# Sexual side effects of alcohol on a non-drinker? (Possible TMI)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 25, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095 "2006-02-25T20:35:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/1 "2006-02-25T20:35:14Z")
I don’t drink.
Last night, due to several unrelated factors, it just seemed like a good idea.
So. I got a six-pack of Smirnoff Wild Grape Malt Beverage and a bottle of Jagermeister. Went home, drank two of the Grape things, and a couple small sips of the Jager.
I was watching a DVD of Jackass, and while it seemed infantile and pointless beforehand, after imbibing, it was freakin’ _hilarious._
Anyway, I fell asleep early, slept very well thank you, and awoke in the morning with a severe case of horniness.
Now, I’m not one for masturbation (or any type of sex) in the morning – nighttime just seems much better suited for that. (Not that I’m a prude, I’ve had early-morning sex, it’s just better at night, to me. YMMV.)
Anyway, it was very distracting, so I masturbated, thinking that would solve it. Which it did, briefly.
Twenty minutes later – another horny attack. Lather, rinse, repeat. (I should add that this is quite out of the ordinary for me – as I approach my forties, my sex drive seems to be decreasing steadily…).
My question: Is this normal? Should I look forward to this each time I drink?
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/2 "2006-02-25T20:41:02Z")
:eek:
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### Author:  [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/3 "2006-02-25T20:44:33Z")
It’s pretty bad when you have to get yourself drunk to get in the mood 😉
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### Author:  [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/4 "2006-02-25T21:18:37Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#):
>
> It’s pretty bad when you have to get yourself drunk to get in the mood 😉
If your hand falls asleep, it’s time to quit. 😛
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/5 "2006-02-25T23:28:29Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#):
>
> If your hand falls asleep, it’s time to quit. 😛
You hear all the time about how too much alcohol can cause the hand to “fail to perform.”
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/6 "2006-02-25T23:32:40Z")
Just out of curiousity, shouldn’t you be rinsing _after_ you repeat? 😉
I’m a cheap drunk. A glass of wine on an empty stomach makes me a bit light-headed. Two to three and I’m gone. I have become less…inhibited, shall we say, to Ivylad’s delight.
Nope. That’s all I’m going to say.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/7 "2006-02-25T23:53:13Z")
Alcohol raises testosterone levels in women, which has the effect of raising their sex drives significantly. Alcohol also raises estrogen levels in men; it’s a curious substance.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/8 "2006-02-25T23:54:38Z")
That’s the best reason I’ve ever heard for becoming an alcoholic.
(I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Aside from the couple of other downsides, I bet your libido goes down afther not to long.)
Anyway, I’ve never heard of this before…except that masturbation is an excellent response to a hangover. The lesson here I think, is that the next time you indulge YOU BRING SOMEONE ELSE TO BED WITH YOU! Easier on the wrist.
(Oh and while I’m here
> [@](#):
>
> Smirnoff Wild Grape Malt Beverage and a bottle of Jagermeister
:eek: No wonder you don’t drink. You have appalling taste 😉 )
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### Author:  [@Hirundo82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirundo82)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/9 "2006-02-26T02:47:25Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> Alcohol raises testosterone levels in women, which has the effect of raising their sex drives significantly. Alcohol also raises estrogen levels in men; it’s a curious substance.
That’s curious; I’ve heard infatuation has those same effects on hormones. Alcohol=liquid infatuation? Could explain a lot.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/10 "2006-02-26T03:07:36Z")
It makes sense that there would be a normal mechanism for that sort of thing, and that alcohol would be a biological false positive, if you will.
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### Author:  [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/11 "2006-02-26T03:29:50Z")
> [@Hirundo82](#):
>
> That’s curious; I’ve heard infatuation has those same effects on hormones. Alcohol=liquid infatuation? Could explain a lot.
Hence the term “beer goggles”.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/12 "2006-02-28T09:56:33Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#):
>
> Alcohol raises testosterone levels in women, which has the effect of raising their sex drives significantly. Alcohol also raises estrogen levels in men; it’s a curious substance.
:eek: Really?
I knew about the testerone thing in women (good stuff that…had a lot of fun on a little extra bit of testosterone) but didn’t know about estrogen…very interesting…unlless your just whooshing me! 😃 .
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/13 "2006-02-28T10:52:08Z")
> [@betenoir](#):
>
> :eek: Really?
> I knew about the testerone thing in women (good stuff that…had a lot of fun on a little extra bit of testosterone) but didn’t know about estrogen…very interesting…unlless your just whooshing me! 😃 .
(Heh)
This is why it’s ok for heterosexual men to tell eachother: “I love you…man…” After drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
My WAG to the OP’s quagmire is that alcohol thins the blood so it’s reasonable to assume the OP could have had an excess amount of blood flow down around the manly bits.
An effect, I would think, might make one hory.
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### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/14 "2006-02-28T19:33:02Z")
> [@SHAKES](#):
>
> (Heh)
>
> This is why it’s ok for heterosexual men to tell eachother: “I love you…man…” After drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
>
> My WAG to the OP’s quagmire is that alcohol thins the blood so it’s reasonable to assume the OP could have had an excess amount of blood flow down around the manly bits.
>
> An effect, I would think, might make one hory.
freudian slip in the last sentence?
does alcohol make you “whory” too?
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### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/15 "2006-02-28T20:21:49Z")
Exact opposite for me. Booze makes me less horny, less able to become horny, less able to satisfy my horniness (if you know what I mean). Critically, I also find that drunk people are much less likely to inspire horniness in me.
Thus I feel quite safe when I drink and/or am around drinkers: I will in no way be inspired to do something stupid because of my sex drive.
(There is a certain illegal drug with precisely the opposite effects, but that is a whole different conversation.)
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### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/16 "2006-02-28T20:39:28Z")
Tough to judge based on one test. My guess is that it’s not going to be a chronic thing. If I had to wager a guess, it’s that the booze lowered inhibitions and perhaps you had some fun dreams. Hormone levels are effected and you body reacted.
Like any drug, a bodies reaction can change from one time to the next and it can change after chronic use too.
I drink every weekend, fairly large amounts I’d say, and I’ve experienced both horniness and the opposite. Sometimes in the night, sometimes the next day. Really, I figure you call it a blessing and test it again when the mood strikes. If it’s a trend, get thee a SO and have fun.
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### Author:  [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/17 "2006-02-28T21:12:39Z")
What exactly is the problem here?
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### Author:  [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/18 "2006-02-28T21:18:48Z")
> [@bup](#):
>
> What exactly is the problem here?
No problem, I was mainly wondering whether the experience would be reliably repeatable.
Thanks for all the answers, everyone – keep 'em coming! 😃
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### Author:  [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-side-effects-of-alcohol-on-a-non-drinker-possible-tmi/346095/19 "2006-02-28T22:47:00Z")
You definitely need to repeat the experiment to see if you get the same results! 🙂