Q. I’ve never seen this subject addressed in your column, and hope it is not taboo. My husband had one problem which Viagra addressed, but now he cannot ejaculate.
I’ve read that ejaculating at least once a week keeps the prostate healthy. It’s been over a year since this problem started, and frankly, I’m concerned. The family physician brushed it off with no explanation or referral. Is this a side effect of Viagra? Or could it be it a symptom of something else?
A. The official prescribing information for Viagra notes that “abnormal ejaculation” has been reported, although it appears to be uncommon.
Factors that affect ejaculation include diabetes, changes in hormone levels, surgery, spinal cord injury and certain medications. Some drugs that are associated with ejaculation difficulties include Celexa (citalopram), Effexor (venlafaxine), Flomax (tamsulosin), Normodyne (labetalol), Prozac (fluoxetine), Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Proscar (finasteride), to name just a few.
Your husband should see a urologist to rule out any medical problems. As far as we can tell, there’s no evidence that failing to ejaculate will put your husband’s prostate at risk. A study published in JAMA (April 7, 2004) by Harvard epidemiologists titled “Ejaculation Frequency and Subsequent Risk of Prostate Cancer” concluded:
“Our results suggest that ejaculation frequency is not related to increased risk of prostate cancer.”
We would be interested in other’s experience with medications. Have you noticed a change in ejaculation brought on by medicine? If so, please share your story below.
