An inability to orgasm (anorgasmia) is an infrequent but highly disturbing condition that can affect men for a variety of reasons. Now a new study reports that use of the drug cabergoline improved or completely restored the ability to orgasm in nearly 70% of men treated who were experiencing this phenomenon.
Men with an inability to orgasm typically can achieve firm erections and have normal sexual intercourse, yet do not get the final release. Anorgasmia in men can be caused by psychological reasons (e.g., trauma, severe guilt, hostility toward women), use of certain drugs (especially antidepressants), or be the side effect of radical prostatectomy (prostate surgery). Men with erectile dysfunction frequently also have problems with ejaculation and orgasm.
At the 2012 American Urological Association annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, researchers reported that treatment with the dopamine receptor agonist cabergoline was effective in improving or completely resolving the inability to reach orgasm in nearly 70% of 72 men treated. Specifically, 50 of the men said their ability to reach orgasm had improved and 26 of the 50 achieved a return to normal orgasm during treatment.
A follow-up study was done by many of the same researchers and published in 2016 in the journal Sexual Medicine. In this retrospective review, treatment of 131 men who received cabergoline (0.5 mg twice weekly) for orgasmic disorder was evaluated. Eighty-seven (66.4%) men reported improvement in orgasm and 44 (33.6%) said they had no change. Factors that contributed to a positive response to cabergoline included longer length of treatment and concomitant testosterone therapy.
The findings of these studies are important for men who are considering radical prostatectomy, as problems with orgasm have been reported by as many as 75% of men who undergo the surgery, according to Tung-chi Hsieh, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, who presented the earlier study. This information can also prove helpful for men who may be prescribed antidepressants or other medications that can cause an inability to reach orgasm.
References
Hsieh TC, et al “Cabergoline for the treatment of male anorgasmia.” American Urological Association 2012; Abstract 1495
Hollander AB et al. Cabergoline in the treatment of male orgasmic disorder–A retrospective pilot analysis. Sexual Medicine 2016 Mar; 4(1): e28-33
