Lost penis syndrome is a weakness of the female pelvic floor muscles. During intercourse, it feels as if the partner’s penis is not in the vagina. The main treatment is pelvic floor training.
What is Lost Penis Syndrome?
According to Lawfaqs, Lost Penis Syndrome sounds like every man’s nightmare. In fact, the syndrome affects men less than women. Women with lost penis syndrome suffer from permanent enlargement of the vagina. During sexual intercourse, they have the feeling that they can’t feel their partner’s penis at all, or at least not all the time.
The sexual partner also has the impression during intercourse that he actually “does not have a penis”. This impression is created on both sides due to the lack of contact that the member has with the vaginal wall during sex. The term “lost penis syndrome” is rarely used in medical parlance and in the associated specialist literature.
The term is used much more frequently on the Internet, especially in discussions in forums or on social networks. In the case of the same phenomenon, medicine tends to speak of a pathologically or pathologically enlarged vaginal wall, a pelvic floor disorder or a descent of the pelvic floor.
In fact, in most cases, lost penis syndrome is associated with pathological changes in the female pelvic floor. The pelvic floor is the muscular connective tissue floor of the pelvic cavity and is mainly formed by the levator ani muscle. The female vagina lies within the pelvic axis where it crosses the pelvic floor.
Causes
Lost penis syndrome can be congenital or acquired. The acquired form often sets in immediately after childbirth. With the birth of a child, the new mother goes through a lot of stress, which is accompanied by overstretching of the vaginal muscles. Muscles and fascia are elastic.
This means that they can stretch and usually return to their starting position after stretching. Normally, the muscles recede after stretching during childbirth. If the regression is insufficient, however, the lost penis syndrome can occur. The quality of the musculature and the connective tissue are to a certain extent hereditary. Insufficient regression of the muscles is thus associated with a genetic disposition.
Muscular diseases or connective tissue diseases can also promote insufficient regression. Lost penis syndrome can also be present independently of births. In most cases, the syndrome is associated with a hereditary or otherwise predisposed relaxation of the pelvic floor. This relaxation can be caused by hormonal effects after menopause or, for example, as part of neurological disorders.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
The symptoms of women with lost penis syndrome are relatively specific. Those affected suffer from sexual dysfunction in the broadest sense. They do not experience sexual intercourse as pleasurable because they hardly or not at all feel their partner’s penis in their vagina. Under these circumstances, they cannot reach a vaginal orgasm.
For your partner, too, orgasm during sexual intercourse is almost impossible, since he too does not experience sufficient stimulation during the sexual act. Vaginal dysfunction often puts a tremendous strain on the relationship and can thus lead to psychological complications, such as a lack of self-esteem on both sides of the partnership.
In individual cases, the lost penis syndrome can be accompanied by many other symptoms that depend on the primary cause. A pelvic floor enlargement can also affect urination for women. Muscular and neuromuscular dysfunctions usually do not only affect the pelvic floor, but also manifest themselves in muscle weaknesses elsewhere in the body.
The lost penis syndrome is also very shameful for many women. Feelings of shame can pave the way for other psychological complaints and thus have a long-term negative impact on the sex life of those affected.
Diagnosis & disease progression
The diagnosis of lost penis syndrome usually corresponds to the diagnosis of enlarged pelvic floor muscles. Gynecological diagnostics usually knows this finding as an incidental finding. As a rule, women with lost penis syndrome do not explicitly contact the doctor because of sexual dysfunction. Shame keeps them away. In order to exclude a neurogenic cause, a neurological diagnosis with nerve conduction tests and imaging of the nervous system is usually carried out after the diagnosis.
Complications
The lost penis syndrome usually leads primarily to psychological problems and limitations in the patient. Those affected cannot feel their partner’s penis and therefore do not have an orgasm during sexual intercourse. The lost penis syndrome can therefore have a very negative effect on the relationship with the partner and also lead to psychological problems or depression.
It is not uncommon for the patient to develop an inferiority complex or reduced self-esteem. It is not uncommon for lost penis syndrome to be associated with other weakened muscles in the body, so that other areas of the body are also affected by the discomfort. The quality of life of the affected person is significantly restricted and reduced by the lost penis syndrome.
In the long run, this can lead to a very restricted sex life. It is not uncommon for those affected to feel ashamed of this complaint and therefore do not initiate any treatment. In most cases, however, the symptoms disappear on their own after a few days and there are no particular complications. In some cases, various exercises are necessary to resolve the symptoms. The life expectancy of the patient is not affected by the lost penis syndrome. In some cases, psychological treatments are also necessary.
When should you go to the doctor?
