Moderation Is Key: Recovering From Excessive Vibrator Use

Masturbation with a vibrator may not destroy your nerves and tissues, but overuse could do just as much damage to your ability to orgasm without it.

Case #: 537

Concern:

I am a 29-years-old female who remains in decent shape and health. However, I have noticed myself unable to orgasm during sex. When I masturbate with a dildo, I feel my vagina gripping the dildo several times, but no orgasm. Last time I masturbated and felt the gripping, I felt as if I were going to orgasm, but it didn’t happen. What’s wrong with me?

Discussion:

Sex is a holistic mind and body experience, and both must be fully functional and engaged for an orgasm to occur. Insufficient stimulation, either mental or physical, can result in anorgasmia, which is the clinical term for the inability to orgasm or difficulty reaching an orgasm when fully aroused. Sometimes the old techniques just aren't working anymore, and a new kind of stimulation will work better. Sometimes, it's because they've been working too frequently, as is the case with orgasm difficulty from too much sexual activity, or from frequent use of a vibrator.

What is Anorgasmia?

Women vary widely in the amounts of time and stimulation that they require to orgasm.

Because of this variance, anorgasmia is a common problem among women-- in fact, only about 30 percent of women have consistent orgasms with each sexual encounter. As for the rest, as many as 50 percent of women aren't happy with the frequency or quality of their orgasms. 10 and 15 percent of women, meanwhile, have never had an orgasm in their lives.

Can a Vibrator Cause Anorgasmia?

Excessive masturbation is one of the possible contributors to anorgasmia. Masturbating is a natural, healthy activity, but it's always possible to have too much of a good thing. And while no evidence exists that vibrations cause permanent nerve or tissue damage, it is possible to become too accustomed to the sensation you get from a vibrator. If your body learns to depend on a vibrator, nothing a partner can do for you, and nothing you can do for yourself, is is going to feel the same.

Other possible causes for anorgasmia include some types of prescription medication, such as antidepressants, hormonal birth control and certain types of painkillers.

Also affected by hormonal changes that accompany menopause

How to Orgasm With a Partner Again:

If you've become too accustomed to the consistent, powerful stimulation of a vibrator, it may take some time to learn how to orgasm from other types of stimulation again.

You may benefit from limiting the masturbation (even without a vibrator) sessions as much as possible, so that your body has more time to charge up for a satisfying session of lovemaking with a partner.

Certain medicinal herb blends are also available that can help increase the frequency of your orgasms. Cistanche, Dong Quai and Maca help stimulate blood flow to the sex organs, which increases stimulation and feelings or arousal during sex. Mexican Wild Yam and other botanicals mitigate hormonal influences on an orgasm.