Are Antidepressants the Best Treatment Option for Men with Premature Ejaculation (PE)?

Are Antidepressants the Best Treatment Option for Men with Premature Ejaculation (PE)?

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Between 22 and 38 percent of men suffer from premature or rapid ejaculation.

That’s a lot of guys.

But you may not hear much about it — drug companies choose to concentrate on marketing erectile dysfunction.

And whatever overpriced get-hard medication they have now is what you see on TV and the internet.

They’ll ignore less lucrative issues — like premature ejaculation.

Premature ejaculation (PE), or rapid ejaculation, is a big problem that a lot of American men face. 

And it happens more often than you might think.

It’s even more common than erectile dysfunction!

In fact, PE is the Number One male sex problem in America.

And anyone who ever suffered from it knows what a drag it can be.

Yet there are no PE medicines on the market.

But what exactly is premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is an uncontrolled ejaculation either before or very shortly after sexual penetration.

It happens with almost no physical stimulation of the penis and way before a guy wants it to happen.
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PE can wreak havoc on a man’s self-esteem and self-confidence.

It can cause anxiety and depression.

Plus, it can really mess with your sexual relationships and deeply affect your quality of life.

Up to 75% of men experience premature ejaculation at some point in their lives.

With so many men coping, you wonder why the drug companies aren’t paying more attention to it.

But there are some things that help.

However, before treating it, you need to know what is premature, and what is normal.

There’s a handy measurement term used here — ejaculation latency time (ELT).

ELT is the time that elapses between the introduction of the penis into the vagina, and the moment a guy ejaculates.

Times vary from man to man, but there are studies of average and median ELTs.

One recent study on ELT worked with 500 randomly recruited volunteers from five different countries.

There were men aged 18 and up from the United States, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey.

The researchers found that median ELT was 5.4 minutes.

That means that half the guys surveyed came in less than 5.4 minutes, and the other half came after going at it for longer than that.

Not surprisingly, the guys between 18 and 30 lasted longer than other groups.

The younger guys lasted about 6.5 minutes while guys over 51 dropped to about 4.3 minutes.

Some of the guys studied lasted only half a minute, others up to 44 minutes!

But with so much variation, is 5.4 minutes “normal?”

How long should intercourse last?

Since that’s a bit subjective, another 2008 study surveyed the public about how long sex should last.

Public perception came up with an answer of between three and seven minutes for “adequate” intercourse.

“Desirable” was between seven to 13 minutes.

And they defined “too short” at between one to two minutes.

Then, they even defined “too long” — which was between 10 to 30 minutes!

So, on paper, the average American guy does a pretty good job — or comes really close.

But there are still plenty of men who suffer from PE and who are looking for solutions.

Remember that 75% of men mentioned earlier who will deal with PE in their lifetime?

Well, drug companies aren’t coming up with new solutions to the problem for them.

No drugs have yet received official approval for premature ejaculation treatment.

Instead, some doctors claim that certain antidepressants can do the trick.

And drug companies are going to town on it.

It’s another way to make money off of an existing product, so they’re thrilled.

One of the side effects of antidepressants is that it helps guys with premature ejaculation.

And it true — to a degree.

But there’s no denying that antidepressants have some positive effects on the mood.

And those effects can translate to improving PE, too.

Antidepressants work by “restoring” the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin, among others) in the brain.

We’re not 100% certain how they accomplish it, but guys stop feeling so low when they take the antidepressant.

But men who do not have PE notice a big problem while taking the drugs.

Suddenly, everything in the sex department takes much, much longer.

And it can take a LONG time to come.

So you feel better in general, but then sex becomes frustrating.

But for the man with PE, that side effect can mean more satisfying sex because it’s not over before they start.

Not necessarily ideal choices – PE or an inability to climax at all!

Still, SSRIs like clomipramine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline may help men with premature ejaculation.

These drugs are on the list of safe treatment options for patients with premature ejaculation.

Most guys who take them for depression can probably vouch for their effect on PE.

But gaining this benefit is not worth the risk to your overall health — or your life.

Like any drug, antidepressants have side effects.

If you’re considering SSRIs for premature ejaculation, be careful.

And some of these side effects can be pretty hazardous to your health.

Some side effects of antidepressants are insomnia, headaches, rash, blurred vision, drowsiness, and dry mouth.

You can experience agitation, dizziness, joint and muscle pain.

There could be weight gain, upset stomach, and diarrhea.

Plus, there is an increased risk of suicide.

And while they might help resolve PE, they can CAUSE erectile dysfunction.

Some trade off, huh?

Me?  I don’t think so.

Now, if you’re considering them with your doctor, realize that these side effects range in severity from annoying to dangerous.

I think you’ll agree though that guys are better off sticking to non-pharmaceutical options for PE treatment.

Make sure explore all options with your doctor before agreeing to any treatment.

 

 


Matt Cook is editor-in-chief of Daily Medical Discoveries. Matt has been a full time health researcher for 26 years. ABC News interviewed Matt on sexual health issues not long ago. Matt is widely quoted on over 1,000,000 websites. He has over 300,000 daily newsletter readers. Daily Medical Discoveries finds hidden, buried or ignored medical studies through the lens of 100 years of proven science. Matt heads up the editorial team of scientists and health researchers. Each discovery is based upon primary studies from peer reviewed science sources following the Daily Medical Discoveries 7 Step Process to ensure accuracy.
How Does Premature Ejaculation Impact a Man’s Life 
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00926230390224738 

A multinational population survey of intravaginal ejaculation latency time. 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16422843 

This Is How Long Sex Should Last (From a Woman's Point of View) 
http://www.gq.com/story/how-long-should-sex-last-self 

Canadian and American sex therapists' perceptions of normal and abnormal ejaculatory latencies: how long should intercourse last 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18331255 

 

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