Recovery of abnormal ejaculation by intermittent tamsulosin treatment.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the impact of intermittent tamsulosin treatment on abnormal ejaculation.


METHODS
This prospective study was performed between January 2001 and December 2004. It included 405 patients who were at least 50 years old with lower urinary tract symptoms. This study was divided into 2 phases. In phase 1 patients received a 0.4 mg tamsulosin capsule daily after breakfast for at least 3 months. The second phase of this study was performed in the 30 patients with abnormal ejaculation. In this phase these patients received 0.4 mg tamsulosin once daily every other day. Patients were assessed at study entry and at study week 6.


RESULTS
Abnormal ejaculation was reported as retrograde ejaculation by 18 patients, as decreased volume by 7 and as absent ejaculate by 5. Ejaculatory function recovered during intermittent tamsulosin treatment in 12 patients with retrograde ejaculation and in 7 with decreased volume or absent ejaculate. As a result, 19 of 30 patients (63.3%) with abnormal ejaculation recovered. A significant improvement in retrograde ejaculation was found after intermittent tamsulosin treatment (p = 0.02). Although there were improvements in decreased volume or absent ejaculate at week 6 of intermittent treatment, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.42 and 0.61, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the current study, which to our knowledge is the first report of the effect of intermittent tamsulosin treatment on abnormal ejaculation, show that this treatment modality is well tolerated and provides comparable improvements for abnormal ejaculation.
Goktas
Serdar
S
Department of Urology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Kibar
Yusuf
Y
Kilic
Selim
S
Topac
Hasret
H
Coban
Hidayet
H
Seckin
Bedrettin
B
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004542:Ejaculation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077409:Tamsulosin; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000077409:Tamsulosin