# Do penis enlargement supplements work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723 "2011-03-23T15:43:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![potsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@potsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/potsie)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/1 "2011-03-23T15:43:06Z")
I know TSD answered this question years ago about penis enlargement contraptions, but I’m wondering about those pills that they sell at gas stations and advertise in the back of magazines. Do they actually work? Do the effects last? Are there any long-term effects, or has this even been investigated? Are they even FDA-approved (this question is probably dumb lol)? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/2 "2011-03-23T15:45:23Z")
I think the answer to all your questions is: No. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/3 "2011-03-23T15:45:39Z")
No, they don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/4 "2011-03-23T15:53:14Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![potsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@potsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/potsie)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/5 "2011-03-23T15:54:55Z")
hmph guess i was hoping to be surprised lol ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/6 "2011-03-23T16:04:12Z")
The only thing that enlarges from use of these contraptions and supplements is the manufacturer’s wallet. [COLOR=Wheat]9600[/COLOR] ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/7 "2011-03-23T16:08:06Z")
If they did work, your urologist would be selling them to you. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/8 "2011-03-23T16:10:59Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > If they did work, your urologist would be selling them to you. And he would have to be a podiatrist because everyone would have an extra foot.😃 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/9 "2011-03-23T17:10:43Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > And he would have to be a podiatrist because everyone would have an extra foot.😃 I snorted. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/10 "2011-03-23T17:40:23Z")
I think some of the machines might work because, if I am not mistaken, a urologist prescribes them as a treatment for Peyronie’s disease and they stretch the stuff insid, for lack of a better term. I was going to try one but they were all to small!!!:eek: lol, just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/11 "2011-03-23T17:42:58Z")
Yeah, if/when a pill is invented that gives you a bigger dick, _You Will Hear About It_. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/12 "2011-03-23T18:01:48Z")
Yeah, I joked to a friend once that if they ever invented a pill that could enlarge penises, I would invest in wheelbarrows the next day, because men are so foolishly hung up on that issue they would all be carting around pythons. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/13 "2011-03-23T18:25:14Z")
And it may be a good thing that they don’t work. When it comes to real women in real relationships, there is sometimes such a thing as being too big (varies with individuals, of course). I don’t think anyone particularly enjoys having her innards bruised. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/14 "2011-03-23T18:46:57Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Yeah, if/when a pill is invented that gives you a bigger dick, _You Will Hear About It_. Right. If these pills actually worked, why would the scope of their marketing be limited to gas stations, back pages of magazines, and badly misspelled email spam? ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/15 "2011-03-23T18:50:05Z")
Pills and supplements? No. According to a urologist friend of mine, it is possible to get results without surgery though. Pretty much the same technique as is used by people to stretch their earlobes with ever larger rings. Google ‘jelq’ for more information. Though probably not from work… 😉 ETA: Also. You don’t get spam for it because a: It’s not an ‘instant result’ solution. and b: you can do it without buying anything. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/16 "2011-03-23T18:52:42Z")
I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/17 "2011-03-23T19:11:08Z")
I want to point out that one thing a penis does on a regular basis is “enlarge.” That is what it is designed to do. The damned thing changes size constantly. No, really, I just got out of the pool! So, if a pill should cause a person to have an erection then it could claim that it enlarges the penis I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/18 "2011-03-23T19:24:22Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > And it may be a good thing that they don’t work. When it comes to real women in real relationships, there is sometimes such a thing as being too big (varies with individuals, of course). I don’t think anyone particularly enjoys having her innards bruised. I know a woman whose third husband was hung like a horse. She said that his penis was like two beer cans stuck together. Speaking of him once, she said, “Larry had an 11” penis, but I divorced him anyway." 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/19 "2011-03-23T19:51:17Z")
Do these things have some sort of short term effect that lets people convince themselves they do work, or is the idea to keep marketing until every potential sucker^h^h^h customer gets ripped off? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723/20 "2011-03-23T20:02:46Z")
Maybe it’s the placebo effect, you are thinking about your penis and all the plundering it’s going to do, your SO is paying more attention to it, so you get a good healthy erection. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-penis-enlargement-supplements-work/575723.md?page=2)