Sertraline treatment for premature ejaculation.

This study was designed to examine the efficacy and safety of sertraline as a treatment for premature ejaculation. Fifty-two heterosexual male patients with self-reported premature ejaculation were randomly assigned to receive either sertraline or placebo. After a 1-week placebo washout period, the dose was titrated during treatment weeks 1 to 3 from 50 to 200 mg of sertraline per day until clinical response was optimal or dose-limiting adverse experiences emerged. Medication was maintained at this level through week 8. The primary outcome measures used to assess efficacy included patient assessment of time to ejaculation (from penetration), number of successful attempts at intercourse, and incidence of ejaculation during foreplay. Sertraline treatment produced significant improvements relative to placebo in time to ejaculation and number of successful attempts at intercourse, as well as overall clinical judgements of improvement. Medication was well tolerated by most patients. Because sertraline therapy caused significant prolongation of time to ejaculation, this agent may be useful as a treatment for selected patients with premature ejaculation.