title: Priapism Followed by Discontinuation of Methadone: A rare Case Report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Priapism is defined by persistent, painful penile erection which occurs without sexual stimulation. Methadone is used as an analgesic and is also used in detoxification and maintenance protocol for opioid dependence treatment. Here we will report a case of a male with priapism after rapid discontinuation doses of methadone.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case was a young married male who referred to a psychiatry clinic due to long-time spontaneous erections. The patient had no history of mental disorders, trauma or sickle cell anemia. He used to smoke opium for five years and used methadone for four years at a dose of 17 cc daily, which he abruptly discontinued. Then he often experienced spontaneous and painful erections without physical or mental stimulation that caused him shame and embarrassment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this case, chronology indicates that rapid discontinuation of methadone was possibly responsible for the occurrence of priapism. This may have happened due to a compensatory reaction to methadone side effect of erectile dysfunction, followed by its rapid withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mostafavi
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bidaki
keywords: Case Report; Fluoxetine; Methadone; Pentoxifylline; Priapism; Side effect; Withdrawal