Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced ejaculatory delay is a common problem that has no treatment with established efficacy. Sildenafil citrate is effective for erectile dysfunction and appears to be safe at doses up to 200 mg.
Method: We enrolled men who were in remission from depression according to DSM-IV criteria and who reported that they had developed new-onset ejaculatory delay in the setting of SSRI treatment. Enrolled patients were instructed to use 25 mg of sildenafil 1 hour prior to sexual activity on at least 2 occasions. If this was not effective for the ejaculatory delay, they were instructed to increase the dose progressively up to a maximum of 200 mg. We compared baseline sexual functioning to 2 phases of open treatment: low-dose phase (sildenafil 25-100 mg) and high-dose phase (sildenafil 150-200 mg). The primary outcome measure was a modified, self-report Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale that was specific for erectile (CGI-EF) and ejaculatory (CGI-EJF) aspects of sexual function.
Results: Twenty-one men (mean age = 56 years) with major depressive disorder (MDD) in remission and SSRI-associated ejaculatory delay enrolled in the study and received sildenafil. At baseline, 14 of 21(67%) had comorbid erectile dysfunction. At the low-dose phase follow-up assessment, 12 of 14 achieved full erectile dysfunction remission, and 4 of 21 achieved ejaculatory delay remission. Sixteen patients with persistent ejaculatory delay were eligible for the high-dose phase: 5 withdrew from the study, 4 increased to a maximum dose of 150 mg, and 6 increased to a maximum dose of 200 mg. The 1 patient who had clinically significant erectile dysfunction and ejaculatory delay reported improvement of both conditions after the high-dose phase. Of the 10 patients who had ejaculatory delay without significant erectile dysfunction and who chose to take high-dose sildenafil, 9 reported a significant clinical improvement in ejaculatory delay (CGI-EJF improvement score of 1 or 2) and 7 achieved full remission (CGI-EJF severity score of 1 or 2 and CGI-EJF improvement score of 1 or 2).
Conclusion: In this open clinical trial with men who had SSRI-induced ejaculatory delay, high-dose sildenafil appeared to be effective in reducing ejaculatory latency.