonin levels, and doctors have turned that side effect into a treatment. Paroxetine is considered the most effective for this purpose and can be taken daily or a few hours before sex. Sertraline and fluoxetine are also used. These are off-label uses in most countries, meaning the drugs are approved for depression but prescribed specifically for their ejaculation-delaying effect.
Daily dosing generally produces stronger results than taking a pill before sex, but it also means living with potential side effects like reduced libido, drowsiness, or nausea. Some men take them only on days they anticipate sex, typically 3 to 8 hours beforehand, which reduces side effects but also reduces effectiveness somewhat.
Dapoxetine
Dapoxetine is the only SSRI specifically designed and approved (in many countries outside the U.S.) for premature ejaculation. It’s taken on demand, 1 to 3 hours before sex, and leaves the body quickly. In pooled clinical trials of over 1,600 men, the 30 mg dose increased average duration from 0.9 minutes to 3.1 minutes at 12 weeks. The 60 mg dose pushed it to 3.6 minutes. The difference between the two doses was only about half a minute on average, which is why guidelines recommend starting at the lower dose. Side effects include nausea, headache, and dizziness.
Do Erection Medications Help?
Drugs like sildenafil and tadalafil are designed for erectile dysfunction, not premature ejaculation, and the evidence that they directly delay ejaculation is weak. One researcher noted that sildenafil alone “did not affect the ejaculatory mechanism” in a controlled study. The indirect benefit is that better erection quality can reduce performance anxiety, and anxiety is a major contributor to finishing quickly. If you’re losing your erection and rushing because of it, these medications may help you feel less pressured. But if your erections are fine and you’re simply finishing too fast, erection medications alone are unlikely to solve the problem.
Supplements and Minerals
You’ll find countless supplements marketed for “male sexual performance,” but the evidence connecting any vitamin or mineral to ejaculatory control specifically is thin. Zinc deficiency is linked to lower testosterone levels, and a 2018 review confirmed that supplementing zinc can improve testosterone and sexual function in men who are actually deficient. But low testosterone is more associated with reduced desire and erection problems than with finishing too quickly. If your diet is already adequate in zinc (from meat, shellfish, nuts, or legumes), extra supplementation is unlikely to change how long you last.
Magnesium, ashwagandha, and other popular supplements lack rigorous clinical evidence for delaying ejaculation. They may support general health or reduce stress, but expecting them to add minutes in bed isn’t supported by current research.
What to Avoid
Tramadol, a pain medication, does delay ejaculation by about 3 minutes on average compared to placebo. However, it carries real risks that make it a poor choice for this purpose. It’s an opioid-like drug with documented abuse and dependence problems in multiple regions worldwide. Side effects are significantly more common than with other options, and men using it for premature ejaculation are particularly vulnerable to developing other sexual problems. Medical guidelines do not recommend it as a first-line or even second-line treatment.
Alcohol is the other common “remedy” people reach for. While it does dull sensation and may delay ejaculation slightly, it also impairs erections, reduces arousal, and makes sex worse overall. It’s not a reliable or healthy strategy.
Combining Approaches
Most sexual health specialists recommend layering methods rather than relying on one alone. A realistic starting plan might look like this: begin practicing pelvic floor exercises daily, use the stop-start technique during sex, and add a numbing spray for occasions where you want extra insurance. If those steps aren’t enough after a few weeks, a conversation with a doctor about dapoxetine or an SSRI is reasonable. The behavioral techniques build long-term control that stays with you even if you eventually stop using medication, which is why they’re worth the effort even if you also choose a pharmaceutical option.