Most delay spray side effects come from the numbing agent, not the spray itself. Anaesthetic sprays containing lidocaine, prilocaine or benzocaine can cause genital numbness, reduced sensation, skin irritation and difficulty keeping an erection, and they can transfer to a partner and numb them too. NHS guidance on premature ejaculation notes that topical anaesthetics can be absorbed by the vagina and reduce sensation there, which is why using a condom alongside them is recommended. Plant-extract sprays work differently and carry a lower risk of numbing a partner, though they can still irritate skin and have far less clinical evidence behind them.
Delay sprays are one of the more common things people try for premature ejaculation, and side effects are the thing most people want to know about before buying one. The honest answer depends almost entirely on which type you have.
What You'll Find in This Article
- The two types of delay spray
- Side effects of anaesthetic delay sprays
- Can delay spray affect your partner?
- Side effects of plant-extract delay sprays
- Is delay spray safe?
- How to reduce the risk of side effects
- Delay spray and other medicines
- When to see a GP
- What we stock
- Frequently asked questions
The Two Types of Delay Spray
This distinction decides everything else on this page, and most articles about delay spray side effects skip it.
Anaesthetic sprays contain a local anaesthetic, usually lidocaine, prilocaine or benzocaine. They numb the skin of the glans to reduce sensation, which lengthens the time before ejaculation. This is the type with a real clinical evidence base. A lidocaine and prilocaine spray was licensed in the UK in November 2016 as a prescription-free treatment for premature ejaculation, and it works within about five minutes.
Plant-extract sprays use botanical ingredients rather than a pharmaceutical anaesthetic. Depending on the brand you will see panthenol and oak bark extract, witch hazel, millet seed extract, ginkgo biloba, ginger, rice bran oil or hops. These aim to reduce sensitivity more gently, or to soothe the skin rather than block sensation outright.
The two behave differently, and so do their side effects. Almost everything people worry about with delay sprays, the numbness, the partner transfer, the difficulty staying hard, comes from the anaesthetic type.
Our guide to lidocaine versus benzocaine delay sprays covers the differences between the two anaesthetics in more detail.
Side Effects of Anaesthetic Delay Sprays
These are the ones worth knowing about before you buy.
Numbness and reduced sensation. This is the intended effect rather than a side effect, but it is a matter of degree. Too much spray, or leaving it on too long before sex, can leave the glans numb enough that sex stops feeling like much at all. That defeats the purpose.
Difficulty getting or keeping an erection. Reduced sensation can make an erection harder to maintain for some men. It is a recognised trade-off with topical anaesthetics and a common reason people stop using them.
Skin irritation. Burning, stinging, redness or itching at the site of application. Usually mild and short-lived, but it is the most frequently reported local effect.
Allergic reaction. Less common, but possible with any topical product. An allergic contact dermatitis presents as a persistent rash, swelling or intense itching rather than the brief sting of ordinary irritation. If that happens, stop using it.
Transfer to a partner. Covered in full below, because it is the side effect people most often overlook and the one NHS guidance specifically flags.
Can Delay Spray Affect Your Partner?
Yes, and this is the part worth reading carefully.
NHS guidance on ejaculation problems states plainly that topical anaesthetics such as lidocaine or prilocaine can help, but may be transferred and absorbed into the vagina, causing decreased sensation. The same guidance notes that condoms are effective for premature ejaculation in their own right, and particularly effective combined with a local anaesthetic.
In practice that means a partner can end up numbed without having used anything themselves. It can reduce their sensation, and for some people it causes a mild burning or tingling. It applies to oral sex too, where transfer to the mouth and lips is possible.
Three things reduce it:
- Use a condom. This is the single most effective step and the one NHS guidance points to. It puts a barrier between the treated skin and your partner. Browse our condom range
- Let it absorb fully. Follow the waiting time on the product, usually five to fifteen minutes depending on the brand
- Wash the excess off before sex once it has absorbed, if the instructions allow it
If you are using a delay spray without a condom, transfer is not a remote possibility. It is the expected outcome.
Side Effects of Plant-Extract Delay Sprays
The range we stock is plant-extract based rather than anaesthetic based, so it is worth being straight about how these compare.
What is lower risk. Without a pharmaceutical anaesthetic, the numbing effect is milder and the risk of transferring significant numbness to a partner is lower. The trade-off people report with erections is also less pronounced.