Discomfort or irregularities in the performance of sexual activity should be discussed with a doctor. If the woman feels that she does not have a penis in her despite union with a man, it is advisable to consult a doctor. In a conversation, the observations should be made and discussed with a doctor. If sex can no longer be experienced as pleasurable, there is a sexual dysfunction.
If there is a rejection of intimacy with the partner or if partnership problems develop, a doctor should be consulted. If you are dissatisfied with your sex life, it is advisable to consult a doctor. If disorders of the orgasm occur or if behavioral problems occur, the person concerned needs medical and therapeutic help.
If there is an aggressive demeanor or changes in personality, a doctor should be informed of the changes. In some cases, the woman can independently alleviate the symptoms through targeted muscle building training of the pelvis. A doctor’s visit is not necessary in these cases. However, if after a few weeks or months, despite all efforts, there is not enough improvement in the sensations in the intimate area, a doctor should be consulted. Optimization of the exercise units can be discussed in a therapy or a special treatment plan.
Treatment & Therapy
Lost penis syndrome can be a chronic disorder, but it can also be temporary. Temporary states often correspond to a conventional relaxation of the muscles and accordingly often occur as a result of overstimulation. This phenomenon requires no treatment and resolves on its own within days or a few weeks.
In principle, treatment is only required in the case of pathological dysfunction. The type of treatment depends greatly on the primary cause. Pelvic floor training is usually the focus of treatment. Like any type of skeletal muscle, the pelvic floor has a certain tone even when it is at rest. This means that there is a basic tension even without voluntary contraction of the muscles.
In lost penis syndrome, the basic tension of the pelvic muscles is usually reduced. Ideally, the musculature receives a general increase in tone through regular pelvic floor training. In addition to this type of movement therapy, medication can be used, for example with active ingredients that increase tone.
If the suffering of the patient is too great and the conservative treatment methods do not bring any improvement, a plastic surgical tightening of the pelvic floor muscles and the surrounding ligaments can take place. In the case of neurogenic causes, a causal therapy for the neurological disorder is also carried out. If the patient is already showing psychological problems, additional psychotherapeutic support is provided.
Outlook & Forecast
In most cases, the lost penis syndrome is unproblematic. It is only temporary. The reason for muscle relaxation is usually overstimulation. Affected women do not need to see a doctor. Within a week, the complaints no longer exist. A fulfilling sex life becomes possible as before.
The situation is different for women who, even after a week, still do not feel any friction during sexual intercourse. In this case, the prospect of improvement is mixed. There is an increased risk, for example, after pregnancy and significant physical weight gain. Both affect the firmness of the vagina. In this case, only pelvic muscle training helps, which eliminates the problem to a certain extent. In the case of surgical interventions such as a vaginal tightening, the long-term consequences cannot yet be foreseen. It is therefore not possible to formulate prognostic statements.
Not going to the doctor for long-term problems can put a strain on the relationship and reduce self-esteem. Since sexuality is very closely related to mental stimulation, talk therapy promises at least limited success. The partners learn to deal with each other differently and not to let frustration arise.
Prevention
Pelvic floor exercises can prevent lost penis syndrome, at least to a certain extent.
Aftercare
Since the lost penis syndrome cannot heal itself, regular visits to the doctor to clarify the development of the treatment make sense. As a rule, the lost penis syndrome has a negative effect on the sexual intercourse of those affected. Since the sex life remains unfulfilled, it is not uncommon for psychological problems or depression to occur. Sometimes psychological help can reduce the suffering and make it easier to deal with the disease. It is important to deal better with the inferiority complexes that often occur and, despite the situation, to become aware of what is causing the suffering and how it can be countered. In this case, emotional stability is a prerequisite for the further course of the disease.
You can do that yourself
In most cases, the lost penis syndrome does not need to be treated, as the complaints and symptoms disappear on their own after a few days or weeks. For this reason, those affected only have limited options for self-help with this syndrome. The syndrome itself can be prevented by avoiding overstimulation of the muscles. In most cases, training the pelvic floor muscles has a very positive effect on the course of the disease and can strengthen the muscles and thus alleviate the symptoms. Surgical intervention is only necessary in very rare cases.
In some cases, however, the lost penis syndrome can also lead to psychological upsets or depression. Such complaints or inferiority complexes can be avoided and reduced by talking to your partner or friends. Contact with other affected people can also have a positive effect on the course of the disease and may contribute to the exchange of information. Since the symptoms of the syndrome disappear again within a short time, treatment by a psychologist is not absolutely necessary. Talking to your partner can also alleviate possible sexual problems.
