Paroxetine in the treatment of premature ejaculation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Paroxetine is one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used in the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). However, this use is not approved in many countries. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to review the efficacy and safety of paroxetine for PE patients.

We searched relevant randomized, controlled trials through May 2018, using PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register. The main endpoint included intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and side effects in the treatment of PE. Cochrane Collaboration's Revman software, version 5.3, was used for statistical analysis.

Out of 493 unique articles, a total of 19 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) were reviewed. Quite a few RCTs were considered to have unclear risk of bias because of limited information. Pooled outcomes suggested that paroxetine was more effective than placebo, fluoxetine and escitalopram at increasing IELT (all p < 0.05). However, there existed a high level of heterogeneity in the paroxetine vs. fluoxetine groups and the paroxetine vs. placebo groups. Comparing paroxetine with tramadol, sertraline, phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), local lidocaine gel, behaviour therapy or dapoxetine, we found that the increase in IELT was not statistically significant between groups. Paroxetine combined with tadalafil or behaviour therapy was more efficacious than paroxetine alone (all p < 0.05). Although the side effects in the combination group were more common than in the paroxetine alone group, the most common adverse events, such as nausea, muscle soreness, palpitation and flushing, were mild and tolerable. The main limitations of this systematic review and meta-analysis were the different definitions of PE and short follow-up times.

According to this systematic review and meta-analysis, paroxetine provided better efficacy than placebo, fluoxetine and escitalopram in the treatment of PE, with well-tolerated side effects. The combination group had better efficacy than the paroxetine alone group.

This review was reported in agreement with the PRISMA statement and was registered on PROSPERO 2018CRD42018097014 .