What is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is when a man reaches orgasm (climax) before he wishes too or too quickly during intercourse.
Prevalence: 21-33% of men suffer premature ejaculation.
Psychiatric drug found useful for premature ejaculation.
Serotonin is a chemical involved in transmission of impulses between nerves. SSRI drugs (Selective Serotonin reuptake Inhibitors) are used in psychiatric illnesses such as depression. A possible explanation for premature ejaculation is an abnormality in the chemical transmission lines involved in the sex act.
In 2006 the Lancet reported a study in which a fast acting SSRI Dapoxetine was shown to increase the time taken to ejaculate. The drug acts within an hour and is eliminated from the body rapidly also. This makes it suitable for "on-demand" therapy.
The maximum dose increased time to ejaculation by about a factor of four (less than 1 minute to almost 4 minutes.)