What is not risk-free. Botanical extracts still cause allergic and irritant reactions in some people, and in some ways they are less predictable than a single known compound. Witch hazel, oak bark and hops are all recognised contact allergens for a minority of users. If you have reactive skin, patch test on your forearm first.
The honest limitation. Plant-extract sprays have far less clinical evidence behind them than lidocaine and prilocaine. The anaesthetic type has been through randomised trials and a licensing process. The botanical type largely has not. Gentler is not the same as more effective, and if premature ejaculation is significantly affecting you, that difference matters.
Is Delay Spray Safe?
For most people, used as directed, yes. Topical anaesthetics are considered a first-line option for premature ejaculation, and the amount absorbed into the bloodstream from correct topical use is small.
Where it stops being straightforward:
- Using more than directed. More spray does not mean better results, it means more numbness and more transfer
- Broken skin. Do not apply to cuts, sores or irritated skin, where absorption is higher and irritation more likely
- Existing skin conditions or a known allergy to any listed ingredient
- Long-term daily use. Delay sprays are designed for use on demand, not as a permanent fix. If you are reaching for one every time, that is worth a conversation with a GP rather than a bigger bottle
Delay sprays also do nothing for pregnancy or STIs. If that is a consideration, you still need a condom.
How to Reduce the Risk of Side Effects
1. Patch test first. A small amount on the inside of the forearm, left for a few hours, will pick up most allergic reactions before they matter 2. Start with the lowest dose. Most products suggest a number of sprays. Start at the bottom of that range and only increase if you need to 3. Respect the waiting time. Applying and going straight to sex is the main cause of partner transfer 4. Use a condom. The most effective single measure, and it addresses pregnancy and STI risk at the same time 5. Wash off any excess once absorbed, where the instructions allow 6. Do not combine products without checking. Layering a delay spray with a delay condom, which may itself contain an anaesthetic, doubles the dose without doubling the benefit 7. Stop if you react. Persistent burning, a rash or swelling means stop, not push through
Our guide on how to use delay spray covers the application method properly.
Delay Spray and Other Medicines
The question that comes up most is whether a delay spray can be combined with erectile dysfunction medication such as sildenafil. They work in completely different ways and on different parts of the problem, and topical absorption from correct use is low.
That said, this is a question for a pharmacist or GP rather than a shop. Any answer depends on your own medication, your health and how you are using both. A pharmacist will answer it free, in a few minutes, and it is worth asking rather than guessing.
The same applies if you take any regular medication, have a heart condition, or have been prescribed something for premature ejaculation already.
When to See a GP
Delay sprays manage a symptom. They do not treat a cause.
Worth booking an appointment if:
- Premature ejaculation is persistent and distressing rather than occasional
- It has started recently after years without it, which can point to a physical or psychological cause worth investigating
- You get a reaction to a spray that does not settle
- You are relying on a spray every time
- You have pain, discomfort or other symptoms alongside it
NHS treatment options for premature ejaculation include behavioural techniques, and medication such as an SSRI where appropriate. There is more to try than a spray, and a GP has seen it many times before.
What We Stock
Our delay spray range is plant-extract based rather than local-anaesthetic based. That is a deliberate difference from the lidocaine and benzocaine sprays sold elsewhere, and it is the reason the side effect profile above splits the way it does.
The range includes Pjur Med Pro-Long, which uses panthenol and oak bark extract, and the Super Hero sprays, which use ginkgo biloba, flower extract and ginger. Skins Natural Delay Spray is a water-based botanical blend. EXS makes Reload Delay Spray and a delay gel using rice bran oil and hops extract.
If you want the anaesthetic type instead, that is a legitimate choice with better clinical evidence behind it, and a pharmacist can point you at what is available.
For a comparison of what is on the market, see our guide to the best delay sprays in the UK. Delay condoms are the other route, and they contain the anaesthetic inside the condom, which contains it rather than leaving it on the skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the side effects of delay spray?
The main ones are genital numbness, reduced sensation, difficulty keeping an erection, and local skin irritation such as burning or itching. Anaesthetic sprays containing lidocaine, prilocaine or benzocaine can also transfer to a partner and numb them. Allergic reactions are less common but possible with any topical product, including plant-extract ones.
Does delay spray have side effects for women?
