Dapoxetine is the only approved drug for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) in male persons, although some other meds are used off-label. This medication has passed numerous tests and is considered safe, but like any other medical product, it has potential adverse events and may interact with other drugs.
How Does Dapoxetine Work?
The principle of dapoxetine action is the suppression of the serotonin transporter, which enhances the action of serotonin in certain parts of the brain, which leads to ejaculatory delay. The active effect of the drug on a man’s body lasts 4-5 hours.
Dapoxetine provides excellent performance in bed and guarantees you enough time to enjoy sex. The components of the drug are excreted naturally, but the main active agent (dapoxetine hydrochloride) remains in the body for up to 12 hours.
Who is Forbidden to Take This Medication?
The drug, like any other medication, is contraindicated to be taken by persons with an individual susceptibility or allergy to its individual components. Also, you should not take Priligy (dapoxetine) in case of serious liver diseases, malignant tumors, internal bleeding, severe diseases of the digestive system, heart failure, severe mental disorders and migraines.
Side Effects of the Drug
According to a study by Hyun Jun Park et al. (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2017), treatment discontinuation rate of dapoxetine was relatively high. However, the highest rates of discontinuing were observed at initial periods of therapy, and primarily not due to side effects (their incidence was in range of 10 per cent). The main reasons for this were: understanding of the fact that PE is not curable (but this is an objective reality despite curability of some types of the disorder), necessity of taking the pill each time before intercourse, and cost of the medication. However, at the moment there are a lot of cheap generics of the drug, and if you find a reliable and inexpensive supplier, this would not be a problem at all.
Dapoxetine may lead to the following side effects:
- headache
- feeling of being lightheaded, woozy
- nausea
- permanent yawning
- dry mouth
- insomnia
- diarrhea
As indicated in the previously described study, no severe adverse events, such as aggressive behavior, postural decrease in blood pressure, serotonin syndrome, or syncope, were observed. The bigger the dosage, the higher the risk of side effects occurrence.
Dapoxetine Interactions
It is believed that a safe combination of dapoxetine with ED medicines is possible. We mean Viagra, Levitra, Cialis and Avana. The most proven combination is with sildenafil (the main active component of the blue Viagra pill), since there is even a special two-component drug that contains both sildenafil (100 mg) and dapoxetine (60 mg).
Ethanol does not affect the pharmacokinetic characteristics of dapoxetine. The use of this medication can lead to elevation in serum concentration of warfarin.
As reported by Chris G McMahon (Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 2012), co-administered potent CYP2D6 (fluoxetine) or CYP3A4 (ketoconazole) inhibitors may enhance dapoxetine concentration by up to 2-fold. Simultaneous intake of dapoxetine and CYP3A4 inhibitors with potent action such as ketoconazole is not allowed.
