[Efficacy of citalopram on premature ejaculation: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and reliability of citalopram in the treatment of premature ejaculation. METHODS: We included in this study 80 patients who came to our andrological clinic for premature ejaculation from May 2011 to May 2012, and randomly assigned them to a treatment and a control group of equal number to receive citalopram (20 mg/d) and placebo, respectively. We recorded the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and sexual intercourse satisfaction scores before and at 2 and 4 weeks after treatment, and compared them between the two groups. RESULTS: In the treatment group, IELT was significantly longer at 2 and 4 weeks than before treatment ([5.64 +/- 1.31] and [7.12 +/- 1.56] min vs [0.91 +/- 0.18] min, P < 0.01), so was it at 4 than at 2 weeks (P < 0.01), and the sexual intercourse satisfaction scores were remarkably higher at 2 and 4 weeks than before treatment (6.1 +/- 1.3 and 6.3 +/- 1.1 vs 2.5 +/- 0.8, P < 0.01), but with no significant difference between 2 and 4 weeks (P > 0.05). The control group showed no significant differences in the mean IELT and sexual intercourse satisfaction scores between pre- and posttreatment ([1.01 +/- 0.21] vs [0.95 +/- 0.17 min; 3.1 +/- 1.3 vs 3.0 +/- 1.1, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Oral medication of citalopram at 20 mg/d can significantly prolong IELT and improve sexual intercourse satisfaction in patients with premature ejaculation.