It can, through transfer rather than direct use. NHS guidance notes that topical anaesthetics like lidocaine and prilocaine may be absorbed by the vagina and reduce sensation there. Some people also report mild burning or tingling. Using a condom is the most effective way to prevent it, and it is what NHS guidance recommends alongside a local anaesthetic.
Is delay spray safe to use?
For most people, used as directed, yes. Topical anaesthetics are considered a first-line option for premature ejaculation and very little is absorbed into the bloodstream with correct use. It becomes less straightforward if you exceed the stated dose, apply it to broken skin, have an allergy to an ingredient, or rely on it daily rather than on demand.
Can delay spray cause erection problems?
It can. Reducing sensation on the glans makes an erection harder to maintain for some men, and it is one of the more common reasons people stop using anaesthetic sprays. Using less, or letting it absorb fully rather than over-applying, usually helps. If it persists, a lower-strength or plant-extract product may suit you better.
How do I stop delay spray transferring to my partner?
Three things. Use a condom, which is the most effective step and the one NHS guidance points to. Respect the waiting time on the product, usually five to fifteen minutes, so it absorbs before contact. And wash off any excess once it has absorbed, where the instructions allow it. Without a condom, some transfer should be expected.
Are natural delay sprays safer than lidocaine ones?
Lower risk in some respects, not risk-free. Plant-extract sprays produce a milder numbing effect, so partner transfer and erection difficulty are less pronounced. But botanical ingredients like witch hazel, oak bark and hops still cause allergic reactions in some people, and they have far less clinical evidence behind them than lidocaine and prilocaine.
Can you use delay spray with condoms?
Yes, and it is actively recommended. NHS guidance notes that condoms are effective for premature ejaculation on their own and particularly effective combined with a local anaesthetic. A condom also stops the product transferring to your partner. Apply the spray, let it absorb for the stated time, then put the condom on.
Can I use delay spray with Viagra?
They work in different ways and topical absorption is low, so there is no obvious conflict, but this is a question for a pharmacist or GP rather than a retailer. The right answer depends on your own medication and health. A pharmacist will answer it free in a few minutes, which is worth doing rather than guessing.
How long do delay spray side effects last?
Numbness generally wears off within an hour or two, in line with how long the product is designed to work. Skin irritation usually settles within a day. Anything that persists beyond that, particularly a rash, swelling or intense itching, suggests an allergic reaction rather than ordinary irritation, and you should stop using the product.
Can delay spray damage you permanently?
There is no evidence that correct use causes lasting harm. The effects are temporary and wear off as the product does. The situations worth avoiding are exceeding the stated dose, applying to broken skin, and continuing to use something you are clearly reacting to. Persistent problems are a reason to see a GP rather than to keep going.
Should I do a patch test before using delay spray?
It is worth it, particularly with plant-extract products, since botanical ingredients are common contact allergens. Apply a small amount to the inside of your forearm and leave it a few hours. A reaction there is far preferable to discovering it mid-encounter, and it takes almost no effort.
Does delay spray protect against pregnancy or STIs?
No. A delay spray does nothing at all for either. If pregnancy or STI protection matters, you need a condom, which happens to be the same thing that stops the spray transferring to your partner. The two work well together and NHS guidance supports using them in combination.
When should I see a GP about premature ejaculation?
If it is persistent and distressing rather than occasional, if it has started recently after years without it, if you are relying on a spray every time, or if you get a reaction that does not settle. NHS treatment options include behavioural techniques and medication such as an SSRI, so there is considerably more available than a topical product.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If premature ejaculation is affecting you, or you have a reaction to any product mentioned here, speak to a healthcare professional or visit NHS.uk.
References
1. NHS. Ejaculation problems. Guidance on premature ejaculation, topical anaesthetics and condom use. 2. Porst H, Burri A. Fortacin spray for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Urologia, 2017. 3. Boeri L, Pozzi E, Fallara G, Montorsi F, Salonia A. Real-life use of the eutectic mixture lidocaine/prilocaine spray in men with premature ejaculation. International Journal of Impotence Research, 2022. 4. Hamarat MB, Kafkaslı A, Kucuktopcu O, et al. Comparative efficacy of EMLA cream, lidocaine spray, and benzocaine condoms in treating lifelong premature ejaculation. World Journal of Urology, 2025.
